Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons^™

An Analysis And Representation In An Atlas Reference Space Of Putative Appositions From Neurons Expressing Alpha-Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone With Neurons Expressing Hypocretin/Orexin Or Melanin-Concentrating Hormone, Vanessa Inez Navarro

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The hypothalamus is a brain structure at the center of a variety of regulatory functions that have been explored by scientists and clinicians for almost a century. Among these functions, metabolic regulation and the control of appetitive behaviors have been fields of intensive research. Some of the major neural substrates involved in the hypothalamic control of feeding and the regulation of metabolic state include neuronal populations that express the neuropeptides alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (αMSH), melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) and hypocretin/orexin (H/O). αMSH has been characterized in part as an anorexigenic peptide, while MCH and H/O have been characterized as having orexigenic …

Distributions Of Axons Immunoreactive For Alpha-Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone And Neurons Immunoreactive For Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase In The Hypothalamus Of The Adult Male Rat: An Analysis Of Interactions And Their Representation In An Atlas Reference Space, Eduardo Peru

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In the present study, we have provided two sets of high spatial-resolution maps for neuronal populations containing the immunoreactive presence of the key feeding-related peptides hypocretin/orexin (H/O), alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (αMSH) and the nitric oxide-producing enzyme, neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). These were mapped across the mediolateral and dorsoventral extents of the hypothalamus in the Swanson rat brain atlas, from levels 23–30. The first set of these maps are of the chemoarchitectural distributions for each of the neuronal populations mentioned, which are novel in two ways. First, they were generated across multiple animals to serve as the basis for probability …

Sex Differences In The Mechanisms That Modulate The Neurochemical Effects Of Nicotine, Kevin Uribe

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Prior behavioral studies in our laboratory revealed that overexpression of the stress peptide, corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF), in the mesocorticolimbic reward pathway enhanced the reinforcing effects of nicotine. The latter effect was greater in female versus male rats, suggesting that females are uniquely susceptible to the effects of stress on nicotine reinforcement. The goal of this dissertation was to examine the neurochemical mechanisms by which overexpression of CRF in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a terminal region of the mesocorticolimbic pathway, modulates the behavioral effects of nicotine. Specifically, we examined whether nicotine-induced dopamine levels are altered by CRF overexpression via excitatory (glutamate) …

Non-Invasive Method For Leptin Supplementation In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Regan Mcnamara

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

I tested the hypothesis that recombinant leptin protein can be introduced to zebrafish in vivo through non-invasive soaking in a solution containing the protein. One way to study various molecules’ effects in vivo is through intraperitoneal or intracerebroventricular injections during the embryonic or larval stage, which is invasive, difficult to administer, and can have a high mortality rate. 48 hours post fertilization (hpf) zebrafish were soaked in a His-tagged recombinant leptin protein solution at 10 nM and 100 nM concentrations (produced by Genscript). After soaking, zebrafish larvae were washed extensively to remove all recombinant protein on their exterior before homogenization. …

Assessing Morphology Of Iprgcs After Traumatic Brain Injury, Brian Foresi, Matt Smith

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

ipRGCs are retinal ganglion cells that project to visual processing centers of the brain for nonimage forming visual functions. The relation of ipRGCs to tramatic brain injury (TBI) is emerging as data has been published describing ipRGC functional changes in TBI affected military veterans. Major symptomologies of concussions, a mild form of TBI, also overlap with the function governed by sites in the brain with major ipRGC projection percentages. Assesing if a morphological change is occuring in the ipRGCs after a TBI could support the idea of a pathological mechanism of the injury. This study could also indicate further relevance …

A Study On The Mechanism Of Clp290 Restoration Of Kcc2 And Neuroprotection After Traumatic Brain Injury, Ekaterina Stepanova

Theses and Dissertations

The research of this thesis investigated the mechanism of action for the therapeutic compound CLP290, which our laboratory has previously demonstrated to reverse degradation of the protein potassium-chloride co-transporter 2 (KCC2) and restore neuronal function following modeled traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the rat. The loss of membranous KCC2 from the plasma membrane after TBI worsens the excitation/inhibition imbalance common in neurotrauma. Addressed here were the specific aims to: 1) assess that CLP290 treatment restores the functional oligomeric form of KCC2 to the neuronal plasma membrane as necessary to provide chloride homeostasis; 2) investigate the signaling mechanism by which CLP290 …

