Shedding light on the happy hormone osaka_univ naturemethods
The problem in this research field and approaches to address the problem are described. In this study, we developed a fluorescent sensor for real-time measurement of brain oxytocin dynamics in living mice. This new tool will pave the way for the elucidation of how oxytocin acts on the brain during a variety of biological processes. Credit: Daisuke Ino
Twinkling lights make a city view all the more beautiful at night, and may evoke feelings of romance and happiness. But what do those feelings look like inside the brain? Recently, researchers in Japan demonstrated that the power of light may also be harnessed to monitor release of the"happy hormone" oxytocin , a peptide produced in the brain that is associated with feelings of happiness and love.
Impairment of OT signaling is thought to be associated with neurological disorders such as autism and schizophrenia, and a better understanding of OT dynamics in the brain may provide insight into these disorders and contribute to potential avenues of treatment. Previous methods to detect and monitor OT have been limited in their ability to accurately reflect dynamic changes in extracellular OT levels over time.
"Using the oxytocin receptor from the medaka fish as a scaffold, we engineered a highly specific, ultrasensitive green fluorescent OT sensor called MTRIA," says lead author of the study, Daisuke Ino."Binding of extracellular OT leads to an increase in fluorescence intensity of MTRIABrain OT responses induced by acute-stress stimulus , by social interaction , and during daily behaviors .
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