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Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience

The Neurological Asymmetry Of Self-Face Recognition, Aleksandra Janowska, Brianna Balugas, Matthew Pardillo, Victoria Mistretta, Katherine Chavarria, Janet Brenya, Taylor Shelansky, Vanessa Martinez, Kitty Pagano, Nathira Ahmad, Samantha Zorns, Abigail Straus, Sarah Sierra, Julian Keenan Jun 2021

The Neurological Asymmetry Of Self-Face Recognition, Aleksandra Janowska, Brianna Balugas, Matthew Pardillo, Victoria Mistretta, Katherine Chavarria, Janet Brenya, Taylor Shelansky, Vanessa Martinez, Kitty Pagano, Nathira Ahmad, Samantha Zorns, Abigail Straus, Sarah Sierra, Julian Keenan

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

While the desire to uncover the neural correlates of consciousness has taken numerous directions, self-face recognition has been a constant in attempts to isolate aspects of self-awareness. The neuroimaging revolution of the 1990s brought about systematic attempts to isolate the underlying neural basis of self-face recognition. These studies, including some of the first fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) examinations, revealed a right-hemisphere bias for self-face recognition in a diverse set of regions including the insula, the dorsal frontal lobe, the temporal parietal junction, and the medial temporal cortex. In this systematic review, we provide confirmation of these data (which are …


The Effects Of Mapk Signaling On The Development Of Cerebellar Granule Cells, Kerry Morgan May 2021

The Effects Of Mapk Signaling On The Development Of Cerebellar Granule Cells, Kerry Morgan

University Scholar Projects

The granule cells are the most abundant neuronal type in the human brain. Rapid proliferation of granule cell progenitors results in dramatic expansion and folding of the cerebellar cortex during postnatal development. Mis-regulation of this proliferation process causes medulloblastoma, the most prevalent childhood brain tumor. In the developing cerebellum, granule cells are derived from Atoh1-expressing cells, which arise from the upper rhombic lip (the interface between the roof plate and neuroepithelium). In addition to granule cells, the Atoh1 lineage also gives rise to different types of neurons including cerebellar nuclei neurons. In the current study, I have investigated the …


The Effects Of Mapk Signaling On The Development Of Cerebellar Granule Cells, Kerry Morgan May 2021

The Effects Of Mapk Signaling On The Development Of Cerebellar Granule Cells, Kerry Morgan

Honors Scholar Theses

The granule cells are the most abundant neuronal type in the human brain. Rapid proliferation of granule cell progenitors results in dramatic expansion and folding of the cerebellar cortex during postnatal development. Mis-regulation of this proliferation process causes medulloblastoma, the most prevalent childhood brain tumor. In the developing cerebellum, granule cells are derived from Atoh1-expressing cells, which arise from the upper rhombic lip (the interface between the roof plate and neuroepithelium). In addition to granule cells, the Atoh1 lineage also gives rise to different types of neurons including cerebellar nuclei neurons. In the current study, I have investigated the …


Preliminary Evidence Of The Role Of Medial Prefrontal Cortex In Self-Enhancement: A Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Study, Birgitta Taylor-Lillquist, Vivek Kanpa, Maya Crawford, Mehdi El Filali, Julia Oakes, Alex Jonasz, Amanda Disney, Julian Keenan Aug 2020

Preliminary Evidence Of The Role Of Medial Prefrontal Cortex In Self-Enhancement: A Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Study, Birgitta Taylor-Lillquist, Vivek Kanpa, Maya Crawford, Mehdi El Filali, Julia Oakes, Alex Jonasz, Amanda Disney, Julian Keenan

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Humans employ a number of strategies to improve their position in their given social hierarchy. Overclaiming involves presenting oneself as having more knowledge than one actually possesses, and it is typically invoked to increase one’s social standing. If increased expectations to possess knowledge is a perceived social pressure, such expectations should increase bouts of overclaiming. As the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) is sensitive to social pressure and disruption of the MPFC leads to decreases in overclaiming, we predicted that transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) applied to the MPFC would reduce overclaiming and the effects would be enhanced in the presence of …


