CELL SORTING AND ANTIBODIES TO NEUROENDOCRINE CELLS

这项研究的目的是增加对 细胞表面在细胞发育和功能中的作用 下丘脑大细胞神经分泌神经元。首要目标 是为了确定是否存在质膜分子 区分神经分泌细胞群。这个问题将会 通过使用单抗(MAb)作为探针来解决 质膜中的抗原决定簇。成功 生产这样的单抗将使测试几个 具体的假设。其中包括：(1)特定细胞 介导严格化学亲和力机制的表面分子 发挥比竞争性重组更重要的作用 下丘脑-神经垂体发育过程中的环路； 糖皮质激素和其他激素或营养因子 影响细胞存活和/或多肽基因表达 神经分泌分化；以及(3) 血浆膜分子的浓度调节标记的 发生在成熟巨噬细胞中的可塑性变化 神经分泌系统。这项研究的另一个技术目的 是将新的FACS技术应用于神经内分泌分析 细胞。已开发出提纯稀有物质的方法 神经元群作为免疫原用于生产 特定细胞类型的单抗。 PI的长期职业目标是拓宽传统的关注点 利用巨噬细胞研究发育神经内分泌学 系统来解决有关 多肽能细胞的分化和可塑性机制 神经元。

The objective of this research is to increase understanding of the role of the cell surface in development and function of hypothalamic magnocellular neurosecretory neurons. Primary aim is to determine if there are plasma membrane molecules which distinguish populations of neurosecretory cells. This question will be addressed by using monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) as probes for antigenic determinants in the plasmalemma. Successful production of such MAbs would make it possible to test several specific hypothesis. Among these are: (1) that specific cell surface molecules mediating strict chemoaffinity mechanisms play a more important role than competitive rearrangement of circuitry during hypothalamic-neurohypophysial development; (2) that glucocorticoids and other hormonal or trophic factors influence cell survival and/or peptide gene expression during neurosecretory differentiation; and (3) that alterations in the concentrations of plasmalemmal molecules mediate the marked plastic changes which occur in the mature magnocellular neurosecretory system. A further technical aim of this research is to apply novel FACS techniques to analysis of neuroendocrine cells. Methods have been developed for purification of rare neuronal populations for use as immunogens for production of cell-type-specific MAbs. The PI's long-term career goal is to broaden the traditional focus of developmental neuroendocrinology by using the magnocellular system to address fundamental questions regarding the mechanisms of differentiation and plasticity in peptidergic neurons.