Yeison Rodriguez , Neural Science Major, New York University

Primary Investigator
Dr. Efrain C. Azmitia

Past projects

Immunocytochemical analyses of post-mortem forebrain tissue from subjects with Down syndrome.

The gene for the neurite extension factor S100B is found on the 21st chromosome. Trisomy 21 is the technical term for Down syndrome, and the name is derived from the fact that there is a third 21st chromosome present in an individual with trisomy 21. This suggests that the S100B gene may be overexpressed in individuals with Downs syndrome. It has been demonstrated that transgenic mice overexpressing the human S100B gene show neuronal development similar to that seen in Down syndrome. (Whitaker-Azmitia et al. 1997).

The neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptam- ine or 5HT) is a neurotrophic factor (Azmitia 2001), a biomolecule that will induce neuron growth and stimulate neuronal maturation. The protein has been shown to induce the release of S100B (Azmitia 2002, Review). S100B is a neurite extension and maturational factor (Azmitia et al. 1990), and cell proliferation factor (Donato 1999) that is mainly found in astrocytes. In other words S100B induces the lengthening of neurites (axons and dendrites) and the proliferation of neurons and glial cells (the other major type of cell found in the nervous system aside from neurons). S100B is released into the extracellular space of the central nervous system by astrocytes, a type of glial cell (Villegas et al. 2003). Our work for this project has involved investigating the levels of S100B in the extracellular space, thereby helping us figure out whether S100B dysfunction may have a potential implication in human Down Syndrome cases.

Contact
Yeison Rodriguez