BIO 325: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, Spring 2006
Instructor: Adam Hall: x3467, Sabin Reed 337, ahall@science.smith.edu
Office Hours: Tu 9-10A, F 4-5P, or by appointment.
Laboratory Teaching Assistant: Erin Watt (ewatt@email.smith.edu)
Overview
Cellular/Molecular level structure-function relationships in the nervous system.
Topics include: development of neurons, neuron-specific gene expression, receptor cloning,
structure/function of ion channels, synaptic machinery, molecular mechanisms of neuronal
plasticity, epilepsy and molecular biology of neurological disorders.
Laboratory (BIO 326)
must be taken concurrently.
Lecture time: MWF 10:00-10:50am, Engineering
Room 102, 4 credits
Lab time: WTh 1-4.00pm, Sabin-Reed
308. 1 credit.
Textbook: Molecular Neuroscience, by Patricia Revest and Alan Longstaff
(BIOS Scientific Publishers Limited)
Schedule
| DATES |
Lectures, Discussions, Presentations and Readings |
M Jan 30
W Feb 1
F Feb 3
M Feb 6
W Feb 8
F Feb 10
M Feb 13
W Feb 15
F Feb 17
M Feb 20
W Feb 22
F Feb 24
M Feb 27
W Mar 1
F Mar 3
M Mar 6
W Mar 8
F Mar 10
M Mar 13
W Mar 15
F Mar 17
|
Introduction to Course, Scheduling
Introduction to Neuronal Development
Introduction to Neuronal Development (cont.)
Molecular Control of Neural Development ( Ch. 10, 11 Hall)
Molecular Control (cont.)
Process outgrowth and Target Interactions (Ch.12, Hall)
Process outgrowth and Target Interactions (cont.)
Discuss Review (#1) + Paper presentation (1)
Neural stem cells and neurogenesis (On blackboard)
Neural stem cells and neurogenesis (cont.)
RALLY DAY
Discuss Review (#2) + Paper presentation (2)
Receptor Cloning and Molecular Anatomy of the Nervous
System (Ch. 1, 2 R&L)
Receptor cloning (cont.)
Voltage-gated Channel Structure/Function (Ch.4, R&L)
Voltage-gated Channel Structure/Function (cont.)
+ Paper presentation (3)
Voltage-gated Channelopathies
+ Paper presentation (4)
Ligand-gated Channel Structure/Function (Ch. 5 R&L)
Guest Lecture : Dr. Pamela Flood, Columbia Univ., NY
” Nicotinic
ACh receptors and pain transmission.”
Colloquium (required): 4.30PM.
Dr Pamela Flood.
Ligand-gated Channelopathies (on reserve)
+ Paper presentation (5)
Mid-term examination
|
---------------------------Spring Recess----------------------------------------
|
M Mar 27
W Mar 29
F Mar 31
M Apr 3
W Apr 5
F Apr 7
M Apr 10
W Apr 12
F Apr 14
M Apr 17
W Apr 19
F Apr 21
M Apr 24
W Apr 26
F Apr 28
M May 1
W May 3
F May 5 |
Synaptic Release (Ch.7, R&L)
Synaptic Release (cont.) + Paper Presentation (6)
Synaptic Release (cont.)
Mechanisms of Plasticity (Ch.8, R&L)
Mechanisms of Plasticity (cont.)
+ Paper Presentation (7)
Mechanisms of Plasticity (cont.)
Mechanisms of Plasticity (cont.)
Discuss Review (#3) + Paper presentation (8)
Epilepsy and LTP.
Molecular basis of Neurological Disorders (Ch.9, R&L)
Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s Disease (cont.) + Paper presentation (9)
Huntington’s Disease
Colloquium (required): 4.30PM. Dr. Alexia Pollock, UMass Boston. “Dopamine
transmission in the basal ganglia”
Huntington’s Disease (cont.) + Paper presentation (10)
(Paper due in-class:
essay on molecular basis of chosen disorder)
Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease (cont.)
Review for Final Examination
Review of Class Essays |
Assignments and Exams:
- Paper Presentations (10%): There will be 10 paper (primary literature) presentations
(in pairs) throughout the semester. Pairs will select a research article related to the
current topic (in bold above), and present it to class for 10-15mins with 5 mins for general
discussion. You should include in your presentation an introduction to familiarize the
audience with necessary terms, a description of the aims of the research and a concise
summary of the results and conclusions. Paper must be selected a week before, discussed
with AH in office hours and the abstract posted to the class prior to your presentation
- Review critiques (15%): 3 review papers/chapters will be read during the course
of the semester. A brief critique/short answers on each review will be handed in at each
day of class discussion.
- Mid-term Exam (30%): Will consist of short answer questions based on first 4
topics (Development, Gene expression, Receptor cloning, Ion channel Structure/Function)
- Paper on a molecular basis of epilepsy (10%): Each student will research primary
articles related to a proposed molecular basis for a chosen form of epilepsy. You will
then write a short essay (~3-4 pages, 1.5 spaced) on the research articles describing how
the work has influenced our understanding of the disease.
- Final Exam (35%): Comprises of short answer questions on Synaptic Release, Plasticity,
Neurological Disorders; and questions based on a research article.
- Extra Credit (5%) : Write a 1 page summary for both neuroscience colloquia (Mar
13 th Dr. Flood, Apr 24 th Dr. Pollock). Highlight the key points and discuss points that
were of particular interest to you.
Review papers/chapters (on Blackboard, subject to change and addition):
- Dendritic Arbor Development, Hollis Cline.
- Profiling Brain Transcription, Cao and Dulac.
- Molecular Biology of Memory Storage, Kandel
Currently on Library Reserve or on Blackboard (subject to change):
- Fundamental Neuroscience (Zigmond)
- Introduction to Molecular Neurobiology (Hall)
- Neural stem and neurogenesis articles (Rakic, Gould and Svendsen, Kintner).
- Glycine Receptors, Ashcroft. (In “ Ion Channels and Disease”)
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