Characterisation of cortical subplate neurons

皮质下板神经元的表征

• 批准号: G0700377/1
• 负责人: Zoltan Molnar
• 金额: $ 87.07万
• 依托单位: University of Oxford
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2007 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=G0700377%2F1
• 关键词: Characterisation; cortical; subplate; neurons

Building the brain is like erecting a huge complex tower or bridge. The construction requires a dynamic scaffold which is built and modified along with the final permanent structure. After the completion of the construction the scaffold has to be dismantled at the right places and at the right time. The subplate, the earliest generated and largely transient cortical neurons is the foundation of the brain, and disruption of these cells may be the source of many developmental flaws, and therefore a fundamental topic to study. Cerebral cortical developmental disorders (schizophrenia, autism, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, ADHD) and perinatal hypoxic injuries (periventricular leucomalacia, PVL) involve cells of the subplate. The Molnar group has been investigating the integration of subplate cells into the intracortical and extracortical circuitry, their neurochemical properties and physiological characteristics over the last 15 years. The major hindrance of progress in the understanding of the role of this enigmatic cell population in cortical development and disease is the lack of reliable markers for these cells. In view of the selective vulnerability of this cell population and their important role in cortical development we propose to identify specific gene expression patterns in subplate and exploit this knowledge for further molecular and genetic approaches to study their role and vulnerability. These approaches require much specialised skills, which are beyond the scope of a single research group. The proposed collaboration will foster the interactions between a molecular and genetic laboratory and a cellular and anatomical group within the same Department of the same University and will open opportinities for collaboration with practising clinicians to initiate clinical applications in neuro-imaging, psychiatry, ophthalmology and neuropathology.

建造大脑就像建造一座巨大的复杂的塔或桥。建筑需要一个动态脚手架，它与最终的永久结构一起建造和修改。施工完成后，必须在正确的地点和正确的时间拆除脚手架。亚板是最早产生的、主要是瞬时的皮质神经元，是大脑的基础，这些细胞的破坏可能是许多发育缺陷的根源，因此是一个基本的研究课题。大脑皮质发育障碍(精神分裂症、自闭症、注意缺陷/多动障碍，ADHD)和围产期缺氧性损伤(脑室周围白质软化，PVL)涉及亚板细胞。在过去的15年里，Molnar小组一直在研究亚板细胞与皮质内和皮质外回路的整合，以及它们的神经化学性质和生理特征。在了解这种神秘的细胞群体在皮质发育和疾病中的作用方面取得进展的主要障碍是缺乏这些细胞的可靠标记。鉴于这种细胞群体的选择性脆弱性及其在皮质发育中的重要作用，我们建议确定亚板中特定的基因表达模式，并利用这一知识为进一步的分子和遗传学方法研究它们的作用和脆弱性提供依据。这些方法需要很多专业技能，这超出了单个研究小组的范围。拟议的合作将促进分子和遗传实验室与同一大学同一系内的细胞和解剖学小组之间的互动，并将为与执业临床医生合作开创神经成像、精神病学、眼科和神经病理学的临床应用提供机会。