Nothing is written in stone
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1
Leiden University, Department of Neuropharmacology, LACDR/LUMC, Netherlands
‘Nothing is written in stone’ Gig said while discussing the enormous plasticity of the developing brain which he indicated invariably as the laboratory of nature. Working for more than half a century in the forefront of developmental biology, the neurosciences and endocrinology Gig was a monument, a leader. The neuroendocrine system in his mind coordinated environmental influences with hormone secretion and action, a view he developed while being a student of Geoffrey Harris in the 1960’s. As a result the Levine approach to science: carefully formulate a question, then think, discuss, write the protocol in meticulous detail, discuss and finalize. I have never been a student of Gig and although we knew each other for more than 35 years our friendship materialized only in 1986, in anecdotal fashion of which there are too much to tell. Here I will focus (i) on the mother-pup interaction experiments which were started with his seminal and pioneering publication in Science 1957 and opened up an active field focused today on epigenetic changes of gene expression induced by early life experience. (ii) the maternal deprivation model for stress-related diseases and (iii) the stress & coping concept.
References
1. Levine S, Chevalier JA, Korchin SJ. The effects of early handling and shock on later avoidance behavior. J Pers (1956) 24, 475-493.
2. Levine S. Infantile experience and resistance to physiological stress. Science (1957) 126: 405.
3. Levine S, Alpert M, Lewis GW. Infantile experience and the maturation of the pituitary adrenal axis. Science (1957)126:1347.
4. Levine S. Developmental determinants of sensitivity and resistance to stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology (2005) 30: 939-946.
Conference:
41st European Brain and Behaviour Society Meeting, Rhodes Island, Greece, 13 Sep - 18 Sep, 2009.
Presentation Type:
Oral Presentation
Topic:
Stress satellite symposium lectures
Citation:
De Kloet
ER
(2009). Nothing is written in stone.
Conference Abstract:
41st European Brain and Behaviour Society Meeting.
doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.08.2009.09.199
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Received:
10 Jun 2009;
Published Online:
10 Jun 2009.
*
Correspondence:
E. R De Kloet, Leiden University, Department of Neuropharmacology, LACDR/LUMC, Leiden, Netherlands, e.kloet@lacdr.leidenuniv.nl