Reprograming Neuronal Cells By Overexpression Of Fibroblast-Specific Transcription Factors, Abdulmohsen Alanazi

Masters Theses

In mammals, a complex system of regulatory signals distinguishes tissues, structures and functions. Combinations of transcription factors and co-factors regulate activation and repression of genes that result in cellular differentiation. Whole genome arrays allow the monitoring of genomic expression in specific tissues. Fibroblast microarray studies have shown candidate genes that may be involved in fibroblast identification, including genes that express transcription factors Prrx1, Snai2 and Twist1. A previous study showed that the Prrx1 and Snai2 could reactivate a fibroblast phenotype in hybrid cells that had lost fibroblast identity. Furthermore, overexpression of these factors in liver-derived cells strongly repressed liver gene …

Neurodegenerative Modeling: Tau Protein, Degradative Pathways, And Gene Expression Profiling Of Human Ipsc-Derived Neural Precursors And Differentiated 3-D Neural Sphere Versus 2-D Monolayer Cultures, Kyle H. Anthoney

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Human induced pluripotent stem cells offer a model for human brain development and disease by differentiation into brain organoids; however, current neural culture systems lack the microenvironment, neuronal circuits and connectivity, vascular circulation, and immune system that exist in vivo. After differentiation and development of neuronal and non-neuronal cell types within two formats of cell cultures, we can visualize and recapitulate in vivo protein accumulation, gene expression, and degradative processes such as autophagy. Using RNA extraction, purification methods and reverse transcription I compared traditional monolayer cultures and novel 3-D neural sphere cultures via gene expression analysis. This analysis indicated …

Exploring Eight-Armed Intelligence Through Film, Tierney M. Thys

Animal Sentience

Mather (2019) provides a rich overview of the elements underlying octopus cognition and behavioral flexibility. Recently, two remarkable natural history films, My Octopus Teacher and The Octopus in My House have explored intimate human-octopus relationships with a wild (Octopus vulgaris) and a captive octopus (Octopus cyanea) respectively. Both films show rare behaviors that offer observations to test new hypotheses as well as a novel perspective on our own human relationships and place within the natural world. An interview with filmmaker Craig Foster from My Octopus Teacher reveals the profound and transformative power of forming a trusting …

Restructuring Of The Axon Initial Segment In Mouse Models Of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Rachel Ali Rodriguez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) affect more than 36% of children in countries with low- and middle- incomes (Boivin, 2015; McCoy, 2016). Interestingly, these heterogeneous disorders share a high incidence of epileptic seizures, suggesting a shared pathology. Seizures result when neuronal firing activity becomes disturbed and neurons fire excessively or in unregulated patterns. A key site in the control of neuronal firing patterns is the axon initial segment (AIS), where the local density of proteins and the morphology of the AIS in part determine the firing of neurons. We hypothesized that a disruption in the morphology and/or composition of the AIS can …

Ultrafast Two-Photon Imaging Of A High-Gain Voltage Indicator In Awake Behaving Mice, Vincent Villette, Mariya Chavarha, Ivan K Dimov, Jonathan Bradley, Lagnajeet Pradhan, Benjamin Mathieu, Stephen W Evans, Simon Chamberland, Dongqing Shi, Renzhi Yang, Benjamin B Kim, Annick Ayon, Abdelali Jalil, François St-Pierre, Mark J Schnitzer, Guoqiang Bi, Katalin Toth, Jun Ding, Stéphane Dieudonné, Michael Z Lin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Optical interrogation of voltage in deep brain locations with cellular resolution would be immensely useful for understanding how neuronal circuits process information. Here, we report ASAP3, a genetically encoded voltage indicator with 51% fluorescence modulation by physiological voltages, submillisecond activation kinetics, and full responsivity under two-photon excitation. We also introduce an ultrafast local volume excitation (ULoVE) method for kilohertz-rate two-photon sampling in vivo with increased stability and sensitivity. Combining a soma-targeted ASAP3 variant and ULoVE, we show single-trial tracking of spikes and subthreshold events for minutes in deep locations, with subcellular resolution and with repeated sampling over days. In the …

Understanding Object Motion Encoding In The Mammalian Retina., Victor Julian Depiero

