Molecular and cellular models of neuronal differentiation

The research topics of the Department Of Pharmacology and Human Physiology of the Medical School of the University of Bari cover distinct aspects of developmental neurobiology and focus on both vertebrate and invertebrate systems. Some of them represent the obvious outcome of research projects already worked out at the Institute of Human Physiology of the University of Naples, which mainly regard the study of the effects of epigenetic factors on nervous system (mainly cerebellar) development. Other projects concern more specifically the application of molecular genetics techniques to the study of basic nervous tissue developmental events. In particular, these studies imply the use of both in vitro and in vivo gene transfer techniques in order to address the functional role of neuronal surface molecules. Most of this line concerns morphoregulatory molecules, and in particular axonal adhesive glycoproteins, some of which have been extensively characterized in the laboratory.