Characterization of Chemosensory Pathways in Cnidarians

刺胞动物化学感受途径的特征安德森，IBN 0110550摘要检测和响应化学刺激的能力是所有生物体的基本特性，在后生动物中，专门的感觉结构（化学感觉细胞）和细胞间通路已经进化为检测和传递有关动物化学感觉环境的信息。虽然不同的生物可能会采用略有不同的机制在化学感受途径，从研究中出现的一般图片有限，但广泛分离的群体（特别是节肢动物和脊椎动物）是，管理化学感受系统的基本原则是非常相似的。 然而，很少有人注意到最早的后生动物，“第一”动物承担专门的感觉细胞。 刺胞动物（海葵，珊瑚和水母）代表了一些最早的后生动物，它们是第一个拥有可识别神经系统的现存生物。因此，他们是理想的动物，以检查早期后生动物的化学感受系统的特性，特别是，以确定是否共同的化学感受功能的机制适用于所有后生动物。 这项建议旨在研究刺胞动物的化学感觉转导，通过研究一个系统，就其本身而言，既迷人又显着，水母的刺细胞。水母和其他刺胞动物的刺细胞或刺胞细胞对化学和机械刺激的几乎同时应用作出反应，这些刺激发出潜在猎物存在的信号。 然而，这种放电受到各种过程的严格调节，包括化学感受器和机械感受器。 该提案将研究与两个物种，葡萄牙人的战争（酸浆）和海荨麻（Chrysaora quinqueclicha），这两个物种的触角刺细胞相关的化学感受器，这两个物种是，至少，严重的滋扰游泳者和渔民。 该项目的广泛目标是了解这些受体用于检测和识别化学刺激的机制，将该信息传递给刺突细胞，并识别和表征信息在刺突细胞中触发的细胞事件，使它们能够接受随后触发放电的机械刺激。 因此，该项目将获得有关早期生物体中化学感受系统的基本信息。该项目还具有非常实用的目标，因为有关调节刺突细胞放电的途径和机制的信息可能为抑制刺突细胞放电的方法提供有用的见解。 这些信息最终可能被用来开发保护游泳者和渔民免受这些动物可能产生的痛苦和有时令人不安的刺痛的方法。 该项目将提供培训，至少一个博士后研究员，并通过惠特尼实验室的非常活跃和成功的本科生研究经验计划的几个本科生。 该方案在包括少数民族方面有着良好的记录，预计至少有一名少数民族学生将通过该项目接受培训。

Characterization of Chemosensory Pathways in CnidariansP. Anderson, IBN 0110550ABSTRACT The ability to detect and respond to chemical stimuli is a fundamental property of all organisms, and in metazoan animals, specialized sensory structures (chemosensory cells) and intercellular pathways have evolved to detect and transmit information about the chemosensory environment of the animal. Although different organisms may employ slightly different mechanisms in chemosensory pathways, the general picture that has emerged from research with a limited number of albeit widely separated groups (particularly arthropods and vertebrates) is that the underlying principles that govern chemosensory systems are remarkably similar. However, very little attention has been paid to the earliest metazoans, the "first" animals to bear specialized sensory cells. Cnidarians (sea anemones, corals and jellyfish) represent some of the earliest metazoans, and they are the first extant organisms to possess a recognizable nervous system. Thus, they are ideal animals with which to examine the properties of early metazoan chemosensory systems and, in particular, to determine whether the common mechanisms of chemosensory function apply to all metazoans. This proposal seeks to examine chemosensory transduction in cnidarians, by studying a system that, in and of itself, is both fascinating and remarkable, the stinging cells of jellyfish. The sting cells or cnidocytes of jellyfish and other cnidarians discharge in response to near simultaneous applications of the chemical and mechanical stimuli that signal the presence of potential prey. However, this discharge is very tightly regulated by a variety of processes, including chemoreceptors and mechanoreceptors. This proposal will examine chemoreceptors associated with cnidocytes in the tentacles of two species, the Portugese Man-of-War (Physalia physalis) and sea nettle (Chrysaora quinquecirrha), two species that are, at the very least, serious nuisances for bathers and fishermen. The broad goals of this project are to understand the mechanisms used by those receptors to detect and transduce chemical stimuli, to convey that information to the cnidocytes, and identify and characterize the cellular events that information triggers in the cnidocytes, making them receptive to the subsequent mechanical stimuli that trigger discharge. As such, this project will obtain basic information about chemosensory systems in early organisms. The project also has very applied goals inasmuch as information about the pathways and mechanisms that regulate cnidocyte discharge may provide useful insights into ways to inhibit cnidocyte discharge. Such information could ultimately be used to develop ways to protect bathers and fishermen from the painful and sometimes dihabilitating stings these animals can produce. The project will provide training to at least one postdoctoral fellow, and to several undergraduates through the Whitney Laboratory's very active and successful Research Experience for Undergraduates Program. This program has an excellent record of including minorities, and at least one minority student is expected to be trained through this project.