Nat Methods: Dopamine receptors reveal chemical signals in the brain.

September 17, 2020 /--- In 2018, a team at the University of California, Davis Health developed a fluorescent protein-based biosensor called dLight1.
highly specific sensor detects dopamine, a chemical molecule released by neurons that sends signals to other nerve cells.
with advanced microscopes, dLight1 provides high-resolution, real-time imaging of dopamine space-time release features in live animals.
an article published September 7 in the journal Nature Methods, they described two new spectral variants of dLight1: yellow YdLight1 and red RdLight1.
sensors will help researchers detect and monitor different information processing activities in the brain," said Lin Tian, lead author of the study and associate professor of biochemistry and molecular medicine at www.pixabay.com.
different colors, we will be able to see multiple neurochemical releases and nerve activity at the same time.
"RdLight1 allows simultaneous evaluation of dopamine, pre- or post-synaptic neuron activity, as well as the release of glutamate in specific types of cells, and neuron projection in animals.
increased light penetration and imaging depth to provide enhanced dopamine signal quality.
allows researchers to optically dissect the release of dopamine and simulate its effects on neural circuits.
as a neurotransmitter, dopamine plays an important role in exercise, attention, learning, and the brain's pleasure and reward system.
exciting new tools open the door to the development of chromatin-changing neurochemical indicators," said Tian, a research and development developer.
together with other tools, they have great potential to unleash the chemistry of the brain in health and disease.
knowledge we gain from these sensors will help develop safer next-generation therapies to treat neuropsychiasts such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and addiction.
.com Source: New dopamine sensors can help unlock the mysteries of brain chemistry Original source: Tommaso Patriarchi et al, An expanded palette of dopamine sensors for multiplex in vivo, Nature Methods (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41592-020-0936-3.