SEROTONERGIC REGULATION OF SLEEP RELATED NEURAL CIRCUIT

Projektinformationen

SerotoninSleep

ID Finanzhilfevereinbarung: 328847

Abgeschlossenes Projekt

Startdatum 1 September 2013

Enddatum 31 August 2015

Finanziert unter

• Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

Gesamtkosten € 231 283,20

EU-Beitrag € 231 283,20

Koordiniert durch

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

Ziel

Summary: The appropriate regulation of sleep and wakefulness is a fundamental biological process that impacts human health, cognitive performance, and quality of life. However, the neural mechanisms regulating sleep/wake behavior and its associated circuits in the brain are largely unknown. Recent studies have illustrated the role of hypocretin/orexin (Hcrt) in sleep regulation, but the mechanisms that control the Hcrt system and subsequent changes in neural circuit function are still poorly described. I will take advantage of the larval zebrafish, a genetically and optically accessible model organism whose brain shares basic sleep-related structures with the human brain, in order to systematically investigate how and to what extent serotonergic (5-hydroxytrypamine, 5-HT) neurons of the dorsal raphe nucleus exert effects on sleep cycles via the Hcrt system and associated downstream circuitry. Furthermore, I will disambiguate whether 5-HT neurons affect sleep by direct influence on Hcrt neuron activity or by signalling downsteam on Hcrt target neurons. These analyses require a multidisciplinary approach possible only in zebrafish. First, I will use a novel bioluminescence-based method to investigate how drugs that target the 5-HT system, alter the activity of Hcrt and 5-HT neurons in freely behaving fish. Second, in order to verify a causal relationship between activity in 5-HT and Hcrt neurons and observed behavioral changes, I will activate the same neural populations with optogenetic methods while monitoring behavior in freely behaving fish. Third, I will use the same pharmacological and optogenetic approaches to visualize the direct effects of specific subpopulations of 5-HT and Hcrt neurons on activity throughout the whole brain with functional two-photon calcium imaging. The results of these experiments will provide invaluable insights into how specific neuromodulatory systems interact with each other in order to regulate neural circuits underlying sleep.

Wissenschaftliches Gebiet

• natural sciences › chemical sciences › inorganic chemistry › alkaline earth metals

Programm/Programme

• FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

Thema/Themen

• FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IIF - Marie Curie Action: "International Incoming Fellowships"

Aufforderung zur Vorschlagseinreichung

FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IIF
Andere Projekte für diesen Aufruf anzeigen

Finanzierungsplan

MC-IIF - International Incoming Fellowships (IIF)

Koordinator

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

Kontakt Verwaltung

Malgorzata Kielbasa (Ms.)

• EU-Beitrag: € 231 283,20
• Adresse: GOWER STREET ; WC1E 6BT LONDON ;
• Aktivitätstyp: Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
• Gesamtkosten: Keine Daten