Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons^™

The Role Of The Striatal Neuropeptide Neurotensin In The Methamphetamine-Induced Neural Injury In Mice, Qingkun Liu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Methamphetamine (METH) is a widely abused psychostimulant that induces neurotoxicity to several brain regions, including the striatum. Similar to dopamine (DA) in chemical structure, METH can be transported into DA pre-synaptic terminals, evoking the neurodegeneration in DA terminals and post-synaptic striatal neurons. Despite the critical role of DA in METH-induced neurodegeneration, no pharmaceutical therapeutics has been approved for these conditions. It is therefore essential to investigate the endogenous factors regulating the dopaminergic system. The neuropeptide neurotensin has emerged as a potential modulator of METH-induced striatal neurodegeneration mainly due to its intimate interactions with dopamine in the striatum.

In this study, …

Rho Gtpases In Neuronal Apoptosis And Neurodegeneration, Trisha Stankiewicz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Several studies have identified Rho family GTPases (i.e. Rho, Rac, Cdc42) as mediators of diverse critical cellular processes, such as actin cytoskeleton remodeling, gene transcription, cell-cell adhesion, and cell cycle progression. However, more recent data highlight an essential role for Rho GTPases as regulators of neuronal morphology and neuronal survival. In particular, Rac GTPase generally induces neurite outgrowth and promotes neuronal survival while Rho GTPase typically provokes neurite retraction and induces neuronal apoptosis. However, the precise signaling pathways that regulate neuronal survival downstream of Rho GTPases and the potential involvement of dysregulated activity of Rho GTPases as a causative factor …

Calpain 5: A Non-Classical Calpain Highly Expressed In The Cns And Localized To Mitochondria And Nuclear Pml Bodies, Ranjana Singh

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

Calpain 5 (CAPN5) is a non-classical member of the calpain family. It lacks the EF-hand motif characteristic of the classical calpains, calpain 1 and 2, but retains catalytic and Ca²⁺ binding non EF domains. Tra-3, an ortholog of CAPN5, is involved in necrotic cell death in C.elegans; although specific role of CAPN5 has not been investigated in the mammalian CNS. I compared relative mRNA levels of calpains in rat CNS, which revealed that CAPN5 is the second most highly expressed calpain. We examined relative levels of CAPN5 from late embryonic day 18 to postnatal day 90 and …