Project description
Exploring the role of serotonin in synaptic plasticity in the prefrontal cortex
Serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is an important neurotransmitter in the brain and periphery. The prefrontal cortex is essential for top-down control of higher-order executive processes such as learning, working memory and cognitive flexibility and it expresses five types of 5-HT receptor subtypes. Evidence supports a link between dysfunctional serotonergic modulation and working memory deficits, yet the cellular mechanisms are not known. The EU-funded PIANISM project is investigating the role of 5-HT in working memory formation. The team is manipulating cells in brain slices and measuring effects on characteristic synaptic activity thought to underly memory formation in the prefrontal cortex. Insight could be important for therapeutic targets to treat working memory deficits common in some neurodegenerative diseases and schizophrenia.
Objective
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is essential for higher cognitive tasks such as learning, decision making and, in particular, working memory (WM). To fulfill these tasks, PFC neurons express several serotonin (5HT) receptor subtypes that are modulated by a high density of serotonergic axons projected from the raphe nuclei. Alterations of the neuronal mechanisms within PFC lead to an impaired top-down regulation, causing cognitive dysfunctions in mental disorders such as schizophrenia. A key cellular mechanism related to WM formation and maintenance in the PFC is sustained action potential firing of neurons that outlasts the initial excitatory drive. Persistent firing is likely enabled by synaptic networks and intracellular ionic mechanisms, including voltage sensitive sodium and calcium inward currents or G-Protein-coupled receptor mediated TRPC/ CAN currents. Moreover, experimental data supports a link between dysfunctional serotonergic modulation in the PFC and WM deficits, but yet, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, I plan to gain a mechanistic understanding of the serotonergic modulation of WM at the cellular level including the link between 5HT receptor activity and prefrontal cellular circuits dependent WM formation and the role of 5HT in WM-related persistent firing. I will perform patch-clamp electrophysiology and optical voltage imaging (genetically encoded voltage indicators) of prefrontal pyramidal and GABAergic cells (PV-, SST-, VIP-subtypes) in acute slices from naïve and WM deficient mice (chronic ketamine model of schizophrenia), and examine how the activity of these cell types are modulated by optogenetically and pharmacologically controlled 5HT signalling. These experiments aim to understand the serotonergic transmission and intrinsic properties within the PFC involved in WM formation, maintenance and deficiency. Better understanding of these mechanisms will help to develop new and specific therapeutic targets for WM deficiencies.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences neurobiology
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry alkali metals
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry alkaline earth metals
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine psychiatry schizophrenia
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2019
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
NW1 1AT London
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.