Genetic mechanisms and signaling pathways in the developing brain

Neurobiology

Cerebral cortex and the amygdala are the two most complex brain structures. The cortex is responsible for higher brain functions- perception, language, learning, memory; the amygdala is the "emotion center" of the brain. The broad interests of our group are in the genetic mechanisms that control the formation of these highly specialized structures. We use "knockout" and RNAi approaches, in-utero perturbation techniques, and tissue culture perturbations. We also generate transgenic mouse embryos using genetically engineered embryonic stem cells (ES cells). We analyze these by in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, and labelled nerve tract tracing. Some projects in the lab use Drosophila genetics or standard biochemistry to understand interactions between different molecular players.

Publications

1. Mangala VS, Hirokawa KE, Satyaki PRV, Gokulchandran N, Chikbire S, Subramanian L, Shetty AS, Martynoga B, Paul J, Mai MV, Li Y, Flanagan LA, Tole S, Monuki ES (2008) Lhx2 selector activity specifies cortical identity and suppresses hippocampal organizer fate. Science 319: 304
2. Hari P, Deshpande M, Sharma N, Rajyadhaksha N, Ramkumar N, Kimura K, Rodrigues V, Tole S (2008) Chip is required for post-eclosion behaviour in Drosophila. Journal of Neuroscience 28: 9145
3. Remedios R, Huilgol D, Saha B, Hari P, Bhatnagar L, Ohshima T, Stoykova A, Tole S (2007) A novel stream of amygdaloid cells from the caudal telencephalon reveals a developmental link between the amygdala and the neocortex. Nature Neuroscience 10: 1141
4. Lakhina V, Falnikar A, Bhatnagar L, Tole S (2007) Early thalamocortical tract guidance and topographic sorting of thalamic projections requires LIM-homeodomain gene Lhx2. Developmental Biology 306: 703
5. Saha B, Hari P, Huilgol D, Tole S (2007) Dual role for LIM-HD gene Lhx2 in the formation of the lateral olfactory tract (LOT). Journal of Neuroscience 27: 2290