Poster Presentation Abstracts
Christina Alex
Neuroscience
Junior
Dr. Krista Wisner
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences
Faculty Mentor
Emma Herms, M.A.
Grad Student Mentor
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences
While emotion recognition (ER) has been examined in psychosis, and separately in people with childhood trauma (CT), little research has assessed the interaction of psychosis plus CT on ER. This is an important area of study as the combination of CT and psychosis may compound ER abilities compared to either mental health concern alone, which could have implications for social functioning deficits.
This study is a systematic review examining published findings on ER in three groups, specifically people with CT (PCT; N=8 articles), people with psychosis (PP, N=8 articles), and people with both psychosis and CT (PPCT; N=7 articles). To be included in this systematic review, articles needed to be original work and measure CT and psychosis with either a validated questionnaire and/or a structured interview. ER paradigms presented pictures of faces displaying different emotions, and accuracy in identifying the intended emotion was measured for each emotion type (e.g. anger, fear, etc.). Here we quantify for each emotion type separately, the proportion of studies detecting significant differences in ER accuracy (increases or decreases) in each group of interest compared to controls.
Preliminary results suggest substantial null findings; however, when abnormalities were observed, groups tended to show decreased ER accuracy overall. In PCT, decreases in accuracy for positive emotions (29% of studies) and neutral faces (66% of studies) were observed, while findings for anger were mixed. In PP, decreases in accuracy for sad, disgust, and surprise were observed, but decreases for neutral faces were more consistent (40% of studies), and a limited increase for fear was observed. In PPCT, we largely observed an additive effect, where abnormalities in ER accuracy tended to be a combination of those observed in the other two groups, but decreases for sad faces were most consistent (50% of studies).
While the findings did not have high reproducibility, a proportion of the studies contributed to a commonly observed decrease in ER overall, as well as decreases in ER for neutral faces across the three groups. There was also a suggestion of an additive effect, potentially interpreted as a “double hit”, on ER when psychosis plus CT occur in the same individuals. However, much more research is needed to substantiate these findings. There are also several limitations to this work, including i) different types of ER tasks and variance in included emotion types across articles, and ii) unexamined effects of different types of trauma, severity of traumas, as well as sex and race. Furthermore, it is possible psychosis or CT were present but unmeasured in the PCT and PP groups, respectively. Finally, a larger and ideally similar number of articles should contribute to each group in future iterations of this systematic review.
Caroline Armstrong
Art History, Classical Civilizations, History
Junior
Dr. Nicholas Blackwell
Assistant Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Classical Studies
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Art History
Faculty Mentor
The protopalatial site of Anemospilia, Crete, dated by ceramic terms to Middle Minoan IIB and IIIA, was destroyed in 1700 BC by an earthquake. Since 1979, when Greek archaeologists Yannis and Efi Sakellarakis excavated Anemospilia, the unique findings from the site have intrigued scholars and the general public. Inside a tripartite structure (perhaps a temple?), four human skeletons, accompanied by a potential cult statue, raised platform, and blade point to the possibility of human sacrifice. Why?; because these skeletons are some of the only human remains discovered outside of a burial context in Minoan Crete―which makes this protopalatial site particularly fascinating. This research project explores the findings from Anemospilia and examines specific factors that have led some modern scholars to believe human sacrifice occurred and left others more skeptical. To properly contextualize the artifacts found inside the temple-like structure, this project also defines Greek ritual acts and peak sanctuaries and explains the limited evidence of human sacrifice in the ancient Greek world. Based on my examination of these many factors, I conclude the events that took place at Anemospilia were extremely unique and suggest a last-minute effort to appease the gods with human sacrifice before or even during the earthquake.
Nicholas Buehler
Behavioral Economics and Biology
Senior
Dr. Peter M. Todd
Director of the Cognitive Science Program, Provost Professor of Cognitive Science, Psychology, and Informatics
IU Cognitive Science Program
Faculty Mentor
Metaphor in medical communication is quite common, although how metaphors affect medical decision making is not well known or studied. In two studies, online participants viewed medical scenario vignettes framed in ‘Fight,’ ‘Journey,’ and no metaphor. Participants then made medically relevant decisions based on those vignettes. Results suggest some evidence for a metaphor framing effect but only when metaphor is used throughout a vignette. This effect was more strongly found with the ‘Fight’ metaphor and only affected questions pertaining to prognosis in this study. Using metaphor in serious illness conversation could potentially influence decision making in unintended ways and should be recognized in healthcare communication.
