NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL BASIS OF CIRCADIAN ORGANIZATION

在过去的十年中，我们在理解 昼夜节律的生理基础。 在很大程度上， 通过使用无脊椎动物模型， 显示脊椎动物昼夜节律的形式特性的制剂 系统，但允许细胞水平的分析。 海兔，一种腹足动物 软体动物，一直是一个重要的无脊椎动物模型，主要是由于 每只眼睛内都有精确的昼夜节律起搏器。 尽管如此，Aaplasia制剂遭受一些重要的问题， 缺点，包括许多小细胞内的存在， 视网膜和缺乏一个强大的自由运行的运动节奏。 通过 海洋腹足类的调查，我们已经确定，眼睛起搏 房地产相对广泛。 一条后鳃，Bulla gouldiana， 因为它展现了一种非常清晰的运动方式 节奏 此外，泡状视网膜所含的细胞比 眼和眼的发育不全似乎特别适合细胞内 分析. 我们打算利用布拉的准备工作， 解决两个问题。 首先，我们要确定个人是否 视网膜细胞是昼夜节律的起搏器， 从细胞的相互作用。 第二，我们打算查明和 表征，功能和细胞，通过这些途径， 起搏器相互作用并与其他元件相互作用以控制 有节奏的运动行为 我们认为这是两个基本的 对理解神经系统功能的疑问。

During the past decade steady progress has been made in our understanding of the physiological basis of circadian rhythms. To a large extent, advances have been achieved through the use of invertebrate models - preparations which display the formal properties of vertebrate circadian systems but which allow for cellular level analysis. Aplysia, a gastropod mollusc, has been an important invertebrate model, primarily due to the presence of a precise circadian pacemaker located within each eye. Nevertheless, the Aplysia preparation suffers from some important weaknesses including the presence of numerous small cells within the retinae and the lack of a robust free-running locomotor rhythm. Through a survey of marine gastropods, we have determined that the ocular pacemaking property is relatively widespread. One opisthobranch, Bulla gouldiana, holds particular promise since it exhibits an extremely clear locomotor rhythm. In addition, the Bulla retina contains fewer cells than the Aplysia eye and appears particularly well suited for intracellular analysis. We intend to exploit the Bulla preparation in an effort to address two issues. First, we intend to determine whether individual retinal cells are circadian pacemakers or whether long periodicities emerge from cellular interactions. Secondly, we intend to indentify and characterize, functionally and cellularly, the pathways by which the ocular pacemakers interact with each other and with other elements to control rhythmic locomotor behavior. We believe these are two fundamental questions in understanding the functioning of the nervous system.