Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are essential to behaviors as basic as breathing and as mysterious as motivation, memory and mood. The overall goal of the NS 022061 program is elucidate the role of central cholinoceptive circuits that are affected in neuropsychiatric, neurodegenerative and addictive disorders, with the long range goal of accelerating the development of novel therapeutics. Whereas prior studies have been limited to probing the role of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in cholinoceptive circuits by application of agonists or antagonists, we are now armed with multiple genetic, optogenetic and new molecular tools that permit dissection of how direct activation of endogenous cholinergic neurons regulates cortico-limbic excitability. With these new approaches in hand, we can test how cortico-limbic circuits are altered by peri-natal vs. adolescent exposure to nicotine, the world's most common drug of abuse.

Public Health Relevance

Despite the crucial role of acetylcholine throughout life and the fact that nicotine self- administration is the single greatest cause of preventable death in the world, basic aspect of cholinergic signaling remain mysterious. The goal of this project is to determine how acetylcholine modulates cortico-limbic circuits that are pertinent to motivated behaviors, by modulating the activity of brain regions conveying information related to emotional context, sensory cues, executive function and novelty vs. prior experience.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01NS022061-30
Application #
8681541
Study Section
Molecular Neuropharmacology and Signaling Study Section (MNPS)
Program Officer
Stewart, Randall R
Project Start
1985-07-01
Project End
2015-06-30
Budget Start
2014-07-01
Budget End
2015-06-30
Support Year
30
Fiscal Year
2014
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
State University New York Stony Brook
Department
Other Basic Sciences
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
City
Stony Brook
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
11794
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Zhong, Chongbo; Akmentin, Wendy; Du, Chuang et al. (2017) Axonal Type III Nrg1 Controls Glutamate Synapse Formation and GluA2 Trafficking in Hippocampal-Accumbens Connections. eNeuro 4:
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Jiang, Li; Kundu, Srikanya; Lederman, James D et al. (2016) Cholinergic Signaling Controls Conditioned Fear Behaviors and Enhances Plasticity of Cortical-Amygdala Circuits. Neuron 90:1057-70
Zhong, Chongbo; Talmage, David A; Role, Lorna W (2015) Live Imaging of Nicotine Induced Calcium Signaling and Neurotransmitter Release Along Ventral Hippocampal Axons. J Vis Exp :e52730
Zhong, Chongbo; Talmage, David A; Role, Lorna W (2013) Nicotine elicits prolonged calcium signaling along ventral hippocampal axons. PLoS One 8:e82719
Jiang, Li; Emmetsberger, Jaime; Talmage, David A et al. (2013) Type III neuregulin 1 is required for multiple forms of excitatory synaptic plasticity of mouse cortico-amygdala circuits. J Neurosci 33:9655-66
Groessl, Florian; Jeong, Jae Hoon; Talmage, David A et al. (2013) Overnight fasting regulates inhibitory tone to cholinergic neurons of the dorsomedial nucleus of the hypothalamus. PLoS One 8:e60828
Mansvelder, Huibert D; Mertz, Marjolijn; Role, Lorna W (2009) Nicotinic modulation of synaptic transmission and plasticity in cortico-limbic circuits. Semin Cell Dev Biol 20:432-40

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