Sexually Dimorphic Alterations In Brain Morphology Of Astrocyte Conditional System Xc- Knockout Mice, Gabrielle Emily Samulewicz May 2020

Sexually Dimorphic Alterations In Brain Morphology Of Astrocyte Conditional System Xc- Knockout Mice, Gabrielle Emily Samulewicz

Biology - All Scholarship

Astrocytes play a vital role in orchestrating the precise brain wiring that occurs during development and are essential for maintaining homeostasis into adulthood. The cystine/glutamate antiporter, system xc-, in the central nervous system is especially abundant in astrocytes and itself is known to contribute importantly to the basal extracellular glutamate concentration as well as the intracellular and extracellular glutathione levels, either of which, if perturbed, could alter brain development and/or contribute to degeneration. Thus, to determine whether loss of astrocyte system xc- might alter brain morphology, I studied a conditional astrocyte system xc- knockout mouse (AcKO). Tissue was harvested from …


Neurocognitive Risk Factors And Current Intervention Strategies For Survivors Of Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Abigail Taber May 2020

Neurocognitive Risk Factors And Current Intervention Strategies For Survivors Of Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Abigail Taber

Senior Honors Theses

The improved survival rate for pediatric cancer patients is one of the greatest triumphs of recent medicine, but the late effects faced by these survivors have been uncovered through this new population of survivors. Many survivors of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) experience cognitive deficits in areas such as attention, memory, processing speed, and academic achievement following cancer treatment. Recent research has pointed to chemotherapeutic agents, host risk factors, and genetic predispositions as perpetrators of these deficits, although other factors are also under investigation. Consequently, the search for appropriate interventions for the amelioration of these deficits has dominated the literature …


Effect Of Reduced Neurogenesis On Microglial Activation, Amelia Smith Apr 2020

Effect Of Reduced Neurogenesis On Microglial Activation, Amelia Smith

Honors Scholars Collaborative Projects

The geriatric population of America has grown exponentially in the past century. Health degradations and expensive medical care are characteristic of this population with many of these costs due to age-related cognitive decline. It is essential to completely understand the mechanisms of normal and abnormal aging in the search for treatments for cognitive decline. A reduction of neurogenesis is a common factor in aging, but this reduction is even more drastic in individuals experiencing cognitive decline. It is unclear what effect reduced neurogenesis has on the extracellular environment, including glial cells. In particular, changes in microglial activation could be related …


Notch Inhibitors And The Bet Inhibitor Jq-1 Decrease The Growth Of Primary Tumor Cells Derived From A Novel Mouse Model Of C11orf95-Rela Induced Brain Tumor, Ericka Randazzo, Jesse Dunnack, Justin Fang, Joseph Loturco Phd May 2019

Notch Inhibitors And The Bet Inhibitor Jq-1 Decrease The Growth Of Primary Tumor Cells Derived From A Novel Mouse Model Of C11orf95-Rela Induced Brain Tumor, Ericka Randazzo, Jesse Dunnack, Justin Fang, Joseph Loturco Phd

University Scholar Projects

Brain tumors are the most common childhood solid malignancy, and because of remarkable advances in treating many cancers outside of the brain, they have become the leading cause of cancer mortality in children. Ependymomas are a class of brain tumors which can be further subdivided into three groups based upon their location and genetic features. Of the three classes, supratentorial ependymomas are the only subgroup known to be marked by an oncogenic driver gene, which consists of a fusion mutation between the C11orf95 and RELA genes. C11orf95-RELA positive tumors are the most aggressive and lethal of …


The Role Of Daf-19 In Non-Ciliated Neurons: How Is Neural Development Regulated By Different Daf-19 Isoforms?, Zabdiel Ek Vazquez Jun 2016

The Role Of Daf-19 In Non-Ciliated Neurons: How Is Neural Development Regulated By Different Daf-19 Isoforms?, Zabdiel Ek Vazquez

