Functional properties of ontogenetically related neurons (360G-Wellcome-092763_Z_10_A)

The overall aim of this project is to investigate whether the ontogenetic relatedness of neurons informs the functional circuits into which they integrate. I will examine this question in the context of two structures ? the optic tectum of the Xenopus laevis tadpole and the neocortex of the mouse. There are four specific experimental goals: I. To examine the visual response characteristics of clonally-related and unrelated neurons in the optic tectum, and to determine whether related neurons show clustered receptive field properties. II. To test whether changes in the functional properties of tectal neurons induced by manipulations of neural activity, such as dark- or strobe-rearing and receptive field conditioning, correlate within clonal lineages. III. To investigate whether clonally-related neurons in mouse cortex exhibit correlated activity during periods of spontaneously generated network activity. IV. To use the activation of cortical inputs to test whether clonally-related and unrelated cortical neurons differ in their response to evoked network activity.