A 3D Neurosterol Atlas of Mouse Brain

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The sterol category of lipids, including cholesterol, its precursors and metabolites (oxysterols and steroids), are important biomolecules in the brain. Cholesterol is the major component of the myelin sheaths which surround neurons. Many sterols are biologically active molecules regulating many brain functions and behaviours, such as memory, cognition, stress and mood. These molecules are localized and enriched in different brain regions according to the biological roles they play. However, sterol distributions in brain are poorly defined due to lack of technology which has hampered our understanding about how the brain functions and loses function with ageing.Bioimaging provides an image of biomolecular abundance, molecule by molecule, in a tissue, allowing visualization of the quantitative and spatial distribution of different molecules within a tissue. Mass spectrometry imaging is an emerging powerful tool for bioimaging. We will use this technology to construct a 3D map or atlas of sterol molecules in the brains of mice from developmental stage to young adult to aged mice. Scientists will use our Atlas to find out where different sterol molecules are located in the brain and how their abundance correlates with brain functional region. The resource will support many aspects of neuroscience research which address healthy aging.