Glutamate is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian brain. Many important neural functions (including synaptic response duration, learning and memory) are thought to be dependent on specific subunit-conferred glutamate receptor properties. Changes in glutamate receptor function have also been implicated in many abnormal phenomena, such as epilepsy, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and excitotoxicity secondary to stroke. The broad aim of this proposal is to study how subunit composition determines glutamate receptor function and neural behavior, using the model organism C. elegans. Specifically, this proposed work will: 1) develop electrophysiological methods for reliably recording glutamate responses from identified neurons in C. elegans. 2) Characterize the glutamate response of an identified neuron in both wildtype animals and in mutants in which each glutamate receptor subunit has been deleted, and 3) Characterize behaviors mediated by the identified neuron in both wildtype and mutant animals. This project will build on the trainee's electrophysiology experience and introduce him to molecular biology and genetics while developing a powerful new model system for future work in molecular neurobiology.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F32)
Project #
1F32NS010704-01
Application #
2710311
Study Section
Neurology C Study Section (NEUC)
Program Officer
Baughman, Robert W
Project Start
1998-12-01
Project End
Budget Start
1998-06-01
Budget End
1999-05-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
1998
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Utah
Department
Biology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
City
Salt Lake City
State
UT
Country
United States
Zip Code
84112