U.S.-Brazil Cooperative Research on Development of Axon Pathways in the Mammalian Visual System

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This U.S.-Brazil Cooperative Research award supports cooperative research in developmental neurobiology to be conducted by Dr. Torsten Wiesel and Dr. David Sretavan of Rockefeller University and Dr. Ary Ramoa of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The goal of this research is to understand how precise patterns of axonal projections, present in the mature mammalian visual system, are established during development. The experiments will focus on three areas. First, is the nature of the cellular interactions between developing retinal axons and neuro- epithelial cells at the optic chiasm. Second, is the identity and spatial-temporal distribution of cell surface molecules present on both retinal axons and neuroepithelial cells. Third, is the further development and refinement of an in vitro culture system to study retinal ganglion cell axon pathfinding. Results from this set of studies will not only lead to a better understanding of how a major axon pathway in the visual system is formed during embryonic development, but will also provide insight into how specific axonal projections may arise in other parts of the central nervous system. Dr. Ramoa will bring to this project his expertise on the embryonic development of mammalian retinal ganglion cells and will also benefit by learning a powerful research technique which will be of direct use in his own research in Brazil. Dr. Ramoa's past research has focused on the development of mammalian retinal ganglion cells in terms of the maturation of their morphological features and their electrophysio- logical properties. While in the U.S., Dr. Ramoa will work with Dr. David Sretavan using hybridoma techniques to generate monoclonal antibodies directed against molecules present on developing retinal ganglion cells and the neuroepithelial cells of the optic chiasm.