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Molecular Biology and Psychiatry: New Methodologies and Techniques

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 November 2014

Abstract

Molecular biology techniques are used widely in the study of central nervous system structures and functions. The possibilities offered by such methodologies are attracting an increasing number of researchers for their versatility and for their promise to permit the investigation of different proteins, step by step, from gene transcription to posttranscriptional processes. Of particular interest is the study of the enzymes responsible for the synthesis and catabolism of neurotransmitters, as well as neuroreceptors.

Today, a general knowledge of such methods and of how they can be used in CNS studies is fundamental for psychiatrists, even if not directly involved in basic research, since it can be easily predicted that the next century will be characterized by an increasing application of these approaches to biological psychiatry. In this article, we describe gene expression methods and the aim of gene expression studies. We also present some general information on the various steps and techniques used for different purposes in biological psychiatry.

Type
Feature Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1997

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