Mechanisms of Chemical Communication

化学通讯机制

• 批准号: 8820299
• 负责人: Robert Johnston
• 金额: $ 20.18万
• 依托单位: Cornell University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing grant
• 财政年份: 1989
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1989-04-01 至 1993-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=8820299&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Mechanisms; Chemical; Communication

The understanding of processes involved in species, sex, individual and kin recognition are of fundamental importance to virtually all multicellular animals. Among many mammals, chemosensory signals provide one of the most important channels of communication for such recognition. Dr. Johnston will examine the ways in which animals recognize others of their species by chemical cues and investigate the neural mechanisms underlying such recognition. His research involves the development of innovative habituation paradigms to measure individual discrimination and individual recognition. He will utilize the behavioral information to determine the roles that the two main olfactory pathways, the main olfactory system and the vomeronasal system, play in mediating the recognition processes. Not only will this multidisciplinary approach provide information towards our understanding of animal communication systems but will contribute to our understanding of (1) recognition mechanisms in general, (2) the functions of the sense of olfaction, (3) the organization and functions of the neural pathways of the olfactory system, and (4) the processing of olfactory information in different brain regions. The understanding and treatment of clinical disorders associated with taste and olfactory dysfunctions in humans can only benefit from advances in basic knowledge of animal olfaction and chemical communication research.

了解物种、性别、个体和亲属识别过程对于几乎所有多细胞动物都至关重要。 在许多哺乳动物中，化学感应信号为这种识别提供了最重要的通讯渠道之一。 约翰斯顿博士将研究动物通过化学信号识别其他物种的方式，并研究这种识别背后的神经机制。 他的研究涉及开发创新的习惯范式来衡量个人歧视和个人认可。 他将利用行为信息来确定两个主要嗅觉通路（主嗅觉系统和犁鼻系统）在介导识别过程中所发挥的作用。 这种多学科方法不仅可以为我们理解动物交流系统提供信息，而且有助于我们理解（1）一般识别机制，（2）嗅觉的功能，（3）嗅觉系统神经通路的组织和功能，以及（4）不同大脑区域嗅觉信息的处理。 与人类味觉和嗅觉功能障碍相关的临床疾病的理解和治疗只能受益于动物嗅觉和化学通讯研究基础知识的进步。