Dr. Sarah Louise Nietzer
Dr. Sarah Louise Nietzer, Dipl.-Biol.
Full member: January 2007 - December 2009
Dissertation title: Gene and environment interactions in serotonin transporter knockout mice – how stress influences gene expression and neuronal morphology.
Abstract: Dysfunctions of the central serotonergic (5-HT) system belong to the basic pathophysiological mechanisms of depression and anxiety disorders. Thereby the genetic variability of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) plays a great role in the development of emotional dysregulations and depression.
The aim of this project is to analyse structural and functional changes in neurons of the limbic system in 5-HTT-knockout mice, which are an animal model for anxiety disorders, by using morphological methods as well as methods to analyse gene expression of different genes involved in neurotransmission.
For this 5-HTT knockout mice were either stressed by immobilization and their brains were analysed using neurochemical methods. Or the mice were stressed socially (resident-intruder-paradigm, in cooperation with Prof. Dr. N. Sachser, University of Münster) and their brains were submitted to a careful examination by using the computer based image analysis system Neurolucida (Microbrightfield. Inc.). These investigations (together with electrophysiological investigations) of these mice can then be consulted to build up a hypothesis for a pathophysiological principle of depression and anxiety disorders.
Principal investigator:
Prof. Dr. Klaus-Peter Lesch
Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Füchsleinstr. 15, 97080 Würzburg
https://www.ukw.de/psychiatrie
Current position:
Department of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Röntgenring 11, 97070 Würzburg
