Molecular profiling of single neurons of known identity in two ganglia from the crab .

Understanding circuit organization depends on identification of cell types. Recent advances in transcriptional profiling methods have enabled classification of cell types by their gene expression. While exceptionally powerful and high throughput, the ground-truth validation of these methods is difficult: If cell type is unknown, how does one assess whether a given analysis accurately captures neuronal identity? To shed light on the capabilities and limitations of solely using transcriptional profiling for cell-type classification, we performed 2 forms of transcriptional profiling-RNA-seq and quantitative RT-PCR, in single, unambiguously identified neurons from 2 small crustacean neuronal networks: The stomatogastric and cardiac ganglia.

Molecular mechanisms of homeostatic plasticity in central pattern generator networks.

Central pattern generator (CPG) networks rely on a balance of intrinsic and network properties to produce reliable, repeatable activity patterns. This balance is maintained by homeostatic plasticity where alterations in neuronal properties dynamically maintain appropriate neural output in the face of changing environmental conditions and perturbations. However, it remains unclear just how these neurons and networks can both monitor their ongoing activity and use this information to elicit homeostatic physiological responses to ensure robustness of output over time.

Genomic discovery of ion channel genes in the central nervous system of the lamprey Petromyzon marinus.

The lamprey is a popular animal model for a number of types of neurobiology studies, including organization and operation of locomotor and respiratory systems, behavioral recovery following spinal cord injury (SCI), cellular and synaptic neurophysiology, comparative neuroanatomy, neuropharmacology, and neurodevelopment. Yet relatively little work has been done on the molecular underpinnings of nervous system function in lamprey. This is due in part to a paucity of gene information for some of the most fundamental proteins involved in neural activity: ion channels.

An annotated CNS transcriptome of the medicinal leech, Hirudo verbana: De novo sequencing to characterize genes associated with nervous system activity.

The medicinal leech is one of the most venerated model systems for the study of fundamental nervous system principles, ranging from single-cell excitability to complex sensorimotor integration. Yet, molecular analyses have yet to be extensively applied to complement the rich history of electrophysiological study that this animal has received. Here, we generated the first de novo transcriptome assembly from the entire central nervous system of Hirudo verbana, with the goal of providing a molecular resource, as well as to lay the foundation for a comprehensive discovery of genes fundamentally important for neural function.

Differential effects of myostatin deficiency on motor and sensory axons.

Introduction: Deletion of myostatin in mice (MSTN ) alters structural properties of peripheral axons. However, properties like axon diameter and myelin thickness were analyzed in mixed nerves, so it is unclear whether loss of myostatin affects motor, sensory, or both types of axons.

Methods: Using the MSTN mouse model, we analyzed the effects of increasing the number of muscle fibers on axon diameter, myelin thickness, and internode length in motor and sensory axons.

Deep sequencing of transcriptomes from the nervous systems of two decapod crustaceans to characterize genes important for neural circuit function and modulation.

Background: Crustaceans have been studied extensively as model systems for nervous system function from single neuron properties to behavior. However, lack of molecular sequence information and tools have slowed the adoption of these physiological systems as molecular model systems. In this study, we sequenced and performed de novo assembly for the nervous system transcriptomes of two decapod crustaceans: the Jonah crab (Cancer borealis) and the American lobster (Homarus americanus).