Neuregulin3 Regulation of Glutamatergic Transmission

Abstract

Synapses are fundamental communication units in the brain, essential for meaningful response to stimuli received from the environment. Abnormal synaptic communication leads to mental disorders. My studies focus on Neuregulin3, a member of the Neuregulin family. Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) within the NRG3 gene are associated with schizophrenia in different populations. Analysis of postmortem human brain samples of schizophrenia patients revealed abnormal levels of NRG3. However, unlike its well-studied family member NRG1, NRG3’s role in synaptic transmission is not understood. I studied how depletion of Nrg3 protein in the brain could affect synaptic transmission. I measured the amplitude and the frequency of spontaneous as well as miniature Excitatory Post Synaptic Currents (sEPSC and mEPSC, respectively) at hippocampal CA1 neurons of GFAP