On Dec. 23th, 2015, Prof. MEI Lin, Chair of Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine of Augusta University, visited Institute of Biophysics (IBP), CAS and gave a lecture entitled Synapse Formation, Muscular Dystrophy and Brain Disorders. This lecture, which is a part of the special lecture series of BEI Shizhang Lecture of IBP, was hosted by Prof. WANG Xiaoqun.

Prof. MEI Lin received his PH.D. from University of Arizona in the U.S in 1989. He is currently a professor in the Department of Georgia Regents University. His groups are mainly interested in the formation of neuronal synapse and neuromuscular junction. Prof. MEI Lin also had made great contributions to the progress of neurobiology development.

Prof. MEI Lin introduced their recent progress on the study of neuromuscular junctions, including the myotube-specific binding activity of neuronal Agrin and MuSK. Lrp4, which is enriched at the NMJ, binds directly to neuronal Agrin and forms a tetrametric architecture complex. This Agrin-soluble Lrp4 complex could serve as a ligand for MuSK. His lab also found that the Lrp4 was expressed in astrocytes in the brain. Astrocytic Lrp4 is a criticle regulator of basal neuronal activity and regulates ATP release.