HORMONAL INFLUENCES ON THE NEUROBIOL OF EXCITABLE CELLS

我们正在研究性激素对解剖学和 电器官、电感受器的可兴奋细胞的生理学， 以及弱电鱼的中央电动通路， 莫米里达科。 电器官产生物种典型的电信号， 电器官放电 (E O D)，这对于器官放电机制很重要 物种和性别识别。 EOD 的特性 波形取决于电细胞的解剖学和生理学， 电器官的兴奋细胞。 我们发现性腺 类固醇激素可以在青少年中诱发男性型 EOD 波形 EOD 波形中具有自然性别差异的物种的雌性。 一个 一组特殊的电感受器，产生尖峰样受体 潜力，显示自然女性之间频率调谐的差异 以及具有荷尔蒙诱导的男性 EOD 波形的自然男性或女性。 我们将研究激素引起的 EOD 变化的机制 波形和电感受器调谐与电生理学、解剖学、 和生化技术。 我们还使用类固醇放射自显影技术确定了 中枢电动通路中的激素浓缩细胞。 这些 研究结果将通过额外的放射自显影研究得到扩展。 自从 中央通路控制电器官兴奋的速率，即 EOD 节奏，我们将检查 EOD 节奏可能存在的差异 自然雄性和雌性之间以及经过激素处理的标本之间。

We are studying the influences of gonadal hormones on the anatomy and physiology of the excitable cells of the electric organ, electroreceptors, and the central electromotor pathway of the weakly electric fishes, Mormyridae. The electric organ produces a species-typical electrical signal, the Electric Organ Discharge (E O D), which is important for mechanisms of species and sex recognition. The characteristic properties of the EOD waveform depend upon the anatomy and physiology of the electrocytes, the excitable cells of the electric organ. We have discovered that gonadal steroid hormones can induce a male-type EOD waveform among juveniles and females of species with a natural sex difference in their EOD waveform. A special set of electroreceptors, that produce spike-like receptor potentials, show a difference in frequency tuning between natural females and, natural males or females with a hormonally-induced male EOD waveform. We will study the mechanisms underlying hormone-induced changes in EOD waveforms and electroreceptor tuning with electrophysiological, anatomical, and biochemical techniques. We have also identified, using steroid autoradiography, hormone-concentrating cells in the central electromotor pathway. These findings will be extended with additional autoradiographic studies. Since the central pathway controls the rate of electric organ excitation, i.e. the EOD rhythm, we will examine possible differences in the EOD rhythm between natural males and females, and hormone-treated specimens.