| Grant number: | 16/02748-0 |
| Support type: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct) |
| Effective date (Start): | July 01, 2016 |
| Effective date (End): | September 30, 2019 |
| Field of knowledge: | Biological Sciences - Morphology - Anatomy |
| Principal researcher: | Jackson Cioni Bittencourt |
| Grantee: | Giovanne Baroni Diniz |
| Home Institution: | Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil |
Abstract The Melanin-Concentrating Hormone [MCH] is a universal neuropeptide, virtually present in all known vertebrates studied, displaying a plethora of functions ranging from the regulation of skin pigmentation in teleost fish to sensorial integration and motivated behaviors modulation in mammals. This neuropeptide was mapped in the central nervous system [CNS] of some mammals, including ungulates, felines, simii and rodents. In this last group, however, its pattern of innervation was described for rats, but not for mice. Considering that many functional studies about MCH were made using mice as its animal model, it is fundamental that we understand the fine details of MCH anatomical characteristics in mice. Contrasting to the large body of information available about MCH, its receptors, MCHR1 and MCHR2, are still poorly understood, especially because rodents do not have subtype 2 of this receptor, which poses a huge challenge for its study. Aiming to elucidate the spatial distribution of MCH in the mice and to better characterize its receptors, we will employ immunohistochemistry [IHC] and in situ hybridization [ISH] to identify synthesis sites of these proteins and expression of their mRNA in the CNS of wild-type [WT], MCHR1-KO and MCHR2-GFP-KI [strain with a directed insertion of the human Mchr2 gene and its promoter sequence] mice. Up to this point, we have employed IHC to characterize the main sites of MCH synthesis and its main innervation fields in male and female mice in different stages of the reproductive cycle [diestrus, gestation and different moments of the lactation period]. We have also optimized our IHC protocols for MCHR1 immunoreactivity identification and employed them to map MCHR1 in male mice. The preliminary results we obtained so far suggest a putative mechanism for volume transmission in MCH signaling in the SNC of rats and mice. Additionally, we observed the presence of MCH peptidergic system elements in regions associated to neurogenesis in the adult brain. Considering the low amount of information available about MCH in these regions, we decided to investigate further the anatomical aspects of MCH in these areas employing, to that end, immunohistochemistry coupled to confocal and transmission electron microscopy, besides neuronal tracers. (AU) | |
| News published in Agência FAPESP Newsletter about the scholarship: | |
| TITULO | |
| Articles published in other media outlets (0 total): | |
| More itemsLess items | |
| VEICULO: TITULO (DATA) | |
| VEICULO: TITULO (DATA) | |