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

神经细胞或神经元是神经系统的专门细胞，接收和发送信号以协调动物行为。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，因为树突的损失与学习，运动控制和感官知觉的缺陷有关。这个项目的目标是确定调节树突发育的分子机制。将在简单的遗传模式生物秀丽隐杆线虫（Caenorhabditis elegans）中研究树枝状突起的发育，秀丽隐杆线虫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枝状突起发育，而且它非常适合遗传操作。这项研究将集中在一类称为RNA结合蛋白的蛋白质的遗传分析上，这些蛋白质被假设在树突发育中很重要，因为它们调节称为信使RNA的遗传信息。该研究项目预计将确定蠕虫和其他物种（包括人类）中存在的几种特定的RNA结合蛋白，这些蛋白对调节树突发育非常重要。此外，这项研究有望确定这些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，从而允许功能性神经系统对环境做出反应并控制行为。该项目也将对学生培训和公众意识产生影响;科罗拉多学院和位于科罗拉多斯普林斯的科罗拉多大学将在该研究项目上进行合作，并培训几名本科生和硕士生，将该研究纳入本科课程，并参与社区外展计划，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.