MRPG: Investigations on the Role of Calcitonin in Reproduction and Development of the Atlantic Stingray

降钙素是一种古老的系统发育激素，由哺乳动物的甲状腺滤泡旁C细胞和所有有颌骨的非哺乳动物脊椎动物的多颧腺产生。尽管有超过35年的积极研究和最近使用降钙素作为骨科疾病的治疗药物，但人们对这种神秘的激素在脊椎动物生理学中的确切作用知之甚少。本研究将描述大西洋黄貂鱼(Dasyatis Sabina)的三个过程与降钙素生物活性之间的关系。随着对多鳃部腺活动的组织学观察，这些降钙素生物活性的指标将与胚胎、新生儿和繁殖活跃的雄性和雌性沙地老虎的胚胎发生、发育和生殖事件相关。从这项少数民族研究规划研究中获得的初步信息将被用来制定一项有针对性的研究计划，以确定降钙素在棘鱼中的确切作用，这种鱼类是现存最古老的脊椎动物群体，拥有这种激素系统。

Calcitonin is a phylogenetically ancient hormone that is produced by the parafollicular C-cells of the thyroid gland in mammals and the ultimobranchial gland of all jawed non-mammalian vertebrates. Despite over 35 years of active research and recent use of calcitonin as a therapeutic drug for osteopathic diseases, little is known about the definitive role of this enigimatic hormone in vertebrate physiology. The present study will characterize the relationships between three processes and calcitonin bioactivity in the Atlantic stingray (Dasyatis sabina), a well-studied elasmobranch species. Along with histologic observations on the activity of the ultimobranchial gland, these indicators of calcitonin bioactivity will be correlated with embryogenic, developmental, and reproductive events in embryonic, neonatal, and reproductively active male and female D. sabina. Preliminary information derived from this Minority Research Planning Study will be used to develop a focused research plan for identifying the definitive role of calcitonin in elasmobranch fishes, the oldest extant vertebrate group to possess this hormonal system.