Research
Postdoctoral Research
Victor Faundez's Lab
My postdoc research focuses on a Menkes disease, a progressive form of childhood neurodegeneration that is triggered by dysregulation of copper. Importantly, Menkes disease shares pathogenic mechanisms with both neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. I am testing the hypothesis that deficits in ATP7A, a chief transporter required for copper homeostasis, activates the pink-parkin mitophagy pathway in order to trap damaged mitochondria within the soma, thus preventing mitochondria delivery to the synapse in patients with Menkes disease.
Foundation of the Singleton Lab
Anticipated in 2024
My ultimate research goal is to use systems biology and genetic approaches combined with my training in cellular and molecular neuroscience to investigate the mechanisms that control neuron development in normal and pathological conditions.
Publications
Wynne M*, Lane AR*, Singleton KS* Zlatic S, Gokhale A, Werner E, Duong D, Kwong J, Crocker A, Faundez F. Heterogeneous Expression of Nuclear Encoded Mitochondrial Genes Distinguishes Inhibitory and Excitatory Neurons. eNeuro 2021 Link
*authors contributed equally
Singleton KS, Murray DRK, Dukes AJ, Richardson LNS. A year in review: are DEI initatives fixing systemic barriers? Neuron, NeroView 2021. Link Invited Editorial
Singleton KS, Faundez VF. Robustness and Innovation Along the Endocytic Route: Lessons from Darkness. Journal Cell Biology. 2021. doi: 10.1083/jcb.202105030. Link
Singleton KS, Tesfaye R, Dominguez E, Dukes A. An Open Letter to past, current and future mentors of Black neuroscientist. Nature Reviews Neuroscience. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-020-00421-9. Link Invited Editorial
Lee CE, Singleton KS, Wallin M, Faundez VF. Rare Genetic Diseases, Nature’s Experiment on Human Development. iScience. May 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2020.101123. Link
Singleton KS, Silva PR, Silva EM. Pairing your Sox: Identification of Sox11 partner proteins and interaction domains in the developing neural plate. Submitted to Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2020. bioRxiv: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.23.057919. Link
Larimore J, Zlatic SA, Arnold M, Singleton KS, Cross R, Rudolph H, Bruegge MV, Sweetman A, Garza C, Whisnant E and Faundez V. Dysbindin Deficiency Modifies the Expression of GABA Neuron and Ion Permeation Transcripts in the Developing Hippocampus. Front. Genet. 2017 8:28. Link
Rudolph H., Cross RD., Segura L, Singleton KS., Larimore, J. Neuronal Endosomal Trafficking: One of the common molecular Pathways Disrupted in Autism Spectrum Disorders and Schizophrenia. Journal of Neurology and Psychology. ISSN: 2332-3469. Link
Arnold M*, Singleton KS*, Cross RD, Chapleau D, Mullin AP, Rolle I, Moore C, Theibert A, Pozzo-Miller L, Faundez V, Larimore J. The Endosome Localized AGAP1 Modulates Spine Morphology Downstream of the Neurodevelopmental Disorder Factor Dysbindin. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience. 2016 September. Link
*Authors contributed to this work equally
Kalidindi A, Kelly SD, Singleton KS, Guzman D, Merrill L, Willard SL, Shively CA, Neigh GN. Reduced marker of vascularization in the anterior hippocampus in a female monkey model of depression. Physiol Behav. 2016 Jul 14. pii: S0031-9384(16)30530-3. Link
Larimore J, Zlatic SA, Gokhale A, Tornieri K, Singleton KS, Mullin AP, Tang J, Talbot K, Faundez V. Mutations in the BLOC-1 Subunits Dysbindin and Muted Generate Divergent and Dosage-Dependent Phenotypes. J Biol Chem. 2014 Apr 8. Link