Investigating the Regulation of Dopaminergic Neurons in C. elegans. (360G-Wellcome-100148_Z_12_Z)

£150,398

Dopaminergic neurons control many aspects of behaviour in both humans and C. elegans. Therefore unsurprisingly, major human diseases like Parkinson's and Schizophrenia are associated with the malfunction of dopaminergic neurons. The nematode C. elegans is an established model organism to address neurobiological questions like the regulation of dopaminergic neurons. The specific degeneration of these neurons is the major hallmark of Parkinson's Disease and can be recapitulated following administration of the drug 6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) in mammals and worms (Nass et al. 2010). I used this drug assay to screen for mutants which render C. elegans more susceptible to 6-OHDA-toxicity. In result, 4 hypersensitive mutants were isolated and 3 additional mutants were found that do not properly specify dopaminergic fate. The identification of the corresponding genes and their subsequent characterisation will be the focus of my PhD. To our best knowledge, there is only one other gene known so far to protect dopaminergic neurons from degeneration (manuscript in preparation) and the mutants with defective differentiation promise to contribute to the existing literature. Hence, by characterising the function and molecular mode of action of these genes we expect to make important contributions to the understanding of dopaminergic neuron biology in health and disease.

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Grant Details

Amount Awarded 150398
Applicant Surname Offenburger
Approval Committee PhD Studentships
Award Date 2012-08-31T00:00:00+00:00
Financial Year 2011/12
Grant Programme: Title PhD Studentship (Basic)
Internal ID 100148/Z/12/Z
Lead Applicant Ms Sarah-Lena Offenburger
Partnership Value 150398
Planned Dates: End Date 2016-08-31T00:00:00+00:00
Planned Dates: Start Date 2012-09-01T00:00:00+00:00
Recipient Org: Country United Kingdom
Region Scotland
Sponsor(s) Prof Paul Crocker