Regulation of the Cytoskeleton during Neuronal Morphogenesis

Martha Soto博士研究允许细胞移动的分子。她的长期目标是了解这些分子是如何用于神经元的生长和再生的。人类的中枢神经系统是已知的最复杂的结构之一。了解这些大量的神经元是如何正确地组装成一个功能正常的神经系统是发育生物学最重要的目标之一。当神经元和轴突在发育和再生期间迁移并接触其他细胞时，细胞骨架的变化是必要的。再生需要神经元细胞骨架的重组。然而，关于脊髓损伤后细胞骨架是如何重组的，甚至是在正常的神经元生长过程中，人们知之甚少。当细胞需要改变形状或移动时，构成细胞骨架的蛋白质链，即称为微管蛋白和肌动蛋白的分子，可以组装或分解。索托博士的实验室已经发现了几个对肌动蛋白细胞骨架的适当组织至关重要的分子。他们有证据表明，如果没有这些蛋白质，神经元就不会形成正确的结构。此外，他们有证据表明，一旦轴突形成，如果它们被剥夺了这些蛋白质，它们就会停止正常功能。他们建议表征这些分子在神经系统生长中的作用，并确定与这些蛋白质一起工作的新分子，以确保神经元的生长和存活。他们将利用线虫动物模型系统的优势，包括神经元标记和遗传学，确定对细胞运动至关重要的分子如何促进神经元的生长和存活。这项提议将通过培训高中生、本科生和研究生使用线虫模式生物进行研究，将教育和研究结合起来。这些学生代表代表人数不足的群体，包括妇女、少数群体和经济上处于不利地位的人。来自NSF的资金将支持一名新的研究人员，该研究人员有兴趣将肌动蛋白成核的工作扩展到神经元形态发生领域。

Dr. Martha Soto studies the molecules that allow cells to move. Her long-term goal is to understand how these molecules are used for the growth and regeneration of neurons. The human central nervous system is one of the most complex structures known. Understanding how this large number of neurons is assembled correctly into a functioning nervous system is one of the most important goals of developmental biology. Changes in the cytoskeleton are needed when neurons and axons migrate and contact other cells during development and during regeneration. Regeneration requires the reorganization of the cytoskeleton of the neuron. However, little is known about how the cytoskeleton gets reorganized after spinal cord injury, or even during regular neuronal growth. The strands of proteins that make up the cytoskeleton, molecules called tubulin and actin, can assemble or disassemble when cells need to change shape or to move. Dr. Soto's laboratory has uncovered several molecules that are essential for the proper organization of the actin cytoskeleton. They have evidence that without these proteins, neurons do not make the correct structures. In addition, they have evidence that once axons form, if they are deprived of these proteins they stop functioning normally. They propose to characterize the role of these molecules in nervous system growth and to identify new molecules that work with these proteins to ensure neuronal growth and survival. They will determine how molecules that are critical for cell movements contribute to the growth and survival of neurons using the strengths of the C. elegans animal model system, including neuronal markers and genetics. This proposal will integrate education and research through the training of high school, undergraduate and graduate students to perform research using the C. elegans model organism. The students represent underrepresented groups including women, minorities and economically disadvantaged persons. Funding from the NSF will support a new investigator interested in expanding work on actin nucleation into the field of neuronal morphogenesis.