Examining 𝛼4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor expression in the substantia nigra
Date
2024
Authors
La Boucan, Fynn Owen
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Victoria
Abstract
Neurons in the brain process information and communicate with each other through the release of neurotransmitters, which bind to postsynaptic receptors. The substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) is a midbrain structure containing dopaminergic neurons that receive input from upstream cholinergic nuclei. These neurons are primarily involved in motor movement pathways, and Parkinson’s disease results from their degradation. It has previously been shown that dopaminergic neuron populations in the medial versus lateral SNc differ in their activity levels and their effect on locomotion. We aimed to further investigate the differences between the medial and lateral SNc by examining the expression of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) containing 𝛼4 subunits. We used a transgenic mouse model (n=6), in which nAChR 𝛼4 subunits were tagged with a yellow fluorescent protein. Immunohistochemistry was performed on midbrain sections and sections were imaged using a spectral confocal microscope. During image analysis, dopaminergic cells were located and 𝛼4-YFP intensity was measured in these cells. No significant differences in the normalized average 𝛼4-YFP intensity of dopaminergic cells in the medial versus lateral SNc were observed. Future research avenues include examining different types of acetylcholine receptor expression in this brain region.
Description
Keywords
neuroscience, midbrain, dopamine, acetylcholine, Parkinson's