OIST internal seminar

Date

Friday, June 21, 2013 - 17:00

Location

B250

Description

Date: 21st June, 2013 (Friday)

Time: 5:00 -6:00pm (refreshments will be served after the seminar)

Venue: B250

 

Speakers:

Dr. Naosuke Hoshina (Cell Signal (Yamamoto) Unit)

Title:

Protocadherin 17 Regulates Presynaptic Assembly in Topographic Cortico-Basal Ganglia Circuits

Abstract:

Highly topographic organization of neural circuits exists for the regulation of various brain functions in the cortico-basal ganglia circuits. Although neural circuit-specific refinements during synapse development are essential for the establishment of particular neural functions, the molecular and cellular mechanisms for neural circuit-specific refinements of synapses are largely unknown. Here, we found that protocadherin 17 (PCDH17), one of the non-clustered δ2-protocadherin family members, is enriched along cortico-basal ganglia synapses in a zone-specific manner during early synaptogenesis stages, and regulates presynaptic assembly specifically in these synapses. PCDH17 deficiency in mice causes altered presynaptic vesicle accumulation and synaptic transmission in cortico-basal ganglia circuits. Furthermore, PCDH17－/－ mice exhibit antidepressant-like phenotype that is known to be regulated by the cortico-basal ganglia circuits. Our findings demonstrate a critical role for PCDH17 in the synaptic development of specific cortico-basal ganglia circuits and emphasize the importance of topographic cortico-basal ganglia circuitry in depressive behaviors.

 

Dr. Maxim Koroteev (Physics and Biology (Miller) Unit)

Title:
Fragmentation dynamics of duplications and point mutations in whole genome sequences
Abstract:
Motivated by empirical observations of algebraic duplicated sequence length distributions in a broad range of natural genomes, we analytically formulate and solve a class of simple discrete duplication/substitution models that generate steady-states sharing this property. Continuum equations are derived for arbitrary time-independent duplication length source distribution, a limit that we show can be mapped directly onto certain fragmentation models that have been intensively studied by physicists in recent years. Quantitative agreement with simulation is demonstrated. These models account for the algebraic form and exponent of naturally occurring duplication length distributions without the need for fine-tuning of parameters.

 

All-OIST Category: 
Seminar

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