Modulation of Rhythmic Motor Activity in Peptide and Conventional Co-Transmitters in an Identified Neuron

本研究的主要目标是了解单个调节神经元如何使用肽和传统的递质来影响定义良好的神经网络的活动。尽管许多系统中的神经网络活动已被证明受到外源肽的影响，但很少有研究详细说明肽分泌神经元的作用。将要进行的项目集中于配对的调节催乳素神经元，两个同源肽能神经元调节幽门神经网络的活动，这是最被描述的神经元集合，它产生有节奏的、有模式的活动，位于螃蟹的口胃神经系统中。这个项目结合了生化和电生理技术来解决一系列相关的问题。这项工作很重要，因为它使用一个模型系统来解决与人类相似的神经元回路有关的重要细胞问题。

The main goal of this research is to understand how an individual modulatory neuron uses a peptide and a conventional transmitter to influence the activity of a well-defined neural network. Although neural network activity in many systems has been shown to be influenced by exogenously applied peptides, few studies have detailed the effects of peptide-secreting neurons. The projects to be performed focuses on the paired modulatory prolactin-containing neurons, two homologous peptidergic neurons that modulate the activity of the pyloric network, the best described neuronal ensemble which generates a rhythmic, patterned activity, and is located in the stomatogastric nervous system of the crab. This project combines biochemical and electrophysiological techniques to address a related series of questions. This work is important because it uses a model system to attack important cellular questions about neuronal circuits which are similar in man.