# Elucidating glial diversity in the peripheral nervous system

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA · 2021 · $444,125

## Abstract

Peripheral nerve assembly requires the coordinated development of many components, including axons and the
glial cells that ensheath them. Currently, we have a broad perspective of the structure of peripheral nerves and
the events that govern nerve assembly. However, we still lack a complete picture of all of the cellular and
molecular mechanisms that mediate these events, and whether perturbations to these processes underlie
disease. This is in part due to the fact that we still don’t have a full appreciation of the diversity of glial populations
that make up these structures and there are currently no specific markers for any peripheral glial population.
Additionally, although peripheral nerves are often grouped together as a single, uniform structure, there are in
fact many types, including cranial, trunk, sensory, and motor, as well as spatial organization along the proximal-distal axis. However, whether there is any glial diversity between or along these structures, and whether this
diversity is what contributes to the differences observed between these nerves with respect to function and
susceptibility to disease, has yet to be determined. Using single-nuclei RNA-sequencing coupled with the
powerful system, zebrafish, we will create a molecular taxonomy of peripheral glial subpopulations and decipher
their roles in nervous system development.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10314960
- **Project number:** 1R21NS124164-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Sarah C Kucenas
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $444,125
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-07-15 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10314960

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10314960, Elucidating glial diversity in the peripheral nervous system (1R21NS124164-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10314960. Licensed CC0.

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