Advisory Committee Chair
Linda Overstreet-Wadiche
Advisory Committee Members
Rita M Cowell
Gwendalyn D King
Lucas Pozzo-Miller
Jacques I Wadiche
Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2018
Degree Name by School
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Heersink School of Medicine
Abstract
The dentate gyrus is a region in the adult brain where new neurons continue to be generated throughout life. While most adult-generated neurons undergo apoptosis within the first few weeks of maturation, a fraction survives and integrates into the existing circuit. It is well established that γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor-mediated mechanisms contribute to the activity-dependent regulation of adult-neurogenesis. GABAergic interneurons regulate stem cell quiescence, progenitor proliferation, and the synaptic integration of newborn neurons, however the synaptic interactions underlying integration are not fully understood. Furthermore, the impact of adult-generated neurons integrating into the existing circuit is not completely known. The collective work presented here investigates the synaptic interactions underlying the integration of adult-generated neurons in the dentate gyrus. The following experiments and results provide clarity into how GABAergic signaling, through diverse interneuron function, regulates the integration of adult-generated neurons, and further expands our understanding of how the synaptic integration of adult-generated neurons redefine the existing circuit.
Recommended Citation
Vaden, Ryan, "Synaptic Mechanisms Underlying the Integration of Adult-Generated Neurons in the Dentate Gyrus" (2018). All ETDs from UAB. 3198.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/3198