# Regulation of axonal and synaptic signaling in interneurons

> **NIH NIH R35** · OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $552,735

## Abstract

Summary
Neurons encode a wide variety of signals, each with specific relevance for translating a sensory response or
memory into behavior. How are cells and synapses optimized to meet these needs? Our work has used in
vitro model systems to understand such specializations of function at the level of the dendrite, the axon initial
segment and the nerve terminal. The lab's studies have stretched the classical views of neuronal function, for
example by showing how neurotransmitter receptors in the axon initial segment and in the nerve terminal have
unique roles for modifying axon and synaptic communication. In this proposal, we will turn to a new view of the
role of the axon. Beyond its function in the one-way transmission of spikes, we will examine how subthreshold
signals generated in the soma, the axon or the terminal spread along the axon in the forward and reverse
directions to modify the spike and its propagation. Additionally, we will examine how calcium release
mechanism modulate excitation in neonatal brain. Key to these aims will be the use of carefully selected
mouse lines that feature sparse fluorescent labeling of neurons with fluorophores that clearly reveal each
compartment of the neuron in living brain slices, from dendrite to nerve terminal. The research should reveal
new dimensions of signaling that operate in parallel with the action potential, particularly in interneurons in
neural microcircuits

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9984088
- **Project number:** 1R35NS116798-01
- **Recipient organization:** OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** LAURENCE O TRUSSELL
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $552,735
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-05-01 → 2028-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9984088

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9984088, Regulation of axonal and synaptic signaling in interneurons (1R35NS116798-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9984088. Licensed CC0.

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