Project Summary

Xinzhong Dong, Ph.D. (Young Investigator 2005) of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, hopes to study a new class of some 50 neuropeptides, called Mrgs, which his laboratory identified in mice, to understand their normal function in the brain and potential abnormal behavior seen in psychiatric disease. Mrgs are G-protein coupled receptors, which are the largest family of signaling molecules in mammalian genomes and the major targets of pharmaceutical drugs. Preliminary evidence suggests Mrg activation can lead to neuronal excitability. To further understand Mrg function, Dr. Dong would like to determine the Mrg expression pattern in the brains of mice and to identify the neuropeptides that bind and activate Mrg. Dr. Dong also would like to develop genetically engineered mice missing Mrg and determine the deletion’s effect on mice behavior. These studies of Mrgs could help clarify the molecular mechanisms of mental illness, which is essential for the development of novel drugs.

Program Area: SCHIZOPHRENIA/PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS\Schizophrenia\Molecular

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