The long-term goal of this project is to identify the role of the gaseous neuronal messenger molecule Nitric oxide (NO) in the development of the nervous system. NO is known to be involved in a large number of physiological events and in most of these cases, NO is released by one cell or tissue and then acts on another cell or tissue. The possibility that NO might also have physiological effects in the cell in which it is produced, however, has attracted very little attention so far. Novel preliminary evidence shows that NO can have important physiological roles within cells that produce it, such as regulating a variety of ion channels and determining the speed with which nerve cells grow. During neuronal development, the motile tips of advancing neuronal structures, called growth cones, guide extending nerve processes (such as axons and dendrites) to their appropriate targets by a process termed pathfinding. Expression of the Nitric Oxide Synthase (NOS) gene, which is responsible for the enzymatic production of NO, has been linked to the process of synapse formation and neuronal plasticity, making the neuronal growth cone a prime location for NO to act and effect pathfinding and synaptogenesis. Techniques used in this study include electrophysiology, molecular biology, cell culture and advanced imaging applications. The research proposed will provide the groundwork to refine our thinking about NO signaling in the brain and will serve as the basis to develop novel approaches to investigate brain development and repair. The proposed work combines research and educational components. It contains projects particularly suited for undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Several successful programs at Georgia State University serve as pipelines to enhance the representation of underrepresented ethnic minorities in research laboratories and in the scientific community as a whole.
