Protein-targeting motifs serve as addresses for subcellular protein localization. This feature of targeting-motifs was used to study the retina. The first part of the dissertation reports in the axonless spiking AII amacrine cell of the mammalian retina a dendritic process sharing organizational and functional similarities with the axon initial segment, the typical site of action potential initiation. This process was revealed through viral-mediated expression of channelrhodopsin-2-GFP (ChR2-GFP) with the AIS-targeting motif of sodium channels (NavII-III) and was shown to be the site of spike initiation. The second part of the dissertation aimed to improve microbial rhodopsin-mediated gene therapy for vision restoration by using targeting-motifs to recreate center-surround antagonism in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Results of the study showed that a smaller center and a larger encompassing surround receptive field can be generated directly in a single RGC both morphologically and physiologically through the use of protein targeting motifs. Motif-targeting may be a promising approach in restoring center-surround antagonism in the RGC despite bypassing intraretinal processing.
","abstract_html":"<p>Protein-targeting motifs serve as addresses for subcellular protein localization. This feature of targeting-motifs was used to study the retina. The first part of the dissertation reports in the axonless spiking AII amacrine cell of the mammalian retina a dendritic process sharing organizational and functional similarities with the axon initial segment, the typical site of action potential initiation. This process was revealed through viral-mediated expression of channelrhodopsin-2-GFP (ChR2-GFP) with the AIS-targeting motif of sodium channels (NavII-III) and was shown to be the site of spike initiation. The second part of the dissertation aimed to improve microbial rhodopsin-mediated gene therapy for vision restoration by using targeting-motifs to recreate center-surround antagonism in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Results of the study showed that a smaller center and a larger encompassing surround receptive field can be generated directly in a single RGC both morphologically and physiologically through the use of protein targeting motifs. Motif-targeting may be a promising approach in restoring center-surround antagonism in the RGC despite bypassing intraretinal processing.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Wu, Chaowen"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Ph.D.","degree_level":"Open Access Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Anatomy and Cell Biology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Zhuo-Hua Pan"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2011,"date_issued":"2011-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2011-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:58:57Z","subjects":["Action potential, AII amacrine cell, Center-surround antagonism, Channelrhodopsin, Protein targeting motif, Retinal ganglion cell","Neurosciences"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations/362","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Zhuo-Hua Pan"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Wu, Chaowen"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2011-01-01T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Anatomy and Cell Biology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ph.D."]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Action potential, AII amacrine cell, Center-surround antagonism, Channelrhodopsin, Protein targeting motif, Retinal ganglion cell","Neurosciences"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations/362"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Protein-targeting motifs serve as addresses for subcellular protein localization. This feature of targeting-motifs was used to study the retina. The first part of the dissertation reports in the axonless spiking AII amacrine cell of the mammalian retina a dendritic process sharing organizational and functional similarities with the axon initial segment, the typical site of action potential initiation. This process was revealed through viral-mediated expression of channelrhodopsin-2-GFP (ChR2-GFP) with the AIS-targeting motif of sodium channels (NavII-III) and was shown to be the site of spike initiation. The second part of the dissertation aimed to improve microbial rhodopsin-mediated gene therapy for vision restoration by using targeting-motifs to recreate center-surround antagonism in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Results of the study showed that a smaller center and a larger encompassing surround receptive field can be generated directly in a single RGC both morphologically and physiologically through the use of protein targeting motifs. Motif-targeting may be a promising approach in restoring center-surround antagonism in the RGC despite bypassing intraretinal processing.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Expression of microbial rhodopsins in retinal neurons with subcellular targeting motifs: for the study of the structure/function of aii amacrine cells and for vision restoration"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Zhuo-Hua Pan"],"dc:creator":["Wu, Chaowen"],"dc:date.available":["2011-01-01T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Protein-targeting motifs serve as addresses for subcellular protein localization. This feature of targeting-motifs was used to study the retina. The first part of the dissertation reports in the axonless spiking AII amacrine cell of the mammalian retina a dendritic process sharing organizational and functional similarities with the axon initial segment, the typical site of action potential initiation. This process was revealed through viral-mediated expression of channelrhodopsin-2-GFP (ChR2-GFP) with the AIS-targeting motif of sodium channels (NavII-III) and was shown to be the site of spike initiation. The second part of the dissertation aimed to improve microbial rhodopsin-mediated gene therapy for vision restoration by using targeting-motifs to recreate center-surround antagonism in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Results of the study showed that a smaller center and a larger encompassing surround receptive field can be generated directly in a single RGC both morphologically and physiologically through the use of protein targeting motifs. Motif-targeting may be a promising approach in restoring center-surround antagonism in the RGC despite bypassing intraretinal processing.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations/362"],"dc:subject":["Action potential, AII amacrine cell, Center-surround antagonism, Channelrhodopsin, Protein targeting motif, Retinal ganglion cell","Neurosciences"],"dc:title":["Expression of microbial rhodopsins in retinal neurons with subcellular targeting motifs: for the study of the structure/function of aii amacrine cells and for vision restoration"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Anatomy and Cell Biology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Open Access Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ph.D."]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:58:57Z"}