During development of the nervous system, formation of specific connections between nerve cells depends on the stability of growing axons to reach appropriate target cells and form synapses. In culture, hippocampal neurons form numerous synapses by developing axonal and dendritic extensions. To elucidate principles of neuronal signaling and network establishment, creation of neuronal networks in which connectivity and pathways can be experimentally controlled is of great interest. In the present study we used a microcontact printing technique to control and study neurite outgrowth of hippocampal neurons in vitro. My preliminary results show that hippocampal neurons follow the microcontact printed pattern of poly-D-lysine (PDL). In doing so, neurons retain their morphology with normal subcellular distribution of various cell adhesion and synaptic molecules. However, the distribution of various axonal or dendrite components is altered. Hence we have developed a system in which isolated axons and dendrites align with inputs from very few neurons. With this technique we intend to study axon-dendrite communications on a spatially restricted and defined substrate.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.111597 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | Belkaid, Wiam, 1983- |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Division of Neuroscience.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 003135016, proquestno: AAIMR66900, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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