Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons^™

Syd-1, A Presynaptic Protein With Pdz, C2 And Rhogap-Like Domains, Specifies Axon Identity In C. Elegans, Steven Hallam, Alexandr Goncharov, Jason Mcewen, Renee Baran, Yishi Jin

Renee Baran

Axons are defined by the presence of presynaptic specializations at specific locations. We show here that loss-of-function mutations in the C. elegans gene syd-1 cause presynaptic specializations to form in the dendritic processes of GABA-expressing motor neurons during initial differentiation. At a later developmental stage, however, syd-1 is not required for the polarity respecification of a subset of these neurons. The SYD-1 protein contains PDZ, C2 and rho–GTPase activating protein (GAP)-like domains, and is localized to presynaptic terminals in mature neurons. A truncated SYD-1 that lacks the rhoGAP domain interferes with neurite outgrowth and guidance. Our data indicate that syd-1 …

Do Cellular Phones Cause Headaches?, Jasmine Gay

McCabe Thesis Collection

Many people have recently complained about experiencing headaches in association with the use of their cellular telephones. There is much controversy over this subject because it has not yet been proven that the microwaves emitted by cellular telephones cause headaches. The research questions include the following: What are the effects, if any, of the use of cellular telephones on human health? Do they cause headaches? Are they responsible for the increase in size of some brain tumors?

There have been many experiments performed by various scientists in the field of bioelectromagnetics and by the World Health Organization (WHO); however, these …

Getting A Grip On Liprins, Renee Baran, Yishi Jin

Renee Baran

Two papers in this issue of Neuron add a new dimension to our understanding of liprin and LAR RPTP function during synapse formation. Kaufmann et al. (2002) present evidence that Dliprin-α interacts with Dlar to regulate presynaptic morphogenesis of the Drosophila neuromuscular junction. Wyszynski et al. (2002) demonstrate that mammalian liprin-α1 forms a complex with the PDZ protein GRIP and LAR in both pre- and postsynaptic compartments of hippocampal neurons and is required for the clustering of the GluR2 glutamate receptor in dendritic spines.

The Nmda Receptor M3 Segment Is A Conserved Transduction Element Coupling Ligand Binding To Channel Opening, Kevin Jones, Hendrika Vandongen, Antonius Vandongen

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

Ion channels alternate stochastically between two functional states, open and closed. This gating behavior is controlled by membrane potential or by the binding of neurotransmitters in voltage- and ligand-gated channels, respectively. Although much progress has been made in defining the structure and function of the ligand-binding cores and the voltage sensors, how these domains couple to channel opening remains poorly understood. Here we show that the M3 transmembrane segments of the NMDA receptor allosterically interact with both the ligand-binding cores and the channel gate. It is proposed that M3 functions as a transduction element whose conformational change couples ligand binding …

The Nmda Receptor M3 Segment Is A Conserved Transduction Element Coupling Ligand Binding To Channel Opening, Kevin S. Jones, Hendrika M A Vandongen, Antonius M. Vandongen

Kevin Jones

Behavioral Evidence For Chemosensory And Thermosensory Pathway Convergence In The Caenorhabditis Elegans Nervous System, Bowman O. Davis Jr., Lewis Vanbrackle, Darren Pittard

Faculty and Research Publications

The nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, is an established model system to explore the ways simple nervous systems detect and direct organismal responses to environmental changes. C. elegans possesses specialized receptor cells for the detection of a variety of environmental stimuli. Separate cell types respond to volatile chemical and thermal stimuli and the neural pathways for these show anatomical evidence of convergence. This work reports findings from behavioral assays during simultaneous exposure of nematodes to both thermal differences and attractant volatile chemicals. Combined exposure to benzaldehyde and cold neutralized the behavioral responses to both stimuli in 24°C acclimated worms. Diacetyl and mild …