MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF EGG LAYING, A STEREOTYPED BEHAVIOR

动物的行为是由内分泌和中枢神经系统控制的 系统. 要了解这些过程， 细胞和分子水平。 腹足类软体动物Aesthesia是一种 用于研究行为问题的特别有利的模型系统 因为它在数值上简化了神经回路 这些电路具有 与一些刻板行为有关。 生理 和行为方面的产卵在Aaprosia是由两个 组织、分泌性心房腺和神经内分泌袋细胞。 两者都释放出一系列生物活性肽。 的作用 心房肽引起囊细胞产物的释放， 产卵和伴随的行为模式。 这是我们的目标 项目来了解分子细节的这种行为。 一 多维的方法，借鉴了思想和技术， 将使用分子、细胞和神经生物学。 的克隆 神经肽基因揭示了一个小的基因家族， 每个组织中有多种转录物和多种多聚蛋白。 是 有必要进一步研究这些基因的组织， 周围的序列 特别是，我们将研究 转录，试图了解负责的因素 组织特异性 同样重要的是要了解处理 各种细胞类型中的多聚蛋白。 此外，肽包装 将被检查，看看是否有多个发射器， 共同释放。 由这些肽定义的肽的生物学活性 将研究重组DNA分子的序列。 识别 失智症神经系统中的细胞提供了用于确定 肽递质的突触后效应。 最后我们希望 将这些神经元的活动与行为联系起来。

Animal behaviors are governed by the endocrine and central nervous systems. An understanding of these processes requires and examination at the cellular and molecular level. The gastropod mollusc Aplysia is a particularly advantageous model system for studying questions of behavior due to its numerically simplified neural circuitry. These circuits have been correlated with a number of stereotyped behaviors. The physiological and behavioral aspects of egg laying in Aplysia are regulated by two tissues, the secretory atrial gland and the neuro-endocrine bag cells. Both release a battery of biologically active peptides. The action of atrial peptides cause the release of bag cell products which in turn elicit egg laying and the accompanying behavioral pattern. It is the goal of this project to understand this behavior in molecular detail. A multidimensional approach which draws on ideas and techniques from molecular, cellular and neurobiology will be used. The cloning of the neuropeptide genes has revealed a small gene family which gives rise to multiple transcripts and multiple polyproteins in each tissue. it is necessary to further investigate the organization of these genes and surrounding sequences. In particular we will study aspects of transcription in an attempt to understand the factors responsible for tissue specificity. It is also important to understand the processing of the polyproteins in the various cell types. In addition, peptide packaging into vesicles will be examined to see if multiple transmitters are co-released. The biological activities of the peptides defined from the sequences of recombinant DNA molecules will be investigated. Identified cells in the Aplysia nervous system provide a model system for determining postsynaptic effects of peptide transmitters. Eventually we would like to relate the activities of these neurons to behavior.