CAREER: Afferent Thermosensory Mechanisms and Social Behavior

最近对人类的研究表明，与冷咖啡相比，手持一杯热咖啡会增加亲社会行为，而个人并没有意识到温度对其行为的影响。尽管相关机制尚未确定，但这些发现表明，皮肤温暖的感觉可以影响社会行为的机制是存在的。来自洛瑞实验室的初步数据表明，脑干中产生大脑化学物质5-羟色胺的神经元亚群可能与温度对社交行为的影响有关。此外，这些初步数据表明，一种温度敏感的蛋白质，温度激活的瞬时受体电位(Trp)离子通道4(TRPV4)，可能负责感知皮肤温度变化，导致5-羟色胺能神经元的激活。PI将检验以下假设：(1)大脑中一组5-羟色胺能神经元的神经元活动通过激活TRPV4的机制对温度升高做出反应，以及(2)激活TRPV4会导致焦虑相关行为的减少，反之，社会互动的增加。将使用解剖学、电生理、药理学和行为学的方法来研究一组5-羟色胺能神经元在感知温度和调节行为方面的作用。温暖的温度预计会激活投射到参与调节社会行为的大脑结构的5-羟色胺能神经元的子集。温度对5-羟色胺能神经元的这种激活也被认为依赖于温度敏感通道TRPV4的激活。这项研究将提供有关热刺激对高度保守的神经递质系统、5-羟色胺能系统以及情感和社会行为的影响的新信息，这些新信息在脊椎动物和无脊椎动物分类群中都有应用。该项目将为研究生和本科生提供宝贵的培训机会，并为附近社区中代表性不足的高中生提供外联和研究指导。

Recent studies in humans have demonstrated that holding a warm cup of coffee, as opposed to a cold cup of coffee, increases pro-social behavior, without any conscious awareness by the individual of the effects of temperature on their behavior. Although the mechanisms involved have not been defined, these findings suggest that there are mechanisms through which sensation of warm temperature in the skin can affect social behavior. Preliminary data from the Lowry laboratory suggest that a subpopulation of neurons in the brainstem that produce the brain chemical serotonin may be responsible for the effects of temperature on social behavior. Furthermore, these preliminary data suggest that a temperature-sensitive protein, temperature-activated transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channel 4 (TRPv4), may be responsible for sensing temperature changes in the skin that lead to activation of serotonergic neurons. The PI will test the hypotheses that (1) the neuronal activity of a subset of serotonergic neurons in the brain responds to increases in temperature via mechanisms involving TRPv4 activation, and (2) activation of TRPv4 leads to decreased anxiety-related behaviors and, conversely, increases in social interaction.Anatomical, electrophysiological, pharmacological, and behavioral approaches will be used to investigate the role of a subset of serotonergic neurons in both sensing temperature and regulating behavior. Warm temperature is expected to activate a subset of serotonergic neurons projecting to brain structures involved in regulation of social behavior. This activation of serotonergic neurons by warm temperature is also expected to be dependent on activation of the temperature-sensitive channel TRPv4. This research will provide new information relevant to the effects of thermal stimuli on a highly conserved neurotransmitter system, the serotonergic system, and on emotional and social behavior, new information that has application across vertebrate and invertebrate taxa. This project will provide valuable training opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students as well as incorporating outreach and research mentoring for underrepresented high school students in the nearby community.