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phototransduction, transmission of visual information down the optic nerve incurs delays on the order of 50 – 100ms. This implies that the neuronal representation of a moving object should lag behind the object’s actual position. However, studies have demonstrated that the visual system compensates for neuronal delays using a predictive mechanism called phase advancing, which shifts the population response toward the leading edge of a moving object’s retinal image. To understand how this compensation is achieved in the retina, I investigated cellular and synaptic mechanisms that drive phase advancing. I used three approaches, each testing phase advancing at a …

The Functional Conservation Of Frazzled In Insects, Benjamin Wadsworth

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Axons in the developing embryo receive and react to signals that direct their growth to reach target tissues at specified locations. The signal pathways that direct midline crossing of axons during embryonic development have been comprehensively examined in the past years using the Drosophila ventral nerve cord or the spinal cord as a model system. A number of these signaling mechanisms are conserved, however disparities have been found between species in general strategy or the molecular signals controlling the response of axons to guidance cues.

The Netrin-Frazzled pathway has been shown to aid in midline crossing of axons in the …

Gene Co-Expression Analysis Of The Human Substantia Nigra Identifies Bmp2 As A Neurotrophic Factor That Can Promote Neurite Growth In Cells Overexpressing Wild-Type Or A53t Α-Synuclein, Susan R. Goulding, Aideen M. Sullivan, Gerard W. O'Keeffe, Louise M. Collins

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

Introduction: α-synuclein-induced degeneration of dopaminergic neurons has been proposed to be central to the early progression of Parkinson's disease. This highlights the need to identify factors that are neuroprotective or neuroregenerative against α-synuclein-induced degeneration. Due to their potent neurotrophic effects on nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons, we hypothesized that members of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) family have potential to protect these cells against α-synuclein. Methods: To identify the most relevant BMP ligands, we used unbiased gene co-expression analysis to identify all BMP family members having a significant positive correlation with five markers of dopaminergic neurons in the human substantia nigra (SN). …

Comparison Of Nickel And Cobalt Induced Hypoxic Cell Models Using Cell Proliferation Assay, Melissa Delcasale

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Hypoxia is an imbalance in oxygen delivery and oxygen consumption, ultimately affecting cell survival. Low levels of oxygen diminish adenosine triphosphate synthesis resulting from a decline in oxidative phosphorylation in the mitochondria, therefore inducing apoptosis and cell death. To create a hypoxia mimicked environment, we used hypoxia mimetic compounds cobalt and nickel to treat human neuroblastoma (NMB) cells. Using hypoxic mimic human neuronal cell models, we examined and compared the effects of compound-induced hypoxia on NMB cell proliferation. The cells were treated with 100mM and 300mM concentrations of each compound at 24- and 48-hour intervals. To investigate cell proliferation, the …

Neural Development To Neurodegeneration Through The Mind Of A Worm, Miranda Arnold

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Defects in the nervous system can impact the normal function of an organism. By examining mutations during neuronal development, we can better understand the significance of specific pathways. The EphR/ephrin pathway is crucial for axonal guidance during development. The simple organism, C. elegans, allow us to study the impact of EphR/ephrin genes on neuronal morphology, synapse connections, and basic behavior. In specific EphR/ephrin mutants, we see change in morphology and loss of synapses in a thermosensory and also a chemosensory circuit. These mutations can also lead to defects in food searching behaviors. These observations lead us to conclude that …

Jet Lag: What’S Light Got To Do With It?, Melissa Richardson

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

Jet lag results in memory loss and sleepiness. Current treatments for jet lag focus on symptoms and not the cause of jet lag; disrupted light environment. This study in mice, uncovered mechanisms of how light regulates jet lag recovery and memory. This work informs our future studies in humans.

