“Molecular dissection of a unique neuroendocrine system.”

Maureen A. Peters, Ph.D., Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH 44074

In multicellular organisms, the neuroendocrine system coordinates the activities of diverse and anatomically distant tissues and organs. Knowledge of the components of a neuroendocrine system is necessary for the analysis of the system’s functionality and coordination. Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is understood in great detail at all levels—genes, cells and tissues—and offers an ideal organism for studying the principles governing neuroendocrine systems.

In C. elegans an endocrine-like signaling center controls the timing and execution of a multi-tissue motor program comprised of neuronal, muscular and intestinal cells. Proper functioning of the signaling center requires periodic intestinal calcium waves. I investigate how the intestinal calcium wave stimulates the release of signals that instruct each motor step. The molecules in the signaling pathway will be identified via genetic analysis. Once molecules are identified, the cellular basis of each molecule’s function will be investigated in detail.

Maureen A. Peters, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Biology
Oberlin College
119 Woodland Avenue
Oberlin, OH 44074
Phone: 440-775-8320
Fax: 440-775-8960
maureen.peters@oberlin.edu