# Mechanisms of neural activity during neural tube formation

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · 2020 · $416,835

## Abstract

Project summary
One of the first steps in nervous system development consists in the folding of the neural plate and closure of
the neural tube to originate the brain and spinal cord. Failure of neural tube formation leads to neural tube defects
(NTDs), which are one of the most common serious birth defects. The causes of NTDs are multiple and both
genetic and environmental factors have been identified. Among these factors, the use of antiepileptic drugs
during pregnancy increases the incidence of NTDs by unknown mechanisms. In the mature nervous system,
antiepileptic drugs decrease excitability by targeting diverse effectors. However, most studies have argued that
off-target effects of these drugs are responsible for inducing NTDs in epileptic patients’ offspring. Instead, the
effect of antiepileptic drugs on embryonic neural excitability remained mostly unexplored because of the
prevailing view that neural activity is not apparent at neural plate stages. In contrast, our recently published study
demonstrates that glutamate signaling is present in the folding neural plate and is necessary for neural tube
formation. Downregulating glutamate signaling directly or by incubating Xenopus laevis embryos with the
antiepileptic drug valproic acid causes NTDs. In this study we will discover the molecular mechanisms of
neurotransmitter signaling during neural tube formation. Challenging the prevailing view, we hypothesize that
vesicular glutamate release from neural plate cells is necessary for neural tube formation. Released glutamate
elicits calcium transients in neural plate cells that control expression and function of regulatory neural cell cycle
proteins like Sox2, which is a pivotal transcription factor for modulating neural stem cell renewal, proliferation
and neurogenesis, depending on its level of expression and posttranslational modifications. By using state-of-
the-art imaging and molecular approaches, we will discover the molecular mechanisms and spatiotemporal
profile of glutamate release and signaling during neural tube formation. We will identify downstream molecules
to glutamate release that control neural plate cell proliferation, their mechanisms of action and impact in the
formation of the neural tube. We will examine the role of glutamate signaling on the regulation of Sox2 expression
and function during neural plate folding. This study proposes a novel paradigm-shifting model in which
neurotransmitter signaling is functional at neural plate stages and is crucial for the formation of the neural tube.
The significance of the mechanistic knowledge gained form this study is based on the contribution it will make to
the field of NTDs and to the molecular understanding of the regulation of neural stem cell cycle progression,
which in turn will be relevant to research on brain tumors, brain and spinal cord injuries, neurogenesis in
neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders. This study, by advancing our mechanistic understanding
of ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9860958
- **Project number:** 1R01NS113859-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS
- **Principal Investigator:** Laura Noemi Borodinsky
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $416,835
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-01-15 → 2024-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9860958

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9860958, Mechanisms of neural activity during neural tube formation (1R01NS113859-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9860958. Licensed CC0.

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