Interactions Between Neurohormonal Systems: Studies at the Cellular Level

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A common behavior among animals is aggression, which can occur during competition for food, mates, or other limited resources. As a consequence of winning or losing fights with other individuals in the same social group, subsequent behavioral patterns change, as winners can dominate losers. A biochemical compound, the amine serotonin, is known to be important in aggression, but other hormonal substances also have been implicated including peptides and steroids, which may interact with amines. The lobster is a social crustacean that shows complex stereotyped behavior, and offers the opportunity to examine the hormonal modulation of behavior at the level of single identifiable cells in the brain. Specific sets of cells containing amines have been mapped, and a group of neurons containing stress-related peptides has been identified that interact with the amine neuron sets. This project examines the cellular networks of the lobster neurons containing and responsive to serotonin and certain peptides and steroids. Electrophysiological recordings and morphological analyses will reveal how the systems are activated, and detail the synaptic interactions and circuitry involved. Results will be important for behavioral neuroscience as well as neuroendocrinology, in clarifying cellular mechanisms underlying the hormonal regulation of aggression, which is an important behavior in humans as well as animals. This project also will have an impact through its excellent integration of education and training with research, including worldwide collaborations and outreach to under-represented groups.