Brain development is a finely orchestrated process. Transient abnormalities, such as delayed or excessive growth of axons and dendrites in neurons can have a prolonged impact in the formation of functional connections. Early postnatal stages are critical periods, in which both intrinsic genetic programs and sensory experience participate in the formation and refinement of functional circuitry. My lab uses mouse olfactory system as a model to study the molecular mechanisms of neuronal network formation and plasticity. Using a combination of cell biological, genetic and molecular biological approaches, we are focused on studying molecules that regulate olfactory sensory axon growth and guidance, mitral cell dendritic differentiation and olfactory circuitry formation.

Cheng TW, and Gong Q., Secreted TARSH regulates olfactory mitral cell dendritic complexity. Eur J Neurosci 2009;29: 1083-1095. Tran H. Chen H. Walz A. Posthumus J.C. and Gong Q., Influence of olfactory epithelium on mitral/tufted cell dendritic outgrowth. PLoS One 2008;3(11): e3816 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0003816. Chen H. Dadsetan S. Fomina A.F. and Gong Q., Expressing exogenous functional odorant receptors in cultured olfactory sensory neurons. Neural Dev 2008;3:22. Lee W. Cheng T.W. and Gong Q., Olfactory sensory neuron specific and sexually dimorphic expression of protocadherin 20. J Comp Neurol 2008;507(1): 1076-86. Chen H. Kohno K. and Gong Q., Conditional ablation of mature olfactory sensory neurons mediated by diphtheria toxin receptor. J Neurocytology 2005;34: 37-47.