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Synaptic plasticity in the MyosinVa mutant mouse

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 32-41). / The trafficking of essential proteins into spines is an important aspect of synaptic plasticity. MyosinVa, an actin-based motor protein, has been implicated in the synaptic delivery of AMPARs during LTP [1]. However an earlier study showed that LTP and LTD were unaffected in the MyosinVa-null dilute-lethal mice [2]. To evaluate the role of MyosinVa in synaptic plasticity, we studied different forms of LTP and LTD in the CA1 region of the hippocanmpus from MyosinVa dominant negative mutant flailer mouse using field potential recordings. Flailer mice showed no impairment of LTP or NMDAR-dependent LTD, consistent with the findings of the study on dilute-lethal. In addition, MyosinVa has been implicated in the transport of an RNA-binding protein into the spines upon mGluR activation [3]. We explored protein synthesis and mGluR-dcpendent LTD in flailer. The preliminary data we obtained show a transient impairment in mGluR.-LTD, suggesting a role for MyosinVa in protein synthesis dependent plasticity. / by Cansu Tunca. / S.M.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:MIT/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/46662
Date January 2009
CreatorsTunca, Cansu, 1977-
ContributorsMartha Constantine-Paton., Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Brain and Cognitive Sciences., Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Brain and Cognitive Sciences.
PublisherMassachusetts Institute of Technology
Source SetsM.I.T. Theses and Dissertation
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Format41 leaves, application/pdf
RightsM.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission., http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

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