Welcome to the Bourque Lab

In the Bourque lab we study mechanisms that regulate the electrical activity of neurons in the mammalian hypothalamus (see the research page for specific projects). Our current work explores how the cytoskeleton and defined subtypes of ion channels and neurotransmitter receptors contribute to processes including:

        Blood sodium detection
        The regulation of thirst
        Vasopressin & Oxytocin release
        Mechanotransduction
        Thermosensation
        Osmosensation
        Gliotransmission
        Action potential patterning
        Circadian rhythms

 

Much of our work is focused on the supraoptic nucleus (above), where glial cells (blue) interact with the neurosecretory neurons (yellow) that release oxytocin and vasopressin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       Home | Research | Techniques | Outcomes | Publications | people | Funding | alumni | Location | Contact                 ©Bourque 2008, 2010

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Keywords: neuroscience, electrophysiology, pharmacology, biophysics, patch-clamp, synaptic transmission, synapse, glia, glial cells, gliotransmission, taurine, glycine, glycine receptor, volume regulated anion channel, neuron, astrocyte, vasopressin, oxytocin, neurohypophysis, pituitary, endocrinology, neuroendocrinology, cytoskeleton, actin,  mechanotransduction, mechanosensitivity, osmolality, osmotic, osmosensing, osmosensory, osmoreceptor, NMDA, GABA, microtubule, osmoreception, osmoregulation, peptide, neuropeptide, thirst, diuresis, natriuresis, salt appetite, salt sensing, sodium sensing, transient receptor potential, TRP, TRPV, trpv1, trpv2, trpv3, trpv4, trpa1, vanilloid, burst, bursting, rhythms, rhythmic, phasic, depolarizing after-potential, DAP, plateau, dendrite, dendritic, autocrine, neurosecretion, nerve terminal, axon terminal, action potential, graduate studies, postdoctoral studies, postdoc, imaging, calcium, calcium channel, calcium imaging, single channel, dehydration, hyponatremia, hypernatremia, hypertension, diabetes insipidus, SIADH, supraoptic, paraventricular, suprachiasmatic, subfornical organ, SFO, organum vasculosum, lamina terminalis, OVLT, SON, PVN, SCN, circadian rhythms.
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Last update: July 4, 2010
Webmaster: charles.bourque@mcgill.ca
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