Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Commons^™

Characterizing Rat Lateral Amygdala Interneurons By Colocalization Of Calcium-Binding Proteins Via Serial Multiplex Immunohistochemistry, Ethan Gasteyer

Honors Scholar Theses

The lateral amygdala is a brain structure that plays an important role in regulating fear and anxiety. Some anxiety disorders are hypothesized to develop from failures in this local inhibitory circuit. Distinct populations of these inhibitory neurons express patterns of calcium- binding proteins and neuropeptides that suggest differences in functionality within the lateral amygdala. Furthermore, these patterns of expression are compared between male and female rats to identify sex differences in the lateral amygdala. Previous studies have reported sex differences in amygdala activation and connectivity, but very little is known about the sexual dimorphism of calcium-binding protein and neuropeptide expression. …

Identifying The Cell Composition And Clonal Diversity Of Supratentorial Ependymoma Using Single Cell Rna-Sequencing, James He

Honors Scholar Theses

Ependymoma is a primary solid tumor of the central nervous system. Supratentorial ependymoma (ST-EPN), a subtype of ependymomas, is driven by an oncogenic fusion between the ZFTA and RELA genes in 70% of cases. We introduced this fusion into neural progenitor cells of mice embryos via in utero electroporation of a non-viral binary piggyBac transposon system containing ZFTA-RELA. From preliminary data in the LoTurco lab, inducing the expression of ZFTA-RELA into different neural progenitor cells produces tumors of varying lethality and cellular composition. To define the cellular composition and subclonal diversity of ST-EPN tumors, we used single cell RNA-sequencing …

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 …

Kcnq2 Localization In The Brainstem, Christina Valera

Honors Scholar Theses

KCNQ2 channels are potassium channels that serve to control neuronal excitability. Loss of function mutations in these channels are known to cause various forms of epilepsy. Recently, KCNQ2 R201C and R201H gain of function mutations have been shown to exhibit an exaggerated startle response and other unique phenotypes uncharacteristic of epilepsy. These phenotypes resemble hyperekplexia, a condition in which glycine neurotransmission in the spinal cord and brainstem is affected. While KCNQ2 has widespread localization throughout the brain, its presence in the brainstem remains unknown. We used immunostaining to determine the localization of KCNQ2 in the vagus nerve and hypoglossal nerve …

Assessing The Morphology Of Vesicles In Inhibitory Symmetric Synapses In Safety And Fear Conditions In The Rat Lateral Amygdala, Valerie Kress

Honors Scholar Theses

There is a significant lack of research on vesicle morphology in inhibitory synapses in the rat lateral amygdala. Published research focuses heavily on excitatory synapses in different parts of the rat brain and even this research rarely focuses on the different vesicle types in axons. It is reported that in these axons, synaptic vesicles traditionally contain neurotransmitters while small dense core vesicles contain active zone proteins and large dense core vesicles contain neuropeptides. This study aims to find correlations between vesicle morphology, location, contents, and potential function of each of the different types of vesicle in inhibitory axons.

After reviewing …

Quantifying Expression Of Interneuron Subtype Markers For Dlx-2 Transfected Ng2 Cells, Timothy Nolan

Honors Scholar Theses

Neurons are a post-mitotic cell population, and therefore, they are not able to regenerate in vivo after a traumatic injury. Because inhibitory GABAergic interneurons and oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) are derived from the same precursor, recent studies have focused on transforming these OPCs into GABAergic neurons. However, there are different types of GABAergic interneurons that have different electrophysiological responses, which can lead to functional differences. The Nishiyama laboratory had already used a key gene in GABAergic interneuron and OPC differentiation, Distal-less homeobox 2 (Dlx-2), to transfect OPCs; early electrophysiology tests showed most of these transfected cells behaved like immature neurons, …

Is Concussion-Related Sleep Disturbance Present After Return To Play In College Athletes?, Alexander Gallaer