Mikayla L. Deckard
Human Biology
Junior
G. Troy Smith
Associate Professor
Associate Chair for Teaching
Department of Biology
Faculty Mentor
Megan K. Freiler
Graduate student in Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior
Department of Biology
Graduate Mentor
The production of reproductive communication signals can be modulated by hormones acting on the brain regions that regulate these signals. However, less is known about whether perception is modulated by hormones. The electrocommunication signals of weakly electric fish are sexually dimorphic, sensitive to hormones, and vary across species, making this an excellent model for studying how steroids modulate communication. The goals of this study were to examine (1) whether hormone receptor genes are expressed in sensory brain regions that process electrocommunication signals and (2) whether this expression differs between species that have different patterns of sexual dimorphism in their signals. Apteronotus leptorhynchus (brown ghost knifefish) and Apteronotus albifrons (black ghost knifefish) produce an electric organ discharge (EOD) that is used for communication and electrolocation. These species differ in their sexual dimorphism as brown ghost males have a higher EOD frequency (EODf) than females, but in black ghosts, males have the lower EODf. Two brain regions, the electrosensory lateral line lobe (ELL) and the torus semicircularis (Torus), process EOD signals and chirps, a type of communication signal in which fish temporarily increase EODf in aggressive and courtship interactions. Here, we investigate the mRNA expression of genes for androgen receptors, estrogen receptors, and aromatase in the ELL and Torus in brown ghosts and black ghosts. We extracted RNA from tissue punches from the ELL and Torus and performed RT-PCR to confirm expression. Punch locations were verified by staining the brain slices. These preliminary results confirm that these steroid-related genes are expressed in sensory brain regions. This suggests that hormones may play a role in modulating the perception of EOD signals.
Mandeep Dhillon
Neuroscience and Spanish
Sophomore
Ken Mackie
Distinguished Professor
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences
Faculty Mentor
Jim Wager-Miller
Associate Research Scientist
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences
Faculty Mentor
Cannabis is a substance that is frequently consumed by young adults throughout the world. Studies indicate that adolescent exposure to D9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of marijuana, can lead to anxiety, impaired executive function, and increased risk for substance abuse. Cannabidiol (CBD) may also be highly expressed in the plant and has been found to counter the acute psychoactive effects of THC. Little is currently known about the molecular changes that underpin these observed changes in psychoactivity. The adolescent period is an important time in neurodevelopment. One hallmark of adolescent neurodevelopment is the synaptic pruning that occurs within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). This area of the brain is important for memory consolidation and executive function. The pruning of weak synapses is thought to facilitate a strengthening of important neural connections central to mature brain function. Phagocytic immune cells called microglia are highly involved in this process. This work will measure activation of microglia within the mPFC of adolescent mice (postnatal day 28-49) treated with THC, CBD or a combination of THC and CBD (all at 3 mg/ kg). Markers for microglial activation and phagocytosis will be measured via immunohistochemistry and analyzed through computer rendering.
