SEROTONERGIC GENE FUNCTION AND BEHAVIOR IN TRANSGENIC MICE

由于酒精中毒与减少 5-羟色胺周转，我们已经集中在遗传决定因素， 能行为，以确定导致 酗酒倾向在中缝核的神经元中， 5-羟色胺的生物合成受色氨酸的活性控制， 羟化酶（TPH）酶，其是限速的。序列从 TPH启动子和上游控制区已经被 与HSV胸苷激酶的编码序列结合 基因这种构建体被引入小鼠胚胎， 创造转基因小鼠。脑内注射更昔洛韦 这些转基因小鼠可以特异性地消除 注射部位周围的神经元。这些研究报告将 用于研究多巴胺能神经元在各种 行为、神经通路和大脑发育。

Since alcoholism is associated with decreased serotonin turnover, we have focused on genetic determinants of serotonergic behaviors to identify factors contributing to a predisposition to alcoholism. In the neurons of the raphe nuclei, serotonin biosynthesis is governed by the activity of the tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) enzyme, which is rate-limiting. Sequences from the TPH promoter and upstream control regions have been combined with the coding sequence of the HSV thymidine kinase gene. This construct is being introduced into mouse embryos to create transgenic mice. Injection of ganciclovir into the brain of these transgenic mice should specifically ablate serotonergic neurons in the vacinity of the injection site. These studies will be used to investigate the role of serotonergic neurons in various behaviors, neural pathways and brain development.