Maureen L. Condic - Neuroscience Program

Associate Professor of Neurobiology

Developmental Neuroscience

B.A. 1982, University of Chicago; Ph.D. 1989, University of California, Berkeley; Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, Berkeley and University of Minnesota

RESEARCH:

Interactions of sensory neurons with extracellular matrix

Dr. Condic is interested in the control of cell specification and neurite outgrowth during development. We are investigating the cell-signaling molecules that control the formation of different sub-classes of sensory neurons, and working to identify genes that contribute to the unique pathfinding behavior of these cells as they navigate to their targets. Embryonic sensory neurons are unusual in their ability to compensate for inhibitory or weakly growth-promoting substrata by adjusting their expression of receptors for growth-promoting matrix molecules (receptors of the integrin class). Recent work from our laboratory has demonstrated that integrins interact with other growth cone guidance molecules, such as netrins and semaphorins, to regulate growth cone behavior. We have also shown that the regeneration of adult neurons in the presence of inhibitory molecules can be greatly improved by transgenic integrin expression. Regulated integrin expression also contributes to the migration of neural crest, the immediate embryonic precursors to sensory neurons. We are currently investigating whether differences in integrin-based cell motility play a role in the specification and differentiation of neural crest cells.

Selected Publications:

Strachan, L.R., and Condic, M.L. (2008) Neural crest motility on fibronectin is regulated by integrin activation. Exp. Cell Res., 314(3):441-452. (Epub Nov 1, 2007)

Condic, M.L. (2008) Alternative sources of pluripotent stem cells; altered nuclear transfer. Cell Proliferation, 41(Suppl. 1):7-19.

Guan, W., Wang, G., Scott, S.A., and Condic, M.L. (2008) Shh regulates cell number and neuronal identity in dorsal root ganglia. Dev. Biol., 15;34(2):317-328.

Lemons, M.L., and Condic, M.L. (2006) Combined integrin activation and intracellular cAMP cause Rho GTPase dependent growth cone collapse on laminin-1. Exp. Neurol., 202:324-335.

Lemons, M.L., Barua, S., Abanto, M.L., Halfter, W., and Condic, M.L. (2005) Adaptation of sensory neurons to hyalectin and decorin proteoglycans. J. Neuroscience, 25:4964-4973.

Strachan, L.R., and Condic, M.L. (2004) Mechanisms of substratum-dependent integrin regulation in neural crest. J. Cell Biology, 167(3):545-554.

Strachan, L., and Condic, M.L. (2003) Neural crest motility and integrin regulation are distinct in cranial and trunk populations. Dev. Biol., 259:288-302.

Guan, W., Puthenveedu, M., and Condic, M. L. (2003) Sensory neuron subtypes have unique substratum preference and receptor gene expression prior to target innervation. J. Neurosci., 23:1781-1791.

Guan, W., and Condic, M. L. (2003) Characterization of Netrin-1, Neogenin and UNC-5 expression during chick dorsal root ganglion development. Mech. Dev. Gene Ex. Pat., 3(3):367-371.

Condic, M. L. Regeneration and repair (Chapter 14), Developmental Neurobiology, 4th Edition. Eds. Mahendra Rao and Marcus Jacobson. Plenum Press. Scheduled to be published in 2003.

Condic, M. L., and Lemons, M. L. (2002) Extracellular matrix in spinal cord regeneration: getting beyond attraction and inhibition. NeuroReport 13(3):A37-48.

Condic, M. L. (2002) Neural Development: Axon regeneration derailed by dendrites. Current Biology 12(13):R455-R457.

Condic, M. L. (2001) Adult neuronal regeneration induced by transgenic integrin expression. J Neurosci. 21(13):4782-4788.

Condic, M. L., Snow, D. M., and Letourneau, P. C. (1999) Embryonic neurons adapt to the inhibitory proteoglycan aggrecan by increasing integrin expression. J. Neurosci. 19:10036-10043.

Condic, M. L., and Letourneau, P. C. (1997) Ligand-induced changes in integrin expression regulate neuronal adhesion and neurite outgrowth. Nature 389:852-856.