Melanie Claire Rendeiro Forbes
Human Biology
Senior
Dr. Heather Hundley
Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical Sciences Program
Indiana University School of Medicine – Bloomington
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Michael Wasserman
Assistant Professor, Anthropology & Human Biology
Indiana University The College of Arts and Sciences – Bloomington
Faculty Mentor
The scale of human interactions with the environment today has not only put pressure on the world’s resources and ecosystem processes, but these environmental impacts are also harming our own health. Many anthropogenic environmental changes have accelerated morbidity and mortality, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. For example, four studies conducted in Canada, the USA, England, and China, have all found correlations between chronic anthropogenic air pollution exposure and neurological degradation, particularly with Alzheimer’s disease. The RNA adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) alteration is one potential mechanism linking air pollution to neurological degradation. These alterations occur in coding and noncoding RNA regions throughout the entire body but are most prevalent in the central nervous system (CNS). Adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR) enzymes mediate A-to-I alterations but are necessary for mammalian development. ADAR A-to-I alterations have been associated with Alzheimer’s disease and their occurrence frequency may increase in polluted environments. Therefore, I will examine whether air pollution affects RNA alteration rates in regions associated with neurological function by exposing gene edited Caenorhabditis elegans in their first larval (L1) developmental stage to oxidative-stress-induced environments for 0, 15, and 60 minutes. Oxidative stress is one way humans react to inhaling air pollution in the form of particulate matter (PM). PM accumulates in the air through dust formation, agriculture practices, industrial processes, construction, and fossil fuel combustion. For each worm strain, I will have one treatment group that will undergo an oxidative stress response and a control group that undergoes identical procedures without the oxidative-stress-inducing condition. I will extract the RNA from both groups and compare the expression of known Alzheimer’s associated genes and RNA editing levels in the nervous system. I will use quantitative Real Time PCR (qRT-PCR) to measure expression of the sel-12 gene, a C. elegans gene that is the human ortholog of Presenilin 2, a gene commonly mutated in patients with familial Alzheimer’s disease. To measure the effects on RNA editing only in the nervous system, I will use a fluorescent reporter gene fused to a known edited gene (C35E7.6) with a neuronal-specific promoter and isolate RNA from the entire worm. Changes to the A-to-I alteration frequency will be observed if oxidative stress interferes with RNA editing, linking air pollution and Alzheimer’s disease. If data is significant, future studies could explore rates of A-to-I alterations across people varying in their degree of pollution exposure and prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease to provide additional insight into the role of pollution in neurological degradation.
Sierra Ford
Community Health
Sophomore
Brooklynn Shively
Environmental and Sustainability Studies, International Law
Freshman
Katilynn Burke,
Department ofEpidemiology & Biostatistics
Sophomore
Yankun Wang, M.S.
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health
Graduate Student Mentor
Rodrigo Armijos, MD, ScD
Associate Professor
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health
Faculty Mentor
M. Margaret Weigel, PhD
Professor
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health
Faculty Mentor
Water security is a basic human rights issue that is critical to ecological, economic, and social sustainability. Insecure water undermines the economic productivity, social structure, physical and mental health, and well-being of individuals, households, and communities. Climate change is expected to worsen water insecurity due to the degradation of water quality, water infrastructure, and unequal water distribution. Although it is commonly assumed that most U.S. households and their communities have access to safe and secure drinking water that is free of chemical and other pollutants, emerging evidence suggests that this is not the case. Studies are needed to better characterize the household water security and drinking water exposures of vulnerable households and the impacts of these exposures on their health.
In Greene County, 14% of the population lives in poverty, life expectancy is lower than state and national averages, and rates of smoking, obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and infant mortality are higher than state and national levels. The flat farmlands of Greene County often flood and may contaminate the White River, groundwater, and private wells. Public water systems in Greene County use groundwater and have violated several EPA standards for water quality over several years. Private wells must be decontaminated by the owners and are not regulated. Water purification plants have a high rate of saltation and pesticide use is underreported, which could lead to violations of EPA standards. Furthermore, groundwater could be contaminated by superfund sites in neighboring counties, landfills, and agricultural processing facilities.
The focus of our mixed-methods, IPE-funded field study is to obtain data on these understudied issues in rural, semi-urban and urban households in Greene County in order to characterize their water security situation, water risk perceptions, and coping strategies. Our findings will be used to inform local and regional drinking water policies, programs, and interventions that can be used to improve household water security in the country.
Research participants will supply a water sample from their home, blood and urine samples, and engage in an interview and anthropometric measurements of health. The water, blood, and urine will be tested for traces of pesticides. The interview will consist of questions about their water quality, drinking water sources, and health history. Because of the ongoing pandemic, field work is temporarily on hold until it becomes safe for both study participants and out student-faculty research team. We anticipate that this will be in early fall. In anticipation of the field work, our research team has been building essential background knowledge on the demographics, health, agriculture, and pollution sources of Greene County.
Fezaan Kazi
Neuroscience B.S.
