RPG: Neuropeptide Control of Territorial Aggression

RPG：神经肽控制领土攻击

• 批准号: 9407691
• 负责人: Catherine Marler
• 金额: $ 1.79万
• 依托单位: University of Wisconsin-Madison
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1994
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1994-08-15 至 1996-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9407691&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RPG; Neuropeptide; Control; Territorial; Aggression

9407691 Marler ABSTRACT The goal of this research is to develop the mountain spiny lizard Sceloporus jarrovi as a model system for studying neuroendocrine control of territorial aggressive behavior. Aggressive behavior in this species is sterotypic, but there is both interseasonal and intraseasonal variation. Thus these lizards provide an ideal system for investigating how long term and short term gradations in aggression can be physiologically controlled while the animals are behaving in their natural environment. The focus for these studies will be the neuropeptide arginine vasotocin (AVT) which is known to influence reproductive behavior. A primary technique employed in the proposed research will be immunocytochemistry, which, through the use of image analysis techniques, will be used to compare concentrations of AVT within the brains of animals displaying varying levels of aggression. This technique will also allow identification of brain regions that may be associated with short and long term changes in aggression, as well as any morphological changes in AVT immunoreactive cells or fibers. Because of seasonal variation in the natural patterns of aggression and testosterone in S. jarrovi it will also be possible to uncouple the effects of testosterone and aggression on the expression of AVT-ir within the brain. Finally, the effects of artificially increased levels of AVT on territorial aggression will be examined while the animal is in its natural environment. These studies will begin to examine if AVT influences aggression in a strongly territorial species and how tightly coupled AVT is with testosterone and aggression.

9407691马勒摘要本研究的目标是开发山地刺蜥Scelopus jarrovi作为研究领土攻击行为神经内分泌控制的模型系统。该物种的攻击性行为是立体类型的，但有季节间和季节内的变化。因此，这些蜥蜴提供了一个理想的系统，用于研究当动物在自然环境中行为时，如何在生理上控制攻击性的长期和短期梯度。这些研究的重点将是神经肽精氨酸血管催产素(AVT)，它是已知的影响生殖行为的物质。这项拟议研究中采用的一项主要技术将是免疫细胞化学，通过使用图像分析技术，将用于比较不同攻击性水平的动物大脑中AVT的浓度。这项技术还可以识别可能与攻击性的短期和长期变化有关的大脑区域，以及AVT免疫反应细胞或纤维的任何形态变化。由于沙门氏菌攻击性和睾酮的自然模式的季节性变化，也有可能将睾酮和攻击性对脑内AVT-ir表达的影响分开。最后，当动物处于其自然环境中时，将检验人为增加的AVT水平对领土侵略的影响。这些研究将开始研究AVT是否会影响一个地域性很强的物种的攻击性，以及AVT与睾丸激素和攻击性的关系有多紧密。