Honors Scholar Theses

As one of the most commonly experienced symptoms, the ramifications of sleep disruption as a result of concussion are potentially great, yet widely unexplored. Particularly troublesome is murky data regarding the length of sleep disruption following a concussion. By analyzing self-reported sleep data via the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, this study seeks to investigate potential differences in sleep quality between injured college athletes 40 days after they have been cleared to play and matched controls. Data was analyzed using ANOVA analysis as well as Pearson correlation. No significant differences were found in sleep quality between groups, nor was there a …

Reconstitution Of Gabaergic Postsynapses In Host Cells, Karthik Kanamalla

Honors Scholar Theses

Type A GABA receptors (GABAARs) can be found embedded in postsynaptic membranes or in a variety of extrasynaptic locations. Receptors with synaptic function are recruited to the postsynapse by submembranous scaffolds composed of gephyrin and collybistin (CB). This study was aimed at assessing whether the ability to interact with the scaffold differentiates synaptic from non-synaptic receptors. Using HEK293 cells as an expression system, and indirect immunofluorescence (IF), co-localization of extrasynaptic receptors α1β3δ and α4β3δ with the CB-gephyrin scaffold was assessed and compared with that of the synaptic receptor α1β3γ2. Results indicated that both extrasynaptic receptors were able to colocalize with …

Pathological Effects Of Repeated Concussive Tbi In Mouse Models: Periventricular Damage And Ventriculomegaly, Richard H. Wolferz Jr.

Honors Scholar Theses

Repeated concussive traumatic brain injury (rcTBI) is the most prominent form of head injury affecting the brain, with an estimated 1.7 million Americans affected each year (Kuhn 2012). Neurologists have been concerned about the danger of repeated head impacts since the 1920’s, but researchers have only begun to understand the long-term effects of rcTBI (McKee 2009). Although symptoms can be as mild as dizziness, current research suggests that multiple concussions can lead to a progressive degenerative brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) (Luo 2008, McKee 2009, Kane 2013). Research on the brain is just beginning to scratch the …

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 …

The Effect Of Repeated Mild Traumatic Brain Injury On Ventricular Volume And Microglial Activation, Lillian Rose Talbot

Honors Scholar Theses

As the leading cause of death and disability in individuals under the age of 45-years-old, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a public health crisis that demands the attention of the scientific and medical community [28]. The majority of all TBIs that occur in the United States each year are a non-deadly yet detrimental form of closed brain injury known as mild TBI (mTBI) or concussion [6]. Athletes, young people and military personnel all face a high risk of acquiring mTBI as a result of their environments. In our study we have chosen to model repeated mTBI (rmTBI) in the mouse …

Evidence For Pit-Type (Slc20) And Napi-Ii-Type (Slc34) Transporters In The Rat Choroid Plexus, Hien M. Le

Honors Scholar Theses

: A major function of the brain choroid plexus (CP) is to regulate the exchange of solutes between the blood plasma and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) using selective transporters. CSF inorganic phosphate (P_i) concentration is maintained at about one-half that of plasma and is potentially important because of its regulatory, structural, and biochemical functions. Phosphate is critical for ATP and DNA formation, the linked regulation between phosphate and calcium, and as an intracellular buffer. The human body has two major P_i transporter gene families known as SLC34 (NaPi-II) and SLC20 (PiT), which have wide tissue distribution. Although …

Dopaminergic Innervation Of The Subventricular Zone In The Murine Brain, Linda Beth Drozdowicz

Honors Scholar Theses

The subventricular zone (SVZ) is one of two areas in the brain that, in a healthy mouse, continually generate neurons throughout adulthood. While it was previously thought that only the A9 neurons of the substantia nigra sent dopaminergic afferents to the SVZ, recent studies suggest that the A10 neurons of the ventral tegmental area may innervate this area. This project has aimed to discover which, if either, model is correct.

Examination of the Aphakia (AK) mouse was used to determine the role of distinct midbrain regions in SVZ regulation. Additionally, intraperitoneal injections of the chemical MPTP were used to deduce …