Dear All

I would like to invite you for a on-line lecture on 24th of March at 3pm of dr Vladimir Korzh from the Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw. His habilitation is processed by the Scientific Council of the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology.

He will present his lecture entitled: "Molecular and genetic analyses of brain ventricular system in zebrafish"

Abstract:

The brain ventricular system (BVS) is filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). If impaired CSF flow causes neurodegenerative diseases, including hydrocephalus associated with a functional deficit of the choroid plexus (CP), which produces CSF, or the cells lining BVS, which cilia generates CSF flow.

CSF flow and chemical composition depend on the circumventricular organs (CVOs), which interact with the blood via the blood-brain barrier (BBB). CVOs analyse the chemical composition of the blood and by secreting various substances maintain the BVS internal environment. The other end of the BVS

anomaly spectrum there is slit-brain syndrome, which develops due to insufficient growth of BVS. Since 1980 the zebrafish (Danio rerio) has been used to study the genetics and development because of embryos and larvae that are semi-transparent, making them indispensable in studies using modern high-resolution microscopy techniques in vivo. In particular, zebrafish embryos are useful for studying the development of BVS in real time.

Therefore zebrafish has been used as a model of human diseases associated with BVS defects. To effectively apply zebrafish to the analysis of BVS defects, it was necessary to overcome several limitations of this model. First, it was necessary to develop research tools, such as transgenic lines, with fluorescent proteins expressed in BVS cell lineages, and create mutations in the genes regulating BVS development. The molecular and morphological markers of BVS had to be identified and characterized. Third, it was necessary to determine the identity of the brain cavities of the zebrafish and  their compatibility with the elements of the BVS of mammals.

This seminar will illustrate gradual implementation of these research tasks, which ultimately led to a better understanding of some of the molecular mechanisms underlying the BVS developmental defects. In particular, mutations that disrupt the function of genes encoding α-subunits of the potassium channel have been shown to cause developmental disorders of BVS.

Link to the meeting: https://zoom.us/j/98222231110?pwd=Uyt6Q29BaGlLSXBsUnJRQnpWc0pJZz09

Meeting ID: 982 2223 1110
Passcode: 795926

Best regards,
Katarzyna Łukasiuk
Secretary of The Scientific Council