Biochemical measures of gene expression networks and neural circuits.

哺乳动物大脑最吸引人的方面之一是它是可塑性的。也就是说，它展示了根据经验做出改变的能力。神经可塑性是所有类型的经验驱动的、长期改变大脑功能的基础。这是一个促进行为发生持久变化的基本过程。虽然可塑性可以导致促进适应行为的变化，如学习、社会识别和联想记忆，但它也可以促进适应不良的变化，如伤害性超敏和成瘾。哺乳动物的大脑中发生了许多协调的细胞和分子事件来协调行为，数十年的研究表明，神经元具有改变其功能、遗传图谱和结构的能力。尽管如此，对神经可塑性所涉及的基本机制仍然缺乏完整的了解，我们仍然不完全了解神经元回路如何随着经验的变化而变化。此外，由于神经可塑性代表了促进行为适应性和非适应性变化的基本过程，如记忆和伤害性超敏，一个重要的问题仍然存在：所有的神经可塑性系统是否都以相同的方式工作，或者是否有特定的神经可塑性变化与特定的经验相关？为此，PI和共同申请者利用雌性和雄性小鼠和大鼠，跨越神经发育的不同阶段，研究正常和异常的大脑功能。我们是一个多元化的神经科学研究人员小组，他们将利用所需的设备来测量组织样本中的蛋白质、DNA和RNA。通过测量这些分子，我们将更深入地了解大脑功能如何随着经验的变化而变化。我们要求一种先进的系统，能够在一个样本中测量多个目标，产生强大的分析，允许对数据进行强有力的、有信心的解释。我们的实验将测量蛋白质表达水平的活性依赖变化，以及蛋白质的酶依赖修饰。这种设备将被许多受训人员大量使用，他们将获得宝贵的分子生物学技能，为他们在工业和生物技术部门的职业生涯提供重要技能。

One of the most fascinating aspects of the mammalian brain is that it is plastic. That is, it displays the ability to change in response to experience. Neuroplasticity underlies all types of experience-driven, long-term changes brain function. It is a fundamental process that promotes lasting changes in behaviour. Whereas plasticity can lead to changes that promote adaptive behaviours, such as learning, social recognition, and associative memory, it can also promote maladaptive changes, such as nociceptive hypersensitivity and addiction. Numerous coordinated cellular and molecular events take place in the mammalian brain to orchestrate behaviour, and decades of research have shown that neurons possess the capacity to change their function, genetic profile, and structure. Despite this, a complete understanding of the basic mechanisms involved in neuroplasticity is still lacking, and we still do not fully understand how neuronal circuits change in response to experience. Moreover, as neuroplasticity represents fundamental processes that promote both adaptive and maladaptive changes in behaviour, such as memory and nociceptive hypersensitivity, an important question remains: Do all neuroplasticity systems work the same way, or are there specific neuroplastic changes associated with specific experiences? Toward this end, the PI and co-applicants work with female and male mice and rats, across different stages of neurodevelopment, to investigate normal and aberrant brain function. We are a diverse group of neuroscience researchers that will utilize the requested equipment to measure protein, DNA, and RNA in tissue samples. By measuring these molecules, we will gain a deeper understanding of how brain function changes in response to experience. We are requesting an advanced system that will enable measures of multiple targets in one sample, yielding powerful analyses that allow for strong, confident interpretations of data. Our experiments will measure activity-dependent changes in protein expression levels, and enzyme-dependent modifications of proteins. This equipment will be heavily used by numerous trainees, who will gain valuable skills in molecular biology, providing them with important skills towards careers in industry and biotechnology sectors.