Lawrence University Honors Projects

A degenerative disease-like phenotype, specifically reduction in synaptic protein levels in adult worms, is correlated with loss-of-function of the only RFX transcription factor gene, daf-19, in C. elegans. This gene encodes four known transcription factor isoforms, two of which are correlated with particular functions. The DAF-19C isoform activates genes responsible for cilia development, while DAF-19M is needed for cilia specification in males. A comparison of the transcriptome of daf-19 null and isogenic wild type adult worms suggests both positive and negative regulation of gene expression is correlated with the presence of DAF-19 proteins. We have assessed DAF-19 regulation …


Early Neurodevelopment: Notch Signaling, Axial Differentiation, Brain Patterning, And Neurogenesis, Adrian M. Bebenek '17 Jan 2016

Early Neurodevelopment: Notch Signaling, Axial Differentiation, Brain Patterning, And Neurogenesis, Adrian M. Bebenek '17

Independent Study

The vastly complex, delicate nature of the nervous system calls for a highly effective development system. The development of the nervous system begins early in embryogenesis and is one of the last systems to be completed after birth. Deemed to be one of the most important steps in the evolutionary progression towards sophisticated life, the pathways regulating neurodevelopment are highly specialized and conserved. Embryonic neurodevelopment is an important starting point for the understanding of brain anatomy, function, and its neurobiology. The past few decades have brought about numerous technological advancements allowing for the study of the earliest stages of embryonic …


Astroglial Boundary Formation And Epha4 Signaling In Neuroblast Migration, Nicholas B. Gallo May 2014

Astroglial Boundary Formation And Epha4 Signaling In Neuroblast Migration, Nicholas B. Gallo

University Scholar Projects

Adult neurogenesis, the process of generating new neurons from neural precursors, is a highly complex process that is limited to two specific areas of the brain, the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and the subventricular zone (SVZ). Despite continued research investigating neurogenesis in these two regions, we still lack a fundamental understanding of the molecular mechanisms of neural cell division, migration, differentiation, and integration in the postnatal brain. In particular, the rostral migratory stream (RMS), which is a cellular migratory route for newly generated neuronal precursors that travel from the SVZ to the olfactory bulb, will provide a useful model …


Astroglial Boundary Formation And Epha4 Signaling In Neuroblast Migration, Nicholas B. Gallo May 2014

Astroglial Boundary Formation And Epha4 Signaling In Neuroblast Migration, Nicholas B. Gallo

Honors Scholar Theses

Adult neurogenesis, the process of generating new neurons from neural precursors, is a highly complex process that is limited to two specific areas of the brain, the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and the subventricular zone (SVZ). Despite continued research investigating neurogenesis in these two regions, we still lack a fundamental understanding of the molecular mechanisms of neural cell division, migration, differentiation, and integration in the postnatal brain. In particular, the rostral migratory stream (RMS), which is a cellular migratory route for newly generated neuronal precursors that travel from the SVZ to the olfactory bulb, will provide a useful model …


Characterization Of The Ependymal Barrier Due To Human Aging And Injury In Murine Models, Ye Sun May 2014

Characterization Of The Ependymal Barrier Due To Human Aging And Injury In Murine Models, Ye Sun

University Scholar Projects

Ventriclulomegaly, or the expansion of the ventricles in the brain, is a phenomenon associated with age and injury to the brain. The ependymal layer that encases the ventricles displays certain degrees of plasticity and regenerative ability due to its associated stem cell niche, the subventricular zone (SVZ). Previous research in the Conover Lab has shown that in the mouse, which maintains an actively proliferating SVZ into adulthood, there is an intact ependymal monolayer throughout normal aging, with maintained lateral ventricle size with some degree of stretching. In contrast, the human SVZ declines in proliferative capacity after infancy, and age-related changes …


Structure-Function Analysis Of Nel, A Thrombospondin-1-Like Glycoprotein Involved In Neural Development And Functions, Masaru Nakamoto Jan 2012

Structure-Function Analysis Of Nel, A Thrombospondin-1-Like Glycoprotein Involved In Neural Development And Functions, Masaru Nakamoto

