Researchers from the University of Missouri have discovered that individual neurons respond differently to electrical signals at the molecular level and in various ways, even among nerve cells of the same kind.

The differences between the cells may become crucial in finding out the underlying problems linked with neural diseases and brain disorders such as epilepsy.

Like Us on Facebook

"Genetic mutations found in neurological disorders create imbalances in the inward and outward flow of electrical current through cells," said David Schulz, associate professor in the Division of Biological Sciences in the College of Arts and Science and a researcher in the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program at MU. "Often, neurons react to electrical signals, or voltage, and compensate by altering their own electrical outputs. 

He added that the deviation on the imbalances, even among the a number of neurons of the same type in the brain, is one of the prominent issues researchers face when trying to create therapies for illnesses like epilepsy.

Seizures in individuals can be caused by different imbalances - therefore getting to the root of how neurons act individually makes our studies important," Schulz said.

Schulz and his colleagues had proven before that a pair of identical neurons are able to attain the same electrical activity in various ways. Schulz, in the new study, hypothesized that nerve cells might use the cell's genetic code, or its messenger RNA, to "fine tune" the creation of proteins, aiding separate cells respond accordingly.

By using clusters of brain cells taken from Jonah crabs, the research team experimentally changed the electrical output and input of the neurons and measured the levels of messenger RNA found inside the cells. Schulz said that while the invertebrates such as crabs are useful in the field of neuroscience because their brain cells are easy enough to monitor and study, they are complex enough that the results can be "scaled up" to apply to higher organisms.

The scientists discovered that when normal patterns of stimulation were sustained, the neurons used the correct proportions of mRNA to create the proteins required to help keep the electrical impulses in order. However, when ordinary of activity were not supported, it led to a fundamental change in the cells at a molecular level.

"We were the first to show that the correct ratios of mRNAs are actively maintained by the actual activity or voltage of the cell, and not chemical feedback," Schulz said. "These results represent a novel aspect of regulation that might be useful for developing therapeutics for neuronal disorders later."

Tagsneurons, brain, Neuron, Nerve cells, Brain cells, Messenger RNA, mRNA, Electrical signals, Brain disorders, Brain illnesses, brain function