Faculty
|
Pierce-Shimomura, Jonathan
Assistant Professor of Neurobiology
E-mail Main Office: NMS 3.314
Phone: (512) 232-4137 Alternate Office: NMS 3.324
Phone: Mailing Address:
The University of Texas at Austin
Section of Neurobiology
1 University Station C7000
Austin, TX 78712-0248
|
Research Summary:
Our lab seeks to identify genetic mechanisms that govern behaviors. We approach this complex subject by studying how conserved genes contribute to behaviors in the simple but powerful model nematode C. elegans. We are currently focused on two issues: 1) How the worm switches between distinct forms of rhythmic locomotion : crawling and swimming. Understanding the genes and neural mechanisms that enable this switch has implications for explaining how all nervous systems switch between rhythmic activities such as normal and gasping patterns of respiration, walking and running gaits, and even different rhythms in the hippocampus for processing of memory. 2) How the worm responds to different drugs such as ethanol and anesthetics. The molecular mechanisms that underlie the in vivo effects for many drugs of benefit and abuse are often unclear in vertebrate systems. By using the worm as a minimal system, we can rapidly identify which uncharacterized and novel molecules are responsible for behavioral responses to drugs. To study the genetic basis of behaviors, we combine genetic screens to identify genes involved in a behavior, in vivo electrophysiology and calcium imaging to study the function of identified neurons in the behavior, and image analysis tools to quantify the behavior.
Research Images:
Profile pic#2 |
|
Publications:| 2008 | Pierce-Shimomura, J. T., Chen, B. L., Mun, J. J., Ho, R., Sarkis, R., McIntire, S. L. , Genetic analysis of crawling and swimming locomotory patterns in C. elegans, Proc Nat Acad Sci. | | 2006 | Dunn N. A., Pierce-Shimomura, J. T., Conery, J. S., Lockery, S. R, Clustered Neural Dynamics identify motifs for chemotaxis in Caenorhabditis elegans, IEEE World Congress on Computational Intelligence. 2011:. | | 2005 | Pierce-Shimomura, J. T., Dores, M., Lockery, S. R., Analysis of turning bias on chemotaxis in C. elegans, J Experimental Biology 208:4727-4733. | | 2004 | Dunn N. A., Lockery, S. R., Pierce-Shimomura, J. T., Conery, J. S., A neural network model of chemotaxis predicts functions of synaptic connections in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, J Comput Neuroscience 17:137-147. | | 2003 | Davies, A. G., Pierce-Shimomura, J. T., Kim, H., VanHoven, M. K., Thiele, T. R., Bonci, A., Bargmann, C. I., and McIntire, S. L., A central role of the BK potassium channel in behavioral responses to ethanol in C. elegans, Cell 115:655-666. | | 2001 | Pierce-Shimomura, J. T., Faumont, S., Gaston, M. R., Pearson, B. J., and Lockery, S. R., The homeobox gene lim-6 is required for distinct chemosensory representations in C. elegans, Nature 410:694-698. | | 1999 | Pierce-Shimomura, J.T., Morse, T.M., and Lockery, S.R. , The fundamental role of pirouettes in C. elegans chemotaxis, J Neurosci 19:9557-9569. |
|
Search PubMed for more publications by Prof. Name
(a new browser window will open)
"Caution, this search may require more information to be accurate or specific. Check authors and institution carefully."
|
|