Detecting The Cold: Do Innexins Function In Cold Nociception?, Rachel Barborek

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Nociception is the perception of and response to harmful stimuli. Nociception is essential for minimizing tissue damage, but aberrant nociceptive pathways can result in chronic pain. Chronic pain in the U.S. is commonly managed with wide-acting opioids, and precisely defining the components of nociceptive pathways could uncover novel targets for pain therapies. I hypothesize that the vitally quick process of nociception would utilize electrical synapses because they transmit signals between neurons more quickly than chemical synapses do. This study, therefore, aims to uncover the potential role of the eight Drosophila melanogaster gap junction proteins, the Innexins, in cold nociception. Wild …

Investigation Of The Role Of Mecp2 In The Precise Laminar And Areal Development Of Neocortical Neurons In A Rett Syndrome Mouse Model, Camerin Ortiz

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The severe neurodevelopmental disorder Rett syndrome (RTT) primarily affects girls. Girls with RTT seem to develop normally until 6-18 months when they undergo a period of a regression where they lose previously acquired functions. RTT is the second most leading cause of intellectual disability in girls. Symptoms commonly associated with RTT, include loss of speech and motor function as well as respiratory problems, distinct hand wringing, and autistic characteristics. RTT is caused by mutations in the X-linked gene methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (Mecp2). Both RTT patients and Mecp2 deficient mouse models have decreased dendritic complexity and reduced soma size …

Human Anatomy And Physiology I: Course Map With Expected Learning Outcomes, Carlos Liachovitzky

Open Educational Resources

This document contains a list with all the Anatomy and Physiology I expected learning outcomes organized by topics, and grouped into ten units: 1. Introduction to A&P: body plan & organization; 2. Introduction to A&P: homeostasis; 3. The chemical level of organization; 4. Levels of organization: the cellular level of organization; 5. Levels of organization: the tissue level of organization; 6. Support and movement: integumentary system; 7. Support and movement: skeletal system & articulations; 8. Support and movement: muscular system; 9. Regulation, integration, and control: nervous system; 10. Regulation, integration, and control: special senses

Each learning outcome is referred to …

Defects In Fetal Mouth Movement And Pharyngeal Patterning Underlie Cleft Palate Caused By Retinoid Deficiency., Regina Friedl

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cleft palate is a common birth defect. Etiologic mechanisms of palate cleft include defects in palate morphogenesis, mandibular growth, or spontaneous fetal mouth movement. Cleft palate linked to deficient fetal mouth movement has been demonstrated directly only in a single experimental model of loss of neurotransmission. Here, using retinoid deficient mouse embryos, we demonstrate directly for the first time that deficient fetal mouth movement and cleft palate occurs as a result of mis-patterned development of pharyngeal peripheral nerves and cartilages. Retinoid deficient embryos were generated by inactivation of retinol dehydrogenase 10 (Rdh10), which is critical for production of …

The 5-Ht1a-R Knockout Mouse As A Model Of Later Life Anxiety Disorders: Implications For Sex Differences, Tatyana Budylin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Anxiety affects nearly twice as many women as it affects men across all cultures and economic groups. Importantly, girls have a higher chance of inheriting anxiety disorders than boys, and many anxiety disorders appear at a very young age. However, little is known about sex differences in brain and behavioral development and how they relate to anxiety in adulthood. Serotonin 1A receptor (5-HT_1A-R) mediated signaling has been implicated in depression and anxiety, however most studies that focus on the involvement of the 5-HT_1A-R have been conducted in adults. Little is known about how the 5-HT_{1A …}

Testing The Impact Of Prebiotics On Anxiety-Like Behaviors In Aged Male Rats, Nicholai Shaw, Marny Ehmann, Kenia Urena-Gonzalez, Anna Langholz, Peter Stewart, Jared Stygstra, Emily Zolman, Erin English, Alli Lindquist, Elizabeth Woodford

18th Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2019)

The composition of gut microbiota has direct impacts on neural structure, neurochemistry, and behavior. Specifically, the gut microbiota has been shown to modulate anxiety-like behaviors. In addition, administering prebiotics, compounds that promote the growth of commensal bacteria, has been demonstrated to reduce anxiety and anxiety-related behaviors. However, this effect has yet to be tested in older animals despite anxiety being implicated as a most common disorder in adult populations. Therefore, this study seeks to fill this knowledge gap by investigating the link between prebiotic interventions and anxiety-like behaviors in aged populations. It was hypothesized that older rats treated with the …

The Effects Of Bacterial Endotoxin Lps On Synaptic Transmission At The Neuromuscular Junction, Robin L. Cooper, Micaiah Mcnabb, Jeremy Nadolski

Biology Faculty Publications

The direct action of bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) endotoxin was shown to enhance synaptic transmission and hyperpolarize the membrane potential at low doses, but block glutamatergic receptors and decrease observable spontaneous events at a high dosage. The dosage effects are LPS type specific. The hyperpolarization is not due to voltage-gated potassium channels or to activation of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). The effects are induced directly by LPS, independent of an immune response.

