Department or Program

Neuroscience

Abstract

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are projection neurons that connect the retina with the visual processing areas in the brain. Given that the adult mammalian retina is unable to regenerate RGCs, loss of these neurons via injury or disease is irreversible and devastating. Previous work in our laboratory has established a set of developmentally expressed transcription factors sufficient to induce the generation of RGCs from late progenitors in the mouse retina. Axons of these induced RGCs extend into the optic nerve, then progressively reach central visual targets, including the thalamus and superior colliculus. In this work, we aim to understand how these axons navigate in the early postnatal nervous system, when cues that guided their endogenous counterparts are largely no longer available. Induced RGCs express several axon guidance molecules that are not expressed by other retinal neurons born from the same progenitors, including the canonical growth cone marker Gap43. Gap43 encodes a protein expressed at high levels in neuronal growth cones during development and implicated in active axon growth and synaptogenesis, but its function is largely unknown despite its ubiquitous use as a growth cone marker. By investigating Gap43 in the context of RGC regeneration, we hope to understand how axon guidance molecules affect the generation and development of RGCs from existing progenitors intrinsic to the retina, which could enable restoration of vision in human patients.

Level of Access

Restricted: Campus/Bates Community Only Access

First Advisor

Woodworth, Mollie

Date of Graduation

5-2026

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Number of Pages

52

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