Long-term regulatory effects of neuromodulators on ionic currents
in the rhythm generating neurons
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Ph.D. Dissertation Research
Advisor: Dr. Jorge Golowasch
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Rhythmic motor behaviors such as heart beating or breathing are generated by neural networks called central pattern generators (CPGs). CPGs often recruit neuromodulators to fine-tune neuronal activity per the animal's behavioral needs. Neuromodulators are chemicals, e.g., dopamine, serotonin, or neuropeptides, that bind to metabotropic receptors on the cell's membrane and typically affect its activity by directly targeting membrane-bound ion channels via intracellular signaling pathways. Dynamic interactions between multiple ionic currents shape the activity of a neuron. While the short-term effects of neuromodulators on ion channels are relatively well studied, their long-term effects on ionic currents and their dynamic interactions are less explored. In this study I use the pyloric network of the crab, Cancer borealis, to investigate the regulatory role of neuromodulators in the long-term maintenance of neuronal activity.
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