Cognition And The Brain Of Brood Parasitic Cowbirds., David F Sherry, Mélanie F Guigueno

Psychology Publications

Cowbirds are brood parasites. Females lay their eggs in the nests of other species, which then incubate the cowbird eggs and raise the young cowbirds. Finding and returning to heterospecific nests presents cowbirds with several cognitive challenges. In some species, such as brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater), females but not males search for and remember the locations of potential host nests. We describe recent research on sex differences in cognition and the hippocampus associated with this sex difference in search for host nests. Female brown-headed cowbirds perform better than males on some, but not all, tests of spatial memory and females …

A Cross-Species Analysis Reveals A General Role For Piezo2 In Mechanosensory Specialization Of Trigeminal Ganglia From Tactile Specialist Birds, Eve R. Schneider, Evan O. Anderson, Viktor V. Feketa, Marco Mastrotto, Yury A. Nikolaev, Elena O. Gracheva, Sviatoslav N. Bagriantsev

Biology Faculty Publications

A major challenge in biology is to link cellular and molecular variations with behavioral phenotypes. Here, we studied somatosensory neurons from a panel of bird species from the family Anatidae, known for their tactile-based foraging behavior. We found that tactile specialists exhibit a proportional expansion of neuronal mechanoreceptors in trigeminal ganglia. The expansion of mechanoreceptors occurs via neurons with intermediately and slowly inactivating mechanocurrent. Such neurons contain the mechanically gated Piezo2 ion channel whose expression positively correlates with the expression of factors responsible for the development and function of mechanoreceptors. Conversely, Piezo2 expression negatively correlates with expression of molecules mediating …

The Effects Of Ocular Dominance On Visual Processing In College Students, William Alexander Holland

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

The role of ocular dominance in processing visual memory and analytic tasks is unknown. Research has variably showed both significant effects and no effect of ocular dominance on visual perception, motor control, and sports performance. The goal of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between ocular dominance and visual processing under a variety of computer gaming tasks. This was accomplished by first determining subjects’ ocular dominance through the Miles test, and then examining the subjects’ visual performance on four different Lumosity games under three conditions: left eye, right eye, and both eyes. Results suggest a relationship …

Molecular Analysis Of Cone Photoreceptor Genesis From A Specific Retinal Progenitor Population, Diego F. Buenaventura

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

There are two types of photosensitive cells of the retina that contribute to image formation: Cone photoreceptors that mediate color discrimination and rods that provide photosensitivity in low-light conditions. Given the importance of cones in high acuity and color vision, deficiencies in this cell type that result from ailments such as retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration can lead to a debilitating loss of vision. Currently, one of the most pressing goals in the field of retinal development is the elucidation of the gene regulatory networks (GRN) involved in inducing an undifferentiated cell into becoming a functional cone photoreceptor.

Recently, an …

Data Collection Curated With An Application Ontology Describes The Methods And Results Upon Performing An Ex-Vivo Voltage-Clamp Assay On Outer Hair Cells Of The Mammalian Cochlea, Brenda Farrell, Jason Bengtson

Research Data

This data collection describes the electrical properties of outer hair cells isolated from the mammalian cochlea of the domestic guinea pig. This data was obtained by performing whole-cell patch clamp voltage clamp assay on cells and monitoring the electrical admittance during a DC voltage ramp. The membrane capacitance was then calculated at each membrane potential from this admittance, and the voltage-independent and voltage-dependent membrane capacitance was determined upon further analysis. In some case the DC conductance was also measured by interrogation of the cell with voltage-step function which was calculated from the change in the mean steady-state current with respect …

A Composite Review Of The Proposed Molecular Mechanisms And Genetic Components Underlying Parkinson’S Disease, Paige Brodrick

Scripps Senior Theses

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive death of dopaminergic neurons present in the substantia nigra. The clinical presentation of PD includes tremors, slowed movement (bradykinesia), muscle and limb rigidity, and difficulty with walking and balancing. While many environmental factors can affect the onset and progression of the disease, genetic mutations have a large influence. Of the identified PD-linked genetic mutations, mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are one of the most common genetic causes of PD. Located in endosomes, LRRK2 has been shown to play a role in the sorting and endocytosis …