"Modelling synaptic plasticity at molecular, cellular and microcircuit levels", "Swiss army knife model of dopamine signalling" and "Cellular manichaeism of striatal neurons"

CST invites you to join us on the 2nd of March for a presentation on computational modeling approaches to study plasticity at microscales by Ausra Saudergiene (Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania), which will be followed by two additional short talks by Jakob Dreyer (Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen) and Pierre Vincent (Université Pierre et Marie Curie, UPMC, Paris 6). Each talk will take about 20 mins.

1st talk: Modelling synaptic plasticity at molecular, cellular and microcircuit levels

by Ausra Saudargiene, Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas

2nd talk: Swiss army knife model of dopamine signaling

by Jakob Dreyer, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Abstract

Dopamine is a neuromodulator and is closely linked to attention, reward processing and motor function. Deficits in dopamine signaling can lead to drug abuse, and a wide range of brain disorders including ADHD, schizophrenia, and Parkinson's disease. Cell bodies of dopamine neurons reside in the mid-brain from where they project to multiple areas including the striatum where the dopamine signal is integrated by major classes of neurons via dopamine D1 or D2 receptors. Although the firing patterns of dopamine neurons are widely investigated, the link between dopamine cell activity and activation of these post synaptic targets cannot be observed in real-time. 

Here I use mathematical and computational modeling to provide a working model of the dopamine signal. The model shows how dopamine cell firing combines with anatomy and physiology to provide a functional reward signal that provides a high fidelity read-off by D1 and D2 receptors. The models provide key insight into how this signal is influenced by drugs of abuse like cocaine and how it is degraded in Parkinson’s disease.

3rd talk: Cellular manichaeism of striatal neurons

by Pierre Vincent, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, UPMC, Paris 6, France

Abstract

Biosensor imaging allows for real-time monitoring of intracellular signaling events. Using this approach on brain slices, we observed that striatal neurons have the ability to produce all or none responses, in the cytosol as well as in the nucleus. This uncommon feature derives from specific signaling proteins creating positive feed-forward loops, and may contribute to the detection of dopamine transients.