| | Principal Investigators
| Ted B. Usdin,
M.D., Ph.D. |
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Dr.
Usdin is a Senior Investigator in the Section on Fundamental Neuroscience of NIMH. He attended college at
Johns Hopkins University. His graduate work in the Medical
Scientist Training Program at Washington University in
St. Louis with Gerald Fischbach focused on the identification
of factors responsible for neuromuscular junction development.
Dr. Usdin completed a residency in psychiatry at Stanford
University and then in 1990 joined the NIMH Laboratory
of Cell Biology. Dr. Usdin is exploring the biological
role of tuberoinfundibular peptide, a new neuropeptide
that his group recently discovered. |
| Research Interests |
Humans and animals are subject to continually changing environmental and internal influences that affect their emotional state and behavior. Appropriate responses likely involve shifts in the activity of multiple regulatory systems. Dr. Usdin’s group is interested in the function of neuropeptide systems, which constitute a major group of neuroregulators. These regulatory systems may be part of the pathways through which drug treatments or other interventions that ameliorate the symptoms of psychiatric disease act.
Current work focuses on a particular neuropeptide system, Tuberoinfundibular Peptide of 39 residues (TIP39) and its receptor, the Parathyroid Hormone 2 (PTH2) receptor. The group identified the PTH2 receptor in a screen for novel receptors expressed within the brain, and then purified TIP39 as the endogenous ligand for this receptor. They have mapped the anatomical distribution of both the peptide and receptor in detail in rat and mouse, and confirmed that they have a similar distribution in non-human primate and humans. The peptide projects from two small discrete groups of neurons to many brain regions, and these regions contain neurons that synthesize its receptor. Several of these areas are involved in mood and anxiety-related functions, pain, stress responses and neuroendocrine function. Techniques used include pharmacology, molecular biology, functional neuroanatomy and behavior. The group has recently begun working with mice with targeted mutations in the genes encoding TIP39 and the PTH2 receptor. Current evidence supports a role for TIP39 signaling in modulation of functions that were implied by the neuroanatomical data, including stress induced anxiety-like behavior and emotional aspects of pain. |
| Representative Selected Recent Publications: |
- Fegley DB, Holmes A, Riordan T, Faber CA, Weiss JR, Ma S, Batkai S, Pacher P, Dobolyi A, Murphy A, Sleeman MW, Usdin TB: Increased fear- and stress-related anxiety-like behavior in mice lacking tuberoinfundibular peptide of 39 residues. Genes Brain Behav. 7: 933-942. 2008.
- Usdin TB, Dobolyi A: TIP39 (Tuberoinfundibular Peptide 39). In: Squire L ed. Encyclopedia of Neuroscience. Oxford: Academic Press. 2008.
- Faber, C. A., Dobolyi, A., Sleeman, M., and Usdin, T. B.: Distribution of tuberoinfundibular peptide of 39 residues and its receptor, parathyroid hormone 2 receptor, in the mouse brain. J Comp Neurol. 502(4):563-83, 2007.
- Kuo, J. and T. B. Usdin: Development Of A Rat Parathyroid Hormone 2 Receptor Antagonist. Peptides. 28(4):887-92, 2007.
- Dobolyi, A., H. Ueda, H. Uchida, M. Palkovits, and T. B. Usdin: Anatomical and Physiological Evidence for Involvement of Tuberoinfundibular Peptide of 39 Residues in Nociception. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 99: 1651-1656, 2002.
- Usdin, T. B., S. R. J. Hoare, T. Wang, É. Mezey and J. A. Kowalak: TIP39: a new neuropeptide and PTH2-recepor agonist from hypothalamus. Nature Neuroscience. 2, 941-943, 1999.
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Address:
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Laboratory of Genetics, NIMH
Bldg. 35 Rm. 1B215
35 Convent Drive MSC 3728 (U.S. Mail)
Bethesda, MD 20892-3728 |
| Phone: |
301-402-6976 |
| Email Dr. Usdin |
| Fax: |
301-402-0245 |
| Lab Web Site: |
No Site Available |
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