Project Summary

Paul Greengard, Ph.D. (Distinguished Investigator 2002) of Rockefeller University, proposes to initiate a strategy to find ways to modulate signal transduction via dopamine, serotonin and glutamate receptors.  There is accumulating evidence that dopamine, serotonin, and glutamate receptors interact with a family of adaptor proteins which regulate the efficacy of receptor function.  However, most of these adaptor proteins are unknown, and in order to identify these proteins, he will use an improved variant of a method called yeast two-hybrid.  This improved protocol is specifically developed for the identification of adaptor proteins which bind and interact with receptors.  He has obtained encouraging preliminary results using this protocol.  Once he has identified adaptor proteins that bind to dopamine and serotonin receptors, he will develop strategies to make compounds that disrupt the actions of proteins that enhance neurotransmission via these receptors.  Conversely, he will try to find ways to facilitate the interactions between glutamate receptors and adaptor proteins that enhance glutamatergic neurotransmission.  He believes that the identification of adaptor proteins that modulate neurotransmission via dopamine, serotonin and glutamate receptors and the subsequent development of strategies to interfere with such adaptor protein-receptor interactions will enable him to find improved treatments for schizophrenia.

Program Area: SCHIZOPHRENIA/PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS

Search Again