Molecular mechanisms underlying the transmitter release at the serotonergic axon terminals

血清素能轴突末端递质释放的分子机制

• 批准号: MR/X012131/1
• 负责人: Jing Ren
• 金额: $ 38.91万
• 依托单位: MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2022 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR%2FX012131%2F1
• 关键词: Molecular; mechanisms; underlying; transmitter; release

We are applying for a confocal microscope so that we can characterize the properties and the mechanisms of neurotransmitter release at the serotonergic terminals. One in four adults experiences at least one diagnosable mental illness in any given year. Mental illnesses represent the largest single cause of disability in the UK and worldwide. The serotonin system is the most widely used target for treating mental disorders, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are the most commonly prescribed antidepressants. Despite its importance, we still know very little about the molecular player involved in serotonin release in the brain. Meanwhile, there are other neurotransmitters, such as glutamate, that can be released together with serotonin from the same nerve. We don't know the mechanism behind the decision made by the nerve, about when and how the individual transmitter is released. In this study, we plan to answer these questions. Recently, scientists find that they can label the neighbouring proteins of an interesting molecule with biotin and then identify these labelled proteins by mass spectrometry. We use this strategy to map the proteins that are involved in the regulation of the release of serotonin and other transmitters localized in the same nerve. To study the functions of these proteins, we have established a 3D model mimicking the projection of the nerves containing serotonin that can be put in a dish. This is achieved by using organoid and assembloid technologies, culturing cells from certain brain regions of mouse embryos to form structures resembling neuronal connections in the brain. We can use molecular tools to express or knock out certain genes from neurons in our 3D model. These tools include optogenetics, genetically encoded fluorescent sensors, and CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing system. Optogenetic tools are light-sensitive proteins that can modulate neurons' activity when they are triggered by light. The newly developed genetically encoded serotonin sensor will generate a fluorescent signal once it detects serotonin. We will express optogenetic tools in the serotonergic cells and activate several spots in the nerves by shining multiple beams of laser, and monitor serotonin release from these nerves by imaging the surrounding cells that express serotonin sensors. We can also use a glutamate sensor to detect glutamate release from the same nerves. At the same time, we will perform electrophysiological recording from the imaged neurons to examine the effects caused by these transmitters. This experiment requires high resolution in both time and space, as well as coordination among the multi-point stimulation system, the imaging system and the electrophysiological system. We will achieve this by setting up a multi-functional live imaging rig with a high-end laser scanning confocal. This will allow us to characterize the properties of transmitter release at the serotonergic nerve terminals. We will then use CRISPR-Cas9 strategy to knock out the genes encoding the proteins we mapped and use our multi-functional rig to test how the removal of these proteins influences the release properties. Our results will provide a fundamentally deeper understanding of the molecular mechanism behind co-transmission at the serotonergic terminals. They will also uncover new molecular and physiological signatures of serotonin transmission that could provide entirely novel drug targets for treating mental disorders.

我们正在申请共焦显微镜，以便我们能够表征血清素末端神经递质释放的特性和机制。四分之一的成年人在任何一年中至少经历一种可诊断的精神疾病。精神疾病是英国乃至全世界残疾的最大单一原因。血清素系统是治疗精神障碍最广泛使用的靶点，选择性血清素再摄取抑制剂是最常用的抗抑郁药。尽管它很重要，但我们对大脑中参与血清素释放的分子参与者仍然知之甚少。同时，还有其他神经递质，例如谷氨酸，可以与同一神经的血清素一起释放。我们不知道神经做出的决定背后的机制，即何时以及如何释放单个递质。在这项研究中，我们计划回答这些问题。最近，科学家发现他们可以用生物素标记一个有趣分子的邻近蛋白质，然后通过质谱法识别这些标记的蛋白质。我们使用这种策略来绘制参与调节血清素和位于同一神经的其他递质的释放的蛋白质。为了研究这些蛋白质的功能，我们建立了一个 3D 模型，模拟含有血清素的神经的投影，可以将其放入培养皿中。这是通过使用类器官和组装体技术来实现的，培养来自小鼠胚胎某些大脑区域的细胞，形成类似于大脑中神经元连接的结构。我们可以使用分子工具在 3D 模型中表达或敲除神经元中的某些基因。这些工具包括光遗传学、基因编码荧光传感器和 CRISPR-Cas9 基因编辑系统。光遗传学工具是光敏蛋白质，当神经元被光触发时，可以调节神经元的活动。新开发的基因编码血清素传感器一旦检测到血清素就会产生荧光信号。我们将在血清素能细胞中表达光遗传学工具，并通过照射多束激光激活神经中的多个点，并通过对表达血清素传感器的周围细胞进行成像来监测这些神经的血清素释放。我们还可以使用谷氨酸传感器来检测同一神经释放的谷氨酸。同时，我们将对成像神经元进行电生理记录，以检查这些递质引起的影响。该实验要求时间和空间的高分辨率，以及多点刺激系统、成像系统和电生理系统之间的协调。我们将通过建立具有高端激光扫描共焦的多功能实时成像装置来实现这一目标。这将使我们能够表征血清素能神经末梢递质释放的特性。然后，我们将使用 CRISPR-Cas9 策略敲除编码我们绘制的蛋白质的基因，并使用我们的多功能装置来测试这些蛋白质的去除如何影响释放特性。我们的结果将从根本上更深入地了解血清素能末端共同传输背后的分子机制。他们还将发现血清素传输的新分子和生理特征，这可以为治疗精神障碍提供全新的药物靶点。