NEURAL BASIS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL OF REPRODUCTION

长期目标是使用无脊椎动物模型，即 了解海洋软体动物海兔的神经基础 生殖季节波动的环境调节 活动。由于它们相对简单的神经系统，海兔 已被广泛应用于分子和电生理 产卵行为的神经内分泌调控研究。 然而，关于环境如何调节的信息很少 这一行为发生的时机。我们实验室最近的工作表明 光周期和温度都能调节产卵。宏伟的目标 拟议工作的一部分是定位和研究 光周期和温度影响的途径(S) 生殖行为。这项建议的具体目的是：1) 确定眼睛是否在光周期对产卵的影响中起中介作用 行为；2)确定神经和/或荷尔蒙机制 光周期影响产卵行为；3)测定神经 和/或温度影响产卵的激素机制 行为，4)探索自发性的强烈季节性抑制 冬季和春季的产卵行为。 拟议的工作将应用细胞、内分泌和 研究光周期和光刺激效应的电生理技术 温度对产卵过程中重要的神经元成分的影响。首字母 研究将采用体内电记录技术 用动物的行为来确定哪些组织对 光周期和温度。一旦完成了这一点，紧张的 系统可以被移除并放置在培养中来探索细胞 对这两个环境变量的反应。此外，测量 参与产卵过程的已知荷尔蒙将允许 对环境潜在的细胞过程的额外评估 对生殖的管制。 行为是大脑和大脑之间相互作用的结果 环境。拟议的研究将提供一种新的方法来 对生殖的细胞机制的理解 对环境变量的行为反应。此外，这些 研究将提高我们对神经内分泌控制的认识 既能激活生育又能抑制生育。

The long-term objective is to use an invertebrate animal model, the marine mollusc Aplysia californica, to understand the neural basis of environmental regulation of seasonal fluctuations in reproductive activity. Because of their relatively simple nervous system, Aplysia have been widely used for molecular and electrophysiological investigations of the neuroendocrine control of egg laying behavior. However, there is little information on how the environment regulates the timing of this behavior. Recent work from our laboratory suggest that both photoperiod and temperature regulate egg laying. A broad aim of the proposed work is to locate and to study components of the pathway(s) by which photoperiod and temperature have their effects on reproductive behavior. The specific aims of this proposal are: 1) To determine whether the eyes mediate effects of photoperiod on egg laying behavior; 2) To determine the neural and/or hormonal mechanisms by which photoperiod affects egg laying behavior; 3) To determine the neural and/or hormonal mechanisms by which temperature affects egg laying behavior, 4) To explore the strong seasonal suppression of spontaneous egg laying behavior in the winter and spring. The proposed work will apply cellular, endocrinological and electrophysiological techniques to study the effects of photoperiod and temperature on the neuronal components important in egg laying. Initial studies will employ an in vivo electrical recording technique in behaving animals to determine which tissues are responsive to photoperiod and temperature. Once this is accomplished, the nervous system can be removed and placed in culture to explore the cellular responses to the two environmental variables. Furthermore, measurement of known hormones involved in the egg laying process will allow an additional evaluation of the cellular processes underlying environmental regulation of reproduction. Behavior is a function of interactions between the brain and the environment. The proposed studies will provide a novel approach to the understanding of cellular mechanisms which underlie reproductive behavioral responses to environmental variables. Furthermore, these investigations will enhance our knowledge of the neuroendocrine control of both activation and suppression of fertility.