# Genetic Control of Circuit Assembly in the Vertebrate Spinal Cord

> **NIH NIH R35** · NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · 2020 · $958,945

## Abstract

Project Summary
 The neural circuits controlling motor behaviors vital to mammals, including walking, breathing, and
balance, rely on the ability of neurons within the spinal cord to establish selective connections during
development. Work over the past decade has provided a fairly comprehensive understanding of the
genetic pathways that determine the identity of each major neuronal class within the neural tube. The
mechanisms through which neurons acquire subtype identities necessary for the incorporation into a
particular motor circuit are, however, still poorly defined. Our studies on the specification of spinal
motor neurons indicate that the large family of Hox transcription factors play key roles in generating
the hundreds of subtypes required for selective innervation of muscle. Hox proteins orchestrate
genetic programs that control diverse aspects of motor neuron maturation, including their topographic
organization, peripheral target muscle specificity, and presynaptic partners. Emerging studies from
our group also indicate that Hox genes function in multiple neuronal classes to shape synaptic
specificity during development, suggesting a broader role in circuit assembly. The overall goals of the
proposed research are to elucidate the mechanisms of neural diversification and connectivity within
the spinal cord, and to determine how Hox-dependent and -independent genetic programs establish
the circuit architectures necessary for motor control. Ultimately, we hope to uncover the pathways
through which genetically encoded developmental programs contribute to the emergence of specific
motor behaviors. Our approach integrates selective genetic manipulations of neuronal subtypes,
genome-wide interrogation of regulatory networks, modern circuit-tracing methods, comparative
analyses in multiple vertebrate organisms, and rigorous analyses of behavior. Elucidating the basic
mechanisms of motor circuit assembly will provide foundational insights relevant to the design of
therapeutic strategies to treat degenerative diseases of spinal neurons or repair motor circuits
damaged by injury.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9986298
- **Project number:** 1R35NS116858-01
- **Recipient organization:** NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** JEREMY S DASEN
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $958,945
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-05-01 → 2028-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9986298

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9986298, Genetic Control of Circuit Assembly in the Vertebrate Spinal Cord (1R35NS116858-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9986298. Licensed CC0.

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