Unravelling A New Fatty Acid Pathway Involved In Neuroexocytosis And Memory
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$539,631.00
Summary
This proposal build on the establishment by our laboratory of the assay capable of detecting free fatty acids, with great accuracy and sensitivity. Using this assay we have uncovered a completely new pathway highlighting the production of saturated free fatty acids linked to learning and memory. We will fully define how this pathway is regulated in the brain.
LIM-homeodomain interactions in neuronal development. The loss of central nervous system function, through accident or disease, is devastating for affected individuals and their families. Our current inability to stimulate the regeneration of nervous tissue is a result of the lack of detailed knowledge of the complex processes that must take place, at the molecular and cellular levels, during neuronal development. We are determining how a group of cellular proteins that have key roles in motor n ....LIM-homeodomain interactions in neuronal development. The loss of central nervous system function, through accident or disease, is devastating for affected individuals and their families. Our current inability to stimulate the regeneration of nervous tissue is a result of the lack of detailed knowledge of the complex processes that must take place, at the molecular and cellular levels, during neuronal development. We are determining how a group of cellular proteins that have key roles in motor neuron development interact with each other and with DNA. With this information we are developing reagents that can be used to further probe central nervous system function and may ultimately be used to regenerate damaged nerves.Read moreRead less
Long-term memory systems and the human brain. Impairment of memory is a ubiquitous feature of human brain disease. A better understanding of memory processing in the brain is key to the development of better tests for the detection and monitoring of disease progression as well as the application of improved methods of rehabilitation for patients with acquired brain injury. This project will provide the catalyst for the development of a National Memory Disorders Research Centre that would be the ....Long-term memory systems and the human brain. Impairment of memory is a ubiquitous feature of human brain disease. A better understanding of memory processing in the brain is key to the development of better tests for the detection and monitoring of disease progression as well as the application of improved methods of rehabilitation for patients with acquired brain injury. This project will provide the catalyst for the development of a National Memory Disorders Research Centre that would be the focus for multidisciplinary cognitive neuroscience research. The ultimate aim would be the translation of basic neuroscience into effective tools that will impact the health outcome of the ageing population.Read moreRead less
The role of the prefrontal cortex in responding to a changing world. This proposal will test a novel theory of frontal brain function that emphasises the contrasting role of two regions of the prefrontal cortex in dealing with the changing nature of the world. It will provide novel insights in the the psychology and neural underpinnings of the control of behaviour. This will add to our basic knowledge of brain function, feeding into our understanding of human mental disorders such as schizophren ....The role of the prefrontal cortex in responding to a changing world. This proposal will test a novel theory of frontal brain function that emphasises the contrasting role of two regions of the prefrontal cortex in dealing with the changing nature of the world. It will provide novel insights in the the psychology and neural underpinnings of the control of behaviour. This will add to our basic knowledge of brain function, feeding into our understanding of human mental disorders such as schizophrenia and dementia. It will also provide training in psychology and behavioural neuroscience for Honours and Doctoral students.Read moreRead less
Human long-term memory and social cognition: an integrated cognitive neuroscience approach. Impairment of memory is a ubiquitous feature of the dementias and a better understanding of memory processing in the brain is key to the development of better tests for the early detection and monitoring of disease progression. The study of social cognition is relevant to a range of developmental, psychiatric and neurological disorders. This project will provide the catalyst for the development of a Natio ....Human long-term memory and social cognition: an integrated cognitive neuroscience approach. Impairment of memory is a ubiquitous feature of the dementias and a better understanding of memory processing in the brain is key to the development of better tests for the early detection and monitoring of disease progression. The study of social cognition is relevant to a range of developmental, psychiatric and neurological disorders. This project will provide the catalyst for the development of a National Memory and Cognitive Disorders Centre that would be the focus for multidisciplinary cognitive neuroscience research. The ultimate aim would be the translation of basic neuroscience into effective tools that will impact the health outcomes of the ageing population.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0560916
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$323,400.00
Summary
