In-Jung Kim, PhD
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Research Summary
Our laboratory is interested in understanding how neural circuits form and function to elicit appropriate behavior, and how they can be modified by experience. Orderly and specific patterns of neuronal wiring are critical to trigger coherent responses to sensory inputs. Conversely, mistakes in connectivity may lead to altered behaviors observed in disorders such as autism or schizophrenia. It is therefore essential to learn how neurons choose synaptic partners as they “wire up” the developing brain and maintain such connections throughout life. To study mechanisms of neuronal wiring, we have focused on the visual system. The success of our research will provide novel insights into the cellular basis of visual perception and will allow to generate new methods to examine neural circuitry in the normal brain and in animal models of neurological and psychiatric diseases.
Specialized Terms: Neuroscience; Development; Visual system; Neural circuits; Visual threat-triggered fear behavior; Transgenic approaches
Extensive Research Description
Our current research involves both retina (light-sensitive layer of eye) and brain targets: 1) Retina project includes investigating how retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) acquire specific morphological structure during development and how they eventually recognize distinct visual cues (e.g. color, motion). We are examining potential effects of overexpression and knock-out of candidate genes on structural development and functional specification of distinct subsets of RGCs that may lead to alteration in visual perception. 2) In parallel, we are exploring subtype-specific regeneration ability of RGC subsets after optic-nerve damage. 3) Brain project focuses on the assembly of the neural circuits mediating visual threat-triggered defensive behavior. The ultimate goal is to define molecular mechanisms that underlie development of previously unexplored visual circuits contributing to function and dysfunction of fear- related brain circuitry. Our research methodology combines mouse genetics, AAV-mediated neurocircuit analysis, bioinformatics, confocal microscopy and behavioral tests.
Coauthors
Research Interests
Anatomy; Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms; Neurobiology; Neurosciences; Ophthalmology; Vision, Ocular
Selected Publications
- Rorβ regulates selective axon-target innervation in the mammalian midbrainByun H, Lee HL, Liu H, Forrest D, Rudenko A, Kim IJ. Rorβ regulates selective axon-target innervation in the mammalian midbrain Development 2019, 146: dev171926. PMID: 31332038, PMCID: PMC6679361, DOI: 10.1242/dev.171926.
- Identification of Intrinsic Axon Growth Modulators for Intact CNS Neurons after InjuryFink KL, López-Giráldez F, Kim IJ, Strittmatter SM, Cafferty WB. Identification of Intrinsic Axon Growth Modulators for Intact CNS Neurons after Injury Cell Reports 2017, 18: 2687-2701. PMID: 28297672, PMCID: PMC5389739, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.02.058.
- Molecular features distinguish ten neuronal types in the mouse superficial superior colliculusByun H, Kwon S, Ahn HJ, Liu H, Forrest D, Demb JB, Kim IJ. Molecular features distinguish ten neuronal types in the mouse superficial superior colliculus The Journal Of Comparative Neurology 2016, 524: 2300-2321. PMID: 26713509, PMCID: PMC4892959, DOI: 10.1002/cne.23952.
- Function and Circuitry of VIP+ Interneurons in the Mouse RetinaPark SJ, Borghuis BG, Rahmani P, Zeng Q, Kim IJ, Demb JB. Function and Circuitry of VIP+ Interneurons in the Mouse Retina Journal Of Neuroscience 2015, 35: 10685-10700. PMID: 26224854, PMCID: PMC4518048, DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0222-15.2015.
- Subtype-Specific Regeneration of Retinal Ganglion Cells following Axotomy: Effects of Osteopontin and mTOR SignalingDuan X, Qiao M, Bei F, Kim IJ, He Z, Sanes JR. Subtype-Specific Regeneration of Retinal Ganglion Cells following Axotomy: Effects of Osteopontin and mTOR Signaling Neuron 2015, 85: 1244-1256. PMID: 25754821, PMCID: PMC4391013, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.02.017.
- The most numerous ganglion cell type of the mouse retina is a selective feature detectorZhang Y, Kim IJ, Sanes JR, Meister M. The most numerous ganglion cell type of the mouse retina is a selective feature detector Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2012, 109: e2391-e2398. PMID: 22891316, PMCID: PMC3437843, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1211547109.
- Laminar Restriction of Retinal Ganglion Cell Dendrites and Axons: Subtype-Specific Developmental Patterns Revealed with Transgenic MarkersKim IJ, Zhang Y, Meister M, Sanes JR. Laminar Restriction of Retinal Ganglion Cell Dendrites and Axons: Subtype-Specific Developmental Patterns Revealed with Transgenic Markers Journal Of Neuroscience 2010, 30: 1452-1462. PMID: 20107072, PMCID: PMC2822471, DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4779-09.2010.
- Molecular identification of a retinal cell type that responds to upward motionKim IJ, Zhang Y, Yamagata M, Meister M, Sanes JR. Molecular identification of a retinal cell type that responds to upward motion Nature 2008, 452: 478-482. PMID: 18368118, DOI: 10.1038/nature06739.