Down syndrome (DS) is the most common genetic form of intellectual disability, affecting one in every 700- 1000 live births, but there is currenty no effective treatment for this complex neurodevelopmental disorder. DS is caused by the trisomy of human chromosome 21, which leads to overexpression of a number of genes. In consequence, a major hurdle in DS treatment is the identification of genes that are the drivers of pathogenesis and can be targeted for effective therapies. The development of the neocortex of DS patient is defective, but the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms are poorly understood. The long-term goal is to define the mechanisms underlying neuronal development and to determine how defects in this process lead to complex brain disorders. The objective of this application is to elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying the developmental defects in the neocortex in DS. The preliminary studies in mice suggest that overexpression of the gene Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (DSCAM), which occurs in the brains of human DS patients, leads to defects in cortical development. However, it remains unknown how DSCAM overexpression causes defects in cortical development, or whether it is responsible for any of the cortical defects in DS. Unraveling these molecular and cellular mechanisms will provide insights into the potential of targeting DSCAM and its signaling cascades for treating the cortical defects in DS. The following two specific aims are proposed to address this issue: 1) identify the signaling mechanism by which overexpressed DSCAM affects cortical development; and 2) define the role of increased DSCAM levels in cortical development in a DS mouse model. By using a Drosophila neuronal system whose development is highly sensitive to DSCAM levels, considerable progress has been made in elucidating the mechanism by which DSCAM controls neuronal development. Experiments designed for Aim 1 will test this molecular model in mouse neocortex.
In Aim 2, the contribution of DSCAM and its signaling pathway to the developmental defects in neocortex will be tested in a DS mouse mode. The contribution of the proposed research will be significant because it will elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the cortical developmental defects associated with DS and to provide potential targets for treating the complex brain disorder in DS. The research proposed in this application is innovative because it will investigate the roles and the underlying mechanisms of increased DSCAM levels in the cortices of normal and diseased mammalian brains. It is also innovative because it uses a Drosophila system that is highly sensitive to DSCAM levels to identify signaling mechanisms downstream of overexpressed DSCAM and combines the strength of Drosophila and mouse systems in dissecting the molecular and cellular substrates of the complex brain disorders in DS.
Cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the cortical developmental defects associated with Down syndrome and provides potential targets for treating the complex brain disorder in Down syndrome. Thus, the proposed research is relevant to the part of NIH's mission that seeks fundamental knowledge of living systems to reduce the burdens of mental and neurological disorders.
