Development and Function of Mammalian Chemosensory Systems

哺乳动物化学感应系统的发展和功能

• 批准号: 6431978
• 负责人: SUSAN L. SULLIVAN
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 至
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6431978
• 关键词: G protein; axon; cell line; chemoreceptors; developmental neurobiology; gene expression; messenger RNA; neuronal guidance; olfactions; olfactory lobe; olfactory stimulus; polymerase chain reaction; protein kinase; receptor coupling; synaptogenesis; transfection /expression vector

The research goals of the Section of Molecular Neurobiology are to define the molecular mechanisms underlying the development and function of mammalian chemosensory systems. One area of emphasis is the identification of molecules that direct the establishment of the precise patterns of synaptic connectivity observed between peripheral olfactory sensory neurons and their target neurons in the olfactory bulb. Previous studies led to the identification of the sema4g gene that encodes a novel axonal guidance molecule highly expressed in chemosensory neurons of the developing olfactory and vomeronasal systems. Results obtained during the past year indicate that other members of the sema family, based on their early developmental expression patterns in sensory neurons, may act in concert with Sema4g to mediate axonal targeting. There is very little known about the cellular and molecular mechanisms critical for taste perception. During the past year, studies aimed at identifying molecules important for gustatory system function were initiated. In an attempt to identify novel genes expressed in taste buds where the initial step of gustatory information processing occurs, the expression patterns of over 200 novel EST clones derived from a rat taste tissue cDNA library were examined by in situ hybridization. Several expression profiles were observed among the genes analyzed including genes abundantly expressed in all taste buds as well as genes whose expression was limited to a subset of taste buds. Such genes will provide much needed taste bud specific markers for future developmental and functional studies. In addition, RT-PCR based approaches and database analysis have identified candidate genes, currently under study, that may encode components of the gustatory signal transduction machinery.

分子神经生物学部分的研究目标是定义哺乳动物化学感应系统发育和功能的分子机制。重点领域之一是识别指导建立外周嗅觉感觉神经元与其嗅球目标神经元之间观察到的精确突触连接模式的分子。 先前的研究导致了 sema4g 基因的鉴定，该基因编码一种新型轴突引导分子，该分子在发育中的嗅觉和犁鼻系统的化学感应神经元中高度表达。 去年获得的结果表明，sema 家族的其他成员，根据其在感觉神经元中的早期发育表达模式，可能与 Sema4g 协同作用来介导轴突靶向。 对于味觉感知至关重要的细胞和分子机制知之甚少。在过去的一年中，启动了旨在识别对味觉系统功能重要的分子的研究。 为了鉴定味蕾中表达的新基因，味蕾是味觉信息处理的初始步骤，通过原位杂交检查了来自大鼠味觉组织 cDNA 文库的 200 多个新 EST 克隆的表达模式。在分析的基因中观察到了几种表达谱，包括在所有味蕾中丰富表达的基因以及表达仅限于味蕾子集的基因。 这些基因将为未来的发育和功能研究提供急需的味蕾特异性标记。此外，基于 RT-PCR 的方法和数据库分析已经确定了目前正在研究的候选基因，它们可能编码味觉信号转导机制的组件。