Honors Theses

Mapping PLN Immunoreactivity within the Thalamic Reticular Nucleus Sectors of the Mouse Brain

Advisor

Pothitos Pitychoutis, Ph.D.

Department

Biology

Publication Date

4-23-2025

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Abstract

Calcium (Ca2+) is a crucial cellular messenger involved in numerous physiological processes, including muscle contraction and synaptic transmission. SERCA2, an intracellular Ca2+ pump, maintains Ca2+ homeostasis by transporting cytosolic Ca2+ into the endoplasmic reticulum. SERCA’s activity is regulated by phospholamban (PLN), a protein that inhibits SERCA2. While the SERCA2/PLN interactions are well established in the heart, recent research has shown that this regulatory mechanism may also play a significant role in the brain—particularly within the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN), which is critical for sensory processing, attentional control, and cognitive function. The TRN is composed of inhibitory neurons and is anatomically divided into sub-sectors responsible for processing specific sensory and limbic stimuli. Our lab has previously shown that PLN is expressed in TRN neurons and that its deletion results in behavioral changes in mice, including hyperactivity and impulsivity. In this honors thesis, we used fluorescent immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy to map PLN expression across TRN sub- sectors in wild-type mice. We aimed to determine whether PLN is differentially expressed across sensory regions and between sexes. This study provides a detailed spatial map of PLN immunoreactivity in the TRN and offers insights into how the PLN/SERCA2 pathway may contribute to TRN function and associated behaviors.

Permission Statement

This item is protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code) and may only be used for noncommercial, educational, and scholarly purposes.

Keywords

Undergraduate research

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