Mapping PLN immunoreactivity within the thalamic reticular nucleus

Mapping PLN immunoreactivity within the thalamic reticular nucleus

Presenter(s)

Summer Istenes, Hayden Ott

Comments

2:00-2:20, Kennedy Union 207

Description

Calcium (Ca2+) is a crucial cellular messenger involved in numerous physiological processes, including muscle contraction and synaptic transmission. The sarco-endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase 2 (SERCA2) is a key regulator that helps maintain Ca2+ homeostasis in the cell. An inhibitor of SERCA2 is the protein phospholamban, which is encoded by the gene PLN. While SERCA2 and PLN interactions have been extensively studied in the heart, research in the Pitychoutis Neuroscience lab has uncovered a significant role for PLN in the brain, specifically within the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). The TRN regulates the complex interactions between the thalamus and cerebral cortex and has been shown to be anatomically divided into distinct sub-sectors related to different sensory and limbic processing, including: visual motion/attention, visual, visceral, gustatory, somatosensory, and auditory sectors. Disruptions in Ca2+ regulation within the TRN have been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This honors thesis project seeks to map the spatial PLN expression within the specific sectors of the TRN in mice by employing fluorescent immunohistochemical techniques coupled with confocal microscopy. The proposed experiment will allow us to identify the TRN sectors in which PLN is expressed and gain insights into its function in the brain and relation to behavioral processes.

Publication Date

4-23-2025

Project Designation

Honors Thesis

Primary Advisor

Pothitos Pitychoutis

Primary Advisor's Department

Biology

Keywords

Stander Symposium, College of Arts and Sciences

Mapping PLN immunoreactivity within the thalamic reticular nucleus

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