Functional Analysis I and conditional mouse models

Coordinator:		Dr. med. Dr. med. Günther Schütz
Institution:		Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ)
Homepage:		www.dkfz.de/en/molekularbiologie

Addictive drugs such as cocaine lead in neurons which produce dopamine to an increased synthesis of this neurotransmitter. The increased synthesis leads to an altered synapse, a phenomenon which is described as  drug-mediated synaptic plasticity. We investigate altered synaptic plasticity in the generation of addiction. We use genetically altered mice in which specific signaling molecules or their receptors have been altered. We have inactivated some of the receptors for the neurotransmitter glutamate. This inactivation was specifically achieved in neurons which synthesize glutamate as well as in neurons which are receptive to the glutamate signal. These mouse mutants are analyzed for drug-induced behavioural alterations in collaboration with the group of R. Spanagel.