ROW: Influence of Vasotocin and Angiotensin II on Dehydration-related Behavior

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Arginine vasotocin and angiotensin II are antidiuretic hormones that influence water balance in many vertebrates. Since water is critical for survival, understanding how these hormones enhance water-absorption is critical. While most vertebrates have a regular and predictable water supply, desert animals live in harsh conditions in which survival is dependent upon the ability to find, obtain and conserve water. These species have evolved mechanisms of water retention which allows them to survive under these uncharitable conditions. Dr. Propper has selected two species that differ in genetic background but live within the same austere environment. She will employ a combination of behavioral, neuroanatomical and endocrine techniques to determine how these two neuropeptides influence water balance in two distinct desert species. Dr. Propper will define the behavioral responses to arginine vasotocin and angiotensin 11, localize the neural binding of these neuropeptides; and then determine how environmental changes influence the brain and plasma concentrations. By comparing the hormonal effects species that differ in their genetic background, she can determine whether similar neuroendocrine mechanisms are employed to manage water balance in vertebrates in general.