Abstract

Neurons in very few CNS populations continue to be produced during adulthood. The goal of our research is to understand the function of this adult neurogenesis by studying the regulation of neuronal precursor proliferation and survival. This year we published an investigation of the synaptic maturation of newborn granule neurons in the adult dentate gyrus, a part of the hippocampal region in which large numbers of new neurons are born throughout adulthood. We examined GABAergic synaptic responses in immature granule cells, determining that they were less frequent and had slower kinetics than GABAergic responses in mature granule cells. Using pharmacology, we found evidence for a developmental switch in the subtype of GABAA receptors expressed by granule cells born in adulthood. In addition, we found that GABA depolarizes young granule cells ? the opposite of the response to GABA in mature granule cells ? suggesting that firing of inhibitory interneurons has very different effects on immature granule cells than it has on neighboring mature granule cells. We also began a study aimed at understanding the effects of spatial learning on activation and survival of young granule cells.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Intramural Research (Z01)
Project #
1Z01MH002784-05
Application #
7312875
Study Section
(IRP)
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
Budget End
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2006
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
U.S. National Institute of Mental Health
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
State
Country
United States
Zip Code

  Publications

Snyder, Jason S; Soumier, Amélie; Brewer, Michelle et al. (2011) Adult hippocampal neurogenesis buffers stress responses and depressive behaviour. Nature 476:458-61
Mozhui, Khyobeni; Karlsson, Rose-Marie; Kash, Thomas L et al. (2010) Strain differences in stress responsivity are associated with divergent amygdala gene expression and glutamate-mediated neuronal excitability. J Neurosci 30:5357-67
Snyder, Jason S; Glover, Lucas R; Sanzone, Kaitlin M et al. (2009) The effects of exercise and stress on the survival and maturation of adult-generated granule cells. Hippocampus 19:898-906
Snyder, Jason S; Choe, Jessica S; Clifford, Meredith A et al. (2009) Adult-born hippocampal neurons are more numerous, faster maturing, and more involved in behavior in rats than in mice. J Neurosci 29:14484-95
Snyder, Jason S; Radik, Ruvim; Wojtowicz, J Martin et al. (2009) Anatomical gradients of adult neurogenesis and activity: young neurons in the ventral dentate gyrus are activated by water maze training. Hippocampus 19:360-70
Yang, Rebecca J; Mozhui, Khyobeni; Karlsson, Rose-Marie et al. (2008) Variation in mouse basolateral amygdala volume is associated with differences in stress reactivity and fear learning. Neuropsychopharmacology 33:2595-604
Norcross, Maxine; Mathur, Poonam; Poonam, Mathur et al. (2008) Effects of adolescent fluoxetine treatment on fear-, anxiety- or stress-related behaviors in C57BL/6J or BALB/cJ mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 200:413-24
Karlsson, Rose-Marie; Choe, Jessica S; Cameron, Heather A et al. (2008) The neuropeptide Y Y1 receptor subtype is necessary for the anxiolytic-like effects of neuropeptide Y, but not the antidepressant-like effects of fluoxetine, in mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 195:547-57
Cameron, Heather A; Dayer, Alexandre G (2008) New interneurons in the adult neocortex: small, sparse, but significant? Biol Psychiatry 63:650-5
Olariu, Ana; Cleaver, Kathryn M; Cameron, Heather A (2007) Decreased neurogenesis in aged rats results from loss of granule cell precursors without lengthening of the cell cycle. J Comp Neurol 501:659-67

Showing the most recent 10 out of 18 publications