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Publication Date

2024-5

First Advisor

Sharon Owino

Document Type

Honors Project

Department

Neuroscience

Keywords

neurogenesis in the mouse brain, late stage maturation, granule cell neurons, hippocampus granule cell layer, G protein-coupled Receptor 37

Abstract

Neurogenesis, the generation of new neurons, is a process that occurs from development and continues through adulthood. There are two neurogenic niches, the subgranular zone located in the hippocampus, and the subventricular zone located along the lateral ventricle. Neurogenesis is involved in the processes of aging, ischemic damage, and neurodegeneration. GPR37, an orphan receptor, has been recognized to play an important role in the canonical Wnt signaling pathway. The canonical Wnt pathway is responsible for early and late stage maturation of neurons. The current study aimed to distinguish the maturation process of hippocampal neurons within mice that express GPR37 and mice that do not express GPR37, and determine the role that GPR37 plays in emotion regulation and affective behavior. The current study demonstrated a difference in the morphology of mature neurons in GPR37 knock-out (KO) mice in comparison to wild-type (WT) mice in both the dorsal and ventral hippocampus. This study also demonstrated a behavioral phenotype in GPR37 KO mice, in which KO mice exhibited a decrease in risk assessment behavior compared to WT mice. This data may suggest that GPR37 signaling plays a role in modulating risk assessment behavior. The morphological alterations which we observed in mature neurons within the ventral hippocampus could consequently lead to differential effects on circuit integration that regulate behavioral phenotypes.

Rights

©2024 Caroline Burke. Access limited to the Smith College community and other researchers while on campus. Smith College community members also may access from off-campus using a Smith College log-in. Other off-campus researchers may request a copy through Interlibrary Loan for personal use.

Language

English

Comments

44 pages: color illustrations. Includes bibliographical references (pages 39-44).

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