Neuropeptide Analysis using Multidimensional Separation and Detection Methodology

Urbana-Champaign这个项目由伊利诺伊大学Urbana-Champaign分校的Jonathan V.Sweedler助理教授指导，专注于识别和定量测量神经元释放物，并分析单个肽泡的含量。由化学系的分析和表面化学方案以及综合生物学和神经科学系的神经内分泌学提供支持。这项工作将开发新的用于微分离的波长分辨荧光检测方法，使神经肽和经典神经递质能够在不需要化学衍生化的情况下进行识别和定量测量，提供分析单个肽能囊泡含量的方法，并开发一种能够跟踪肽释放时间过程的分离方法。这些测量都与细胞通讯的动态有关，这些研究的目的是为了更好地了解神经系统。海洋软体动物加州海兔的袋状细胞神经元将作为一个模型系统。对神经冲动传递过程中所涉及的化学途径的了解对于我们充分了解神经系统的功能是至关重要的。这项工作将通过开发跟踪多肽神经递质所需的测量技术来探索这种途径，多肽神经递质通常存在于非常低的浓度，并且在许多其他生物化合物存在的情况下被发现。

Urbana-Champaign This project, directed by Assistant Professor Jonathan V. Sweedler of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, is focused on identifying and quantitatively measuring neuronal releasates and assaying the contents of individual peptide vesicles. Support is provided by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program in the Division of Chemistry and by Neuroendocrinology in the Division of Integrative Biology and Neuroscience. The work will develop new wavelength resolved fluorescence detection methods for microseparations that allow neuropeptides and classical neurotransmitters to be identified and quantitatively measured without the need for chemical derivitization, provide methods to assay the contents of individual peptidergic vesicles, and develop a separation approach which allows the time course of peptide release to be followed. These measurements are all concerned with the dynamics of cellular communication and the studies are designed to lead to improved understanding of the nervous system. The bag cell neurons of the marine mollusk, Aplysia Californica, will serve as a model system. An understanding of the chemical pathways involved in the transmission of a nerve impulse is essential to our gaining full knowledge of how the nervous system functions. This work will explore such pathways by developing the measurement techniques needed to follow peptide neurotransmitters which are typically present in very low concentrations and which are found in the presence of many other biological compounds.