# Identifying the Role of Serotonergic Signaling in the Maturation ofDendritic Spines

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER · 2023 · $37,154

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 Functional brain development requires the precise coordination of neurochemicals that allow neurons to
form synapses and communicate with one another. Improper synaptic maturation during critical developmental
time windows often lead to cognitive disabilities, such as those observed in autism spectrum disorders, that can
persist into adulthood. Studies in humans and rodents have linked disbalances of serotonin (5-HT) during
prenatal and early postnatal development to increased rates of behavioral and cognitive deficits and irregular
neuronal development. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is a region of the brain that plays a key role in processing
higher order cognitive functions that are disrupted when 5-HT levels are altered. During early PFC development,
circuit formation is dependent on the functional maturation and stabilization of excitatory synapses, located on
dendritic spines. Our preliminary studies identified a critical role for 5-HT in the development of dendritic spines
within the PFC, indicating that both spine density and size are directly altered after manipulating 5-HT levels in
early postnatal periods. This proposal is comprised of two aims which seek to test the hypothesis that 5-HT can
potentiate and stabilize dendritic spines at a single synapse level. The first aim uses a combination of techniques
including two-color, two-photon uncaging of 5-HT and glutamate neurotransmitters, electrophysiology,
optogenetics, and pharmacology to determine whether 5-HT can induce functional long-term potentiation of
individual dendritic spines. The second aim is designed to identify whether endogenous 5-HT signaling can
stabilize nascent dendritic spines, which will be investigated by using optogenetics, two-photon 5-HT uncaging
and mechanistic studies that include pharmacological approaches and fluorescence lifetime imaging. Together,
these studies seek to establish the role of 5-HT dependent signaling in synapse maturation and stabilization at
a cellular and molecular level. Results from this project will be essential knowledge towards better mitigating the
cognitive disabilities that result from early 5-HT disbalances in the developing brain.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10613909
- **Project number:** 5F31HD106632-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER
- **Principal Investigator:** Roberto Ogelman
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $37,154
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-04-01 → 2025-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10613909

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10613909, Identifying the Role of Serotonergic Signaling in the Maturation ofDendritic Spines (5F31HD106632-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10613909. Licensed CC0.

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