# Neurotransmitter plasticity and regulation of behavior

> **NIH NIH R01** · BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $406,250

## Abstract

Project Summary
Neurons have classically been defined by the neurotransmitter they release. This “identity” has
been considered to be both singular (i.e. one transmitter) and immutable (i.e. genetically
hardwired). While the astonishing prevalence of cotransmission has changed thinking about the
singularity of neurotransmitter identity there has been considerably less appreciation of the
ability of neurons to exhibit plasticity in their expression. Recently, we discovered that the
microRNA miR-190 is a potent regulator of adult sleep. Spatial and temporal mapping of its site
of action demonstrates that it is required during pupation in a population of cells that transcribes
both cholinergic and glutamatergic genes but differentiates to become a small subset of the
adult glutamatergic neurons. This subset includes components of the core sleep homeostasis
circuit. We will test the hypothesis that a neurotransmitter plasticity event is critical to function of
the mature circuit and that it provides a novel mechanism for establishing, and potentially
modifying, the sleep set-point of the homeostatic machinery.
Aim 1 will determine the role of neurotransmitter plasticity in the control of adult sleep, with a
focus on understanding the circuit-level changes.
Aim 2 will investigate the role of neuronal activity in transmitter switching and homeostat
plasticity, with a focus on understanding the molecular events.
In this proposal, we bring the power of Drosophila genetics to bear on this novel and important
type of plasticity. We demonstrate that programmed transmitter plasticity during pupal life is
crucial to adult function of the sleep circuitry. The genetic reagents we have developed will allow
us to address basic mechanisms underlying transmitter plasticity in the context of both the
developing and mature nervous systems and, for the first time, link this type of plasticity to
sleep.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10445855
- **Project number:** 1R01NS122970-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Leslie C Griffith
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $406,250
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-02-15 → 2027-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10445855

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10445855, Neurotransmitter plasticity and regulation of behavior (1R01NS122970-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10445855. Licensed CC0.

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