Development, evolution and function of commissural systems

1er JUIN 2018 - 13H30

Alain Chedotal, Institut de la vision, Paris.

Lieu: Amphi Charpak du LPNHE

A propos du conférencier : L'équipe d'Alain Chedotal étudie comment les molécules de guidage axonal régulent les interactions cellulaires au cours du développement du système visuel et dans des maladies oculaires. Elle s'intéresse également à la fonction et à l’évolution des projections commissurales.

Résumé : In most animal species including humans, commissural axons connect neurons on the left and right side of the nervous system. This communication between the two sides of the brain and spinal cord is necessary for a series of complex function, including binocular vision, coordinated locomotor movements, and sound direction localization. In humans, the balance of commissural and non-commissural axons is essential to CNS physiology and to the integration of sensory stimuli/inputs. Abnormal axon midline crossing during development causes a whole range of neurological disorders ranging from congenital mirror movements, horizontal gaze palsy, scoliosis or binocular vision deficits. Partial or complete corpus callosum agenesis are some of the most common brain malformations in children with variable neurological outcomes. I will discuss some of the genetic mechanisms underlying anomalies of midline crossing and present some of our most recent work that challenges the existing dogmas and suggest that commissural axon guidance mechanisms are more diverse across species than previously appreciated. To facilitate the analysis of the organization and evolution of commissural systems in vertebrates, we have developed a new imaging method which combines whole-mount immunostaining or commissural axon tracing, tissue clearing with organic solvents and 3D light-sheet microscopy. 

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