Junior
Taylor Woodward
Graduate Student in Neuroscience
Graduate Mentor
Sarah Stockman
Psychology B.S.
Junior
Romario Pacheo
Biology B.S.
Ailing Li, Ph.D
Research Associate
Dr. Andrea Hohmann
Jack and Linda Gill Chair, Gill Center for Biomolecular Science Professor
Psychological and Brain Sciences
Faculty Mentor
Paclitaxel (brand name Taxol) is a commonly used chemotherapeutic drug, used to treat various forms of cancer, especially breast and ovarian. Paclitaxel’s mechanism of action includes targeting the tubulin protein structures in the cellular cytoskeletal system, specifically the mitotic spindle and chromosome segregation systems, and stabilizing them in a specific confirmation, thus preventing activity necessary for levels of cell division seen in cancers. A prominent side effect of usage of paclitaxel is the development of peripheral neuropathy, due to the importance of proper microtubule function on neuronal health. While the neuropathic and affective side effects of paclitaxel have been reliably demonstrated in male animal models (in efforts to evaluate effective treatments), a robust, reliable model of issues stemming from paclitaxel usage in female animals has yet to be formulated. We used previous studies regarding paclitaxel in animal models as a starting point for evaluating the effects of a paclitaxel injection regimen on female mice. Our initial findings show that female mice exhibit little to no development of depressive-like behavior across a quartet of behavioral assays upon injection of paclitaxel, as compared to a control group, a finding that points to differences in the development of side effects between males and females. Previous work has shown that females and males display behavioral signs of affective changes differently across an array of behavioral assays, which taken with previous work examining baseline differences in anxiety and depressive-like behavior in male and female mice, points toward not just differences in development of affective side effects, but differences in how those behaviors must be measured. We look forward to continuing research into paclitaxel-induced neuropathy and the development of negative affective behaviors to further elucidate the differences between male and female animal models, as well as the specific circumstances and modulators of these side effects.
Prabhvir Lakhan
Neuroscience
Freshman
Dr. Lauren Rutter
Associate Research Scientist
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences
Faculty Mentor
Anxiety and depression have a variety of effects on the human body with one of the main effects being changes to one’s cognition. Decades of research have established that more daily stressors and more negative affect is correlated with mental illnesses like anxiety and depression (Charles et al., 2013), decreased cognitive control with anxiety (Liao et al., 2019), and decreased reaction time (Crow, 2019). The primary aim of the study is to measure how negative affect (NA) and positive affect (PA) relate to cognitive functioning over time. We expect that higher negative affect (NA) will be associated with slower processing speed and more impaired attention, working memory, and cognitive control.
Participants will be 100 undergraduates recruited via IUB Psychology Subject Pool. Participants are enrolled in psychology courses who received course credit for participation in the study. The Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) is a self-report measure that is our primary outcome measure for NA and PA. A battery of self-report assessments will be administered on Day 1, and the PANAS will be completed twice daily, along with brief cognitive measures, for two weeks (Days 2-13) . On Day 14, subjects will perform another battery of questionnaires with cognitive tests. Data collection has not begun.
