The role of Protocadherin 19 during embryonic brain development

During brain development, extensive neuronal migration takes place. But how do these traveling neurons know which way to go? My project aims at understanding how migrating neurons read their environment in the embryonic forebrain and which interactions take place at the cell membrane. Non-clustered protocadherins are a less well-studied family of transmembrane proteins, although their expression pattern and available functional data suggest they are important for brain development. I will focus on the role of Protocadherin-19 (Pcdh19), whose mosaic absence causes severe early-onset epilepsy in girls only. I want to understand how the imbalance of Pcdh19 levels in the embryonic brain leads to neuronal migration defects by studying mouse knockdown models. Furthermore, my project aims to identify the molecular interaction partners of Pcdh19 and the signaling mechanisms downstream of Pcdh19. Taken together, my research will contribute to the understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of cell-cell communication and neuronal migration during mammalian brain development.

Publication year:2020

Accessibility:Embargoed