Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 23, 2025

The Use of Pharmacological-challenge fMRI in Pre-clinical Research: Application to the 5-HT System
Published on: April 25, 2012
Knockout of 5-HT7 receptor in the mouse mildly modifies the structure and function of dorsal raphe neurons
Agnieszka Kania1, Michał Kiełbiński1, Marcin Siwiec1
1Department of Physiology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smetna 12 Str., 31-343 Kraków, Poland.
Abstract:
The serotonin (5-HT) type 7 receptor (5-HT7R) mediates numerous physiological actions of 5-HT in the brain. Mice with a targeted disruption of the 5-HT7R-coding gene are characterized by an altered behavioral phenotype. Modifications of the serotonergic modulation of brain development and of the activity of the 5-HT system in adulthood that are related to ablation of functional 5-HT7Rs might, potentially, underlie the behavioral phenotype described in the literature. The present study was aimed at finding the consequences of 5-HT7R deficiency for the structure and function of single 5-HT neurons of the midline region of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). It was found that while the amplitude of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents recorded from tryptophan hydroxylase-immunoreactive DRN neurons was elevated in 5-HT7R-deficient animals, the excitability of these cells was mildly reduced. A lack of 5-HT7Rs was accompanied by a minor modification of DRN 5-HT neuron morphology. Our findings support the hypothesis that ablation of the 5-HT7R results in an alteration of the function of mouse DRN projection neurons. Further experiments are needed to fully elucidate the effects of the knockout of the 5-HT7R coding gene on the brain 5-HT system.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
In-vitro Mutagenesis
Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Synthesis
Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Release or Uptake
Adrenergic Agonists: Indirect-Acting Agents
One mechanism involves depleting stored catecholamines by displacing them from synaptic vesicles. These agents, known as "displacers," are transported into vesicles at the expense of noradrenaline. Examples include amphetamine and tyramine, which lack a catechol moiety, resulting in prolonged action, improved oral...
Desensitization and Tachyphylaxis
Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