Magnetic resonance in humans: Equipment for neuroscience studies. The structure, function and biochemistry of the human brain can now be assessed non-invasively using magnetic resonance (MR) techniques. A 3 Tesla MR facility with half its time available for research has recently been established at POWMRI. This application seeks state-of-the-art equipment so that the facility can optimise its research potential and enhance its scientific output. Research is directed to understanding how the nor ....Magnetic resonance in humans: Equipment for neuroscience studies. The structure, function and biochemistry of the human brain can now be assessed non-invasively using magnetic resonance (MR) techniques. A 3 Tesla MR facility with half its time available for research has recently been established at POWMRI. This application seeks state-of-the-art equipment so that the facility can optimise its research potential and enhance its scientific output. Research is directed to understanding how the normal brain functions, how deficits in function develop, and how the function and structure of the brain change with age. This grant will help establish an internationally-competitive, broadly-based facility which is dedicated to understanding the human brain.Read moreRead less
Cracking the LIM-code: Transcription factor networks in developmental biology. Our current inability to stimulate the regeneration of nervous tissue is frustrated by a lack of detailed knowledge of the complex processes that take place at the molecular and cellular levels during development. We are determining how a group of cellular proteins that have key roles in neural development interact with each other and with DNA. With this information we are developing reagents that can be used to probe ....Cracking the LIM-code: Transcription factor networks in developmental biology. Our current inability to stimulate the regeneration of nervous tissue is frustrated by a lack of detailed knowledge of the complex processes that take place at the molecular and cellular levels during development. We are determining how a group of cellular proteins that have key roles in neural development interact with each other and with DNA. With this information we are developing reagents that can be used to probe the fundamental process of cell differentiation in the central nervous system.Read moreRead less
Investigating the role of Zona Incerta RXFP3+ cells in learning and memory. Learning and memory are fundamental to human and animal behaviour. We identified a specific population of cells in the zona incerta of the brain, where activation inhibits expression of memory, and facilitates the acquisition of new learning. Aside from our observations, nothing is currently known about the anatomy and function of these cells. This project aims to map how they connect to the rest of the brain, to observe ....Investigating the role of Zona Incerta RXFP3+ cells in learning and memory. Learning and memory are fundamental to human and animal behaviour. We identified a specific population of cells in the zona incerta of the brain, where activation inhibits expression of memory, and facilitates the acquisition of new learning. Aside from our observations, nothing is currently known about the anatomy and function of these cells. This project aims to map how they connect to the rest of the brain, to observe how these connections are recruited during learning and memory, and then to test their function experimentally. The outcomes will extend the known neural circuitry that controls learning by defining how and where these unexplored pathways fit within it; thus advancing knowledge regarding neural regulation of behaviour.
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Central Muscarinic Receptors as Novel Drug Targets for Parkinson's Disease and Schizophrenia. Psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders such as schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease are linked to alterations in the activity of neurons in the brain containing the chemical dopamine. Other types of brain neurons containing the chemical acetylcholine regulate dopamine neuron activity by acting on acetylcholine receptors located on dopamine neurons. We aim to determine how these important recepto ....Central Muscarinic Receptors as Novel Drug Targets for Parkinson's Disease and Schizophrenia. Psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders such as schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease are linked to alterations in the activity of neurons in the brain containing the chemical dopamine. Other types of brain neurons containing the chemical acetylcholine regulate dopamine neuron activity by acting on acetylcholine receptors located on dopamine neurons. We aim to determine how these important receptors regulate dopamine neuron activity using genetically modified mice deficient in acetylcholine receptors, together with newly developed physiological methods and new acetylcholine receptor drugs. These studies will foster the design of novel acetylcholine receptor drugs as effective pharmaceutical treatments of neurological and psychiatric disorders related to brain dopamine dysfunction.Read moreRead less
Muscarinic Receptor Regulation of Dopamine Reward Pathways in the Brain. Human disorders such as schizophrenia and drug addiction are linked to alterations in the activity of neurons in the brain containing the chemical dopamine. Other types of brain neurons containing the chemical acetylcholine regulate the activity of dopamine neurons by acting on acetylcholine receptors located on dopamine neurons. We aim to examine how dopamine neuron activity is regulated by these receptors using newly de ....Muscarinic Receptor Regulation of Dopamine Reward Pathways in the Brain. Human disorders such as schizophrenia and drug addiction are linked to alterations in the activity of neurons in the brain containing the chemical dopamine. Other types of brain neurons containing the chemical acetylcholine regulate the activity of dopamine neurons by acting on acetylcholine receptors located on dopamine neurons. We aim to examine how dopamine neuron activity is regulated by these receptors using newly developed physiological methods together with a new acetylcholine receptor drug. We also aim to assess the suitability of mice genetically modified to be deficient in acetylcholine receptors as animal models of dopamine dysfunction related to schizophrenia and drug addiction.Read moreRead less