# miR-137 Regulation of Intrinsic Excitability

> **NIH NIH R21** · COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2023 · $409,048

## Abstract

Project Summary
 miRNAs are small, endogenous, non-coding RNAs that are increasingly being shown to play important
roles in regulating gene expression. miR-137 is a highly conserved brain-enriched miRNA that has been linked
to multiple brain disorders, including schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), bipolar disorder, and
intellectual disability (ID). Our long-term goal is to identify all of the gene targets of miR-137 that affect intrinsic
neuronal excitability, and understand how, when, and where these regulatory events contribute to signaling
and plasticity in the nervous system. In the proposed studies, we will first examine how intrinsic and synaptic
activity in neurons is changed in response to altered expression levels of miR-137, then identify the targets of
miR-137 that contribute to altered excitability in vivo. Using Drosophila as an experimental system, we will
combine powerful molecular-genetic tools, including CRISPR-Cas9 technology to make site-directed genomic
changes, with biochemistry and electrophysiology to examine: 1) how intrinsic electrical activity in neurons is
regulated by miR-137, and 2) if ion channel genes, including Kv4/Shal, Kv3/Shaw, KCNH/eag, Cav3/Ca-α1T,
and Nav1/para ion channel genes, as well as other activity-related targets, are regulated by miR-137 to affect
neuronal excitability in vivo.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10719579
- **Project number:** 1R21NS133322-01
- **Recipient organization:** COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** SUSAN L TSUNODA
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $409,048
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2023-07-01 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10719579

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10719579, miR-137 Regulation of Intrinsic Excitability (1R21NS133322-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10719579. Licensed CC0.

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