Neuroscience Graduate Program

Neuroscience Graduate Program at UCSF

Faculty - Su Guo, Ph.D.

Development and Function of Neural Circuits Regulating Emotional Behavior

Research Description

We are interested in: 1) how do pluripotent neural progenitor/stem cells self-renew while giving rise to diverse functional cell types in the brain? 2) How do functional cell types assemble into neural circuits that regulate behavior? We use monoaminergic (e.g. dopamine-DA, noradrenaline-NA, or serotonin-5HT) and peptidergic (e.g. corticotropin releasing factor-CRF, melanin-concentrating hormone-MCH) neurons as our model cell types, and are particularly interested in emotional behaviors.

The importance of these neurons is underscored by their involvement in many human neurological disorders including Parkinson's disease, anxiety and depression, autism, schizophrenia and addiction. The goal of our research is to define the causes and to help develop novel therapeutic interventions for these devastating human disorders, through understanding fundamental molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the development and function of these neurotransmitter and neuropeptide systems.

1) How do pluropotent progenitor/stem cells become committed to specific neuronal types? We take a molecular genetic approach in zebrafish, in combination with live imaging. Both embryonic and adult neurogenesis are being studied. We also use cultured pluripotent mammalian stem cells to address this question.

2) How is behavior regulated at molecular and cellular levels? We are interested in simple and tractable innate as well as learned behavioral responses that are emotion-associated and their modulation by drugs of abuse. We employ molecular genetic, behavioral, pharmacological, and transgenic approaches in our study.

Current Projects

Imaging the ontogeny of neural stem cells in vivo
Mechanisms of embryonic and adult neurogenesis in the forebrain
Chemical genetics of dopaminergic neuron development and maintenance
Molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the regulation of emotional behaviors

Lab Members

Michael Berberoglu, Graduate Student
Jisong Peng, Postdoctoral Fellow
Zhiqiang Dong, Postdoctoral Fellow
Priya Mathur, Specialist
Mahendra Wagle, Postdoctoral Fellow
Michael Munchua, Lab Assistant
Joe Mancilla, Lab Assistant

Selected Publications

Jeong, J., Einhorn, Z., Mercurio S, Lee S, Lau B, Mione M, Wilson SW, Guo, S.
Neurogenin1 is a determinant of zebrafish basal forebrain dopaminergic neurons and is
regulated by the conserved zinc finger protein Tof/Fezl. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 103,
5143-5148 (2006).

Wang, X., Yang, N., Uno, E., Roeder, R.G., and Guo, S. A subunit of the mediator
complex regulates vertebrate neuronal development. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 103 (46):
17284-9 (2006).

Jeong, J., Einhorn, Z., Mathur, P., Chen, L., Lee, S., Kawakami, K., and Guo, S.
Patterning the zebrafish diencephalon by the conserved zinc finger protein Fezl.
Development 134, 127-136 (2007).

Peng, J., Wagle, M., Mueller, T., Mathur, P., Lockwood, B.L., Bretaud, S., Guo S. (2009) Ethanol-modulated camouflage response screen in zebrafish uncovers a novel role for cAMP and extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling in behavioral sensitivity to ethanol. J Neurosci. 29(26):8408-18. PMID: 19571131

Wagle, M., Mathur, P., and Guo, S. (2011) Corticotropin-releasing factor critical for zebrafish camouflage behavior is regulated by light and sensitive to ethanol. J Neurosci. 31 (1): 214-24.

Lau, B., Mathur, P., Gould, G., and Guo, S. (2011) Identification of a brain center whose activity discriminates a choice behavior in zebrafish. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 108: 2581-6.

Su Guo, Ph.D.