JHIBRG: Abstract November 15 2007

Inhibitory neurotransmission functions in neural circuits by repressing of excitatory output. Local GABAergic interneurons are the main source of inhibition in the cerebral cortex. Altered GABA transmission causes neurological disorders such as autism, mood disorders and schizophrenia. Previous study found that interneuron development is tightly regulated by the family of plasminogen activators and the plasminogen related growth factors (including hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF)). Transgenic mutant mice lacking uPAR (urokinase type plasminogen activator receptor) showed interneuron loss and behaviors similar to human epilepsy, autism and anxiety disorders. Future plan will discover the mechanism how alterations of interneuron development lead to adult neurological and psychiatric disorders.