NEURONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE ABSENCE OF GAP-43

轴突生长锥对神经元的发育和维持至关重要。 独特复杂而特异的突触连接 神经系统功能GAP-43是一种神经元蛋白质，其表达是 与发育中的生长锥活动密切相关， 再生和突触可塑性。Homeland重组将 用于开发不能表达 GAP-43这种技术依赖于外源突变的 DNA分子和内源性基因将正常等位基因替换为 变异拷贝在缺失GAP-43的动物和细胞系中， 将分析蛋白质对于生长锥功能的重要性。这 信息将允许创建模型和合理的治疗方法 对于一些神经发育、再生或 可塑性有缺陷。例子包括发育障碍，神经突 神经病的再生，也许还有中枢损伤的恢复 如中风，以及突触受损的记忆障碍中的学习 可塑性。

The axonal growth cone is critical to the development and maintenance of the uniquely complex and specific synaptic connections which underlie nervous system function. GAP-43 is a neuronal protein whose expression is closely correlated with growth cone activity in development and regeneration, and with synaptic plasticity. Homologous recombination will be employed to develop animals and cell lines incapable of expressing GAP-43. This technique relies on crossing over between an exogenous mutated DNA molecule and the endogenous gene to replace a normal allele with a mutated copy. In animals and cell lines with deletion of GAP-43, the importance of the protein for growth cone function will be analyzed. This information will allow creation of models and perhaps rational therapies for some disease states in which neural development, regeneration or plasticity are flawed. Examples include developmental disorders, neurite regeneration in neuropathy and perhaps in recovery from central injuries like stroke, and learning in memory disorders with impaired synaptic plasticity.