Hui-Chen (Ruth) Lu Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Depts. of Pediatrics, Division of Neuroscience and Program in Developmental Biology,  Baylor College of Medicine

B.S., National Taiwan Univ., Taiwan, 1991
Ph.D., Baylor College of Medicine. 1997
Post-Doc, Baylor College of Medicine (1997-2003)

Research Interests: Molecular Mechanisms of Cortical Map Development

Research Interests:

One prominent feature of the mammalian brain is the topographical representation of the external sensory world. Common examples are the homunculus map in somatosensory cortex representing the body surface and the retinotopic map in visual cortex. These maps are distinguished by their extraordinary precision, with organized arrays of afferents projecting into distinct neuronal modules. Remarkably, these cortical maps that form in every individual can be altered by exposure to abnormal sensory experience during a “critical period” of postnatal development. Mis-wiring of neuronal circuits during early life is likely to be a major cause for neurological disorders, including autism, dyslexia, schizophrenia, and congenital epilepsy.

What is the nature of such activity-dependent processes? How does sensory experience influence the organization of neural circuits? What determines the critical period of cortical map plasticity? We use mouse barrel map as a model system to explore the activity-dependent processes affecting cortical map development and plasticity to take advantage of the beautiful pattern as well as the power of transgenic mouse technology. The prominent anatomical feature of “barrels” has allowed the identification of several mutants with barrel map deficits, includes barrelless mice (the null mutant mice of calcium-activated adenylyl cyclase I, AC1), the loss-of-function mutant mice of mGluR5 (metabotropic glutamate receptor) and PKARIIβ (protein kinase A regulatory subunit II β subunit).

Our previous studies with barrelless mice strongly support the role of cAMP in activity-dependent processes in the precise whisker-to-barrel connections, and protein kinase A (PKA) is its major target. We will use several barrelless mice to focus on the role of cAMP/PKA signaling cascades in cortical map development. A combination of electrophysiological, pharmacological, anatomical, and biochemical techniques will be employed to elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying cortical map development and plasticity.

Selected Publications:

1. Beat Lutz*, Hui-Chen Lu*, Gregor Eichele, David Miller and Thomas C. Kaufman (1996) “Rescue of Drosophila labial null mutant by the chicken ortholog Hoxb-1 demonstrates that the function of Hox gene is phylogenetically conserved”, Genes and Development, 10: 176-184. (* equal contributions)
2. Hui-Chen Lu, Gregor Eichele and Christina Thaller (1997) “Ligand-bound RXR can mediate retinoid signal transduction during embryogenesis”, Development, 124: 195-203.
3. Hui-Chen Lu, Jean-Pierre Revelli, Lisa Goering, Christina Thaller and Gregor Eichele (1997) “Retinoid signaling is required for the establishment of a ZPA and for the expression of Hoxb-8, a mediator of ZPA formation”, Development, 124: 1643-1651.
4. Hui-Chen Lu, Eric C. Swindell, Walter D. Sierralta, Gregor Eichele and Christina Thaller (2001) "Evidence for a role of protein kinase C in FGF signal transduction in the developing chick limb bud", Development, 128: 2451-2460.
5. Hui-Chen Lu, Ernesto Gonazlez and Michael C. Crair (2001) "Barrel cortex critical period plasticity is independent of changes in NMDA receptor subunit composition”, Neuron, 32: 619-634.
6. Hui-Chen Lu, Wei-Chi She, Daniel T. Plas, Paul E. Neumann, Roger Janz and Michael C. Crair (2003) "Adenylyl cyclase I regulates AMPA receptor trafficking during mouse cortical ‘barrel’ map development”, Nature Neuroscience, 6: 939-947. 
7. James Carson, Tao Ju, Hui-Chen Lu, Christina Thaller, Mei Xu, Sarah L. Pallas, Joe Warren, Michael C. Crair, Wah Chiu, and Gregor Eichele (2005) “A digital atlas to characterize the mouse brain transcriptome”, PLoS Comput Bio, 1: e41.
8. Yuan Fan, Desdemona Fricker, Darrin H. Brager, Xixi Chen, Hui-Chen Lu, Raymond A. Chitwood, and Daniel Johnston (2005) “Activity-dependent decrease of excitability in hippocampal neurons through increases in I_h”, Nature Neuroscience, 8:1542-51.
9. Lu HC, Butts DA, Kaeser PS, She WC, Janz R, Crair MC. Role of efficient neurotransmitter release in barrel map development.  Journal of Neuroscience 2006 Mar 8;26(10):2692-703.
10. Inan M, Lu HC, Albright MJ, She WC, Crair MC.  Barrel map development relies on protein kinase A regulatory subunit II beta-mediated cAMP signaling.  Journal of Neuroscience 2006 Apr 19;26(16):4338-49.

Contact Information:

Hui-Chen Lu Ph.D.
The Cain Foundation Laboratories
The Feigin Center, Suite 955 MC 3-6365
1102 Bates Street
Houston, Texas 77030
Tel: 832-824-3966
Email: hclu@bcm.tmc.edu

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(c)1998-2006 Baylor College of Medicine
Cain Foundation Pediatric Neurology Research Foundation Laboratories
   Feigin Center, Suite 955, Texas Children's Hospital
1102 Bates Avenue, MC 3-6365
Houston, TX 77030
Phone: 832-824-3968 | Fax: 832-825-4217
E-mail: Cain_Found@bcm.tmc.edu

Last Modified: May 3, 2007