HORMONAL INFLUENCES ON THE NEUROBIOL OF EXCITABLE CELLS

我们正在研究性腺激素对解剖学的影响， 电器官，电感受器， 和弱电鱼类的中枢神经通路， 象鼻虫科 电器官产生一种物种特有的电信号， 器官放电（E O D），这是重要的机制， 物种和性别识别。 爆炸物处理装置的特性 波形取决于电细胞的解剖和生理， 电器官的易兴奋细胞。 我们发现性腺 类固醇激素可在青少年中诱导雄性型爆炸物OD波形， 在EOD波形中具有自然性别差异的物种的雌性。 一 一组特殊的电感受器，产生刺突样感受器 电位，显示自然女性之间的频率调谐差异 以及具有经尿道诱导的雄性EOD波形的自然雄性或雌性。 我们将研究潜在的机制，在爆炸物处理引起的变化， 波形和电感受器调谐与电生理，解剖， 和生化技术。 我们还通过类固醇放射自显影术， 在中枢神经系统通路中的神经细胞聚集。 这些 研究结果将通过额外的放射自显影研究来扩展。 以来 中枢通路控制电器官兴奋的速率，即， 爆炸物处理节奏，我们将研究爆炸物处理节奏的可能差异 自然的雄性和雌性之间的差异，以及处理过的标本。

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.