SIMULATION NEUROTRANSMITTER DIFFUSION IN CEREBELLAR GLOMERULI

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中利用 资源由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。子项目和 调查员(PI)可能从NIH的另一个来源获得了主要资金， 并因此可以在其他清晰的条目中表示。列出的机构是 该中心不一定是调查人员的机构。 这个项目的目的是研究细胞外空间的几何形状对称为小脑小球的特殊突触结构内神经递质扩散的影响。我们把重点放在小脑肾小球上，因为它们独特的生理机能允许一种非经典类型的化学神经传递，借此，在给定突触接触时释放的化学物质能够到达附近的突触接触。这使我们可以问，肾小球内的释放位置是否彼此相对并相对于各种结构特征进行排列，从而产生不同于释放位置随机分布所获得的有效扩散系数。换句话说，实际释放部位之间的扩散路径是否被独特地设置为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，我们将模拟小脑小球模型的溢出扩散，其几何形状是基于电子断层重建的。本提案是两部分提案设置中的第二部分。第一部分于2007年9月中旬发出，作为发援会关于30000个服务单位的提案。这项提议要求剩余的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.