NSC 243: Lecture Schedule

Only students who are enrolled in the course may access the readings online. You must be logged into Blackboard to download the course readings.

All chapters and page numbers are from Siegel, et al.
*Article is in Blackboard

Date	Topic	Readings
08/31	Neurochemistry: A Historical Overview Introduction to Chemically Mediated Synaptic Transmission \| pdf	Ch 12
Part One—Synaptic Neurochemistry: Neurotransmitters
09/05	Acetylcholine \| pdf	Ch 13 up to p. 266
09/07	Catecholamines \| pdf	Ch 14 up to p. 293
09/10	How to read and interpret graphs Quiz 1: Ach and Catecholamines
09/12	Serotonin \| pdf	Ch 15 up to p. 313
09/14	*Research paper discussion: Serotonin
09/17	Glutamic Acid \| pdf	Ch 17 up to p. 347
09/19	GABA and Glycine \| pdf *Quiz 2: Serotonin and glutamate	Ch 18 up to p. 368
09/21	Peptides, Transmitter Co-existence \| pdf	Ch 20 up to p. 400
09/24	*Discussion: Purpose of Co-existence of NT and peptides	Furness, J.B., Morris, J.L., Gibbins, I.L., Costa, M. (1989) Chemical Coding of Neurons and Plurichemical Transmission. Annu. Rev. Pharmacol. Toxicol., 29:298-306 Belzung, C, Yalcin, I, Griebel, G, Surget, A, and Leman, S. (2006) Neuropeptides in Psychiatric Diseases: An overview with a particular focus on depression and anxiety disorders. CNS & Neurological Disorders-Drug Targets. 5:135-145.
09/26	In class Workshop Problems with Neal
09/28	Other Chemical Messengers: Retrograde Messengers and Extraneuronal Messengers \| pdf	Ch. 19, 29, TBD
10/01	* Discussion: Novel Neurotransmitters in Neurological Disease	*Snyder, S.H., Ferris, C.D. (2000). Novel neurotransmitters and their neuropsychiatric relevance. Am. J. Psychiatry, 157:1738-1751
10/03	EXAM ONE
Part Two—Synaptic Neurochemistry: Postsynaptic Cell Signaling Mechanisms
10/05	*Discussion of symposium expectations
10/08	Fall Break
10/10	Receptors: Recognition Site \| pdf	McGonigle, P., Molinoff, P.B., Receptors and signal transduction: Classification and quantification. In: Siegel et al., Fifth Ed., Ch.10, pp. 209-230. Cooper, J.R., Bloom, F.E., Roth, R.H. (2003). Receptors In: The biochemical Basis of Neuropharmacology, Eighth Ed., Ch. 4, pp. 65-83.
10/12	Receptors: Recognition Site (Continued) * Calculate Affinity and Receptor Density (BZs)
10/15	Receptor-Effector Mechanisms: Ligand-gated Ion Channels \| pdf *Data Interpretation	Ch 13, pp. 266-274 (Nicotinic Receptor) Ch 17, pp. 347-358 (Glutamate Receptors)
10/17	Receptor-Effector Mechanisms: Ligand-gated Ion Channels \| pdf *Data Interpretation	Ch 18, pp. 368-end (GABA Receptors)
10/19	Receptor-Effector Mechanisms: Second Messenger Systems \| pdf *Quiz 3: Receptor characteristics and ligand-gated channels	Chs 21, 22, 23
10/22	Receptor-Effector Mechanisms: Second Messenger Systems \| pdf	Ch 14, pp. 293-end (Catecholamine Receptors) Ch 15, pp. 313-end (Serotonin Receptors) Ch 13, pp. 274-end (Muscarinic Receptors) Ch 19, pp. 382-end (Adenosine Receptors) Ch 20, pp. 400-end (peptides)
10/24	Phosphorylation and Brain Function \| pdf	Chs 25, 26
10/26	* Research Paper Discussion: 2nd messenger systems *Quiz 4: Metabotropic receptors and phosphorylation
10/29	Importance of Calcium to Brain Function \| pdf	Ch 24
10/31	*Research Paper Discussion: Ca²⁺
11/02	Transmitter roles during development \| pdf	Ben-Ari, Y. (2002). Excitatory actions of GABA during development: the nature of the nurture. Nature Reviews, Neuroscience, 3:728-739. Represa, A. & Ben-Ari, Y. (2005). Trophic actions of GABA on neuronal development. Trends in Neuroscience, 28: 278-283.
11/05	EXAM TWO
Part Three—Metabolic Chemistry
11/07	Brain Lipids: Multiple roles \| pdf *Data analysis and interpretation: cannabinoids	Ch 36
11/09	*PROTEIN BUILDING ACTIVITY with Neal \| pdf
11/12	Transcription factors \| pdf	Ch 27 Hymen, S.E., Nestler, E.J. (2004) Principles of Molecular Biology. In: Charney, D.S. and Nestler, E.J. (Eds.) Neurobiology of Mental Illness, Second Edition, pp. 76-86. We'll be discussing the reading in class.*
11/14	Epigenetic Mechanisms \| pdf	Ch 41 Box pp. 731-733 Borelli, E., Nestler, E.J., Allis, C. D., Sassone-Corsi, P. (2008) Decoding the epigenetic language of neuronal plasticity. Neuron, 60:9661-974. We'll be discussing the reading in class.*
11/16	Survival and Death of Neurons, Adult neurogenesis \| pdf *Quiz 5: Lipids and gene expression	Ch 37 Zhao, C., Deng, W., Gage, F.G. (2008) Mechanisms and functional implications of adult neurogenesis. Cell, 132: 645-660. Kempermann, G. (2008) The neurogenic reserve hypothesis: what is adult hippocampal neurogenesis good for? Trends in Neuroscience, 31:163-169.
11/19	EXAM THREE
11/21	Thanksgiving (no Class)
Part Four—Applied Neurochemistry: Lecture & Mini Symposia
11/26	Symposium One
11/28	Symposium Two
11/30	Symposium Three
12/03	Symposium Four
12/05	Symposium Five
12/07	Symposium Six
12/10	Symposium Seven

Symposia Topics

Neurochemical Mechanisms of Plasticity: Learning and Memory: Siegel et al., Ch. 53
Neuropathology Underlying Alzheimer's Disease, Siegel et al., 47
Basal Ganglia Function and Dysfunction: Siegel et al., Ch. 46
Addiction: Siegel et al., Ch. 56
Neurochemistry of Schizophrenia: Siegel et al., Ch 54
Mood and Anxiety Disorders: Siegel et al., Ch. 55
Neurobiology of epilepsies: Siegel et al., Ch. 37

Workshops

Two workshops will be offered during each unit. Workshops will be held in Meliora 111, the room where the neurobiology lab is taught, unless otherwise specified. Dates and times of the workshops will be available at the start of class.

top