This project is a live imaging and interventional approach to study the molecular mechanisms of cerebral cortical development. Mental retardation in several diseases and syndromes such as Downs syndrome and autism may be a result of environmental or genetic alterations in prenatal cortical proliferation. To better understand how proliferation is controlled during brain development, molecular biology and virology will be combined with a novel organotypic culture of the neocortex to establish that glutamate, GABA, and bFGF can affect neocortical growth by changing the proliferative properties of neuronal progenitor cells. In addition, it will be determined, through a mutagenic approach, whether these extracellular molecules act via the Notch pathway of signal transduction, an intracellular mechanism for the control of neuroprogenitor proliferation.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F32)
Project #
1F32NS010729-01
Application #
2711328
Study Section
Neurology B Subcommittee 2 (NEUB)
Program Officer
Spinella, Giovanna M
Project Start
1998-12-01
Project End
Budget Start
1998-09-01
Budget End
1999-08-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
1998
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Yale University
Department
Neurosciences
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
082359691
City
New Haven
State
CT
Country
United States
Zip Code
06520
Haydar, T F; Wang, F; Schwartz, M L et al. (2000) Differential modulation of proliferation in the neocortical ventricular and subventricular zones. J Neurosci 20:5764-74
Haydar, T F; Bambrick, L L; Krueger, B K et al. (1999) Organotypic slice cultures for analysis of proliferation, cell death, and migration in the embryonic neocortex. Brain Res Brain Res Protoc 4:425-37