NEUROPEPTIDES: GENE EXPRESSION AND BEHAVIOR

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The long-term objective of this research program is to understand the behavioral and physiological role, and the regulation of neuropeptide gene expression. How do multigene families, polyproteins, and their battery of peptides coordinate an animal's behavior and physiology? How is the cell-specific and behaviorally-appropriate pattern of neuropeptide gene expression established during development and regulated during an animal's life history? The complexity of trying to understand the control of behavior by the endocrine and nervous systems in terms of gene expression, peptide interactions, and gene regulation makes the reductionist approach of choosing a simple system quite attractive. Therefore a simple model system will be used for these experiments: the gastropod mollusk Aplysia, is extremely convenient for behavioral, physiological, and gene expression studies. Recombinant DNA and immunological technqiues will be used to isolate and characterize the genes for two Aplysia neuropeptides (SCP and FMRF-amide). These genes will be characterized in terms of polyproteins and their processing into a battery of peptides. In situ hybridizaiton and immunocytochemistry will be used to characterize the anatomy and distribution of the cells expressing these neuropeptides. The Aplysia neuropeptides will be used to study how this battery of peptides coordinates the animal's physiology and behavior. The cloned genes will be used as probes to study how the behaviorally-appropriate and cell-specific pattern of neuropeptide gene expression is established during development and regulated during the animal's life history.