Citations
Charles, S. T., Piazza, J. R., Mogle, J., Sliwinski, M. J., & Almeida, D. M. (2013). The Wear and Tear of Daily Stressors on Mental Health. Psychological Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612462222
Crow, A. J. D. (2019). Associations Between Neuroticism and Executive Function Outcomes: Response Inhibition and Sustained Attention on a Continuous Performance Test. Perceptual and Motor Skills. https://doi.org/10.1177/0031512519848221
Liao, A., Walker, R., Carmody, T. J., Cooper, C., Shaw, M. A., Grannemann, B. D., Adams, P., Bruder, G. E., McInnis, M. G., Webb, C. A., Dillon, D. G., Pizzagalli, D. A., Phillips, M. L., Kurian, B. T., Fava, M., Parsey, R. V., McGrath, P. J., Weissman, M. M., & Trivedi, M. H. (2019). Anxiety and anhedonia in depression: Associations with neuroticism and cognitive control. Journal of Affective Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2018.11.072
Suncica Sasic
Human Biology
Sophomore
Mentor: Dan Tracey
Professor of Biology
Linda and Jack Gill Chair in Genome, Cell & Developmental Biology
Department of Biology
Faculty Mentor
The relationship between fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) and parasitoid wasps (Leptopilina boulardi and Leptopilinaheterotoma) yields much information about neural and nociceptive responses in the Drosophila model system. In response to parasitization by L.boulardi, fly larvae exhibit a rolling, body-bending escape behavior, which is triggered by pain sensing neurons (nociceptors). In contrast, larval hosts of L.heterotoma are momentarily immobilized during the parasitization attack. There are certain aspects of the coordination of these nocifensive mechanisms that remain unknown, including which components in the wasp venom may be involved in either eliciting or blocking the nociceptive response. Despite a close evolutionary relationship, the protein contents of the venoms of these two species differ significantly from each other, in support of their divergent functions. This study aims to identify the proteins within the venoms of L. boulardi and L. heterotoma that modulate the nociceptive neural response and the rolling behavior in D. melanogaster larvae. We aim accomplish this by fractionating the venom proteins by size and testing each fraction’s effect on neuronal function through calcium-imaging of larval nociceptors. We will then obtain peptide sequences from the active fractions. These sequences will be plotted onto a transcriptome map of RNA transcripts of venom gland tissue in order to match putative venom peptides with their corresponding genes. Characterizing the differences between the venom of L.boulardi and L. heterotoma would present an opportunity to look further into why these two parasites affect the fly nervous system in such different ways, one being a potential pain-causing agent and the other a potential analgesic. Furthermore, the identification of these pain modulators would have pharmaceutical implications for the development of pain treatments.
Meg Southard
Neuroscience and Spanish
Senior
Anne Prieto Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Psychological and Brain Sciences
Faculty Mentor
ErbB4 is a receptor tyrosine-protein kinase that is strongly implemented in neurodevelopment. ErbB receptors are activated by Neuregulin (Nrg) growth factors. Nrg-1 activates three classes of ErbB receptors: ErbB2, 3, and 4. The focus of this experiment is on the Nrg-1 and ErbB4; given its role in neurodevelopment, the Nrg-1 and ErbB4 network has potential to be beneficial in treating neuronal damage. Due to the strong connection between this process and Glutamate and GABA release, there is also evidence that the ErbB4 receptor is implicated in the development of psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia. In this experiment, a DNA sequence coding for the ErbB4 receptor will be added to a vector. This vector will be manipulated through phosphorylation to affect the expression of ErbB4. The neurite length in these cells will be compared to wild-type neurons to observe the degree of increased outgrowth in the manipulated cells.
Sarah Stockman
Psychology B.S.
Junior
Romario Pacheco
Biology B.S., Research Associate
Shahin Saberi
Neuroscience B.S., Biology B.S.
Andrea G. Hohmann, Ph.D.
Jack and Linda Gill Chair, Gill Center for Biomolecular Science
Professor, Psychological and Brain Sciences
Faculty Mentor
Activation of cannabinoid CB1 receptors regulates pain. However, targeting CB1 receptors directly poses challenges for a therapeutic intervention because direct binding to these receptors also produces unwanted central side effects. Allosteric binding sites reside on CB1Rs and are distinct from sites which bind classical cannabinoid agonists like THC. Endogenous CB1R signaling can be enhanced by positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) and inhibited by negative allosteric modulators (NAMs). Here we tested effects of both a novel CB1 PAM (GAT229) and a CB1 NAM (GAT358) on formalin-evoked pain behavior as well as spinal Fos protein expression, a marker of neuronal activation. Rats were treated with GAT229, GAT358 or vehicle 30 minutes prior to challenge with a unilateral injection of formalin in the paw. This was followed by an immunoperoxidase staining to label spinal cord neurons expressing Fos-protein like immunoreactivity in L4-L5 segments of the lumbar spinal cord in the superficial dorsal horn (laminae I,II), nucleus proprius (III, IV), neck region of the dorsal horn (V, VI) and ventral horn. Formalin challenge induced robust Fos protein expression in the spinal dorsal horn ipsilateral to the injected paw. Fos protein-like immunoreactivity was most densely expressed in spinal cord regions associated with nociceptive processing (i.e. laminae I,II and V,VI). Strikingly, systemic administration of GAT358 delayed the onset of phase 2 formalin-evoked nociceptive behavior. GAT358 also reduced Fos-positive cells in spinal cord in a lamina-dependent matter in the same animals evaluated for pain behavior. Interestingly, GAT229 did not alter either formalin-evoked nociceptive behavior or the number of Fos positive cells compared to vehicle treatment. Ongoing experiments will ascertain whether the effects of the CB1 NAM can be occluded by treatment with the CB1 PAM. Further, ongoing studies are effects of the CB1 NAM with a CB1 neutral antagonist to better understand how spinal neuronal activation may be dynamically regulated by manipulation of CB1 signaling using novel drug candidates.
