CELL SORTING AND ANTIBODIES TO NEUROENDOCRINE CELLS

这项研究的目的是增加对 细胞表面在发育和功能中的作用 下丘脑大细胞神经分泌神经元 主要目的 是确定是否有质膜分子 区分神经分泌细胞的群体。 这个问题将 通过使用单克隆抗体（MAb）作为探针， 质膜中的抗原决定簇。 成功 这种MAb的生产将使得有可能测试几种 具体假设。 其中包括：（1）特定细胞 介导严格化学亲和性机制的表面分子 比竞争性重组发挥更重要的作用 下丘脑-神经垂体发育期间的回路;（2） 糖皮质激素和其他激素或营养因子 影响细胞存活和/或肽基因表达 神经分泌分化;和（3）， 质膜分子的浓度介导了 在成熟的大细胞中发生的塑性变化 神经分泌系统 本研究的另一个技术目标是 是将新的流式细胞仪技术应用于神经内分泌分析， 细胞 已经开发了用于纯化稀有的 用作免疫原的神经元群， 细胞类型特异性单克隆抗体。 PI的长期职业目标是拓宽传统的关注点 发育神经内分泌学的研究， 系统解决有关的基本问题 肽能神经元的分化和可塑性机制 神经元

The objective of this research is to increase understanding of the role of the cell surface in development and function of hypothalamic magnocellular neurosecretory neurons. Primary aim is to determine if there are plasma membrane molecules which distinguish populations of neurosecretory cells. This question will be addressed by using monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) as probes for antigenic determinants in the plasmalemma. Successful production of such MAbs would make it possible to test several specific hypothesis. Among these are: (1) that specific cell surface molecules mediating strict chemoaffinity mechanisms play a more important role than competitive rearrangement of circuitry during hypothalamic-neurohypophysial development; (2) that glucocorticoids and other hormonal or trophic factors influence cell survival and/or peptide gene expression during neurosecretory differentiation; and (3) that alterations in the concentrations of plasmalemmal molecules mediate the marked plastic changes which occur in the mature magnocellular neurosecretory system. A further technical aim of this research is to apply novel FACS techniques to analysis of neuroendocrine cells. Methods have been developed for purification of rare neuronal populations for use as immunogens for production of cell-type-specific MAbs. The PI's long-term career goal is to broaden the traditional focus of developmental neuroendocrinology by using the magnocellular system to address fundamental questions regarding the mechanisms of differentiation and plasticity in peptidergic neurons.