Seema Agarwala
, Associate Professor in Neurobiology
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During embryogenesis, neurons learn of their cell-fates and are assigned to specific brain nuclei (nucleogenesis), which organize brain connectivity and function. Little is known about how such complex patterning is achieved during vertebrate development. We study these processes in the mouse and chick midbrain, where clinically important nuclei such as the oculomotor complex (involved in eye movements) and midbrain dopaminergic neurons (involved in Parkinson's disease and addictive behaviors) reside. I have previously shown that the signaling molecule, Sonic Hedgehog, is sufficient to specify the entire ventral midbrain (organogenesis). We are now examining the downstream transcriptional mechanisms that allow this single molecule to specify multiple cell and nuclear fates. Experimental approaches include in vivo gene misexpression by electroporation (in chick and mouse), protein misexpression
using coated-beads, and gene silencing by novel strategies such as RNA interference and morpholino oligonucleotides
and microarray analyses. Manipulations in the chick are complemented with gene expression analyses
of mutant chicks and mice with defects in midbrain patterning.
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Publications:| 2007 | Aglyamova, G.V. and Agarwala, S, Gene expression analysis of the hedgehog signaling cascade in the chick midbrain and spinal cord, Dev Dynamics 236, p.1363-1373 | | 2007 | Bayly R.D., Ngo, M, Aglyamova, G.V., Fogel, J.L., Agarwala, S., Regulation of Ventral Midbrain Patterning by Hedgehog Signaling, Development 134, p.2115-2124 | | 2005 | Agarwala, S., Aglyamova, G.V., Marma, A.K., Fallon, J.F., Ragsdale, C.W., Differential susceptibility of midbrain and spinal cord patterning to disruptions of floor plate in the talpid 2 mutant., Developmental Biology 288, p.206-220 | | 2002 | Agarwala, S. and Ragsdale, C.W., A role for midbrain arcs in nucleogenesis., Development 129, p.5779-5788 | | 2001 | Agarwala, S., Sanders, T.A., and Ragsdale, C.W., Sonic Hedgehog control of size, shape and position in midbrain pattern formation., Science 291, p.2147-2149. |
Neurobiology Tracks and Research Focus Areas
| | Agarwala, Seema | Aldrich, Richard | Atkinson, Nigel | | Bajaj, Chandrajit | Bittner, George | Crews, David | | Croyle, Maria | Fischer, Janice | Golding, Nace | | Gore, Andrea | Gross, Jeffrey | Harris, Adron | | Hofmann, Hans A. | Johnston, Daniel | Mihic, S. John | | Morgan, Jennifer | Morikawa, Hitoshi | Morrisett, Richard | | Nishiyama, Hiroshi | Pierce-Shimomura, Jonathan | Pollak, George | | Raab-Graham, Kimberly | Schmidt, Christine | Shear, Jason | | Sisson, John | Thompson, Wesley | Wallingford, John | | Zakon, Harold |
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