Sarah Stockman
Psychology B.S.
Junior
Taylor Woodward
Neuroscience B.S.
Graduate Student in Neuroscience, Psychological and Brain Sciences
Graduate Mentor
Fezaan Kazi
Neuroscience B.S.
Junior
Romario Pacheco
Biology B.S., Research Associate
Ailing Li, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Andrea G. Hohmann, Ph.D.
Jack and Linda Gill Chair, Gill Center for Biomolecular Science
Professor, Psychological and Brain Sciences
Faculty Mentor
N-Acyl phosphatidylethanolamine phospholipase D (NAPE-PLD) is a membrane bound lipase crucial to the formation of fatty acid ethanolamides (FAEs). Variants of these FAEs act as agonists of the G-protein-coupled receptors of the endocannabinoid system, among other things, indicating potential mediation of endogenous responses to pain and stress. While it is established that the endocannabinoid system regulates emotional states, it is unclear what role NAPE-PLD plays in this regulation. We began our study by assessing the behavioral variations in rodents between groups of wild type and NAPE-PLD knockout mice. We found that significant differences existed between the genotypes in light dark box, locomotive, and forced swim test behavioral assays, with NAPE-PLD KOs consistently exhibiting higher levels of anxiety and depression-like behavior in these assays. Genotype differences persisted even after administration of the chemotherapeutic agent paclitaxel. These preliminary findings suggest that the NAPE-PLD enzyme has an effect on anxiety and depression-like behavior in rodent models, thereby encouraging further study into methods of mediating this effect in an effort to alleviate behavioral changes associated with stress and pain.
Joye Tracey
Biology B.S.
Junior
Dr. Ken Mackie
Jack and Linda Gill Chair of Neuroscience
Distinguished Professor
Psychological and Brain Sciences
Faculty Mentor
Jim Wager-Miller
Associate Research Scientist
Psychological and Brain Sciences
Faculty Mentor
The cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) and G protein coupled Receptor 35 (GPR35) are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) that function within the endocannabinoid (eCB) system. This system is best known for the psychotropic effects conferred by the cannabis compound, THC, as it interacts with the CB1 receptor in the brain [1]. Cannabinoids are becoming more recognized for their therapeutic properties, and the endocannabinoid (eCB) system is a potential target for novel chronic pain therapies. We are specifically interested in studying the role of the eCB system in rat Dorsal Root Ganglion (DRG). DRG are sensory neurons with their cell bodies just outside of the spine and play a role in neuropathic pain and nociception. The CB1 receptor is known to be found in the central and peripheral nervous system, but the Mackie Lab has additionally observed that CB1 is present within the growth cones of DRG neurons. Previous studies have also shown that GPR35, a lesser understood eCB receptor, is found in both the soma and processes of cultured rat DRG neurons [2]. The presence of these two receptors in DRG may indicate that they play a role in DRG function and thus in nociception. We have developed an assay to examine the effects of GPR35 and CB1 on DRG neurite outgrowth. We will dissect and culture rat DRG and then stain for CB1, GPR35, and a neuronal marker. With the addition of CB1 and GPR35 agonists, we can then fix and image the neurons to quantify neurite length and assess how CB1 and GPR35 change levels of neurite outgrowth and regeneration [3].
- Pertwee, R.G., The diverse CB1 and CB2 receptor pharmacology of three plant cannabinoids: delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol and delta9-tetrahydrocannabivarin. Br J Pharmacol, 2008. 153(2): p. 199-215.
