Upcoming Events
Joint Seminars in Neuroscience Lecture Series
Tuesday, October 23rd, 2018
**4:00pm - 5:00pm
Neuroscience Research Building (NRB) 1st Floor Auditorium
"Exploration of Molecular Mechanisms underlying Neural Circuit Assembly"
Liming Tan, Ph.D. - Laboratory of Dr. Larry Zipursky, Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles; HHMI
Abstract:
Neural circuits are built by genetically hard-wired programs, followed by experience-dependent refinement. Using the fruit fly visual system as a model for uncovering hard-wired genetic mechanism, we discovered that binding pairs of two families of cell recognition molecules, the Dprs and DIPs, are expressed in different synaptic partners during development. Genetic analysis demonstrated that DIP/Dpr binding partners mediate interactions between neuronal processes of synaptic partners in vivo, regulating precise cell number, target-layer specificity and synaptic organization. To explore molecular mechanisms underlying experience-dependent wiring, we are studying the critical period in mouse primary visual cortex. Longitudinal 2-photon imaging of the tuning properties of hundreds of individual layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons in normal and dark-reared mice indicates that visual experience regulates selective stabilization and recruitment of synaptic inputs during the critical period. Single cell transcriptomics are in progress to identify genes expressed in an experience-dependent fashion. In future studies, the role of these genes in regulating wiring will be critically addressed through genetic analysis.
125th UCLA Faculty Research Lecture
Date: Wednesday, October 17, 2018 at 3:00pm
Location: Schoenberg Auditorium
Speaker: Jack L. Feldman, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Neurobiology
