The mature dorsal root ganglion (DRG) is a heterogeneous mixture of ca 20 different classes of sensory neurons in addition to glial cells. The mechanisms by which this diverse array of cell types derives from the neural crest remains incompletely understood. There are two waves of neurogenesis in the DRG. Progenitors for the first wave are migrating neural crest cells that stop along their ventral migration pathway, coalesce, and differentiate into proprioceptive and mechanoceptive neurons. The second wave composed primarily of nociceptive afferents that are TrkA+, are bom after the cessation of neural crest migration. Initially TrkA+ neurons are dispersed throughout the nascent DRG, but within 3 days they become dramatically confined to the dorsal medial 2/3 of the ganglion. The mechanisms mediating this spatial segregation are not at all understood. Furthermore, the progenitor population that gives rise to the 2nd wave remains ill defined. The goals of this proposal are to identify and characterize the progenitor cells that give rise to neurons born during the 2nd wave of neurogenesis, and to image, via time-lapse confocal microscopy, the birth and behavior of nociceptive neurons as they differentiate within the maturing DRG. ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F32)
Project #
5F32NS054529-02
Application #
7169884
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-F03A (20))
Program Officer
Owens, David F
Project Start
2005-12-01
Project End
2008-11-30
Budget Start
2006-12-01
Budget End
2007-11-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$50,428
Indirect Cost
Name
Montana State University - Bozeman
Department
Anatomy/Cell Biology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
625447982
City
Bozeman
State
MT
Country
United States
Zip Code
59717
Lefcort, Frances; Mergy, Marc; Ohlen, Sarah B et al. (2017) Animal and cellular models of familial dysautonomia. Clin Auton Res 27:235-243
George, Lynn; Dunkel, Haley; Hunnicutt, Barbara J et al. (2016) In vivo time-lapse imaging reveals extensive neural crest and endothelial cell interactions during neural crest migration and formation of the dorsal root and sympathetic ganglia. Dev Biol 413:70-85
George, Lynn; Chaverra, Marta; Wolfe, Lindsey et al. (2013) Familial dysautonomia model reveals Ikbkap deletion causes apoptosis of Pax3+ progenitors and peripheral neurons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 110:18698-703
George, Lynn; Kasemeier-Kulesa, Jennifer; Nelson, Branden R et al. (2010) Patterned assembly and neurogenesis in the chick dorsal root ganglion. J Comp Neurol 518:405-22