Role of Hormones in Behavior

激素在行为中的作用

• 批准号: 9511077
• 负责人: James Truman
• 金额: $ 9.73万
• 依托单位: University of Washington
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1995
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1995-09-15 至 1996-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9511077&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Role; Hormones; Behavior

IBN-9511077 Truman, James W. The brain contains a myriad of substances with the potential to be used as chemical messengers between cells. One class of messenger molecules are small protein-like substances called neuropeptides. These messengers can function in communication between cells where their release is a local event or in situations where they are carried great distances and act as hormones. The target tissues, either local or distant, contain recognition sites for these substances, which then use secondary systems to transmit the signal into the cell, thereby altering its level of activity. Altering the activity of a large population of cells potentially changes the physiology and behavior of the organism. Dr. Truman isolated and characterized such a peptidergic messenger molecule called eclosion hormone (EH) and has provided preliminary information on the biological significance of this messenger. In the present studies, he will investigate the mechanisms employed by neurons to generate second messengers functioning inside the neuronal targets for EH. In addition, because of his past ability to isolate the gene encoding EH, he will use molecular biological tools to generate mutants unable to produce this messenger molecule and study their behavior. These investigations will further understanding about the role of neuropeptides in the functioning of the nervous system and the mechanisms used by peptides to alter behavior.

大脑中含有无数的物质，这些物质有可能被用作细胞之间的化学信使。一类信使分子是类似蛋白质的小物质，称为神经肽。这些信使可以在细胞之间的交流中发挥作用，当它们的释放是局部事件时，或者在它们被远距离携带并充当激素的情况下。靶组织，无论是局部的还是远处的，都含有对这些物质的识别位点，然后这些物质利用二级系统将信号传递到细胞中，从而改变其活性水平。改变大量细胞的活动可能会改变生物体的生理和行为。Truman博士分离并鉴定了一种叫做羽化激素（EH）的肽能信使分子，并提供了这种信使的生物学意义的初步信息。在目前的研究中，他将研究神经元产生第二信使的机制，这些信使在EH的神经元靶点内起作用。此外，由于他过去有能力分离编码EH的基因，他将使用分子生物学工具产生无法产生这种信使分子的突变体并研究它们的行为。这些研究将进一步了解神经肽在神经系统功能中的作用以及肽改变行为的机制。