Olfactory Development: Cell Proliferation and Maturation

超出所提供的空间。这个项目的总体目标是了解是什么调节嗅觉外围的胚胎后再生。该提案侧重于该项目的一个主要方面-成年动物中新嗅觉受体神经元和相关细胞的增殖。嗅觉受体神经元的持续增殖和更新，即使在成年人中，也是人类的一个特征，在本研究中使用的动物模型中也有表达。三个具体的施舍是1）什么基因与新的嗅觉细胞的增殖？2)局部和激素因素如何改变嗅细胞的增殖？3）嗅细胞的增殖、成熟和分化与哪些功能变化相关？为了研究这些问题，本提案将利用龙虾嗅觉系统的关键优势特征，其中包括关于该系统的功能组织的丰富知识，可以通过损伤和激素调节的成年嗅觉组织的持续更新（如在哺乳动物中），以及其嗅觉器官的发育轴，其中增殖，成熟和衰老的区域，身体上是分开的（哺乳动物不是这样）。因此，这些实验在龙虾中是可能的，但在其他著名的无脊椎动物模型（例如果蝇和C.）中则不然。缺乏嗅觉神经元的胚胎后更新的线虫。实验设计将包括分子技术，包括寻找新基因（通过代表性差异分析）和同源基因（通过RT-PCR），分析基因及其产物的表达模式（通过原位杂交和免疫细胞化学），以及分析功能（通过膜片钳和单细胞电生理学）。这些研究的干细胞样活性和神经发生在胚胎后的成年动物是重要的，因为这些再生过程不仅是基本的重要性，了解调节功能的感觉器官，但也有实际意义，帮助我们了解如何补偿损失的活动和功能，通过控制系统的调节。性能现场=

EXCEED THE SPACE PROVIDED. The overall goal of this project is to understand what regulates the post-embryonic regeneration of the olfactory periphery. This proposal focuses on one major aspect of the project - the proliferation of new olfactory receptor neurons and associated cells in adult animals. Continuous proliferation and turnover of olfactory receptor neurons, even in adults, is a feature of humans that is also expressed in the animal model used in this study. The three specific alms are 1) What genes are associated with proliferation of new olfactory cells? 2) How do local and hormonal factors alter proliferation of olfactory cells? and 3) What functional changes are correlated with proliferation, maturation, and differentiation of olfactory cells? To investigate these issues, this proposal will use critical advantageous features of the lobster olfactory system, which include a wealth of knowledge about the functional organization of this system, continuous turnover of adult olfactory tissue that can be modulated by damage and hormones (as in mammals), and a developmental axis to its olfactory organ in which the zones of proliferation, maturation, and senescence, are physically separated (not so in mammals). Consequently, these experiments are possible in the lobster, but not in other prominent invertebrate models such as Drosophila and C. elegans which lack post-embryonic turnover of olfactory neurons. The experimental design will include molecular techniques including searches for novel genes (by representational difference analysis) and homologous genes (by RT-PCR), analysis of expression patterns of genes and their products (by in-situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry), and analysis of function (by patch-clamp and single cell electrophysiology). These studies of stem cell-like activity and neurogenesis in post-embryonic adult animals are important since these regenerative processes are not only of basic importance to understanding regulation of function of a sensory organ, but also have the practical importance of helping us understand how to compensate for loss of activity and function through regulation by control systems. PERFORMANCE SITE ========================================Section End===========================================