Microanalytical Methods in Neurochemistry

尤因在神经递质传感和相关分析化学方面的研究得到了化学部分析和表面化学计划以及行为和神经科学中的突触机制计划的重新支持。研究将包括组装电喷雾飞行时间质谱仪，该质谱仪将用于识别和定量完整细胞膜中的脂类和磷脂。此外，还将鉴定来自单一递质囊泡的神经肽。质谱测量将补充神经递质的微电化学检测，以表征神经传递和转导。虽然已知有各种小分子将信号从一个神经细胞传递到下一个神经细胞，各种较大的分子在了解神经传递和神经细胞功能方面也很重要。其中包括细胞膜中的脂肪物质(脂类和磷脂)，其组成随细胞膜和细胞状态的不同而不同。质谱学的使用将允许从单个细胞中鉴定和阐明少量这些分子的结构。此外，还将对传递或改变神经元信号传递的多肽(氨基酸的小链或寡聚体)进行鉴定和测序。

Renewed support for Ewing's research in sensing of neurotransmitters and related analytical chemistry comes from the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program in the Chemistry Division and the Synaptic Mechanisms Program in Behavioral and Neural Sciences. Research will include assembly of an electrospray time-of-flight mass spectrometer, which will be used to identify and quantify lipids and phospholipids from intact cell membranes. In addition, neuropeptides from single transmitter vesicles will be identified. Mass spectral measurements will complement microelectrochemical detection of neurotransmitters for characterization of neural transmission and transduction. %%% While a variety of small molecules are known to transmit signals from one nerve cell to the next, a variety of larger molecules are also important in understanding neurotransmission and nerve cell function. Among these are fatty substances (lipids and phospholipids) in cell membranes, whose composition varies along the cell membrane and with the state of the cell. The use of mass spectrometry will allow identification and structure elucidation of small numbers of these molecules from single cells. In addition, peptides (small chains or oligomers of amino acids) which transmit or modify transmission of neuronal signals will be identified and sequenced.