BIO 310: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, Fall 2011
Instructor: Adam Hall: x3467, Ford Hall 202A, ahall@smith.edu.
Office Hours: Th 10.30-11.30, F 1-2, or by appointment.
Laboratory Teaching Assistant: Anjana Rao (arao@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, G-proteins and signal transduction, synaptic machinery, molecular mechanisms of neuronal plasticity and molecular biology of neurological disorders.
4 credits.
For neuroscience majors, laboratory (Bio 311) must be taken concurrently.
Lecture time: TTh 9:00-10:20am, Bass 210.
Lab time: WTh 1-4.00pm, Sabin-Reed 419.
Textbook: Molecular Neuroscience, by Patricia Revest and Alan Longstaff
(BIOS Scientific Publishers Limited)
Schedule
| DATES |
Lectures, Discussions, Presentations and Readings |
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| Thurs Sept 8 |
Introduction to course & syllabus |
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| Tues Sept 13 |
Introduction to Neuronal Development |
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| Thur Sept 15 |
Molecular Control of Neural Development (Ch. 10,11 Hall) |
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| Tues Sept 20 |
Process outgrowth and Target Interactions (Ch.12, Hall) |
| Thurs Sept 22 |
Continued + Discuss Review (#1)
+ Paper presentation (1) |
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| Tues Sept 27 |
Neural stem cells and neurogenesis (TBA) |
| Thurs Sept 29 |
Continued + Paper presentation (2) |
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| Tues Oct 4 |
Receptor Cloning and Molecular Anatomy (Ch. 1,2, 3 R&L)
of the Nervous System
+ Discuss Review (#2) |
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| Thurs Oct 6 |
Voltage-gated Channel Structure/Function (Ch.4, R&L)
|
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| Tues Oct 11 |
Autumn Recess |
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| Thurs Oct 13 |
Voltage-gated Channelopathies
+ Paper presentation (3) |
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| Tues Oct 18 |
Ligand-gated Channel Structure/Function (Ch. 5 R&L) |
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| Thurs Oct 20 |
Ligand-gated Channelopathies
+ Paper presentation (4)
+ Discuss Review (#3) |
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| Tues Oct 25 |
G-proteins and Signal Transduction (Ch. 6 R&L) |
| Thurs Oct 27 |
Continued
+ Paper presentation (5) |
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Note: there will be a mid-term examination scheduled around this time based on the topics above
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| Tues Nov 1 |
Synaptic Release (Ch.7, R&L) |
| Thurs Nov 3 |
Continued
+ Paper Presentation (6) |
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| Tues Nov 8 |
Mechanisms of Plasticity (Ch.8, R&L) |
| Thurs Nov 10 |
Continued
+ Paper Presentation (7) |
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| Tues Nov 15 |
ACH away at SFN Meeting |
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| Thurs Nov 17 |
Mechanisms of Plasticity
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| Tues Nov 22 |
Continued + Discuss Review (#4)
+ Paper presentation (8) |
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| Thurs Nov 24 |
Thanksgiving recess |
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| Tues Nov 29 |
Molecular basis of Neurological Disorders (PD) (Ch.9, R&L) |
| Thurs Dec 1 |
Continued + Paper presentation (9)
(Epilepsy essay due in class) |
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| Tues Dec 6 |
Molecular basis of Neurological Disorders (HD) |
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| Thurs Dec 8 |
Neurological Disorder (AD) |
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Paper presentation (10) + |
| Tues Dec 13 |
Neurological Disorder (AD) Continued
+ Paper presentation (11) |
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| Thurs Dec 15 |
Review for final exam |
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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. The article 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 (20%): 4 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 (25%): 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.
- Glycine Receptor Channelopathies, Ashcroft (In “ Ion Channels and Disease”)
- Molecular Biology of Memory Storage, Kandel
Currently on Library Reserve or on Blackboard (subject to change):
- Fundamental Neuroscience (Zigmond)
- Introduction to Molecular Neurobiology (Hall)
- Molecular Neuroscience (Revest & Longstaff)
- Glycine Receptors, Ashcroft. (In “ Ion Channels and Disease”)
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