NEUROPEPTIDES: GENE EXPRESSION AND BEHAVIOR

这项研究计划的长期目标是了解 神经肽的行为和生理作用及其基因调控 表情。多基因家族、多蛋白和它们的一系列 肽能协调动物的行为和生理吗？你还好吗？ 神经肽基因的细胞特异性和行为适应性模式 在发育过程中建立的表达，在动物的 生活史？ 试图理解行为控制的复杂性 内分泌和神经系统的基因表达，多肽 相互作用和基因调控使简化论的方法 选择一个简单的系统相当有吸引力。因此，一个简单的模型系统 将用于这些实验：腹足类软体动物海兔，是 极其方便的行为、生理和基因表达 学习。 重组DNA和免疫学技术将用于分离和 鉴定两种海兔神经肽(SCP和FMRF-酰胺)的基因。 这些基因将根据多蛋白和它们的 加工成一组多肽。原位杂交和 免疫细胞化学将被用来表征解剖和 表达这些神经肽的细胞的分布。海兔 神经肽将被用来研究这组多肽是如何 协调动物的生理和行为。克隆的基因将是 作为探针用来研究行为适当和细胞特异性 神经肽基因在发育过程中的表达模式 并在动物的生活史中受到调控。

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.