Developmental Physiology of Migratory Neurons in the Moth Enteric Nervous System

发育神经生物学的一个中心问题是什么因素参与了发育中神经元离子通道的分化。这个问题将在组成Manduca蛾肠道神经系统的迁移神经元中进行研究。该系统特别适合于此类研究，因为这些神经元的发育命运得到了很好的表征，该系统中只有300个神经元，这些神经元很容易用于胚胎的电生理记录和实验操作。此外，这些神经元可以从胚胎中取出，并在培养中进行研究。细胞内和膜片钳记录将在神经元迁移过程中和迁移后在原位和培养中进行，以研究电压依赖性钾电流、钙依赖性钾电流、钠电流和钙电流的表达和发展。这些研究将在未来引导对通道基因表达的分子和遗传分析。

A central issue in developmental neurobiology concerns what factors are involved in the differentiation of ion channels in developing neurons. This issue will be studied in migrating neurons that form the enteric nervous system in the moth, Manduca. This system is uniquely suited for such studies since the developmental fates of these neurons are well characterized, there are only 300 neurons in this system and these are easily accessible for electrophysiological recording and experimental manipulation in the embryo. In addition, these neurons can be removed from the embryo and studied in culture. Intracellular and patch clamp recordings will be performed on identified neurons during and after their migration in situ and in culture to study the expression and development of voltage dependent potassium, calcium dependent potassium, sodium and calcium currents. These studies will lead in the future to molecular and genetic analyses of channel gene expression.