| Date and Time: |
2006-12-25 15:00:00 - 16:00:00 |
| Speaker: |
Masahito Yamagata
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University |
| Title: |
Formation of lamina-specific neuronal connectivity in visual system |
| Summary : | Neurons are connected with a remarkable degree of synaptic specificity in neuronal circuits. Many areas of the central nervous system consist of multiple neuronal cell layers, each of which bears a unique population of neuronal types. In such laminated areas, both axons and dendrites restrict their synaptic connections to particular laminae. Thus, lamina-specific synaptic connectivity is a major wiring principle of the brain. To understand cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie development of lamina-specific connectivity, retinal ganglion cells, sole projection neurons of the retina, are useful because their axons and dendrites make striking laminar choices in the central targets and retina, respectively. I am going to talk about our findings on immunoglobulin superfamily adhesion molecules that guide lamina-specific connectivity. |
