GENETICALLY-ENGINEERED NEURAL TRANSMISSION

Neural transmission is a communication between neurons and target cell s, resulting in behavioral and physiological changes. Defective or alt ered neural transmission is thought to occur in neuropsychiatric and n eurodegenerative illnesses. To probe the biological consequences of de fective or altered neural transmission, various genetically engineered transgenic mouse models have been developed, together with convention al pharmacological manipulation. Via genetic manipulation, we are able to engineer specific neurotransmitters, receptors, inactivation of ne urotransmitters or neural innervation density. Moreover, recently deve loped molecular genetic techniques make it possible to induce either a gene knock out event or transgene expression at a discrete time point in a specific neuronal population in both embryos and adult animals. In conjunction with pharmacological manipulation, these sophisticated genetic manipulations of neural transmission will provide new tools to control neural transmission in both normal and pathophysiological con ditions.