Despite the attention devoted to studying how neurons communicate through neurotransmitters released at synapses, many neurons also release neurotransmitters away from the synapse. Such non-synaptic release is implicated in many cognitive functions, but we have a poor understanding of it occurs and how it can alter neural circuit function in the intact CNS Dr Rafael Almeida Chancellor’s Fellow The Chancellors Building 49 Little France Crescent Edinburgh, EH16 4SB Contact details Work: +44 (0)131 242 9496 Email: rafael.g.almeida@ed.ac.uk Personal profile Image 2021: Chancellor’s Fellow, Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK 2015-2021: Postdoctoral fellow, University of Edinburgh, UK 2015: PhD in Neuroscience, University of Edinburgh, UK 2008: MSc in Molecular Biology & Genetics, University of Lisbon, Portugal 2007: Undergraduate degree in Microbiology & Genetics, University of Lisbon, Portugal Research Theme Synapses, Circuits and Behaviour Genes and Development Despite the attention devoted to studying how neurons communicate through neurotransmitters released at synapses, many neurons also release neurotransmitters away from the synapse. Such non-synaptic release is implicated in many cognitive functions, but we have a poor understanding of it occurs and how it can alter neural circuit function in the intact CNS. During my postdoctoral studies I established new methods to image neurotransmitter release in entire neurons in intact zebrafish. I found that non-synaptic release in zebrafish spinal axons can be as frequent as at synapses, and elicit responses in nearby glial cells. Neurotransmitters released non-synaptically in vivo have a potentially broad reach, placing non-synaptic release as a fundamental mode of circuit regulation. Due to their optical and genetic access, I use zebrafish to study intact neurons embedded in their natural circuits and gain insights into this understudied mode of communication in vivo. Furthermore, non-synaptic release involves some proteins typically studied only in synapses and encoded by genes implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders. However, the mechanistic overlap and distinctions in synaptic and non-synaptic release remain unclear, and how dysregulated non-synaptic signalling contributes to such neurodevelopmental disorders is unknown. Image Thus, investigating non-synaptic signaling in vivo will elucidate both the normal workings of the brain and how it malfunctions. Relevant publications Almeida RG, Williamson JM , Madden ME, Early JJ, Voas MG, Talbot WS, Bianco IH and Lyons DA. Myelination induces axonal hotspots of synaptic vesicle fusion that promote sheath growth, Curr Biol. 2021 (in press) Williamson JM, Lyons DA, Almeida RG. Manipulating Neuronal Activity in the Developing Zebrafish Spinal Cord to Investigate Adaptive Myelination, Methods Mol Biol. 2019 Almeida RG. The Rules of Attraction in Central Nervous System Myelination, Front Cell Neurosci. 2018 Almeida RG, S Pan, KLH Cole, JM Williamson, JJ Early, T Czopka, A Klingseisen, JR Chan and DA Lyons. Myelination of neuronal cell bodies when myelin supply exceeds axonal demand, Curr Biol. 2018 Almeida RG, Lyons DA. On Myelinated Axon Plasticity and Neuronal Circuit Formation and Function, J Neurosci. 2017 Almeida RG, Lyons D. Oligodendrocyte Development in the Absence of Their Target Axons In Vivo, PLoS One. 2016 This article was published on 2022-10-17
