Portal to the Penn Neuroscience Community
Home
MINS Members
MINS News
Weekly Events
MINS Colloquium Schedule
History
Community Outreach Programs
Neuroscience Graduate Group
Other Educational Activities
Society for Neuroscience
Classified Ads
MINS Members
Rita
Balice-Gordon, Ph.D.
Professor, Dept. of
Neuroscience
School of Medicine
423 Johnson Pavilion/6074
(215) 898-1037 Lab: (215) 898-3575
FAX: (215) 573-9122
email: rbaliceg@mail.med.upenn.edu
http://www.med.upenn.edu/balicegordonlab
Click here for selected publications since Dr. Balice-Gordon's arrival at Penn
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Activity-dependent synaptic plasticity during neural development, using
neuromuscular and CNS synapses in mice and zebrafish as model systems; neurotrophic
and other cell-cell signaling mechanisms underlying synapse formation and
maintenance; axon outgrowth and synapse reinnervation after neural injury.
RESEARCH TECHNIQUES
Molecular and cellular biology; electrophysiology; in vivo imaging in mice and zebrafish; confocal microscopy.RESEARCH SUMMARY
We are studying the cellular and molecular interactions between neurons and their targets that underlie synapse formation and maintenance during neural development. We use neuromuscular synapses between motor neurons and muscle fibers in mice and zebrafish in vivo, and CNS synapses among hippocampal neurons in vitro, as relatively simple, accessible and easily manipulated model systems. Imaging and electrophysiology are used to study how synaptic structure and function are affected by neural activity in mice and zebrafish. Cre/lox genetic deletion strategies are used to study neurotrophin signaling mechanisms that underlie synapse formation, maintenance and axon regeneration in mice. Cellular, molecular and genetic approaches are used to dissect the mechanisms underlying synapse formation in wild type and mutant zebrafish.
Neuromuscular synapses from adult mouse muscle. Immunostained presynaptic nerve terminals in green, perisynaptic Schwnan cells in blue, postsynaptic AChR clusters in red. Ryan Wyatt, Dr. Srilatha Potluri, Dr. Elizabeth Vernon Pitts and Huan Ying Zhou use this model system to study the roles of activity and neurotrophic interactions that underlie synapse formation, function and reinnervation after injury.
Hippocampal synapses in vitro. Immunostained neuron with presynaptic nerve terminals (green) and postsynaptic NMDA receptor clusters (red) impinging on its dendritic arbor. Ethan Hughes and Solsire Zevallos study the role of astrocytes and neurotrophic signaling during synaptogenesis using this model system.
Neuromuscular synapses in wild type zebrafish at 48 hours of development. Externally, very early stages in synaptogenesis are accessible, unlike in mice. Immunostained presynaptic nerve terminals (green) apposed to postsynaptic AChR clusters (red) on developing muscle fibers. Yuanquan Song, Marion Scott, and Amy Kugath study mutant zebrafish that have defects in various aspects of neuromuscular synaptogenesis.
KEY WORDS:
Synaptogenesis; synaptic plasticity; activity; neuromuscular junction; motor neuron; neurotrophins; neuromuscular disease; mice; zebrafish
THE BALICE-GORDON LAB
Front row left to right: Rita Balice-Gordon, Ethan Hughes, Ryan Wyatt, Elizabeth Vernon Pitts, Srilatha Potlui, Sara Gibbs, Xiaoyu Peng
Back row left to right: Marion Scott, Darren Hess, Amy Kugath, Yuanquan Song, Cristin Welle, Paul Scherer
