The Role of Prolactin in Mediating Parental and AlloparentalCare

9722823 Schoech本项目的主要目标是确定激素的机制，介导的社会物种，佛罗里达灌丛鸦（Aphelocoma coerulescens）的父母和alloparent行为。 由于催乳素与许多物种的亲职行为有关，包括佛罗里达灌丛鸦，该项目的主旨将解决催乳素在促进非繁殖者帮助行为中的作用。 先前的相关研究已经将这种物种的帮助和催乳素联系起来。该提案使用了一种方案，通过操纵激素水平可以更明确地评估激素功能。 人们早就知道，除非通过实验去除并替换一种激素，否则只能推断出该化合物的因果性质。最近的进展，在我们的理解的化合物的“上游”从垂体，控制催乳素的分泌，使之成为可能，以消除催乳素与生物元素。使用催乳素释放剂，并通过治疗佛罗里达灌丛鸦与抗体对这种代理，催乳素可以免疫中和。在去除感兴趣的激素（催乳素）后，对治疗个体的焦点观察将允许确定催乳素是否负责帮助行为。 同样，现代野外内分泌技术可以提高生物体的内源性激素滴度。通过去除，然后补充催乳素在自由生活的合作繁殖佛罗里达灌丛鸦，这项建议将开拓使用这些宝贵的技术在现场条件下。除了极大地提高我们对调节社会行为的激素机制的理解外，该提案中使用的方法可能被证明在操纵行为方面是有用的，并可能为未来在各种物种中的研究奠定基础。

9722823 Schoech The primary goal of this project is to determine the hormonal mechanisms that mediate parental and alloparental behavior in a social species, the Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens). Because prolactin is associated with parental behavior in many species, including Florida scrub-jays, the thrust of the project will address the role of prolactin in promoting helping behavior by nonbreeders. Previous correlative studies have linked helping and prolactin in this species. This proposal uses a protocol whereby manipulations of hormone levels allow more definitive assessment of hormone function. It has long been known that until a hormone is removed and replaced experimentally, the causal nature of the compound can only be inferred. Recent advances in our understanding of the compounds 'upstream' from the pituitary that control the secretion of prolactin make it possible to remove prolactin with biological elements. Using a prolactin releasing agent, and by treating Florida scrub-jays with anti-bodies against this agent, prolactin can be immunoneutralized. Following removal of the hormone of interest (prolactin), focal observations of treated individuals will allow the determination of whether prolactin is responsible for helping behavior. Similarly, modern field endocrine techniques allow enhancement of an organism's endogenous hormone titres. By removing and then supplementing prolactin in free-living cooperatively breeding Florida scrub-jays, this proposal will pioneer the use of these valuable techniques under field conditions. In addition to greatly enhancing our understanding of hormonal mechanisms that mediate social behavior, the methods used in this proposal may prove to be useful in manipulating behavior, and may set the stage for future research in a variety of species.