CRCNS: Spatio-temporal Dynamics of Dopamine Activated 2nd Messenger Pathways

项目摘要：该研究的长期目标是阐明纹状体强化学习的机制：具体而言，介导突触可塑性和纹状体神经元内在兴奋性可塑性的重要第二信使通路和神经调节相互作用。这项研究意义重大，因为强化学习可能在酒精成瘾和复发中发挥作用。作为实现这一目标的第一步，拟议的研究评估了突触可塑性和潜在的第二信使途径对皮质和多巴胺能输入到纹状体神经元和棘投射神经元之间的时间间隔的敏感性。 目标1：评价以下假设：当随后进行黑质（多巴胺）刺激时，对阈上皮层刺激的钙升高反应增强。 目标二：评估长时程增强仅在阈上皮层刺激后再进行黑质（多巴胺）刺激时发生的假设。 这两个目标进行评估，使用组合电生理和计算建模方法。随机扩散的计算效率高的计算机算法的开发，以允许模拟的第二信使通路在一个完整的神经元的树突树上的许多棘。新算法用于开发多刺投射神经元模型，该模型不仅包括体内突触输入，还包括由多巴胺激活的钙和第二信使的时空动力学。在皮质-黑质-纹状体器官型培养物上进行实验，因为该制备物具有完整的功能性皮质多巴胺能和黑质多巴胺能突触输入，在纹状体神经元中产生自发的体内样活性。对于每个特定目标，控制实验用于调整模型参数，然后执行模型模拟以测试假设，并且在此之后，使用相同的刺激方案实验地测试模型预测。 相关性：这项拟议中的研究可能有助于我们对酒精成瘾的理解，因为它调查了对酒精和与先前饮酒相关的行为做出反应的大脑结构。因此，这项研究的结果可能有助于开发酒精成瘾的治疗方法。

Project Summary: The long term objective of the proposed research is to delineate the mechanisms underlying reinforcement learning in the striatum: specifically, the essential second messenger pathways and neuromodulatory interactions mediating synaptic plasticity and plasticity of intrinsic excitability of striatal neurons. This research is significant because reinforcement learning may play a role in alcohol addiction and relapse. As a first step toward achieving this goal, the proposed research evaluates the sensitivity of synaptic plasticity, and underlying second messenger pathways, to the temporal interval between cortical and dopaminergic inputs to striatal neurons spiny projection neurons. Aim 1: Evaluate the hypothesis that the calcium elevation in response to supra-threshold cortical stimulation is enhanced when it is followed by nigral (dopamine) stimulation. Aim 2: Evaluate the hypothesis that long term potentiation occurs only when supra-threshold cortical stimulation is followed by nigral (dopamine) stimulation. Both aims are evaluated using combined electrophysiological and computational modeling approaches. Computationally efficient computer algorithms for stochastic diffusion are developed to allow simulation of second messenger pathways in a multitude of spines on the dendritic tree of an entire neuron. The new algorithm is used to develop a spiny projection neuron model that includes not only in vivo like synaptic inputs, but also the spatio-temporal dynamics of calcium and second messengers activated by dopamine. Experiments are performed on cortex-substantia nigra-striatum organotypic cultures because this preparation has intact, functional cortical glutamatergic and nigral dopaminergic synaptic inputs, producing spontaneous in-vivo like activity in striatal neurons. For each of the specific aims, control experiments are used to adjust model parameters, then model simulations are performed to test the hypothesis, and after that, the model predictions are tested experimentally using the same stimulation protocols. Relevance: The proposed research may contribute to our understanding of alcohol addiction, because it investigates brain structures that respond to both alcohol and behaviors associated with prior alcohol use. Thus, the results of this research may help in the development of treatments for alcohol addiction.