Columbia University

Department of Biological Sciences

W3004/W4004: Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology

 

Fall 2008

Lectures:  Tu/Th 4:10-5:25;

Location:  501 Schermerhorn

 

Recitations: 

Graduate students:  Tuesday         6:00 pm          Fairchild 1000          TA: Joe Schumacher

Group I                       Tuesday         5:45 pm          Fairchild 700             TA: Heidi Smith

Group II                      Tuesday         5:45 pm          Fairchild 900             TA: Cate Jensen

Group III                     Wednesday   4:00 pm          Fairchild 900             TA: Melissa Walker

Group IV                    Wednesday   6:15 pm          Fairchild 900             TA: Feifan Zhang

Group V                     Thursday       5:45 pm          Fairchild 900             TA: Sara Morrison

 

 

Instructor:

Jian Yang, jy160@columbia.edu            

Office Hours by appointment through e-mail;

 

TAs:

Joe Schumacher     js2880@columbia.edu

Cate Jensen             clj2113@columbia.edu

Melissa Walker         maw2106@columbia.edu

Feifan Zhang                       fz2124@columbia.edu

Heidi Smith               hks2102@columbia.edu

Sara Morrison           sem2104@columbia.edu

 

 

 

Required Text:        Neuroscience, 4th ed., 2008, Purves et al.

                        Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA

 

Supplemental Texts:

From Neuron to Brain, 4th ed., 2001, Nicholls et al.

Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA

 

                                    Principles of Neural Science, 4th ed., 2000.

                                    Eric Kandel, James Schwartz and Thomas Jessell

McGraw-Hill Companies, New York

 

 

Recitations:  A strong emphasis is placed on readings from the primary literature, which will be discussed in weekly recitations.  Students will read and discuss in depth selected research papers.  Attendance of the recitations is mandatory and active participation will count in the final grade.  Materials discussed in the recitations will be included in the exams. 

 

Class Attendance:  Attendance is not taken, however material will be presented in lectures that is not available in the text and which will appear on examinations

 

Exams and Grading: Exams and Grading:  Three exams and a final examination are given.  Each exam will cover material since the previous exam.  The final examination is entirely on papers from the primary literature.  The lowest grade of the three periodic exams will be dropped (students may choose to take only two tests).  The remaining exams will each contribute 30% towards the semester grade; the final will contribute 35% and is required.  5% will come from recitation attendance and participation. No make-up exams will be allowed except in cases of serious illness or personal crisis and the student is required to present a letter from the undergraduate dean as well as other supporting evidence (such as doctor’s notes, airline tickets etc.).

                                                         

 


SCHEDULE

 

Part I: Membrane Electrical Properties

 

Sept. 2:           Lecture 1.  Introduction, Cell Biology of the Neuron               

                        (Chapter 1)

Sept. 4:           Lecture 2.  Ionic Basis of the Resting Membrane Potential   

(Chapter 2)

 

No recitation first week of class

 

Sept. 9:           Lecture 3.  Ion Channels                                                  

 (Chapter 4)

Sept. 11:        Lecture 4.  Ion Channels                                                  

(Chapter 4)

 

Recitation 1:  Doyle et al., “The structure of the potassium channel: molecular basis of

K+ conduction and selectivity”.  Science 280, 69-77 (1998).

 

Sept. 16:        Lecture 5.  Transporters

 (Chapter 4 and slides)

Sept. 18:        Lecture 6.  Passive Electrical Properties of the Neuron         

(Chapter 3)

 

Recitation 2:  Problem set

 

Sept. 23:        Lecture 7.  Ionic Basis of the Action Potential                          

(Chapter 2, 3)

Sept. 25:        Lecture 8.  Generation and Propagation of Action Potentials           

(Chapter 3)

 

Recitation 3: Kaplan et al., Induction of sodium channel clustering by oligodendrocytes Nature 386, 724-728 (1997)
 

Sept 30:         Lecture 9.   Synaptic Transmission: Overview, Neuromuscular Junction

                        (Chapter 5)     

Oct. 2:             EXAM I (Lectures 1-8, Recitations 1-3)

 

No recitation this week

 


Part II: Synaptic Transmission

 

Oct. 7.             Lecture 10.  Synaptic Transmission: Neuromuscular Junction, CNS

(Chapter 5, 6)                                                                                   

Oct. 9.             Lecture 11.  Synaptic Transmission: CNS                                   

(Chapter 5, 6)

                                                           

No recitation this week

 

Oct. 14.           Lecture 12.  Synaptic Transmission: Slow Synapses             

(Chapter 5, 7)

Oct. 16.           Lecture 13.  Presynaptic Mechanisms: Transmitter Release

(Chapter 5) 

 

Recitation 4: Biederer et al., “SynCAM, a synaptic adhesion molecule that drives synapse assembly”.  Science 297, 1525-1531 (2002).

 

Oct. 21.          

 

Oct. 23.        

 

Recitation 5:  Fernandez-Chacon et al.  “Synaptotagmin I functions as a calcium regulator of release probability”.  Nature 410, 41-49 (2001).

 

Oct. 28.           Lecture 14.  Synaptic Plasticity  

                        (Chapter 8)   

Oct. 30.           Lecture 15.  Biochemistry of Neurotransmitters           

                        (Chapter 6)   

           

Recitation 6: Kopec et al., “Glutamate Receptor Exocytosis and Spine Enlargement
during Chemically Induced Long-Term Potentiation”.  Journal of Neuroscience 26, 2000 –2009 (2006).
 


Part III: Sensory Physiology

 

Nov. 4.            Off (election day)

Nov. 6.            EXAM II (Lectures 9-15, recitations 4-6) 

 

No recitation this week

 

Nov. 11.         Lecture 16.  Introduction: Coding of Sensory Signals

                                                Phototransduction and Color Vision

                         (Chapter 11)                                                                                    

Nov. 13.         Lecture 17.  Phototransduction and Color Vision

(Chapter 11)                                                                                     

 

Recitation 7: Palczewski, K. et al. Crystal structure of rhodopsin: A G protein-coupled receptor.” Science 2000 Aug 4;289 (5480):739-45.

 

Nov. 18.         Lecture 18.  Mechanotransduction in the Ear                          

                        (Chapter 13)

Nov. 20.         Lecture 19.  Taste                          

                        (Chapter 15) and reading 

 

Recitation 8: Zheng J. et al. “Prestin is the motor protein of cochlear outer hair cells.”
Nature 2000 May 11;405
(6783):149-55.

 

Nov. 25          Lecture 20.  Olfaction                                                                                                                     (Chapter 15) and reading  

Nov. 27          Off (Thanksgiving)

 

Recitation 9: Zhang, X. and S. Firestein (2002). "The olfactory receptor gene superfamily of the mouse." Nat Neurosci 5 (2): 124-33.

 

 Dec.2.            Lecture 21.  Pain                                                                            

                        (Chapter 10)

 

 Dec. 4.           EXAM III (Lectures 16-21, recitations 8-10)

 

 

Dec. 16.         4:10 - 7 pm Final exam

 

The final exam will consist of three sets of questions on selected research articles. It is suggested that you read and analyze these papers prior to the exam, since the exam will be closed-book; i.e. you CANNOT look at the articles, notes or textbook during the exam. You may discuss these papers with other students, but not with the instructors or the TAs.