HORMONAL INFLUENCES ON THE NEUROBIOL OF EXCITABLE CELLS

我们正在研究性腺激素对解剖学和 电器官可兴奋细胞的生理学，电感受器， 以及弱电鱼类的中枢电机通路， 桑蚕科。 电子琴产生一种典型的物种电信号，即 电器官放电(E O D)，这是重要的机制 物种和性别识别。排爆产品的特性 波形取决于电细胞的解剖和生理学， 电子器官中的可兴奋细胞。我们发现性腺 类固醇激素可在青少年和青少年中诱导男性EOD波形 雌虫在排泄物波形上有自然性别差异的物种。一个 一组特殊的电感受器，产生棘波样感受器 电位，表明自然雌性之间在频率调谐上的差异 以及，具有激素诱导的男性EOD波形的自然男性或女性。 我们将研究激素诱导EOD变化的机制 波形和电感受器调谐与电生理、解剖学、 和生化技术。 我们还利用类固醇放射自显影技术鉴定出， 中枢电动通路中集中激素的细胞。这些 这些发现将通过更多的放射自显影研究得到扩展。自.以来 中枢通路控制着电器官兴奋的速度，即 EOD节律，我们将检查EOD节律中可能存在的差异 在自然雄性和雌性之间，以及激素处理过的标本之间。

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.