Dr. Kota Mizumoto, University of British Columbia
$318,750 over 5 years, co-funded by Parkinson Society British Columbia and Michael Smith
Foundation for Health Research during the 2019 – 2021 research funding cycle. Each organization contributed $159,375 over this period
Project description:
Neurological diseases and disorders have been estimated to affect 3.6 million Canadians living
in the community and over 170,000 Canadians living in long-term care facilities, including in
British Columbia. However, we have limited information about the molecular mechanisms that
cause many of those neurological conditions, largely because of the complexity of our nervous
system. Therefore, understanding the mechanical processes that impart precise neural circuit
formation using a simple model organism is critical to try to find ways to prevent neurological
diseases and cure patients.
Toward this goal, Dr. Mizumoto will use nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system
to investigate the mechanisms that underlie neuronal circuit development. C. elegans has a
short life cycle (3 days/generation) with a simple nervous system consisting of only 302
neurons, making it a great genetic model system to study the fine neural circuit formation.
Most importantly, countless studies have shown that mechanisms and molecular machineries
underlying the development of the nervous system are remarkably conserved between C.
elegans and humans. It is likely that the knowledge obtained from our research will be directly
applicable to the human nervous system and to diseases associated with nervous system
defects.
Using C. elegans, Dr. Mizumoto will explore how neurons communicate with their neighboring
neurons/cells to form a stereotyped neuronal pattern at the level of single synapse, which is a
specialized interface between neurons or between neurons and other type of cells (such as
muscle cells), to transmit electrical signals. Using a combination of C. elegans genetics,
molecular biology and microscopy, this research will move towards an understanding of the
fundamental principles of neural network formation. These studies will advance health-related
knowledge by providing direct targets for other researchers to test in fruit fly (Drosophila) and
mammalian models of neurodevelopmental disorders affected by Sema/Plexin signaling and
others, and ultimately the development of therapeutic strategies for the treatment of these
disorders.
Reproduced with permission from Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research.