Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 20, 2026
08:32
Application of Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Nitric Oxide (NO•) Probes, the geNOps, for Real-time Imaging of NO• Signals in Single Cells
Published on: March 16, 2017
13.5K
Nitric oxide regulates synaptic transmission between spiny projection neurons
Yotam Sagi1, Myriam Heiman2, Jayms D Peterson3
1Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065; greengard@rockefeller.edu ysagi@rockefeller.edu.
Summary
Nitric oxide (NO) signaling in the striatum boosts vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT) expression in spiny projection neurons (SPNs). This NO-VGAT pathway regulates GABA transmission and motor behavior.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Basal Ganglia Function
Background:
- Spiny projection neurons (SPNs) in the striatum communicate via recurrent axon collaterals, impacting basal ganglia function.
- The molecular mechanisms governing this intrastriatal communication are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of nitric oxide (NO) signaling in regulating GABAergic transmission within SPN recurrent collaterals.
- To identify the molecular players involved in NO-mediated regulation of the vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT).
Main Methods:
- Investigated the effect of intrastriatal NO signaling on VGAT expression in SPN recurrent collaterals.
- Examined the impact of down-regulating NO signaling on GABAergic transmission and motor behavior.
- Utilized molecular techniques to identify signaling pathways (PKG1, CREB) involved in NO-mediated VGAT regulation.
Main Results:
- Intrastriatal NO signaling increases VGAT expression in SPN recurrent collaterals.
- Down-regulation of NO signaling attenuates GABAergic signaling, reduces VGAT expression, and impairs motor behavior.
- PKG1 and CREB are key components in the signal transduction pathway linking NO to VGAT transcriptional regulation.
Conclusions:
- NO signaling transcriptionally regulates VGAT expression in the striatum.
- This NO-VGAT pathway is crucial for modulating GABA transmission within SPN local circuits.
- The findings suggest a novel mechanism by which NO influences motor behavior and action selection through transcriptional control of GABAergic signaling.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Nitric Oxide Signaling Pathway
7.0K
Nitric oxide (NO), an inorganic gas, acts as a potent second messenger in most animal and plant tissues. NO diffuses out of the cells that produce it and enters the neighboring cells to generate a downstream response. NO synthase (NOS) catalyzes NO production by the deamination of the amino acid arginine. There are three isoforms of NOS. Endothelial cells have endothelial NOS (eNOS), nerve and muscle cells have neuronal NOS (nNOS), and macrophages produce inducible NOS (iNOS) upon exposure...
7.0K
01:26Neurochemical Transmission: Sites of Drug Action
4.0K
Neurochemical transmission, the conduction of electrical impulses between neurons mediated by neurotransmitters, plays a vital role in various physiological processes. Autonomic drugs exert their effects by modulating neurotransmission within the autonomic nervous system. For instance, drugs such as hemicholinium block the precursor uptake necessary for synthesizing acetylcholine, an essential autonomic neurotransmitter. Following synthesis, neurotransmitters are stored in vesicles. Metyrosine...
4.0K
01:09Synaptic Signaling
7.3K
Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.
Most synapses are chemical, meaning an electrical impulse or action potential spurs the release of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. The neuron sending the signal is called the presynaptic neuron, and the neuron receiving the signal is the postsynaptic neuron.
The presynaptic neuron fires an action potential that...
Most synapses are chemical, meaning an electrical impulse or action potential spurs the release of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. The neuron sending the signal is called the presynaptic neuron, and the neuron receiving the signal is the postsynaptic neuron.
The presynaptic neuron fires an action potential that...
7.3K
01:12Synaptic Signaling
82.3K
Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.
82.3K
01:30Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism
5.1K
Ligand-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins that play a vital role in intercellular communication and functions of the nervous system. They allow the influx of ions across the membrane once the neurotransmitter binds, allowing the subsequent transmission of electrical excitation across the neurons. Other ligand-gated ion channels, like the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor, permit anions like chloride into the cells on the binding of the GABA molecule. Their entry into the cell...
5.1K
01:26Chemical Synapses
12.9K
Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
12.9K