P. Elyse Schauwecker
Associate Professor, Department of Cell and Neurobiology, Keck School of Medicine
Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy
Research Topics
- Molecular genetics and pathogenesis of epilepsy
- Cellular and molecular mechanisms of excitotoxic neuronal death
Research Overview
The general focus of my research program is on understanding the relationship between complex traits and genetic susceptibility to disorders of the central nervous system. The laboratory focuses on localizing and identifying genes that determine seizure-induced excitotoxic cell death susceptibility in an animal model of epilepsy. Although we have learned a great deal about neuronal damage in epilepsy in the last decade, our understanding of the molecular pathways that regulate cell death after seizure activity remain in their infancy and largely lag behind work in other areas of brain injury. Animal models for seizure-related traits provide an important opportunity to explore mechanisms responsible for different aspects of this uniquely human disease. Previously, we had determined that resistance to seizure-induced excitotoxic cell death varies among commonly used inbred mouse strains, and some of this variation is assumed to have a genetic basis. Using these mice, we had previously identified three chromosomal regions that contain genes that influence susceptibility to excitotoxin-induced cell death in mice using genome exclusion mapping with DNA-based markers. The strongest and most significant locus, on chromosome 18, was confirmed using linkage analysis and systematic genomic screening in congenic strains of mice. Current work is focused upon screening a number of candidate genes at both the DNA, mRNA and protein level from these loci for causative genetic variation by performing both genetic association studies as well as functional studies in brain tissue with techniques such as in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, expression arrays, QRT-PCR and SNP typing. The identification of these epilepsy susceptibility genes may illuminate new pathways involved in epilepsy as well as hypoxia, stroke and other related pathologies, and could also lead to the identification of diagnostic measures and potential therapies for early intervention.Contact Information
- E-mail:
- schauwec@usc.edu
- Mailing Address:
- Keck School of Medicine of USC
Department of Cell and Neurobiology
BMT 403
1333 San Pablo Street
Los Angeles, CA 90089-9112 - Office Location:
- BMT B-12
- Office Phone:
- (323) 442-2116
- Lab Location:
- BMT B-12
- Lab Phone:
- (323) 442-1225
- Fax:
- (323) 442-3466
Education
- B.S., University of California, Irvine 1986.
- M.S., University of Southern California, 1990.
- Ph.D., University of Southern California, 1994.
- Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of Virginia, 1994-1997.
Research Images
Selected Publications
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Schauwecker PE, Wood RI, Lorenzana A. (2009) Neuroprotection against excitotoxic brain injury in mice after ovarian steroid depletion. Brain Res. 1265:37-46.
-PubMed
McCord MC, Lorenzana A, Bloom CS, Chancer ZO, Schauwecker PE. (2008) Effect of age on kainate-induced seizure severity and cell death. Neuroscience 154(3):1143-1153. -PubMed
Kong S, Lorenzana A, Deng Q, McNeill TH, Schauwecker PE. (2008) Variation in Galr1 expression determines susceptibility to excitotoxin-induced cell death in mice. Genes, Brain Behav. 7:587-598. -PubMed
Lorenzana A, Chancer Z, Schauwecker PE. (2007) A quantitative trait locus on chromosome 18 is a critical determinant of excitotoxic cell death susceptibility. Eur J Neurosci. 25(7):1998-2008. -PubMed
Schauwecker PE. (2007) Role of genetic influences in animal models of status. Epilepsia 48(Suppl 8):21-23. -PubMed
Schauwecker PE. (2006) Genetic influence on neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of two strains of adult mice. Brain Res. 1120(1):83-92. -PubMed
Schauwecker PE. (2005) Susceptibility to excitotoxic and metabolic striatal neurodegeneration in the mouse is genotype dependent. Brain Res. 1040(1-2):112-120. -PubMed
Schauwecker PE, Williams RW, Santos JB. (2004) Genetic control of sensitivity to hippocampal cell death induced by kainic acid: a quantitative trait loci analysis. J Comp Neurol 477(1):96-107. -PubMed
Schauwecker PE. (2003) Genetic basis of kainate-induced excitotoxicity in mice: phenotypic modulation of seizure-induced cell death. Epilepsy Res 55(3):201-210.
-PubMed
Santos JB, Schauwecker PE. (2003) Protection provided by cyclosporin A against excitotoxic neuronal death is genotype dependent. Epilepsia 44(8):995-1002. -PubMed