Zhang, Xiaoyin2020-10-262020-10-262020-08https://hdl.handle.net/11299/216751University of Minnesota M.S. thesis.August 2020. Major: Pharmacology. Advisor: Li-Na Wei. 1 computer file (PDF); iii, 26 pages.With an increasingly aging population in the world, there are more people suffering from neurodegenerative diseases. This kind of situation creates an urgent need to research more on the factors causing neurodegenerative diseases and methods to treat and prevent neurodegenerative diseases. My project is aimed to establish a muscle/neuron, C2C12 and MN1, co-culture system mimicking neuromuscular junction (NMJ) where molecular, biochemical and immunological studies like qPCR, enzymatic detection and immunofluorescence can be performed in order to provide an in vitro platform to address various biological questions related to the disease progression or treatment. One of the immediate questions of my interest is how cellular retinoic acid-binding protein 1 (Crabp1) and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) may play roles in NMJ formation and plasticity at the cellular and molecular level. Understanding this question will provide insight into potential new therapeutic strategies for managing NMJ-related neurodegenerative diseases.enThesis or Dissertation