CIRCADIAN AND EFFERENT MODULATION OF RETINAL SENSITIVITY

昼夜节律调节视网膜的敏感度 对大脑的传出输入是该项目的主要焦点。 蛙脑和日本鹌鹑眼睛的昼夜节律时钟 两种动物视网膜的结构和敏感度。非昼夜节律 从鸣禽脑传出的信息进一步调节视网膜 敏感度。我们的长期目标是了解这种调节机制是如何 输入使视觉适应基本任务。 我们建议研究日本鸣禽的昼夜节律。 可能的神经递质、多巴胺和褪黑素(目标1)， 视网膜的昼夜节律由多个 神经递质(目标2)，以及空间和中枢神经的传出调制 日本鸣禽(Aim-3)和蛙类的时间反应特性 (目标4)视网膜。 我们计划对日本鹌鹑和贻贝进行平行研究，包括 采用解剖学、生理学、药理学、分子生物学等研究方法。我们的 生理学技术允许长期记录视网膜反应 在原地也可以取自？(-5天)和日本鹌鹑(-2天) 作为对两个视网膜传出输入的精确控制。我们可以录制 离体示踪脑的时钟活动(-2天)及分析 离体示波光感受器的特性(-12小时)。我们的 药理学技术允许操纵假定的昼夜节律 鹌鹑眼睛中的信号(多巴胺和褪黑素)及其操作 传出神经递质(章鱼胺、2kD神经肽和 光适应荷尔蒙)。这些实验性的 技术非常适合于研究传出和昼夜节律。 视网膜敏感度的调节及与日本的关系 将其作为本研究的合适模型。 该项目的主要宗旨是对这些问题进行全面研究 动物模型将为视网膜的基本机制提供新的见解 功能。

Modulation of the sensitivity of the retina by circadian clocks and efferent input for the brains is the main focus of the project. Circadian clocks in the Limulus brain and Japanese quail's eye modulate the structure and sensitivity of retinas in both animals. Noncircadian efferent inputs from the quail brain further modulate retinal sensitivity. Our long range goal is to understand how such modulatory inputs adapt vision for essential tasks. We propose to investigate the circadian modulations of the Japanese quail retina by putative neurotransmitters, dopamine and melatonin (Aim 1), that circadian modulation of the Limulus retina by multiple neurotransmitters (Aim 2), and the efferent modulation of the spatial and temporal response properties of the Japanese quail (Aim 3) and Limulus (Aim 4) retinas. We plan parallel studies with Japanese quail and Limulus involving methods of anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and molecular biology. Our physiological techniques allow long-term recordings of retinal responses in situ from both Limulus (-5 days) and Japanese quail (-2 days) as well as precise control of efferent inputs to both retinas. We can recorded clock activity from isolated Limulus brains (-2 days) and analyze properties of isolated Limulus photoreceptors (-12 hours). Our pharmacological techniques allow manipulation of the putative circadian signals (dopamine and melatonin) in the quail eye and the manipulation of the efferent neurotransmitters (octopamine, 2kD neuropeptide, and light-adapting hormone) in the Limulus eye. These experimental techniques are well suited for investigating the efferent and circadian modulation of retinal sensitivity and establish Limulus and Japanese quail as appropriate models for this research. The primary tenet of the project is that comprehensive studies of these animal models will yield new insights on basic mechanisms of retinal function.