JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship: Functional Labeling of Olfactory Receptor Neurons

该奖项支持日本科学促进会(JSPS)为Jason Sandahl博士提供的为期一年的短期博士后奖学金。他将与日本北海道大学的上田博史教授合作。他们将对嗅觉感受器神经元的功能标记进行研究。本研究的主要目的有两个。首先是进一步开发视觉标记(和识别)鲑鱼受刺激的嗅觉神经元的技术，包括嗅觉上皮(鼻子)、嗅球和端脑(前脑)的神经元。第二个目标是使用这些方法来确定三种杀虫剂的靶标，这三种杀虫剂对鲑鱼嗅觉系统具有神经毒性，据信会影响嗅觉通路的特定区域。研究人员将开发两种标记技术。第一种是利用一种名为胍丁胺的化合物，这是一种相对较小的分子，一旦被激活，就能够渗透到某些离子通道中。这包括向鱼提供一种气味(激活神经元)，同时向鼻子注入胍丁胺。第二种标记技术是最近开发的，它利用了一种名为FM1-43的化合物，在这种化合物中标记非常迅速，可以在完整的动物身上重复进行。他们选择了三种模型毒素进行研究，每种毒素据信都针对嗅觉通路的不同区域。这些毒素是铜、氰戊菊酯和毒死蜱。该项目汇集了两个拥有互补专业知识和研究能力的实验室的努力。这项研究有望进一步加深对鱼类生物学和环境毒理学的了解。这项合作研究的预期结果包括在鲑鱼嗅觉系统中开发功能标记技术，以及在嗅觉系统中识别三种常见毒素的靶标。这个项目将为两国的合作提供一个很好的机会。通过思想和技术的交流，这个项目将扩大我们的基础知识基础，促进国际理解与合作。研究结果将在科学会议和科学期刊上传播。

0343958SandahlThis award supports a one-year Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Short-Term Postdoctoral Fellowship for Dr. Jason Sandahl. He will be collaborating with Professor Hiroshi Ueda at Hokkaido University in Japan. They will undertake a study on the functional labeling of olfactory receptor neurons. There are two main objectives of this research. The first is to further develop techniques that will visually label (and identify) stimulated olfactory neurons in salmon, including neurons of the olfactory epithelium (the nose), and the olfactory bulb and telencephalon (the forebrain). The second objective is to use these methods to identify the targets of three pesticides that are neurotoxic to the salmon olfactory system and are believed to affect specific regions of the olfactory pathway. The researchers will develop two labeling techniques. The first utilizes a compound called agmatine, which is a relatively small molecule that is able to permeate certain ion channels once they have been activated. This involves presenting the fish with an odorant (which activates the neurons) while simultaneously presenting the nose with agmatine. The second labeling technique was developed recently which utilizes a compound called FM1-43 in which the labeling is very rapid, and can be performed repeatedly in intact animals. They have chosen three model toxins to investigate, with each toxin believed to target a different region of the olfactory pathway. The toxins are Copper, Esfenvalerate and Chlorpyrifos. The project brings together the efforts of two laboratories that have complementary expertise and research capabilities. The research is expected to further knowledge in both fish biology and environmental toxicology. The anticipated outcomes of this collaborative research include the development of functional labeling techniques in the salmon olfactory system and identification of targets within the olfactory system of three common toxins. This project will offer a good opportunity to join efforts between the two countries. Through the exchange of ideas and technology, this project will broaden our base of basic knowledge and promote international understanding and cooperation. Results of the research will be disseminated at scientific meetings and in scientific journals.