Dr. Anderson is a physician-scientist who has a career focus on the molecular mechanisms of cerebral cortex development, as well as clinical and research expertise in schizophrenia. Continued salary support under the Research Career Award mechanism will be crucial to his career development. The cerebral cortex contains two types of neurons, excitatory projection neurons and inhibitory interneurons. Based on chemical, physiological and morphological criteria, the inhibitory interneurons occur in distinct subtypes that subserve distinct functions. Several common illnesses, including epilepsy and schizophrenia may involve the abnormal development and/or dysfunction of particular interneuron subtypes. Recent studies have determined that most cortical interneurons derive from the ventral forebrain, in the anlage of the basal ganglia. The long-term objective of this research is to understand the molecular basis for cortical interneuron subtype specification.
Aim 1 : Regional and temporal influences on interneuron subtype specification. Two methods will be employed to examine whether distinct interneuron subtypes have distinct sources. First, cells from various cortical and subcortical regions of mouse telencephali, at various times over the age-range of cortical neurogenesis, will be transplanted into neonatal cortical environments in vivo and in vitro. The effect of the donor cell's place and time of birth on their differentiated fate will be assessed. Second, a transgenic mouse expressing Cre-recombinase under control of the transcription factor Nkx2.1 will be generated. This mouse will permit fate-mapping of cells that originated within a subregion of the subcortical telencephalon, the medial ganglionic eminence and preoptic area.
Aims 2 and 3: The role of Sonic Hedgehog in interneuron subtype specification. Since evidence suggests that important aspects of interneuron subtype specification occur within the ventral forebrain, a candidate molecule approach is being taken to study factors which may influence this process. The primary factor being examined is Sonic Hedgehog (Shh), a glycoprotein involved in cell fate determination in the ventral spinal cord which is also expressed in the ventral forebrain. Shh's role in interneuron specification will be studied by in vitro gain and loss of function manipulations followed by transplantation of neuronal progenitors into cortical environments in vivo and in vitro. In addition Shh function will be studied using conditional knockouts that target Shh expression within the ventral forebrain.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Scientist Development Award - Research (K02)
Project #
5K02MH070031-11
Application #
8401173
Study Section
Neurogenesis and Cell Fate Study Section (NCF)
Program Officer
Panchision, David M
Project Start
2004-01-01
Project End
2013-12-31
Budget Start
2013-01-01
Budget End
2013-12-31
Support Year
11
Fiscal Year
2013
Total Cost
$114,202
Indirect Cost
$8,459
Name
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Department
Type
DUNS #
073757627
City
Philadelphia
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
19104
Petros, Timothy J; Bultje, Ronald S; Ross, M Elizabeth et al. (2015) Apical versus Basal Neurogenesis Directs Cortical Interneuron Subclass Fate. Cell Rep 13:1090-1095
Tyson, Jennifer A; Goldberg, Ethan M; Maroof, Asif M et al. (2015) Duration of culture and sonic hedgehog signaling differentially specify PV versus SST cortical interneuron fates from embryonic stem cells. Development 142:1267-78
Anderson, Stewart; Vanderhaeghen, Pierre (2014) Cortical neurogenesis from pluripotent stem cells: complexity emerging from simplicity. Curr Opin Neurobiol 27:151-7
Tyson, Jennifer A; Anderson, Stewart A (2014) GABAergic interneuron transplants to study development and treat disease. Trends Neurosci 37:169-77
Inan, Melis; Anderson, Stewart A (2014) The chandelier cell, form and function. Curr Opin Neurobiol 26:142-8
Inan, Melis; Petros, Timothy J; Anderson, Stewart A (2013) Losing your inhibition: linking cortical GABAergic interneurons to schizophrenia. Neurobiol Dis 53:36-48
Inan, Melis; Welagen, Jelle; Anderson, Stewart A (2012) Spatial and temporal bias in the mitotic origins of somatostatin- and parvalbumin-expressing interneuron subgroups and the chandelier subtype in the medial ganglionic eminence. Cereb Cortex 22:820-7
Welagen, Jelle; Anderson, Stewart (2011) Origins of neocortical interneurons in mice. Dev Neurobiol 71:10-7
Cundiff, Paige E; Anderson, Stewart A (2011) Impact of induced pluripotent stem cells on the study of central nervous system disease. Curr Opin Genet Dev 21:354-61
Brown, Keith N; Chen, She; Han, Zhi et al. (2011) Clonal production and organization of inhibitory interneurons in the neocortex. Science 334:480-6

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