- Ohshiro, H., H. Tonai-Kachi, and K. Ichikawa, GPR35 is a functional receptor in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons. Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 2008. 365(2): p. 344-8.
- Pemberton, K., B. Mersman, and F. Xu, Using ImageJ to Assess Neurite Outgrowth in Mammalian Cell Cultures: Research Data Quantification Exercises in Undergraduate Neuroscience Lab. J Undergrad Neurosci Educ, 2018. 16(2): p. A186-A194.
Sierra Wilson
Neuroscience and Arabic
Senior
Alex Straiker
Senior Research Scientist
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences
Faculty Mentor
Velvet “ants” are actually wasps, though the wingless females resemble ants. They are found throughout the continental US, including in Indiana, and they reproduce by parasitizing bumblebees and cicada killer wasps. Female velvet ants, also known as ‘cow killers,’ produce one of the most painful stings of all insects, ranking at a level 3 on the Schmidt pain index. Despite their infamy, the mechanism of action of their venom is unknown.
We tested the action of velvet ant venom on sensory dorsal root ganglion cells (DRGs) isolated from a mouse spinal cord. We used the fluorescent calcium-sensitive probe Fluo4 to monitor the cellular response. Many DRGs express transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, nonselective cation channels, several of which are implicated in pain. We found that treatment of these cells with wasp venom elicited a calcium response in a subset of DRGs. We tested several TRP receptor agonists and found that the subset of DRGs that responded to the venom also responded to the TRPA1 agonist, allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), suggesting TRPA1 activation as a potential target for the venom. This made sense because TRPA1 activation is linked to pain sensation.
To test this hypothesis, we applied the venom to a HEK293-TRPA1 cells, a cell line engineered to stably express the TRPA1 receptor. Application of the venom elicited clear responses in these cells, but not in the wild type HEK293 cells. Interestingly, we also saw similar venom response profiles in Schwann cells in our DRG culture, raising the possibility that these supporting cells may contribute to the pain response. We conclude that activation of TRPA1 in DRGs—and perhaps glial cells – may contribute to the acute pain response induced by a velvet ant sting.
Lynn Xiong
Neuroscience and Psychology
Junior
MaKayla Study
Psychology
Sophomore
Mustafaa Munir
Neuroscience
Junior
Richard A. Hullinger
Senior Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Instruction
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences
Faculty Mentor
In a research snapshot, we decided to ask a question that is likely not at the forefront of many people’s minds during COVID-19: how is universal masking affecting the emotional development of children? Specifically, how would covering the bottom half of the face interfere with how children learn to associate specific facial expressions with specific emotions? As a proposal, our research design relies on the assumption that universal masking would continue long enough for a two-year longitudinal study. Due to vaccination efforts, universal masking enforcement may discontinue before the end of our proposed two years; regardless, results obtained during the two years may further contribute to our understanding of the trajectory of emotional recognition development over time and across ages.
Our intended design involves a bi-annual test of emotional recognition in different parts of the face, based off of the work of Paul Ekman. Ekman is well-known for labelling six basic, universal emotions (fear, anger, disgust, happiness, sadness, and surprise) and the general facial features associated with each. We decided to base our test off of Boucher and Ekman’s 1975 study on the recognition of the six emotions in different parts of the face, which they chose to split into the brow/forehead, eyes/eyelids, and cheeks/mouth. In our modified version, we would present images of faces representing all six emotions at varying intensities, as well as a “neutral” face, split into these three areas. Our target starting age range is four to six, as these are formative years for emotional development. Additionally, we would recruit children from an area with enforced universal masking as our experimental group and children from an area without enforced universal masking as our control group.
Our predicted outcomes are both general and specific— we generally predict that younger children and children growing up in an area of enforced universal masking will have a harder time with facial emotional recognition than their counterparts (older, and control group). However, the extent to which we predict this will hold true differs on the emotion. For example, based on Boucher and Ekman’s finding that the facial cues of disgust, anger, and happiness are most distinguishable in the cheeks/mouth area, we predict that these emotions may be harder to detect than other emotions in the experimental group as this area is now frequently covered with masking.