Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Serotonin regulates gap junction coupling in the developing rat somatosensory cortex

B Rörig1, B Sutor

  • 1Department of Physiology, University of Munich, Germany.

The European Journal of Neuroscience
|August 1, 1996
PubMed
Summary

Serotonin (5-HT) reduces communication between developing neocortical neurons by inhibiting gap junctions. This effect involves 5-HT2 receptors and intracellular calcium signaling, impacting neural development.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy: a critical review.

Pflugers Archiv : European journal of physiology·2001
Same author

Assessment and management of behavioral disturbances in nursing home patients with dementia.

Mayo Clinic proceedings·2001
Same author

Electroconvulsive therapy-responsive depression in a patient with progressive supranuclear palsy.

The journal of ECT·2001
Same author

Conveying emotional realism: a challenge to using standardized patients.

Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges·2001
Same author

Activation of mu- and delta-opioid receptors causes presynaptic inhibition of glutamatergic excitation in neocortical neurons.

Anesthesiology·2000
Same author

Myelination defects and neuronal hyperexcitability in the neocortex of connexin 32-deficient mice.

Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)·2000

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Cellular Signaling

Background:

  • Serotonin (5-HT) is a key neuromodulator during early brain development.
  • Gap junctions facilitate direct electrical communication between neurons, crucial for network formation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of serotonin (5-HT) in modulating gap junction coupling in the developing rat neocortex.
  • To elucidate the specific receptor subtypes and intracellular pathways involved in 5-HT's effects on neuronal communication.

Main Methods:

  • In vivo electrophysiological recordings in rat pups (postnatal days 7-10).
  • Microinjection of neurobiotin tracer to assess neuronal coupling.
  • Application of pharmacological agents, including receptor agonists/antagonists and pathway inhibitors.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Serotonin (5-HT) significantly reduced dye-coupling between lamina II/III pyramidal cells in a dose-dependent manner.
  • The uncoupling effect was mediated by 5-HT2 receptors and involved inositol triphosphate (IP3) receptor-mediated calcium release.
  • cAMP-dependent protein kinase pathways were not implicated in 5-HT's modulation of gap junctions.

Conclusions:

  • Serotonin (5-HT) regulates gap junction communication in the developing neocortex, in addition to chemical synaptic transmission.
  • This modulation, via 5-HT2 receptors, influences neuronal differentiation and network formation during early postnatal development.