Action and function of the neuropeptide gastrin-releasing peptide in stress and memory formation

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This proposal is designed to test the function of neuropeptides in fear memory.Intricate neuronal networks in the brain allow proper reactions to environmental cues and processing of information. Different physiological and emotional states like stress and happiness can have strong impact onto functioning of neuronal networks and thus onto processing and memorization of sensory cues. One major process that underlies these state-dependent changes is neuromodulation. Neuromodulators are small molecules and peptides that are usually released from neurons and can influence metabolic and transcriptional states of hundreds of neurons simultaneously. Well-known neuromodulators are dopamine, serotonin and acetylcholine that are essential in the modulation and effects of motivation, happiness and attention respectively. One less well-known neuromodulator is the neuropeptide gastrin-releasing peptide, GRP. GRP is released from neurons upon stressful stimuli and previous studies suggested a role in the modulation of fear memories. Studies on GRP are however anecdotal focusing only on few brain areas and few behavioral effects. We found an interesting expression pattern of GRP and its receptor in cortical areas, brain areas that are required for processing of sensory inputs, motor outputs and higher order cognition. The expression pattern suggests a role for GRP in memory formation in these brain areas. We aim to elucidate the effects of GRP on cortical neuronal networks and its function in the modulation of fear memories. We thus investigate signaling pathways that might play an important role in the development of posttraumatic stress disorders.