During neurodevelopment massive membrane biosynthesis occurs in neurons that is used to generate new plasma membrane required for the extension of axonal and dendritic processes. Glial cells also synthesize an enormous amount of plasma membrane that is used to wrap around axons forming the myelin sheath, which insulates axons, allowing them to conduct action potentials rapidly and efficiently from the cell body to the synapse. Deprivation of essential fatty acids during development in mammals results in many neurological defects including learning deficits, hypomyelination and photoreceptor defects, indicating fatty acids are essential for proper neurodevelopment. In Dr. Harvey Lodish's laboratory, I plan to study how fatty acids are taken into cells of the nervous system by using molecular biological, cell biological and genetic experimental approaches. I want to determine which fatty acid transporters and associated proteins are present in neurons and glia and whether they are needed for proper neurite outgrowth in neurons and myelination by glib I will alter the levels of fatty acid transporter and associated proteins in neurons and glia by over- expression and reduction with antisense oligonucleotides to determine whether neurite outgrowth or myelination by glia is altered. By understanding how fatty acid internalization occurs in these cells, I hope to gain insight into potential neurological disease processes that could result from defective fatty acid transport.
