RUI: Role of Peptides in Modulating the Output of a Small Neural System

近年来，大量的神经递质 神经调节物质已经在这两种细胞中被发现， 脊椎动物和无脊椎动物的物质。 这些物质 包括多种胺和不断增加的 神经肽，其确切的生理作用仍然是 不清楚 然而，在许多情况下， 在本质上是调节性的， 正在进行的神经元活动的改变或诱导这种 在以前静止的制剂中的活性。 等 神经元活动的修饰和调节是常见的， 所有的动物，是必不可少的各种活动。 神经肽在神经元调控中的作用研究 因此，这些活动不仅有助于进一步澄清 在神经系统中发现的许多物质的生理作用 系统，但也机制，神经元调制可以 发生. 也许最适合研究 调制目前是那些系统，其中定期 模式化的活动发生。 一个这样的系统，其中肽在细胞中的作用是 调节神经元活动可以很容易地解决， 甲壳纲十足目动物的口胃神经系统。 神经元肽能调节的相关问题 活动，特别是有节奏的活动， 已经从几个角度进行了探讨。 已作出相当大的努力， 定位各种神经肽在口胃 系统 此外，一些生理效应 神经肽对口胃系统的影响。 此外，至少一个调节神经元已经被 已确定，其对系统的调节作用已被 研究了 然而，缺乏的是这些因素的综合。 三种类型的实验，阳性鉴定 单个调节神经元使用的神经递质， 当这些神经元在生理上被激发时， 相关的方式。 Patsy Dickinson博士目前的研究是 旨在开始填补这一空白，在我们的知识在两个 方法：（1）通过识别和记录含有 神经肽，和（2）通过检查调节神经元， 这些神经肽的存在。

In recent years, an enormous number of neurotransmitter and neuromodulatory substances have been identified in both vertebrate and invertebrate substances. These substances include a number of amines and an ever-increasing number of neuropeptides, the exact physiological roles of which are still unclear. However, it appears in many cases that the peptides are modulatory in nature, provoking relatively long-term alterations of ongoing neuronal activity or inducing such activity in previously quiescent preparations. Such modification and modulation of neuronal activity is common to all animals, and is essential to a wide variety of activities. Studies of the roles of neuropeptides in modulating neuronal activities will thus serve to clarify further not only the physiological roles of the many substances found in the nervous system but also the mechanisms by which neuronal modulation can occur. Perhaps the most amenable systems for the study of modulation at present are those systems in which a regularly patterned activity occurs. One such system, in which the role of peptides in modulating neuronal activity can be addressed readily, is the stomatogastric nervous system of decapod crustaceans. Questions related to the peptidergic modulation of neuronal activity, particulary rhythmically patterned activity, have already been approached from several perspectives. Considerable effort has been devoted to identifying and localizing a variety of neuropeptides in the stomatogastric system. In addition, the physiological effects of a number of neuropeptides on the stomatogastric system have been studied. Furthermore, at least one modulatory neuron has been identified, and its modulatory effects on the system have been studied. What is lacking, however, is the synthesis of these three types of experiments, the positive identification of the transmitters used by individual modulatory neurons and the effects of these neurons when fired in a physiologically relevant manner. The present study by Dr. Patsy Dickinson is designed to begin to fill this gap in our knowledge in two ways: (1) by identifying and recording from neurons containing neuropeptides, and (2) by examining modulatory neurons for the presence of these neuropeptides.