ROLE OF PARTURITION ON BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
Cell death peaks around the time of birth in several brain regions of the mouse. In addition, preliminary data show that natural (vaginal) birth might be important for the normal course of cell death because Cesarean born mice have increased cell death in several brain regions compared to vaginally born mice. Birth entails a dramatic entry to the world and, in preparation, key peripheral organs (e.g., lungs, gut, and heart) undergo physiological changes. We hypothesize that birth is also an important event in brain development. In this project, we are studying how birth influences cell death in the brain by manipulating the timing or mode of birth in mice. We are also interested in identifying mechanisms underlying cell death at birth, as well as exploring additional effects of birth on brain development and behavior.
BIRTH TEAM
Does birth trigger cell death in the developing brain?
February 2020
Castillo-Ruiz A, Hite TA, Yakout DW, Rosen TJ, Forger NG. eNeuro. doi: 10.1523/ENEURO.0517-19.2020
Microglial depletion causes region-specific changes to developmental neuronal cell death in the mouse brain
August 2019
Jacobs AJ, Castillo-Ruiz A, Cisternas CD, Forger NG . Dev Neurobiol. doi: doi: 10.1002/dneu.22706
Effects of sex and androgen manipulations on Onuf's nucleus of rhesus macaques
April 2018
Forger NG, Ruszkowski E, Jacobs A, Wallen K. Hormones and Behavior. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.03.003.
PUBLISHED WORK
Birth delivery mode alters perinatal cell death in the mouse brain
November 2018
Castillo-Ruiz A, Mosley M, Jacobs AJ, Hoffiz YC, Forger NG. PNAS. doi:10.1073/pnas.1811962115
Minocycline causes widespread cell death and increases microglial labeling in the neonatal mouse brain
June 2017
Strahan JA, Walker WH, Montgomery TR, Forger NG. Dev Neurobiol. doi: 10.1002/dneu.22457.
Patterns of cell death in the perinatal mouse forebrain
January 2017
Mosley M, Shah C, Morse KA, et al. J Comp Neurol. doi: 10.1002/cne.24041.