Neurobiology of the Naked Mole-Rat

本项目的目的是研究裸鼹鼠周围和中枢神经系统的适应性。裸鼹鼠有一种不寻常的生活方式，它们把完全在地下的生活与极端的群居性结合在一起，并倾向于大量生活。因此，在拥挤的洞穴中，许多动物共享有限的空气供应，这些动物面临着呼吸异常高水平的二氧化碳和异常低水平的氧气的挑战。最初的研究表明，从行为上讲，裸鼹鼠对高二氧化碳和低氧具有极强的抵抗力。现在项目的目标是更好地理解使这种阻力成为可能的潜在机制。该项目使用多种方法，包括行为学、电生理学、解剖学和分子技术，重点是在专注于神经机制和专注于自然行为的实验之间自由移动。该项目还在很大程度上依赖于在不同二氧化碳和氧气条件下进化的近亲和远亲物种的比较数据。该项目的预期影响包括促进对一般神经系统的理解，特别是对环境挑战的适应。此外，该项目将开发一个新的模型系统，用于研究神经系统和行为的进化。该项目将为研究生和本科生提供系统神经科学方面的培训机会。该项目还将加强实验课程，因为已经用这些动物开发了一些实验练习。

The objective of this project is to investigate adaptations in the peripheral and central nervous systems of the naked mole-rat. Naked mole-rats have an unusual lifestyle in that they combine a fully subterranean existence with extreme sociality, and a proclivity for living in large numbers. Thus, in their crowded burrows where many animals share a limited air supply, these animals are exposed to the challenges of breathing exceptionally high levels of carbon dioxide and exceptionally low levels of oxygen. Initial studies have revealed that, behaviorally, naked mole-rats are extremely resistant to high carbon dioxide and low oxygen. The goals of the project now are to better understand the underlying mechanisms that make this resistance possible. The project uses a variety of methods including behavioral, electrophysiological, anatomical, and molecular techniques with an emphasis on moving freely between experiments that focus on neural mechanisms and those that focus on natural behaviors. The project also relies heavily on comparative data from closely and distantly related species that have evolved under different carbon dioxide and oxygen conditions. The expected impacts of this project include contributing to the understanding of the nervous system in general, and to adaptations to environmental challenges in particular. Also, the project will develop a new model system for studying the evolution of the nervous system and behavior. The project will provide training opportunities in systems neuroscience for both graduate and undergraduate students. The project will also enhance laboratory courses in that several laboratory exercises have been developed with these animals.