Dissertation Research: Neuroendocrine mechanisms regulating sexual behavior in female túngara frogs

论文研究：调节雌性通加拉青蛙性行为的神经内分泌机制

• 批准号: 0910107
• 负责人: Sabrina Burmeister
• 金额: $ 1.24万
• 依托单位: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-08-01 至 2010-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0910107&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; Neuroendocrine; mechanisms; regulating

The decision to reproduce is one of the most important decision an animal makes. Females invest a large proportion of energy in reproduction and the timing of reproduction is therefore highly regulated. The timing of reproductive behavior is regulated through neural modulation by reproductive hormones, such as estradiol. The primary goal of the proposed research is to better understand how estradiol modulates neural systems to regulate the expression of reproductive behavior. An important component of reproductive behavior includes those behaviors that mediate a female's choice of a mate. Using túngara frogs, the researchers will investigate the effects of estradiol on the sensory systems that females use to respond to male mating signals. Female frogs choose mates based on their vocalizations, and they respond preferentially to vocalizations of their own species when their estradiol levels are high compared to when their estradiol levels are low. This research will test if estradiol influences activity in the auditory system through changes in neurochemicals in the brain. To measure neural activity, the researchers will assess changes in gene expression that are correlated with neural activity. They predict that estradiol causes females to respond selectively to male vocalizations because of its effects on catecholamines, a class of neurochemicals, in the auditory system. The results of this research will broaden our understanding of how brain function is modulated by hormones during critical behavioral decisions such as mate choice. The project will also provide training opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students.

繁殖是动物最重要的决定之一。雌性在生殖方面投入了很大比例的能量，因此生殖的时间受到高度管制。生殖行为的时间是通过生殖激素（如雌二醇）的神经调节来调节的。这项研究的主要目的是更好地了解雌二醇如何调节神经系统以调节生殖行为的表达。生殖行为的一个重要组成部分包括那些调节雌性选择配偶的行为。 研究人员将使用túngara青蛙，研究雌二醇对雌性用于响应雄性交配信号的感觉系统的影响。雌蛙根据它们的叫声选择配偶，当它们的雌二醇水平高时，它们会优先响应自己物种的叫声，而不是雌二醇水平低时。这项研究将测试雌二醇是否通过改变大脑中的神经化学物质来影响听觉系统的活动。为了测量神经活动，研究人员将评估与神经活动相关的基因表达的变化。他们预测，雌二醇会导致女性选择性地对男性的发声做出反应，因为它会影响听觉系统中的一类神经化学物质--儿茶酚胺。这项研究的结果将拓宽我们对大脑功能如何在关键行为决策（如配偶选择）中受到激素调节的理解。该项目还将为研究生和本科生提供培训机会。