SIMULATION NEUROTRANSMITTER DIFFUSION IN CEREBELLAR GLOMERULI

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中的一个 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源。子项目和 研究者（PI）可能从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金， 因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。所列机构为 研究中心，而研究中心不一定是研究者所在的机构。 这个项目的目的是研究细胞外空间的几何形状对神经递质在被称为小脑肾小球的特殊突触结构中扩散的影响。我们专注于小脑肾小球，因为它们独特的生理学允许一种非经典类型的化学神经传递，在给定的突触接触释放的化学物质能够到达附近的突触接触。这使我们能够问，肾小球内的释放位点是否相对于彼此和相对于各种结构特征以这样的方式排列，以产生与释放位点随机分布所获得的有效扩散系数不同的有效扩散系数。换句话说，实际释放位点之间的扩散路径是否被独特地设置成促进或阻碍神经递质在它们之间的扩散？为了解决这个问题，我们将模拟溢出扩散模型的小脑肾小球的几何结构是基于电子断层重建。本提案是两部分提案设置中的第二部分。第一部分已于2007年9月中旬发出，作为DAC的30000个服务单位的建议。这项建议要求其余114000个服务单位。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The aim of this project is to examine the influence of the geometry of extracellular space on diffusion of neurotransmitter within specialized synaptic structures called cerebellar glomeruli. We focus on the cerebellar glomeruli since their unique physiology allows a non-classical type of chemical neurotransmission whereby chemicals released at a given synaptic contact are able to reach nearby synaptic contacts. This allows us to ask whether release sites within a glomerulus are arranged with respect to each other and with respect to various structural features in such a way as to yield a different effective diffusion coefficient than one obtained with a random distribution of release sites. In other words are diffusion paths between actual release sites uniquely set up to either facilitate or hamper diffusion of neurotransmitter between them? To address this question we will simulate spillover diffusion in models of cerebellar glomeruli whose geometry is based on electron tomographic reconstructions. This proposal is the second of two part proposal setup. The 1st portion was sent out in the middle of September 2007, as a DAC proposal for 30000 service units. This proposal requests the remaining 114000 service units.