Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, United States.
Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, United States.
ACS Chem Neurosci. 2023 Feb 15;14(4):516-523. doi: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00684. Epub 2023 Jan 31.
Neuropeptides are abundant and essential signaling molecules in the nervous system involved in modulating neural circuits and behavior. Neuropeptides are generally released extrasynaptically and signal via volume transmission through G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). Although substantive functional roles of neuropeptides have been discovered, many questions on neuropeptide transmission remain poorly understood, including the local diffusion and transmission properties in the brain extracellular space. To address this challenge, intensive efforts are required to develop advanced tools for releasing and detecting neuropeptides with high spatiotemporal resolution. Because of the rapid development of biosensors and materials science, emerging tools are beginning to provide a better understanding of neuropeptide transmission. In this perspective, we summarize the fundamental advances in understanding neuropeptide transmission over the past decade, highlight the tools for releasing neuropeptides with high spatiotemporal solution in the brain, and discuss open questions and future directions in the field.
神经肽是神经系统中丰富且重要的信号分子，参与调节神经回路和行为。神经肽通常通过缝隙连接以外的方式释放，并通过与 G 蛋白偶联受体 (GPCR) 相互作用来实现体积传递信号。尽管已经发现了神经肽的实质性功能作用，但神经肽传递仍有许多问题尚未得到很好的理解，包括脑细胞外空间中的局部扩散和传输特性。为了解决这一挑战，需要付出巨大努力来开发具有高时空分辨率的释放和检测神经肽的先进工具。由于生物传感器和材料科学的快速发展，新兴工具开始为更好地理解神经肽传递提供帮助。在本观点中，我们总结了过去十年中对神经肽传递的基本认识的进展，重点介绍了在大脑中具有高时空分辨率释放神经肽的工具，并讨论了该领域的开放性问题和未来方向。
