Dr Lynette C. Daws

• Postition: Affiliate Lecturer
• Qualifications: PhD (Flinders)
• Location: Assistant Professor of Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Centre San Antonio, UTHSCSA web page, email : daws@uthscsa.edu
• Research Interests: The broad area of my research is studying the function and regulation of biogenic amine transporters (the serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine transporters). Understanding how these transporters function is important in that they are the primary site of action for numerous psychotherapeutic and psychoactive drugs and are pivotal in controlling the extracellular concentration of biogenic amines and hence, neurotransmission. One of my primary research interests relates to the serotonin transporter. In humans, a polymorphism of the gene encoding the serotonin transporter leads to its reduced expression. This polymorphism has been linked to a number of disorders including alcoholism and depression. Moreover, individuals with this polymorphism appear to respond differently to drug treatment. We are using mice with a genetically induced reduction in the density of the serotonin transporter (heterozygote serotonin transporter knockout mice, which express 50% fewer serotonin transporters than the “normal”, wild-type mouse) to investigate neuroadaptive changes associated with reduced expression of the transporter. In particular, we are interested in studying if regulation of the serotonin transporter by the 5-HT1B autoreceptor is altered in these mice.

  My group is also interested in studying how drugs of abuse interact with biogenic amine transporters. We are currently investigating the mechanism of action of MDMA (“Ecstasy”), para-methoxyamphetamine and cocaine at these transporters, as well as the acute and long term effects of these drugs on transporter function in vivo. In addition, we are studying the effect of acute and chronic alcohol consumption on a number of serotonergic parameters (e.g. 5-HT1B and 5-HT3 receptor density; 5-HT uptake) as it relates to genetic variation in transporter expression. My current research implements several state-of-the-art techniques including high-speed chronoamperometry and quantitative autoradiography, as well as a variety of molecular and behavioral approaches.

  Current Studies Include:

  1. “5-HT transporter function in vivo: Studies using knockout mice”.
  2. “5-HT1B autoreceptor regulation of the serotonin transporter”.
  3. “Early onset alcoholism: From molecules to mice to man”.
  4. “Do genetically defined differences in serotonin transporter expression alter responsiveness to alcohol?”
  5. “Addiction, insulin and the dopamine transporter in vivo”
  6. “Central mechanisms underlying dysregulation of body temperature by Ecstasy”.