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Chemogenetic Modulation of G Protein-Coupled Receptor Signalling in Visual Attention Research
Søren H Jørgensen1, Ciarán Martin Fitzpatrick2, Ulrik Gether1
1Molecular Neuropharmacology and Genetics Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology
|June 14, 2017
Summary
Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs) offer precise control over neuronal signaling. This technology helps unravel complex attentional processes and their dysfunction in neurological disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Attention is crucial for cognition, and its dysfunction is linked to disorders like ADHD.
- Understanding the neural basis of attention is complex due to intricate neuronal networks and neurotransmitter systems.
- Current methods struggle to precisely link specific neural elements to attentional phenotypes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs) as a novel technology for neuroscience research.
- To explore the application of DREADDs in dissecting the neural circuitry of attention.
- To elucidate the roles of dopamine and noradrenaline systems in visual attention using DREADD technology.
Main Methods:
- Description of various DREADD constructs and their mechanism of action.
- Application of DREADDs in animal models to manipulate specific neuronal populations.
- Investigation of visual attention tasks in conjunction with DREADD-mediated neuronal modulation.
Main Results:
- DREADDs enable highly specific manipulation of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling in neurons.
- Studies in animal models demonstrate the utility of DREADDs in probing brain regions and neuronal populations involved in visual attention.
- DREADD technology facilitates the examination of the interplay between dopamine and noradrenaline in attentional control.
Conclusions:
- DREADDs represent a transformative tool for neuroscience, offering unprecedented specificity in neuronal manipulation.
- This technology is crucial for untangling the complex neural mechanisms underlying normal and disordered attention.
- DREADDs provide a powerful approach to better understand neurotransmitter systems, such as dopamine and noradrenaline, in attention.
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