Interaction of monaminergic neurons, glia cells and circadian clock neurons in the control of Drosophila's sleep-wake cycles

递质的稳态对正常的脑功能是必不可少的，神经胶质细胞在其中起着重要的作用。这种稳态的紊乱会导致例如异常的睡眠-觉醒模式。本项目将研究果蝇Dexylila melanogaster单胺能神经元、神经胶质细胞和生物钟神经元之间的假定三方突触对单胺释放（特别是多巴胺和5-羟色胺）的调节。在果蝇中，仅在神经胶质细胞中表达的丙氨酰转移酶“Ebony”的突变导致睡眠-觉醒模式紊乱。形态学研究（共聚焦和EM）将显示假设的三重突触是否存在。对单胺转运和加工受到干扰的突变体的睡眠-觉醒研究计划解开导致正常睡眠的突触过程。将对培养的大脑进行Ca++成像和周期荧光素酶成像，以研究生物钟神经元和神经胶质细胞对单胺递质以及影响单胺信号传导的药物的反应。

The homeostasis of transmitters is essential for normal brain function and glia cells play an essential role in it. Disturbances of this homeostasis result for example in an abnormal sleep-wake pattern. This project will investigate the regulation of monamine release (specially of dopamine and serotonin) by postulated tripartite synapses between monaminergic neurons, glia cells and circadian clock neurons of the fruit fly Dosophila melanogaster. In fruit flies, a mutation in the alanyltransferase "Ebony" that is exclusively expressed in glia cells results in disturbed sleep-wake patterns. Morphological investigations (confocal and EM) will show whether the postulated tripartite synapses exist. Sleep-wake studies of mutants with disturbed monamine transport and processing are planned to unravel the processes at synapses that lead to normal sleep. Ca++-imaging and period-luciferase imaging on cultivated brains will be performed to study the response of circadian clock neurons and glia cells to monamine transmitters as well as drugs that influence monaminergic signalling.