A 3D Neurosterol Atlas of Mouse Brain
Award Number
BB/T018542/1Status / Stage
ActiveDates
1 December 2020 -31 March 2024
Duration (calculated)
03 years 03 monthsFunder(s)
BBSRC (UKRI)Funding Amount
£450,711.00Funder/Grant study page
BBSRC UKRIContracted Centre
Swansea UniversityPrincipal Investigator
Professor William GriffithsPI Contact
w.j.griffiths@swansea.ac.ukPI ORCID
0000-0002-4129-6616WHO Catergories
Understanding Underlying DiseaseDisease Type
Dementia (Unspecified)CPEC Review Info
| Reference ID | 725 |
|---|---|
| Researcher | Reside Team |
| Published | 07/07/2023 |
Data
| Award Number | BB/T018542/1 |
|---|---|
| Status / Stage | Active |
| Start Date | 20201201 |
| End Date | 20240331 |
| Duration (calculated) | 03 years 03 months |
| Funder/Grant study page | BBSRC UKRI |
| Contracted Centre | Swansea University |
| Funding Amount | £450,711.00 |
Abstract
The brain is a remarkably complex organ. To understand brain function, it requires multidisciplinary technologies and multiple levels of data. There are a number of big initiatives worldwide to map the brain. Current activities are focused on mapping gene expression, cell type and connectivity across the entire brain. Despite these efforts, little is known about the landscape of the metabolome or lipidome across the brain. The sterol category of lipids, including cholesterol, its precursors, and oxysterols and steroids, represent one of the dominating lipid classes in brain and sterol homeostasis plays a critical role in neurophysiology. It is recognised that a lack of quantitative spatial information on steroids and sterols/oxysterols in brain subregions is a key gap in our understanding of the mechanisms underlying health and healthy aging. The aim of this proposal is to create a web-based 3D Neurosterol Atlas of Mouse Brains utilising our recently-developed on tissue derivatisation and mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) technology. On-tissue derivatisation overcomes the limitations of previous MSI techniques for analysis of low abundance and difficult to ionise sterol molecules. We have successfully combined on-tissue derivatisation with MALDI-MSI to image neurosteroids and cholesterol, and combined it with liquid-extraction for surface analysis (LESA) and liquid chromatography – mass spectrometry (LC-MS), i.e. LESA-LC-MS, to image cholesterol precursors and oxysterols, allowing isomer differentiation and structure identification. Here we will scale up our effort and use the Allen Mouse Brain Atlas as a template to create a web-based interactive 3D Neurosterol Atlas of Mouse Brain including developmental, young adult and aged mice of both sexes. The resource will support neuroscience research in many areas, including myelination and repair, neurotransmitter receptors, stress response and neuroprotection and regeneration.
Aims
The aim of this proposal is to create a web-based 3D Neurosterol Atlas of Mouse Brains utilising our recently-developed on tissue derivatisation and mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) technology.