This book adopts modern molecular biology techniques to provide evidence demonstrating the transcription factor alpha-Pal/NRF-1 is a critical regulator of the human IAP/CD47 gene. This book provides evidence to demonstrate a novel function of alpha-Pal/NRF-1 in regulation of neurite outgrowth in neurons and this function is mediated by its downstream gene IAP/CD47. This book describes practical tips for promoter studies and protein functions in neurons, such as RNA isolation, reverse-transcription-polymerase chain reaction, site-directed mutagenesis, deletion constructs, electrophoretic mobility shift and supershift assays, luciferase assays, isolation of stable cell lines, primary neuronal cultures, transient transfection, immunofluorescence microscopy, and measurements of neurite outgrowth. Therefore, this is a reference book for molecular neuroscientists to study neuronal genes and functions.
