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Scholarly Works (2 results)

  • Article
  • Peer Reviewed
UC San Francisco Previously Published Works (2011)
Neurons born in the postnatal SVZ (subventricular zone) must migrate a great distance before becoming mature interneurons of the OB (olfactory bulb). During migration immature OB neurons maintain an immature morphology until they reach their destination. While the morphological development of these cells must be tightly regulated, the cellular pathways responsible are still largely unknown. Our results show that the non-canonical Wnt pathway induced by Wnt5a is important for the morphological development of OB interneurons both in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, we demonstrate that non-canonical Wnt signalling works in opposition to canonical Wnt signalling in neural precursors from the SVZ in vitro. This represents a novel role for Wnt5a in the development of OB interneurons and suggests that canonical and non-canonical Wnt pathways dynamically oppose each other in the regulation of dendrite maturation. © 2011 The Author(s).
    Cover page: Wnt5a Controls Neurite Development in Olfactory Bulb Interneurons
    • Thesis
    • Peer Reviewed
    UC San Francisco Electronic Theses and Dissertations (2010)

    Neurogenesis occurs in two places in the postnatal brain: the subventricular zone (SVZ) surrounding the lateral ventricles and the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus in the hippocampus. Once cell fate is determined in new neurons, they must begin a process of maturation that allows them to functionally integrate into an existing neural network. An essential aspect of their maturation is their morphological development, as neuronal functionality depends on branched signaling processes called dendrites. Wnt signaling has been implicated in several aspects of postnatal neurogenesis and morphological maturation, but which Wnt pathways are involved has been ambiguous. Moreover, these pathways have only been examined in the dentate gyrus and never in vivo. My dissertation project examines the role of Wnt signaling in the morphological maturation of neurons born in the SVZ that eventually become olfactory interneurons. We found that Wnt5a is essential for the morphological maturation of olfactory interneurons in vitro and in vivo. In our experiments Wnt5a signals through a non-canonical Wnt pathway and works in direct opposition to the actions of canonical Wnt signaling on dendrite development.

      Cover page: Wnt Signaling and Dendrite Development in Olfactory Interneurons
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