Molekulare Determinanten der Neurodegeneration im Cerebellum von "Lurcher"-Mäusen

• Applicant: Dr. Cordelia Schwarz
• Subject Area: Molecular Biology and Physiology of Neurons and Glial Cells
• Term: from 2001 to 2004
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5315230

Despite specific pathologies in different neurodegenerative disorders neuronal death of distinct cell types has been hypothesized to occur according to a common principle. The aim of this project is to dissect the molecular pathways that are commonly involved in cerebellar neurodegeneration and those that are specific for a distinct cell type or context. To this end the gene expression profile of distinct cerebellar cells will be compared in wild-type mice and a mouse model for cerebellar degeneration, Lurcher. The following questions will be addressed: 1) Is degeneration of the different cell types reflected by a specific gene expression profile of the degenerating neuron? 2) Are different pathways leading to cell death activated in different cell types? Gene expression profiles of individual neurons, obtained by fluorescence-activated cell sorting from bacterial-artificialchromosome- transgenic mice expressing the enhanced green fluorescent protein in a cell type-specific manner will be analyzed using high-density microarray technology. The comparison of the gene expression pattern of wildtype cells and cells from Lurcher mice may eventually identify new genes involved in cell- and pathology-specific as well as in common responses.

• DFG Programme: Emmy Noether International Fellowships