Collaborative Research: Excitatory Interneurons in the Mouse Locomotor Pattern Generator

这个合作项目旨在研究脊髓中控制动物行走方式的神经元。最近发现了一小群神经元的遗传标记。这种标记基因允许在小鼠中使用遗传操作来测试已识别的神经元的功能(S)。利用基因打靶技术已经产生了一系列小鼠。初步研究表明，这些神经元对控制小鼠行走时左腿和右腿的运动至关重要。该项目将研究这些神经元的功能，并探索控制小鼠行走的神经元回路的性质。这些基本问题将使用已经产生的转基因小鼠来解决。对这些小鼠的分析将包括各种解剖和功能分析。解剖学研究将揭示这些神经元如何连接到脊髓中的运动神经回路。功能测试旨在测试这些神经元对运动控制的生理意义。这项合作将涉及两个机构的学生，并将帮助两个小组学习结合分子遗传学和电生理学方法来研究神经回路。

This collaborative project aims to study the neurons in the spinal cord that regulate how animals walk. A genetic marker for a small group of neurons has recently been identified. This marker gene has allowed the use genetic manipulations in the mice to test the function(s) of identified neurons. A series of mice have been generated using gene targeting. Preliminary studies suggest that these neurons are critical for controlling the movement of left and right legs as the mice walk. This project will investigate how these neurons function and explore the nature of the neuronal circuit that controls walking in mice. These basic questions will be addressed using transgenic mice that have been generated. Analysis of these mice will include a variety of anatomical and functional assays. The anatomical studies will reveal how these neurons connect to motor circuits in the spinal cord. The functional assays are designed to test the physiological significance of these neurons for motor control. This collaboration will involve students at both institutions, and will help both groups learn to combine molecular genetics and electrophysiological approaches to the study of neural circuits.