Production and Glia-Axon Transfer of Heat Shock and Other   Glial Proteins
{'Code': '08090200', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'BIO', 'LongName': 'Direct For Biological Sciences'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'IOS', 'LongName': 'Division Of Integrative Organismal Systems'}}
{'SignBlockName': None}
Neurons function better in the presence of glial cells, but few                 of the glial molecules responsible for that effect are                          known because of the difficulty in separating them from                         axonal molecules.  However, that separation can be achieved in                  the squid giant axon because of its size (typically 3-6 cm long                 and 0.5 mm in diameter).  Recently, this investigator found that                one of the glial proteins transferred into the squid axon belongs               to the group of heat stress proteins.  These proteins are                       produced in abundance by most cells after acute exposure to                     metabolic stress.  As the proteins accumulate, the cells become                 more resistant to potentially lethal stress.  The discovery of                  glia-axon transfer of stress proteins represents a potential                    breakthrough in the understanding of nervous system response to                 injury because it implies that the glia can provide to the axon                 proteins designed to keep the axon from dying in the face of                    trauma.  In the squid giant axon, biochemical, immunochemical and               morphological techniques will be used to examine the relationship               between the synthesis and glia-axon transfer of stress proteins                 and axonal stress tolerance.  Additionally, stress proteins                     transfer will be compared to the transfer of other glial proteins               to determine if there are multiple mechanisms of glia-axon                      protein transfer.                                                                                                                                               The work described in this research project will show how the                   stress protein response in nerve tissue can be enhanced.  This                  information may provide a tool that can help to ameliorate the                  loss of function after central nervous system injury.                           Potentially, recovery after nervous system trauma could be                      improved by stimulation of the production of stress proteins or                 by administering stress proteins.  More far-reaching is the                     possibility that the loss of neurons after physical trauma to the               nervous system could be reduced by proper manipulation of the                   stress protein response.
{'FirstName': 'Michael', 'LastName': 'Tytell', 'EmailAddress': 'mtytell@wfubmc.edu', 'StartDate': '09/01/1988', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}
{'Name': 'Wake Forest University School of Medicine', 'CityName': 'Winston-Salem', 'ZipCode': '271571023', 'PhoneNumber': '3367162382', 'StreetAddress': 'Medical Center Blvd', 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'North Carolina', 'StateCode': 'NC'}
{'Code': '1192', 'Text': 'NEURONAL AND GLIAL MECHANISMS'}
{'url': 'https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/download?DownloadFileName=1988&All=true', 'xml': '8811178.xml'}