World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
J. Troy Littleton

J. Troy Littleton

D-Index & Metrics

Biology and Biochemistry

D-Index
57
Citations
15221
World Ranking
13633
National Ranking
5785

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2001 - Fellow of Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

Overview

J. Troy Littleton is affiliated with MIT in the United States. Their research spans several fields and subfields within biological sciences, primarily focused on neuroscience and molecular biology. Littleton has made considerable contributions in main fields including Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, and Neuroscience. The subfields of study pertinent to their work include Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Genetics, and Ecology.

Their research topics cover a diverse range of areas with an emphasis on neurobiological and physiological processes, specifically related to insect models. Key topics in their work are:

  • Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
  • Cellular transport and secretion
  • Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior
  • Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
  • Physiological and biochemical adaptations
  • Retinal Development and Disorders

Littleton's recent published papers illustrate their focus on synaptic plasticity, neuronal function, and synaptic vesicle biology. Notable recent papers include:

  • Synaptic Plasticity Induced by Differential Manipulation of Tonic and Phasic Motoneurons in Drosophila (2020), Journal of Neuroscience
  • SNARE Regulatory Proteins in Synaptic Vesicle Fusion and Recycling (2021), Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience
  • Synaptic Properties and Plasticity Mechanisms of Invertebrate Tonic and Phasic Neurons (2020), Frontiers in Physiology
  • Molecular logic of synaptic diversity between Drosophila tonic and phasic motoneurons (2023), Neuron
  • Drosophila Synaptotagmin 7 negatively regulates synaptic vesicle release and replenishment in a dosage-dependent manner (2020), eLife

Their frequent collaborators include Yulia Akbergenova, Karen L Cunningham, Nicole A. Aponte-Santiago, Kiel G. Ormerod, and Suresh Kumar Jetti. These coauthors have contributed alongside Littleton on multiple publications, reflecting ongoing collaborative research efforts.

J. Troy Littleton's work has appeared frequently in several scientific venues. These include:

  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
  • eLife
  • Faculty Opinions - Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature
  • Journal of Neuroscience
  • Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience

In 2001, Littleton was recognized as a Fellow of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, an award indicating their established presence in the scientific community.

Best Publications

  • Comparative Genomics of the Eukaryotes

    Gerald M. Rubin;Mark D. Yandell;Jennifer R. Wortman;George L. Gabor

  • Insights into social insects from the genome of the honeybee Apis mellifera

    George M. Weinstock;Gene E. Robinson;Richard A. Gibbs;Kim C. Worley

  • Ion channels and synaptic organization: analysis of the Drosophila genome.

    J.Troy Littleton;J.Troy Littleton;Barry Ganetzky

  • Mutational analysis of Drosophila synaptotagmin demonstrates its essential role in Ca2+-activated neurotransmitter release

    J.Troy Littleton;Michael Stern;Karen Schulze;Mark Perin

  • A Drosophila Neurexin Is Required for Septate Junction and Blood-Nerve Barrier Formation and Function

    Stefan Baumgartner;J.Troy Littleton;Kendal Broadie;Manzoor A Bhat

  • Cytoplasmic aggregates trap polyglutamine-containing proteins and block axonal transport in a Drosophila model of Huntington's disease.

    Wyan-Ching Mimi Lee;Motojiro Yoshihara;J. Troy Littleton

  • Calcium dependence of neurotransmitter release and rate of spontaneous vesicle fusions are altered in Drosophila synaptotagmin mutants

    J T Littleton;M Stern;M Perin;H J Bellen

  • Synaptotagmin I Functions as a Calcium Sensor to Synchronize Neurotransmitter Release

    Motojiro Yoshihara;J.Troy Littleton

  • A complexin fusion clamp regulates spontaneous neurotransmitter release and synaptic growth.

    Sarah Huntwork;J Troy Littleton

  • Expression of synaptotagmin in Drosophila reveals transport and localization of synaptic vesicles to the synapse

    J.T. Littleton;H.J. Bellen;M.S. Perin

  • Absence of synaptotagmin disrupts excitation-secretion coupling during synaptic transmission

    K Broadie;H J Bellen;A DiAntonio;J T Littleton

  • Temperature-Sensitive Paralytic Mutations Demonstrate that Synaptic Exocytosis Requires SNARE Complex Assembly and Disassembly

    J.Troy Littleton;Edwin R Chapman;Robert Kreber;Martin B Garment

  • ROP, the Drosophila Sec1 homolog, interacts with syntaxin and regulates neurotransmitter release in a dosage-dependent manner.

    Mark N. Wu;J. Troy Littleton;Manzoor A. Bhat;Andreas Prokop

  • Transmission, Development, and Plasticity of Synapses

    Kathryn P. Harris;J. Troy Littleton

  • synaptotagmin Mutants Reveal Essential Functions for the C2B Domain in Ca2+-Triggered Fusion and Recycling of Synaptic Vesicles In Vivo

    J. Troy Littleton;Jihong Bai;Bimal Vyas;Radhika Desai

  • rop, a Drosophila homolog of yeast Sec1 and vertebrate n-Sec1/Munc-18 proteins, is a negative regulator of neurotransmitter release in vivo.

    K Schulze;J T Littleton;A Salzberg;N Halachmi

  • Spontaneous and Evoked Release Are Independently Regulated at Individual Active Zones

    Jan Elizabeth Melom;Yulia Akbergenova;Jeffrey Gavornik;J. Troy Littleton

  • Retrograde Signaling by Syt 4 Induces Presynaptic Release and Synapse-Specific Growth

    Motojiro Yoshihara;Bill Adolfsen;Kathleen T. Galle;J. Troy Littleton

  • The biological function of the Huntingtin protein and its relevance to Huntington's Disease pathology.

    Joost Schulte;J. Troy Littleton

  • Synaptotagmin controls and modulates synaptic-vesicle fusion in a Ca2+-dependent manner

    J. Troy Littleton;Hugo J. Bellen

Frequent Co-Authors

Hugo J. Bellen
Hugo J. Bellen Baylor College of Medicine
Barry Ganetzky
Barry Ganetzky University of Wisconsin–Madison
Edwin R. Chapman
Edwin R. Chapman University of Wisconsin–Madison
Norbert Perrimon
Norbert Perrimon Harvard University
Hanns Lochmüller
Hanns Lochmüller University of Freiburg
Xiaowei Zhuang
Xiaowei Zhuang Harvard University
Rita Horvath
Rita Horvath University of Cambridge
Stephan Züchner
Stephan Züchner University of Miami
Patrick F. Chinnery
Patrick F. Chinnery University of Cambridge
Richard A. Gibbs
Richard A. Gibbs Baylor College of Medicine

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