Determination of sympathetic preganglionic neuronal phenotype

神经系统是我们身体中最复杂的部分。它的功能取决于神经元之间数以百万计的连接，所有这些连接都必须在发育过程中正确形成。此外，每个神经元必须选择一种神经递质来与目标神经元交流。神经递质是神经元释放的一种化学物质，它将信号传递给目标细胞。有些神经递质使目标细胞兴奋，有些则抑制。每种神经递质通过与神经递质相匹配的受体分子向目标细胞传递信号。因此，神经元不仅要选择在发育中的大脑中建立哪些连接，还必须从一系列潜在的神经递质和受体分子中进行选择。我们感兴趣的是神经元如何选择合适的神经递质。有很多方法可以引导神经元做出正确的选择。它有可能从目标细胞接收到指导神经递质选择的信号。我们希望检验这一假设，看看它是否适用于自主神经系统，即控制血压和心率变化等功能的神经系统的一部分。我们实验室在鉴定自主神经细胞的化学成分方面是专家。我们将利用这些知识来观察当我们故意扰乱自主神经元的正常连接时会发生什么。它们是否会坚持表达它们在受到干扰之前会表达的神经递质？或者，它们是否通过从新靶细胞接收的信号来适应靶标的变化，并表达适当的表型？这些实验的结果将使我们深入了解大脑是如何发育的。这一结果对于我们对生物学的基本理解和发展逆转神经元损伤的技术都是重要的。

The nervous system is the single most complex part of our body. Its function depends on millions of connections between neurons, all of which must form correctly during development. Furthermore, each neuron must select a neurotransmitter with which to talk to its target neuron. A neurotransmitter is a chemical released from a neuron, which passes a signal to a target cell. Some neurotransmitters cause excitation of the target cell, others inhibition. Each neurotransmitter signals to the target cell via receptor molecule, matched to the neurotransmitter. Thus, a neuron is faced not only with making choices about what connections to make within the developing brain, but also it must select from a range of potential neurotransmitters and receptor molecules. We are interested in how neurons select the appropriate neurotransmitter. There are a number of ways that a neuron might be guided to the correct choice. It is possible that it could receive from the target cell a signal that guides the choice of neurotransmitter. We wish to examine this hypothesis to see if it is applicable to the autonomic nervous system, that part of the nervous system that controls functions like changes in blood pressure and heart rate. Our laboratory is expert in identifying the chemistry of autonomic neurons. We will use this knowledge to see what happens when we deliberately perturb the normal connections of autonomic neurons. Do they persist in expressing the neurotransmitters they would have done prior to the perturbation? Alternatively, do they adapt to the change of target via a signal received from the new target cell and express the appropriate phenotype? The results of these experiments will give insights into how the brain develops. The results will be important for both our basic understanding of biology and as a basis for the development of techniques for reversing neuronal damage.