# POm and its role in striatal circuitry modulation

> **NIH NIH F31** · RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIV OF N.J. · 2020 · $39,120

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
 Learned behaviors require the processing and transformation of sensory stimuli into motor actions, a
process known as sensorimotor integration. Disruption of sensorimotor integration in key brain areas, such as
the striatum, is implicated in movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease,
Tourette’s syndrome, and dystonia. The striatum receives widespread inputs from numerous cortical and
thalamic areas and recent published data from the Margolis lab demonstrate that primary motor cortex (M1)
and primary somatosensory cortex (S1) have distinct striatal innervation patterns and opposing influence on
behavioral performance in mice. However, the functional striatal innervation patterns and behavioral roles of
most other inputs are unknown. One such input comes from the posterior medial nucleus (POm) of the
thalamus, which has direct synaptic connections with S1, M1 and dorsolateral striatum. My proposal, using a
combination of in vivo and ex vivo approaches, pursues the hypothesis that POm may function as an important
“gain modulator” by enhancing the signal-to-noise of whisker-related sensory information in the striatum before
sensory information arrives from other cortical and subcortical areas. A Go/NoGo whisker-based decision-
making task with optogenetic manipulation (both gain-of-function and loss-of-function) in behaving mice will be
employed in Specific Aim 1. This paradigm will assess the effects of bidirectional optogenetic manipulation of
POm terminals in the striatum on behavioral responding. The Go/NoGo task is combined with in vivo fiber
photometry in Specific Aim 2. This paradigm will determine the natural dynamics of thalamostriatal signaling
across the learning of this sensory-guided task. Specific Aim 3 will use ex vivo whole-cell patch-clamp
electrophysiology with optogenetic stimulation to assess if POm preferentially innervates any of three striatal
neuron subtypes. This combined approach will define the circuit mechanisms of POm-striatal signaling in
sensory-guided behavior, which may have implications for understanding circuit dysfunction in movement
disorders.
 The proposed fellowship will provide the trainee with a solid foundation for a career as an independent
systems neuroscientist. The training environment incorporates a robust education, ample professional
development opportunities, and multiple faculty-student mentorships in domains vital to the project including
electrophysiology, behavior, optogenetics, and fiber photometry. Overall, this NRSA fellowship has significant
potential to elucidate the neural circuitry of sensorimotor integration and provide essential training for me to
become a valuable member of the systems neuroscience community.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10155775
- **Project number:** 1F31NS117093-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIV OF N.J.
- **Principal Investigator:** Alex Joseph Yonk
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $39,120
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-12-08 → 2023-12-07

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10155775

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10155775, POm and its role in striatal circuitry modulation (1F31NS117093-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10155775. Licensed CC0.

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