BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 656

DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY

Fall 2007

REQUIRED READINGS: Development of the Nervous System, 2^nd ed. by Dan Sanes, Tom Reh and Bill Harris, Academic Press, 2005.

Current articles. A weekly reading list will be provided

RECOMMENDED TEXTS: (All but Rao and Jacobson and the Sanes, Reh and Harris books are on 2 day reserve at the library. Older editions of both are on reserve).

Developmental Neurobiology, 4^th ed. by Mahendra Rao and Marcus Jacobson. Kluwer Academic, 2005.

Principles of Neural Development, by Dale Purves and Jeff Lichtman, Sinauer Associates, 1985.

Developmental Biology, 8^th ed. by Scott Gilbert. Sinauer Associates, 2006.

From Neuron to Brain, 4^th ed. by Nicholls, Martin, Wallace and Fuchs. Sinauer Associates, 2001.

Introduction to Molecuar Neurobiology, by Zach Hall, Sinauer Associates, 1992.

INSTR UCTOR	Dr. R. David Heathcote
OFFICE	N411 Lapham Hall
PHONE	229-6471
EMAIL	rdh@uwm.edu
OFFICE HOURS	T/Th 9:00-10:00 & by appt.
WEB PAGE	http://www.uwm.edu/People/rdh/

LECTURE: 11:00 to 12:15 Monday and Wednesday; Lapham 252.
DISCUSSION: 1:00 to 1:50 Friday; Lapham 252.

WEEK	DATES	TOPICS
1	Sept 5	Introduction. Neurulation. Major events of early embryonic development.
2	10,12	Neurulation. The formation of neural structures in both vertebrates (neurulation and brain formation) and invertebrates. The molecular basis of neural induction.
3	17,19	Neuronal differentiation. The roles of the nucleus, cytoplasm and cell-cell communication. How proneural and neurogenic genes can specify cell fate. The establishment of fate maps and the role of cell lineage in cell determination. The genesis of form and function of nerve cells.
4	24,26	Pattern and positional information. How gradients can provide positional information to cells. The establishment of body segments in both vertebrates and invertebrates and segmentation of the nervous system. The genetic basis of neuronal patterns.
5	Oct 1,3	Cell movement and neuronal migration. The molecular mechanisms of cell adhesion and movement. Neuronal migration within the central nervous system. The migration of the neural crest to form the peripheral nervous system.
6	8,10	Axon outgrowth. Growth cone movement. Molecular interactions needed for movement. The projection of axons to form ordered arrays of nerve processes. Mechanisms of axonal pathfinding.
7	Oct 15 17	MIDTERM Neuronal death. Programmed cell death during development. The role of competition for target in stimulating cell death.
8	22,24	Neuronal death. The role of innervation and activity in neuronal death. Trophic factors. The neurotrophic hypothesis. The structure and biological functions of the neurotrophins (nerve growth factor (NGF), BDNF, NT-3, and NT4/5).
9	29,31	Trophic factors. The tyrosine kinase receptors for the neurotrophins (trks) and their mechanism of action. Effects of neurons on their targets. The roles of denervation, trophic factors and activity in regulating muscle survival and differentiation. Mechanisms of altering gene activity in target cells.
10	Nov 5,7	Society for Neuroscience meeting. Journal club discussion for those who do not attend. Writing assignment #1 due.
11	12,14	Synaptogenesis. The timing, location and spacing of forming synapses. The development of synaptic structure and function. The molecular components of new synapses. Molecular and cellular interactions contributing to synapse formation.
12	19,21	Chemoaffinity and the selective formation of synapses. Selective synapses made with muscle, autonomic neurons, and central neurons. Molecular genetic mechanisms of forming specific synapses. Gradients and chemoaffinity in the formation of specific synapses.
13	26,28	Synaptic rearrangement during development. The occurrence of synapse loss and rearrangement in muscle, autonomic neurons and the central nervous system. The role of competition and trophic molecules in synaptic rearrangement. The role of synaptic rearrangement in modeling the shape of target cells.
14	Dec 3,5	Modification of mature synapses. Synaptic modification by sprouting and retraction at axon terminals. Changes in synaptic transmission following use. Potential mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity.
15	Dec 10,12	Conclusions and overview. Writing assignment #2 due.
Fri	Dec 14	FINAL EXAM: 10:00 to 12:00 pm

DATABASES FOR BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH: Many Biological databases and journal articles are available electronically. This is an especially useful tool for finding information for the writing assignments. I will provide a handout introducing you to the databases and journal articles and we will go through them in the department computer lab (Lapham 230) during the Discussion period on September 7 and October 19. This is open to all students; not just those enrolled in Discussion.

EXAMS: For undergraduates, the exams will be a combination of short answer and essay questions covering lecture material. Those taking the Discussion may also use that material to answer essay questions. Graduate students will take the same written exam but will have an additional oral component for each exam.

MAJOR WRITING ASSIGNMENTS:

1. During the week of the Society for Neuroscience meeting (week 10), students who do not attend the meeting will do a library search and select a research paper on a topic in Developmental Neurobiology. They will write a half page summary for distribution to the instructor and the entire class in addition to a brief oral presentation. Students who present papers at the meeting will distribute the published abstract of their paper to the instructor and the class.
2. All students will do a library search of the current literature in a specific area of Developmental Neurobiology and write a short 4-5 page paper (double-spaced, not counting references). The paper should use the format of a Report in the journal Science. This paper is due on the last day of class (December 12).

DISCUSSION/WRITING: All graduate students must take the Discussion. We will learn how to access electronic articles and databases during a few sessions, but will primarily read 1 or 2 current papers critically each week. For the discussions of papers, each student will write a half page summary of the paper that will be due at midnight, the Thursday before Discussion. Grading is based on the summary and on participation. Students who are not taking the Discussion, will write a half page summary of the required reading for weeks 2,4,6,8,11 and 13. The summaries are due by midnight on Thursday of those weeks.

GRADING:	3 credits	4 credits	Graduate
Midterm	25%	25%	20% / 5% (Written / Oral)
Final	40%	40%	30% / 10%
Major Writing Assignments	15%	15%	15%
Discussion/Writing	20%	20%	20%

PARTICIPATION BY STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: If you need special accommodations in order to meet any of the requirements of this course, please notify Dr. Heathcote at the start of the semester or at the time those accommodations become necessary.