IOS Proposal: Collaborative Research: RUI: The role of RNA-binding proteins in C. elegans dendrite morphogenesis

神经细胞，或称神经元，是神经系统中接收和发送信号以协调动物行为的特殊细胞。树突是神经元的高度分支结构，用于收集来自其他细胞或环境的感觉信息。这些树突分支对神经系统的功能至关重要，因为树突的丧失与学习、运动控制和感觉知觉的缺陷有关。该项目的目标是确定调节树突发育的分子机制。树突发育将在简单的遗传模式生物秀丽隐杆线虫中进行研究，这是一种显微镜下的圆形蠕虫，因为它是完全透明的，可以观察活体动物的树突发育，而且因为它很容易被遗传操纵。这项研究将集中在一类被称为rna结合蛋白的蛋白质的遗传分析上，这种蛋白质被认为在树突发育中很重要，因为它们调节被称为信使rna的遗传信息。该研究项目预计将鉴定出存在于蠕虫和包括人类在内的其他物种中的几种特异性rna结合蛋白，这些蛋白对调节树突发育很重要。此外，该研究有望确定这些rna结合蛋白如何调节树突的分子机制。这项研究将影响发育神经科学领域，因为它将更好地了解单个神经元如何建立连接，从而使功能性神经系统对环境做出反应并控制行为。这个项目也会对学生培训和公众意识产生影响；科罗拉多学院和科罗拉多大学斯普林斯分校将在这个研究项目上合作，培养几名本科生和硕士生，将这项研究纳入本科课程，并参与社区外展项目，以说明发展神经科学研究的重要性。

Nerve cells, or neurons, are specialized cells of the nervous system that receive and send signals to coordinate animal behavior. Dendrites are the highly branched structures of neurons that are used to gather sensory information from other cells or the environment. These dendritic branches are critical for the function of the nervous system because a loss of dendrites is associated with deficits in learning, motor control, and sensory perception. The goal of this project is to identify the molecular mechanisms that regulate dendrite development. Dendrite development will be investigated in the simple genetic model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, a microscopic round worm because it is completely transparent, enabling the observation of dendrite development in living animals, and because it is high amenable to genetic manipulation. The research will focus on a genetic analysis of a class of proteins called RNA-binding proteins, which are hypothesized to be important in dendrite development because they regulate genetic messages known as messenger RNAs. This research project is expected to identify several specific RNA-binding proteins, present in worms and other species including humans, which are important for regulating dendrite development. Furthermore, the research is expected to determine the molecular mechanisms for how these RNA-binding proteins regulate dendrites. This research will impact the field of developmental neuroscience because it will provide a better understanding of how the individual neurons make the connections that allow for a functional nervous system that responds to the environment and controls behavior. This project will also have an impact on student training and public awareness; Colorado College and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs will collaborate on this research project and train several undergraduates and master students, incorporate this research into undergraduate courses, and participate in community outreach programs to illustrate the importance of developmental neuroscience research.