NSF Award
8919790
In order for even simple behaviors to occur, nerve cells must communicate with other nerve cells in the brain, as well as with specific targets throughout the body. This communication is primarily achieved via chemical messengers called hormones or neurotransmitters. One of the most challenging problems in neurobiology is to understand how the electrical activity of a nerve cell is transformed into these chemical signals which are then secreted or released to act on other nerve cells or targets throughout the body. Dr. Lemos has developed a cell system to directly examine the sites where this transduction takes place. He will record electrical activity from isolated nerve terminals of neuroendocrine structures and compare this activity to patterns observed in the body of the cell. Using state of the art patch-clamp methodology, Dr. Lemos will determine how particular ionic currents control the release of neuroactive substances from the nerve terminals. These results will lead to a better understanding of how neuronal information is encoded and communicated to other cells. Deciphering how ion channels influence secretion not only enhances our basic knowledge but could lead to the development of new therapeutic agents targeted at the level of the nerve cell terminals for the treatment of diseases of the nervous system.
