Areas of Interest
Development of the human CNS applying molecular biological
techniques and immunocytochemistry on light and electron
microscopic level. My laboratory is focused on these questions:
How does the complex structure of cerebral cortex develop from
simple neuroepithelial cells? What determines the fate of
cortical progenitor cells? What is the role of transcription
factors such as Pax6 and Olig1,2 in these processes? Can human
embryonic stem cells be used to answer these developmental
questions?
Lab Rotation Projects
Students who wish to formulate their own novel questions
about brain development are welcome. In addition the following
projects are available:
#1 – The role of radial glia (RG) as progenitor cells
in development of the cerebral cortex in human. Although the
role of RG in animal models has been studied, their role in
human brain development is not well understood and might be more
complex than believed before. This project will involve working
with fetal human brain tissue, making transcripts that can label
RG and follow RG differentiation after 5 days in culture.
Student would have to learn molecular biology, and tissue
culture techniques (cell and slice preparation),
immunohistochemistry and the use of fluorescent and confocal
microscope.
#2 – Studying the effect of alcohol on human slice
culture. Methods that will be learned: human fetal brain
anatomy, dissociated and organotypic slice cultures, BrdU assay,
quantification of cell number, immunocytochemistry.
Publications
Selected Publications
Mo Z and Zecevic N. (2008) Is Pax6 critical for neurogenesis
in the human fetal brain? Cer Cortex 18:1455-1465.
Filipovic R and Zecevic, N. (2008) The effect of CXCL1 on
human fetal oligodendrocyte progenitor cells GLIA 56 (1): 1 -
15.
Filipovic, R. and Zecevic,N. (2008) Neuroprotective role of
minocycline in co-cultures of human fetal neurons and microglia.
Exp Neurol 211:41-51.
Howard, B, Mo Z., Filipovic R., Moore AR, Antic SD and
Zecevic N. (2008) Radial glia cells in the developing human
brain. The Neuroscientist. doi:10.1177/1073858407313512.
Mo Z, Moore A, Filipovic R, Ogawa Y, Kazuhiro I, Antic S and
Zecevic N. (2007) Human cortical neurons originate from radial
glia and neuron-restricted progenitors. J. Neurosc.
27(15):4132-4145.
Jakovcevski,I., Mo, Z. and Zecevic, N. (2007) Down-regulation
of the axonal PSA-NCAM expression coincides with the onset of
myelination in the human fetal forebrain. Neuroscience, 149:
328-337.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2007.07.044.
Howard B, Chen Y, Zecevic N (2006) Cortical Progenitor cells
in the developing human telencephalon. GLIA. 53:57-66.
Filipovic R, Zecevic N Interaction between microglia and
oligodendrocyte cell progenitors involves Golli proteins. (2005)
The Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, issue
“Biophysics from Molecules to Brain” vol.1048:166-174.
Filipovic R, Zecevic N (2005) Lipopolysaccharide affects
golli expression and promotes proliferation of oligodendrocyte
progenitors. GLIA, 49:457-466.
Jakovcevski, I and Zecevic, N (2005) Olig transcription
factors are expressed in oligdendrocyte and neuronal cells in
human fetal CNS. J.Neurosci. 25(44):10064-10073.
Jakovcevski I, Zecevic N (2005): Sequence of oligodendrocyte
development in the human fetal telencephalon. GLIA, 49: 480-491.
Zecevic N, Chen Y, Filipovic R. (2005) Contributions of
Cortical Subventricular Zone to the Development of the Human
Cerebral Cortex, J.Comp.Neurol. 491:109-122.
Zecevic, N (2004) Specific characteristics of radial glia in
the human fetal telencephalon. GLIA48:27-35.
 View more publications, see
Pubmed listing. |