Biology Faculty Publications

Nel (neural epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like molecule) is a multimeric, multimodular extracellular glycoprotein with heparin-binding activity and structural similarities to thrombospondin-1. Nel is predominantly expressed in the nervous system and has been implicated in neuronal proliferation and differentiation, retinal axon guidance, synaptic functions, and spatial learning. The Nel protein contains an N-terminal thrombospondin-1 (TSP-N) domain, five cysteine-rich domains, and six EGF-like domains. However, little is known about the functions of specific domains of the Nel protein. In this study, we have performed structure-function analysis of Nel, by using a series of expression constructs for different regions of the Nel protein. …


Sex Difference In Calbindin Cell Number In The Mouse Preoptic Area: Effects Of Neonatal Estradiol And Bax Gene Deletion, Richard F. Gilmore Iii Jan 2011

Sex Difference In Calbindin Cell Number In The Mouse Preoptic Area: Effects Of Neonatal Estradiol And Bax Gene Deletion, Richard F. Gilmore Iii

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

The sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area (SDN-POA) was first discovered in rats and is one of the most famous and best studied sex differences in the field of neuroscience. Though well documented in rats (larger in males than females), this sex difference was only recently able to be observed in mice due to the discovery of the protein calbindin-D28k as a marker. Recent studies have shown a larger, more distinct calbindin-immunoreactive (ir) cell cluster in male mice compared to females. However, the exact location of the cluster and whether the sex difference is one of total cell number …


Relative Dependence Of Neural Plasticity On Age And Activity In The Bumblebee (Bombus Huntii), Geoffrey Nielsen Jan 2011

Relative Dependence Of Neural Plasticity On Age And Activity In The Bumblebee (Bombus Huntii), Geoffrey Nielsen

Summer Research

Neural Plasticity is one of the most fascinating and complex aspects of neuroscience. Due to the complexity of neural plasticity mechanisms, simple models are used to study neural plasticity. The bumblebee, Bombus huntii provides an ideal model organism with which to study neural plasticity, particularly the way it is affected by age and activity1. The Mushroom Body is the portion of the B. huntii brain that is responsible for higher order sensory integration and experience related learning so it will be the focus of this study.


In Vitro Guidance Of Retinal Axons By A Tectal Lamina-Specific Glycoprotein Nel, Yulan Jiang, Hiroya Obama, Soh-Leh Kuan, Ritsuko Nakamura, Chizu Nakamoto, Zhufeng Ouyang, Masaru Nakamoto Jan 2009

In Vitro Guidance Of Retinal Axons By A Tectal Lamina-Specific Glycoprotein Nel, Yulan Jiang, Hiroya Obama, Soh-Leh Kuan, Ritsuko Nakamura, Chizu Nakamoto, Zhufeng Ouyang, Masaru Nakamoto

Biology Faculty Publications

Nel is a glycoprotein containing five chordin-like and six epidermal growth factor-like domains and is strongly expressed in the nervous system. In this study, we have examined expression patterns and in vitro functions of Nel in the chicken retinotectal system. We have found that in the developing tectum, expression of Nel is localized in specific laminae that retinal axons normally do not enter, including the border between the retinorecipient and non-retinorecipient laminae. Nel-binding activity is detected on retinal axons both in vivo and in vitro, suggesting that retinal axons express a receptor for Nel. In vitro, Nel inhibits retinal axon …


Domain-Specific Olivocerebellar Projection Regulated By The Epha-Ephrin-A Interaction, Kazuhiko Nishida, John Flanagan, Masaru Nakamoto Jan 2002

Domain-Specific Olivocerebellar Projection Regulated By The Epha-Ephrin-A Interaction, Kazuhiko Nishida, John Flanagan, Masaru Nakamoto

Biology Faculty Publications

Neural maps in the vertebrate central nervous system often show discontinuously segregated, domain-to-domain patterns. However, the molecular mechanism that establishes such maps is not well understood. Here we show that in the chicken olivocerebellar system, EphA receptors and ephrin-As are expressed with distinct levels and combinations in mapping domains. When ephrin-A2 is retrovirally overexpressed in the cerebellum, the olivocerebellar map is disrupted, excluding axons with high receptor activity from ectopic expression domains. Conversely, overexpression of a truncated EphA3 receptor in the cerebellum reduces endogenous ligand activity to undetectable levels and causes aberrant mapping, with high receptor axons invading high ligand …