This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing theresources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject andinvestigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source,and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed isfor the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator.As a first step towards determining how CRF can modulate the response of BNST neurons to 5HT, it is first necessary to determine the full spectrum of the 5HT response in these neurons. We extended this study to demonstrate that at least two additional 5HT receptors are expressed in distinct subpopulations of BNST neurons, both of which mediate an excitatory response to 5HT. The first receptor identified was a 5HT2A receptor that mediates an excitatory response via activation of a phospholipase C-dependent pathway. The second receptor identified was a 5HT7 receptor that we have yet to determine the cellular process mediating the response. Nevertheless, this is one of the first studies to identify a physiological consequence of 5HT7 receptor activation, and the results of this study are currently in preparation for publication.In a parallel study, we have begun to examine in detail the intrinsic membrane currents that are expressed by individual BNST neurons. To date, we have identified at least three distinct cell types in the BNST (Types I - III). In current-clamp mode, these three subtypes show characteristic action potential firing patterns in response to depolarizing current injection, as well as showing a distinct voltage response to hyperpolarizing current injection. The current clamp data suggested that the three subtypes of BNST neuron could be further differentiated based on their expression patterns for specific intrinsic membrane currents. We also completed the characterization of the intrinsic membrane currents.
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