The role of ECM components in motor axon migration

University Of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Abstract

The enormous amount of information processed in the nervous system depends on a complex network of trillions of neuronal connections. These neural connections form during embryogenesis, when neurons extend axonal projections towards their targets. This is a process similar to laying out a grid of phone cables that allow communication between people in different parts of a city. One key question in the field is how extending axons utilize cues that they encounter during migration in order to find their targets. The objective of this project is to determine the role a particular group of molecules, called extracellular matrix components, plays during embryogenesis when motor neurons in the spinal cord establish connections with their distant muscle targets. The laboratory of Dr. Granato uses the zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model organism to investigate these questions, using an array of genetic and molecular manipulations aimed to understand how a complex network of neuronal connections is established in a stereotyped and efficient way during embryonic development. Generally, insights into the development and function of the nervous system have impacted the arts, education, and economics, and our understanding of ourselves as individuals and as members of society. Specifically, results from the project will elucidate the factors that play critical roles to generate neural connectivity, thus providing insights into how the human nervous system is organized. In addition, the project will provide training opportunities for doctoral and postdoctoral fellows, as well as for undergraduate students. Students will use state-of the-art technologies and will be trained to synthesize information across the neurosciences, thereby helping to grow the next generation of scientists.