Project Summary

Susan G. Amara, Ph.D. (Distinguished Investigator 2006) of the University of Pittsburgh, will undertake a completely novel project for her lab—studying the zebrafish as a model for identifying and studying genes that mediate and shape the actions of the class of antidepressant drugs commonly referred to as reuptake inhibitors. The zebrafish is an excellent model as it reproduces quickly and is a vertebrate (has a backbone), which means it is more closely related to humans than invertebrate models such as fruit flies and worms, which are often used for cellular or biochemical research. Zebrafish are more likely to share traits with humans, such as genes, developmental processes, anatomy, physiology, and behaviors. Manipulation of the embryo allows for cell analysis of mutant cells, yielding information about how gene products behave. It is also possible to manipulate the embryo so that it contains only the mother’s genes, allowing for the study of recessive mutations. This is a novel genetic approach for examining drug action—because, though it is known that antidepressant medications impact the neurotransmitter transport, little is known about the processes and the genes that control this action and the reuptake.

Program Area: MOOD DISORDERS

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