Peptidergic Regulation of Body Patterning Behavior in the Cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis

这个研究项目的长期目标是获得对行为可塑性的机制理解，即根据生物体的内部状态或环境条件改变个体行为表现的能力。这种行为可塑性是由于运动网络在中央和周围的微小变化而导致的运动输出的微妙变化的结果。行为可塑性问题将通过研究欧洲墨鱼（一种与章鱼和鱿鱼有亲缘关系的头足类软体动物）的独特行为——身体模式行为进行实验探讨。墨鱼和其他无壳的头足类动物产生了一种令人着迷的丰富的短暂和持续的身体模式，用于许多目的，如伪装，捕获猎物，求偶和种内交流。作为动物界最有趣的行为之一，头足类动物的身体图案行为是独一无二的，因为图案的复杂性和多样性以及图案形成的速度，通常在500毫秒内。本研究的最终目的是阐明这些复杂模式产生的核心机制，并了解神经肽在调节这种行为中的作用。接下来一年的工作将集中在神经调节剂在调节染色质活性中的作用。我们已经证明，FMRFamide家族的神经肽，被称为FMRFamide相关肽（FaRPs），刺激染色质肌肉，这反过来导致色素染色质的扩张。先前的工作已经确定了一个编码FMRFamide和其他三个farp的大脑转录本。其中一个重点将是使用原位杂交方法确定FMRFamide编码转录物在Sepia脑中的空间分布，并通过免疫细胞化学技术确定转录物表达与FMRFamide表达之间的重叠程度。第二个目标将是使用分子方法鉴定Sepia中的其他FaRP编码基因。这些实验的结果将为这些肽在调节头足类动物身体模式行为方面的作用提供新的信息。

NJ Tublitz99-05989 The long term goal of this research project is to obtain a mechanistic understanding of behavioral plasticity, the ability to vary the performance of an individual behavior depending upon the internal state of the organism or on environmental conditions. This behavioral plasticity is the result of subtle variations in the motor output due to small changes in the motor network both centrally and peripherally. The issue of behavioral plasticity will be explored experimentally by studying a unique behavior, Body Patterning Behavior , in the European cuttlefish Sepia officinalis, a cephalopod mollusc related to octopus and squid. Cuttlefish and other unshelled cephalopods generate a fascinatingly rich repertoire of transient and sustained body patterns that are used for numerous purposes such as camouflage, prey capture, courtship, and intraspecific communication. One of the most intrinsically interesting behaviors in the animal kingdom, body patterning behavior in cephalopods is unique due to the complexity and variety of patterns as well as the speed of pattern formation, usually within 500 ms. The ultimate objective of this research is to elucidate the central mechanisms underlying the production of these complicated patterns, and to understand the role of neuropeptides in modulating this behavior. The work to be performed in the up-coming year will focus on the role of neuromodulators in mediating chromatophore activity. We have demonstrated that the FMRFamide family of neuropeptides, known as FMRFamide-related peptides (FaRPs), stimulate the chromatophore muscles, which in turn causes expansion of the pigmented chromatophores. Previous work has identified a brain transcript that encodes FMRFamide and three other FaRPs. One focus will be to determine the spatial distribution of the FMRFamide-coding transcript in the Sepia brain using in situ hybridization methods and to determine the extent of the overlap between transcript expression and FMRFamide expression as assessed by immunocytochemical techniques. The second goal will be to identify other FaRP coding genes in Sepia using molecular methods. The results from these experiments will provide new information on the role of these peptides in modulating aspects of body pattern behavior in cephalopods.