Regeneration of Thalamopallial Projections and Sensory Function in the Salamander Brain

Project Summary The pallium is a significant vertebrate brain division that includes the mammalian cerebral cortex. In salamanders, the pallium exhibits a remarkable ability to regenerate neurons, making this a valuable model to understand how function can be restored in injured brains. Although pallial neurons can regenerate, we do not know if synaptic inputs to the regenerated pallium are restored. The project uses whole brain light sheet microscopy to examine whether inputs to the pallium from the thalamus are restored after a large pallial lesion. The first aim in this proposal will map and compare thalamopallial projections in the uninjured and regenerated pallium. These experiments will demonstrate whether the regenerated pallium is re-innervated by thalamic axons following pallial lesion. The second aim describe the regionalized activity of pallial neurons in response to thalamic sensory stimuli. These experiments will determine whether regionalized sensory activity returns in the regenerated pallial area. This research project will support the fellow's development of skills that include image analysis, neuron tracing, and scientific communication.