Signal Molecules in Ctenophores: Quest for the earliest neurotransmitters

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The origin of neurons is one of the most fundamental events in the development of complex animal organization. In the broader sense, it is also essential for our understanding of the origin of biological complexity and mind. This project is designed to identify and characterize signal molecules that are responsible for the development and formation of simple neural circuits and behavior. The hypothesis to be tested is that neurons arose independently in different early animals, and therefore the nervous systems of today's animals might include cells of diverse ancestry. By using the tools of modern genomics and physiology, these processes can be reconstructed in the descendants of these early animals, such as ctenophores (comb jellies). These processes can then used to repair or even design novel neural circuits. The sea gooseberry, Pleurobrachia bachei will be used as the major ctenophore model. As the broad impact, this research program will integrate education in Neuroscience with Genome Biology to decipher the molecular toolkits that controlled formation of the earliest behaviors. The approaches and methodology that we will develop can be generalized to any system. As such, the project will conceptually change the interpretation of data gained from studying classical animal models, and will probe unique mechanisms of how to "make" a neuron, a neural circuit, and an elementary brain. It is essential for charting new directions both in synthetic biology and regeerative medicine. In addition to their value as models in neuroscience, comb jellies are significant parts of marine ecology and biological fishery control. Thus, identification of chemical signaling components in these animals will advance our understanding of their biology and contribute to monitoring and controlling the health of marine habitats.