MANIPULATING TILING

Manipulating neuronal outgrowth using a novel pneumatic micro gene gun

Coordinatore	BAR ILAN UNIVERSITY    more  Organization address address: BAR ILAN UNIVERSITY CAMPUS city: RAMAT GAN postcode: 52900 contact info Titolo: Ms. Nome: Estelle Cognome: Waise Email: send email Telefono: 97235317439 Fax: 97236353277
Nazionalità Coordinatore	Israel [IL]
Totale costo	100˙000 €
EC contributo	100˙000 €
Programma	FP7-PEOPLE Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)
Code Call	FP7-PEOPLE-IRG-2008
Funding Scheme	MC-IRG
Anno di inizio	2009
Periodo (anno-mese-giorno)	2009-04-01   -   2013-03-31

 Partecipanti

#	participant	country	role	EC contrib. [€]
1	BAR ILAN UNIVERSITY  Organization address address: BAR ILAN UNIVERSITY CAMPUS city: RAMAT GAN postcode: 52900 contact info Titolo: Ms. Nome: Estelle Cognome: Waise Email: send email Telefono: 97235317439 Fax: 97236353277	IL (RAMAT GAN)	coordinator	100˙000.00

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Dendrites and axons show extremely diverse forms, with important implications for nervous system wiring and neuronal function. How neurons acquire their morphology is a question of great importance for understanding neuronal development and regeneration. In this project, we will explore how the innervation of the epidermis, the major sensory organ for detecting mechanical stimuli, is achieved during embryogenesis. Specifically, we will study the development of the sensory cells that respond to pressure (P) on the skin of the medicinal leech, which are uniquely advantageous for this project because their large size and small number. Their sensory arbors innervate domains (“tiles”) that are organized in very regular patterns. Hence, it is easy to detect morphological changes produced experimentally. Moreover, following crush or axotomy these neurons can regenerate their branches and synaptic connections. Previous work showed that cell-cell interactions are fundamental for setting up sensory tiling. Our preliminary results indicate that molecular cues, such as the axon guidance cue netrin, which are heterogeneously distributed in the skin, play a key role in setting up sensory tiling. The overall goal of this proposal is to formulate a new developmental scheme for sensory neurons and to implement it to promote reinnervation of transplanted skin post trauma. In the proposed study, we will modulate the expression of factors, such as leech netrin, using a novel technology that enables the delivery of reagents into live tissue accurately. The technology, a pneumatic capillary gene gun, has been recently developed at UCSD (the P.I. with colleagues) and will be brought into the lab for the proposed project. We will affect gene expression in individual cells or in small groups of cells in skin to manipulate neuronal growth. We expect that our results on the leech will illuminate the phenomenon of sensory tiling in other systems, including vertebrates.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Neurons are specialised cells in the nervous system that extend projections called axons and dendrites, form synapses and communicate with each other. Investigation of neuronal development is fundamental for understanding how individual neurons wire themselves into functional networks