Exploring the role of SERCA2 in the mouse brain using novel transgenic and pharmacological mouse models.

Authors

Presenter(s)

Hayden Ott

Comments

11:00-12:30, Kennedy Union 222

Files

Description

Ca2+ homeostasis is critical for various neural processes such as neurotransmission and development. A key regulator of intracellular Ca2+-handling is the sarco-endoplasmic reticulum (SR/ER) Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA), which operates by sequestering cytosolic Ca2+ into the ER. Dysfunction of SERCA and Ca2+ homeostasis have been implicated in several debilitating neuropsychiatric conditions including schizophrenia, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Our lab has recently reported that chronic pharmacological allosteric activation of SERCA via CDN1163, impact mouse behavior and the brain's neurochemistry in a sex-specific manner. Interestingly, we’ve additionally observed that phospholamban (PLN), a critical regulator of SERCA2 that has been well-studied with regard to its role in the heart, is also selectively expressed in the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) of the mouse brain. Using a novel transgenic mouse model, we have found that genetic ablation of PLN in this brain region induces an ADHD-like phenotype characterized by hyperactivity, impulsivity, and sleep-deficits. Currently, we are continuing to investigate the roles of the PLN and SERCA in the brain using genetic and pharmacological approaches in conjunction with neurochemical analyses, as well as behavioral and RNA/protein expression assessments. The results of these experiments have high potential to give us deep insights into the role of the PLN/SERCA2 pathway in the neurobiology of debilitating brain disorders.

Publication Date

4-23-2025

Project Designation

Graduate Research

Primary Advisor

Pothitos Pitychoutis

Primary Advisor's Department

Biology

Keywords

Stander Symposium, College of Arts and Sciences

Institutional Learning Goals

Scholarship; Critical Evaluation of Our Times

Recommended Citation

"Exploring the role of SERCA2 in the mouse brain using novel transgenic and pharmacological mouse models." (2025). Stander Symposium Projects. 4143.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/stander_posters/4143