Regulation of Contralateral Cortical Projection by the EphA Receptors

题目：EphA受体对侧皮质投射的调控人脑一直被认为是人类所知的宇宙中最复杂的物体。数万亿个神经元通过数千倍的连接精确地连接在一起。在这个极其复杂的网络中，神经元通过被称为轴突的线状过程相互连接。这个复杂的器官是如何发育的？是什么分子信号指导轴突通路的形成，并引导轴突尖端向适当的目标生长？几个世纪以来，这些问题一直吸引着科学家。我们实验室和其他实验室最近的研究表明，一种被称为受体的细胞表面分子家族感知细胞外信号，在引导轴突中起着关键作用。该项目利用几种分子技术来研究Eph受体及其信号伙伴如何调节胼胝体的形成，胼胝体是连接两个大脑半球的轴突纤维，对左右协调很重要。实验研究了这些分子的位置，它们如何影响轴突的生长和迁移，以及当这些分子失活时对发育过程中胼胝体形成的影响。这些研究的结果将揭示轴突引导的分子机制，并有助于理解大脑这个极其复杂的器官是如何连接在一起的。

IBN 0095040Zhou, RenpingTitle: Regulation of Contralateral Cortical Projection by the EphA Receptors The human brain has been considered the most complex object in the universe known to man. Trillions of neurons are wired together precisely through thousands of times more connections. In this immensely complicated network, neurons are interconnected through wire-like processes called axons. How does this complex organ develop? What are the molecular signals that direct the formation of axon pathways and guide the growing axon tip toward proper target? These questions have fascinated scientists for centuries. Recent studies from our laboratory and the laboratories of others indicated that a family of cell surface molecules, termed receptors, that sense extracellular signals, play key roles in guiding axons. This project utilizes several molecular techniques to examine how the Eph receptors and their signaling partners regulate the formation of corpus callosum, an axon fiber that connects the two cerebral hemispheres, and is important for left and right coordination. Experiments examine where these molecules are located, how they affect axon growth and migration, and what are the effects on corpus callosum formation in development when these molecules are inactivated. Results from these studies will reveal the molecular mechanism of axon guidance and help to understand how this extremely complex organ, the brain, is wired together.