58 - Arc and Intercellular Signaling with Dr. Jason Shepherd by Max Planck Florida's Neurotransmissions

How did an ancient virus help shape the human brain? In this episode, Joe and Jeremy sit down with Dr. Jason Shepherd, Assistant Professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Biochemistry and Opthalmology & Visual Sciences at the University of Utah School of Medicine, to discuss the role of Arc (activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein) in the regulation of synaptic plasticity. Learn also how Dr. Shepherd and his group discovered a possible new role for Arc in transcellular signaling that may indicate its origin as an ancient retrovirus that integrated into the genome. If you can bear the puns, this episode packs a fascinating story of a career bridging molecular and in vivo processes and an unanticipated discovery.