Optical Analysis of Synaptic Integration in Cerebellar Purkinje Cells

小脑浦肯野细胞突触整合的光学分析

基本信息

批准号：
9514266
负责人：
William Ross
金额：
$ 15万
依托单位：
New York Medical College
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Continuing Grant
财政年份：
1996
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
1996-03-01 至 1999-02-28
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9514266&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
Optical Analysis Synaptic Integration Cerebellar

项目摘要

9514266 Ross The central nervous system often appears like a dense, bewildering array of neurons and of neuronal synaptic interactions. Part of the problem is that the functional significance of specific locations at which synapses occur on cells is largely unknown. The focus of research funded by this grant is on determining the significance of the spatial arrangement of synapses on Purkinje cells, which are the largest neurons in the cerebellum and which provide the only output to other parts of the brain. This focus relates to the complex problem of how voltage-dependent membrane conductances in Purkinje cell input regions, the dendrites, and the architecture of these neurons influence the integration process. Experiments are designed to determine the functional significance of the spatial patterns of these synaptic inputs. The primary technique is optical recording of calcium concentrations through the use of indicator dyes in slices of brain tissue. Calcium concentrations, when combined with an electrical recording, are good indicators of changes in intracellular potentials throughout neurons and hence of local neuronal activity. The relatively stereotyped circuitry of the cerebellar cortex provides a favorable model system for studying the functional significance of cell geometry and synaptic interactions in detail. These studies should provide much needed, detailed descriptions of synaptic interactions in critically important cerebellar neurons. Such descriptions will greatly enhance knowledge of information processing in mammalian neurons at the single cell level.

9514266罗斯中枢神经系统通常看起来像是一个致密的，令人困惑的神经元和神经元突触相互作用的阵列。问题的一部分是，在细胞上出现突触的特定位置的功能意义在很大程度上未知。该赠款资助的研究重点是确定突触在Purkinje细胞上的空间布置的重要性，Purkinje细胞是小脑中最大的神经元，并为大脑其他部位提供了唯一的输出。该重点涉及复杂的问题，即珀kinje细胞输入区域，树突和这些神经元的结构如何影响整合过程的复杂问题。实验旨在确定这些突触输入的空间模式的功能意义。主要技术是通过在脑组织切片中使用指示剂染料对钙浓度的光学记录。当钙浓度与电记录结合时，是整个神经元的细胞内电位变化以及局部神经元活性的良好指标。小脑皮层的相对定型的电路为研究细胞几何形状和突触相互作用的功能意义提供了一个有利的模型系统。这些研究应提供急需的，详细的描述，描述至关重要的小脑神经元中的突触相互作用。这种描述将大大增强单细胞水平哺乳动物神经元中信息处理的知识。