Multicolour optogenetics for studying the roles of cAMP and cGMP in synaptic plasticity and memory
Year: 2018
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) are major interactive signalling molecules involved in a variety of physiological systems. However, due to a lack of available techniques for investigating their spatiotemporal interactions, the functions of their signalling cascades are not entirely known. To study the interactive roles of cAMP and cGMP in the nervous system, I established a multicolour optogenetic method for selectively activating cAMP/cGMP signalling by utilizing the combination of blue light-sensitive adenylyl cyclase (PAC) and green light-sensitive rhodopsin guanylyl cyclase (RhGC). By two-photon photoactivation at target synapses, I revealed bidirectional regulation of structural plasticity by cAMP/cGMP signalling. Also, I demonstrated suppression of novel object recognition memory by cGMP, but not cAMP, using photoactivation in freely behaving mice. Thus, this novel optogenetic technique enables direct investigation of spatiotemporal cAMP/cGMP functions and will serve as a valuable tool for studies of their signalling in broad fields of research.
Source: TSpace (University of Toronto)
Author: Megan Valencia
Language: English
Subfield: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2956792327