9631756 Cline During the Development of the nervous system, neurons growth processes and form synaptic connections. These two events, process outgrowth and synapse formation may be controlled by the electrical activity in the neurons. We propose to examine the influence of synaptic activity on the development of neuronal growth and the formation of synaptic connections in the developing visual system of the frog. This system has been used extensively to study the influence of neuronal activity on the development of the brain. We can now label single tectal neurons in the intact animal and observe their morphological development for up to five days by taking time-lapse confocal images. In addition, we have developed a preparation in which we can record the synaptic connections from developing neurons. Results from the proposed experiments on brain development will be integrated with tour previous results on the dynamic actvity-dependent growth of retinal axons to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the development of a neuronal circuit in the intact brain.
