Speaker: Prof. Kang Shen, Vincent V.C. Woo Director, Wu Tsai Neuroscience Institute, Frank Lee and Carol Hall Professor, Professor of Biology and of Pathology, Stanford University

Time: 13:00-14:30 p.m., January 8, 2024, GMT+8

Venue: Youcai Deng Lecture Hall, PKU

Abstract: 

Neural morphogenesis is essential for the wiring of the nervous system. During development of the worm, fly, and mammals, axon and dendrite exhibit stochastic growth and retraction but eventually establish stereotyped arbor shape.  How ligand-receptor interaction underlies this stochastic determinism is not understood. We used the C. elegans PVD neuron as a model system to study how genes and proteins give rise to both random growth and stereotyped shape. These studies have also shed light on how neurons become polarized through neuronal specific microtubule organization and establish axon initial segments.  These studies demonstrate the power of using invertebrate systems to study in vivo neuronal cell biology. 

Source: McGovern Institute for Brain Research at PKU