University of Vermont ScholarWorks @ UVM Graduate College Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses 2009 Developmental Regulation and Function of AMPA Receptor Subunits in Chicken Lumbar Motoneurons Xianglian Ni University of Vermont Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/graddis Recommended Citation Ni, Xianglian, "Developmental Regulation and Function of AMPA Receptor Subunits in Chicken Lumbar Motoneurons" (2009). Graduate College Dissertations and Theses. 161. https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/graddis/161 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Dissertations and Theses at ScholarWorks @ UVM. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate College Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ UVM. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. DEVELOPMENTAL REGULATION AND FUNCTION OF AMPA RECEPTOR SUBUNITS IN CHICKEN LUMBAR MOTONEURONS A Dissertation Presented by Xianglian Ni to The Faculty of the Graduate College of The University of Vermont In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Specializing in Biology October, 2009 Accepted by the Facult!, of'the Graduate College, the University of Vermont, in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy specializing in Biology. Dissertation Examination Committee: Advisor LS,, ~inU0.Vigoreaux, Ph.D. (? &A- Chairperson George C. ellman, P1i.D. Associate Dean, Graduate College Patricia A. Sloko\~sl<i,P1i.D. Date: July 27. 2009 ABSTRACT Ca2+ influx through ionotropic glutamate receptors regulates a variety of developmental processes including neurite outgrowth and naturally occurring cell death. In the CNS, NMDA receptors were originally thought to be the sole source of Ca2+ influx through glutamate receptors; however, AMPA receptors also allow a significant influx of Ca2+ ions.