Holding it together: extrinsic mechanisms of lifelong axonal resilience
Speaker: Dr Sean Coakley
Senior Research Fellow
School of Biomedical Sciences
University of Queensland
Abstract: To maintain a functional nervous system for life, delicate axons must withstand the continuous mechanical strain caused by everyday body movements. Until now, research has focused on how neurons protect themselves from within. Our work introduces a significant conceptual shift, demonstrating that axonal integrity is heavily dictated by extrinsic support from the surrounding tissue. We have shown that adhesion between sensory axons and the skin in which they are embedded is critical to buffer the physical forces they experience. However, the core molecular components and cellular pathways regulating this protection remain unknown. Leveraging the sophisticated genetic tools of the small nematode C. elegans, we uncover how the physical interface between neurons and the extracellular environment functions as a vital structural buffer. We identify highly conserved molecular components that mediate this relationship, revealing that long-term axonal maintenance is actively and continuously negotiated with the extracellular environment.
About Neuroscience Seminars
Neuroscience seminars at the QBI play a major role in the advancement of neuroscience in the Asia-Pacific region. The primary goal of these seminars is to promote excellence in neuroscience through the exchange of ideas, establishing new collaborations and augmenting partnerships already in place.
Seminars in the QBI Auditorium on Level 7 are held on Wednesdays at 12-1pm, which are sometimes simulcast on Zoom (with approval from the speaker). We also occassionally hold seminars from international speakers via Zoom. The days and times of these seminars will vary depending on the time zone of the speaker. Please see each seminar listed below for details.
