Download or read book Transcriptional and Network Regulators of Neuronal Identity Specification and Synaptic Maturation written by Jeffrey Russ and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To enact its many behaviors, an organism relies on a highly diverse network of neuronal subtypes. During development, it is therefore imperative that the identity of each subtype be correctly specified and that each of these neurons then wires with precise connectivity. The process of identity specification results from a delicate interplay between intrinsic and extrinsic influences during neuronal development. Intrinsically, a critical event in neuronal development is the expression of potent transcription factors that regulate the induction of a subtype-specific neuronal identity. One capability of such factors is to prime a neuron's connectivity by controlling features such as dendritic morphology, axonal targeting, or synaptic specificity. Once incorporated into the circuitry, the neuron relies on extrinsic signals from both its pre-and postsynaptic binding partners to further refine its identity. In this dissertation, I first examine intrinsic regulation of neuronal identity by studying the cell-autonomous capabilities of the subtype-specifying transcription factor Ptfl a to transform the development of cortical pyramidal cells. Ptfl a is primarily necessary for the identity specification of interneurons in the spinal cord, cerebellum, and retina, but its sufficiency to dictate neuronal identity outside its endogenous environment has yet to be fully explored. Using in utero electroporation to misexpress Ptfl a in the developing cortex, 1 demonstrate its ability to override the pyramidal cell transcriptome, upregulating Ptfl a-dependent markers of inhibitory interneurons and inducing a peptidergic neurotransmitter status. Concurrently, misexpression of Ptfl a also transforms the stereotypical pyramidal cell morphology to a more branched, radial morphology. To next explore the extrinsic regulation of neuronal identity, I examine the ability of the developing network to impact the characteristic synaptic protein profile of a population of spinal inhibitory interneurons, called GABApre neurons. I first show that putative GABApre neurons receive descending input from the cortex, via the corticospinal tract. I then use a mouse model of perinatal stroke to investigate how developmental disruption of corticospinal tract input in turn impacts GABApre synaptic expression. I observe a specific upregulation of the hallmark GABApre marker GAD65 contralateral to the cortical injury, implying that this effect is the result of lost input from the cortex.