DIFFERENTIALLY EXPRESSED GENES IN OLFACTORY NEUROGENESIS

描述(摘自申请者的摘要)：本研究的目标是 来描述在早期和中期阶段发生的分子变化 成年小鼠嗅觉感受器神经元的神经发生。嗅觉 感受器神经元是少数几类神经元中的一种 在成年脊椎动物中的持续替代。虽然有几个基因的例子 嗅觉感受器神经元谱系的表达变化是已知的，它们 仅代表必须发生的更改的一小部分。最新进展 重组DNA技术现在使同时识别大型 没有先验序列信息的差异表达基因的数量。 因此，研究人员的目标是使用这项技术来识别mRNA 在大量的、同步的神经发生过程中嗅觉上皮细胞的增加 嗅觉感觉神经元。这将包括识别 在进程的早期和中期阶段有丰富的差异 神经发生。这些实验有可能：1)识别一种 嗅觉感受器神经发生相关基因的重要部分 神经元；2)识别调节神经发生的信号通路；3)扩展 嗅觉感受器神经元谱系中细胞类型标记物的数量； 4)确定谱系中以前未知的细胞类型。在嗅觉方面， 这些实验对嗅觉的胚胎发育具有重要意义。 上皮，用于嗅癌，用于再生和衰老过程 嗅觉上皮。这些实验也对 一般成年哺乳动物的神经发生，包括利用这一知识 开发神经退行性疾病和创伤性损伤的干预措施 神经系统。

DESCRIPTION (adapted from applicant's abstract): The goal of this research is to describe molecular changes that occur during early and intermediate steps in the neurogenesis of olfactory receptor neurons of adult mice. The olfactory receptor neurons are one of the few populations of neurons that undergo continuous replacement in adult vertebrates. While a few examples of gene expression changes in the olfactory receptor neuron lineage are known, they represent only a minute fraction of the changes that must occur. Advances in recombinant DNA technology now make it possible to simultaneously identify large numbers of differentially expressed genes without a priori sequence information. Therefore, the investigator's aim is to use this technology to identify mRNAs that increase in olfactory epithelia during massive, synchronous neurogenesis of olfactory receptor neurons. This will include identifying mRNAs that are differentially abundant between early and intermediate stages in the process of neurogenesis. These experiments have the potential to: 1) identify a significant fraction of the genes involved in neurogenesis of olfactory receptor neurons; 2) identify signaling pathways that regulate neurogenesis; 3) expand the number of markers of cell types in the olfactory receptor neuron lineage; and 4) identify previously unknown cell types in the lineage. Within olfaction, the experiments have implications for embryonic development of the olfactory epithelium, for olfactory carcinomas, for regeneration, and aging processes in the olfactory epithelium. The experiments also have implications for neurogenesis in adult mammals in general, including using this knowledge to develop interventions in neurodegenerative disorders and traumatic injury to the nervous system.