A5033935979- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Studies
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Motor Control and Adaptation
- Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
- Genetic Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Plant Molecular Biology Research
- CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
- Retinal Development and Disorders
- Visual perception and processing mechanisms
- Neurological disorders and treatments
- Neural dynamics and brain function
- Axon Guidance and Neuronal Signaling
- Cellular transport and secretion
- Advanced Memory and Neural Computing
- Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
- Epilepsy research and treatment
- Viral Infectious Diseases and Gene Expression in Insects
- Ion channel regulation and function
- Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
- Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Receptor Mechanisms and Signaling
- Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Study
University of California, Berkeley
2022-2024
Harvard University
2017-2023
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (United States)
2023
Berkeley College
2022
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
2019-2020
Boston University
2017-2018
Stanford University
2013-2018
University of California, Los Angeles
2009-2015
Intel (United States)
2011-2015
Previously, we identified progressive alterations in spontaneous EPSCs and IPSCs the striatum of R6/2 mouse model Huntington's disease (HD). Medium-sized spiny neurons from these mice displayed a lower frequency EPSCs, population cells exhibited an increased beginning at ∼40 d, time point when overt behavioral phenotype begins. The cortex provides major excitatory drive to is affected during progression. We examined somatosensory cortical pyramidal layers II/III slices three different models...
There is considerable evidence that alterations in striatal medium-sized spiny neurons (MSSNs) giving rise to the direct (D1 receptor-expressing) and indirect (D2 pathways differentially contribute phenotype of Huntington's disease (HD). To determine how each subpopulation MSSN functionally affected, we examined spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) dopamine (DA) modulation two HD mouse models, YAC128 BACHD (a bacterial-artificial chromosome). These mice also expressed...
Abstract In neural networks that store information in their connection weights, there is a tradeoff between sensitivity and stability 1,2 . Connections must be plastic to incorporate new information, but if they are too plastic, stored can corrupted. A potential solution allow plasticity only during epochs when task-specific rich, on the basis of ‘when-to-learn’ signal 3 We reasoned dopamine provides when-to-learn allows brain’s spatial maps update available—that is, an animal moving. Here...
Striatal medium-sized spiny neurons (MSSNs) receive glutamatergic inputs modulated presynaptically and postsynaptically by dopamine. Mice expressing the gene for enhanced green fluorescent protein as a reporter to identify MSSNs containing D1 or D2 receptor subtypes were used examine dopamine modulation of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) in slices N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) acutely isolated cells. The...
Manipulating gene function cell type-specifically is a common experimental goal in Drosophila research and has been central to studies of neural development, circuit computation, behavior. However, current type-specific disruption techniques flies often reduce activity incompletely or rely on division. Here we describe FlpStop, generalizable tool for conditional rescue post-mitotic cells. In proof-of-principle experiments, manipulated apterous, regulator wing development. Next, produced null...
Imbalance in the activity of striatal direct and indirect pathway neurons contributes to motor disturbances several neurodegenerative diseases. In Huntington's disease (HD), [dopamine (DA) D2 receptor-expressing] medium-sized spiny (MSNs) are believed show earlier vulnerability than MSNs. We examined synaptic DA modulation MSNs forming pathways YAC128 BACHD mouse models HD. To visualize two types MSNs, we used mice expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein under control promoter for D1...
In Huntington's disease (HD), a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder, striatal medium-sized spiny neurons undergo degenerative changes. contrast, large cholinergic interneurons (LCIs) are relatively spared. However, their ability to release acetylcholine (ACh) is impaired. The present experiments examined morphological and electrophysiological properties of LCIs in the R6/2 mouse model HD. mice show severe, rapidly progressing phenotype. Immunocytochemical analysis choline...
Building arborisations of the right size and shape is fundamental for neural network function. Live imaging in vertebrate brains strongly suggests that nascent synapses are critical branch growth during development. The molecular mechanisms underlying this largely unknown. Here we present a novel system Drosophila studying development complex live, vivo metamorphosis. In growing see dynamics localisations presynaptic proteins very similar to ‘synaptotropic growth’ described fish/frogs. These...
Abstract Many experimental approaches rely on controlling gene expression in select subsets of cells within an individual animal. However, reproducibly targeting transgene to specific fractions a genetically-defined cell-type is challenging. We developed S parse P redictive A ctivity through R ecombinase C ompetition (SPARC), generalizable toolkit that can express any effector precise proportions post-mitotic Drosophila . Using this approach, we demonstrate targeted many effectors and apply...
Abstract Building arborisations of the right size and shape is fundamental for neural network function. Live imaging studies in vertebrate brains strongly suggest that nascent synapses are critical branch growth during development axonal dendritic arborisations. The molecular mechanisms underlying such ‘synaptotropic’ events largely unknown. Here we present a novel system Drosophila studying complex live, vivo metamorphosis. In these growing see relationship between punctate localisations...