ARRA: Ethanol Alteration of the Neurogenic Niche

This supplement requests support for a summer undergraduate research student. I nis stuaern wiii penorril experiments that contribute to Specific Aim 1: Investigate the effect of binge alcohol exposure on the recruitment of neural progenitor cells from the parent ROl grant entitled Ethanol alteration of the neurogenic niche. In Specific Aim I of the parent grant, we hypothesize that neural stem cells (NSCs) are recruited into proliferation to cause an observed increase in neurogenesis during abstinence from alcohol dependence. Increased proliferation occurs either by increased number of NSCs or a faster cell cycle. Two experiments address this hypothesis: (1) to examine the recruitment of NSCs following binge alcohol exposure by examining NSC markers and (2) to examine whether changes in cell cycle contribute to increased proliferation in NSCs. The student will work a feasible project within the larger experiment each summer. The first summer, the student will investigate an NSC marker, Sox2, as proposed in an alternative approach for experiment I. The results of this experiment will help determine whether binge alcohol alters proliferating NSCs. The second summer, the student will contribute to studies that examine the cell cycle of NSCs by investigating the expression of cell cycle proteins, phosphoHistone H3 and Cyclin Dl. The student will be recruited from a pool of applicants to the University of Kentucky Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) as identified from applications submitted to our web page: http://pharmacy.mc.uky.edu/programs/graduate/srp.php. The goal of the SURP is to provide a meaningful research experience that will encourage students to pursue health-related research training. The SURP consists of a 10-week program during the summer, in which the student works in the lab of a faculty mentor on a research project followed by poster presentations to College of Pharmacy colleagues and faculty from the student's undergraduate institution. This is a win-win program: students gain valuable career experience whereas the mentor and laboratories gain enthusiastic assistance to expedite research progress and discovery.