GONADAL STEROID EFFECTS ON ANATOMY AND BEHAVIOR

性腺类固醇对解剖学和行为的影响：本项目将研究性腺类固醇对非洲长颌鱼求偶展示结构和行为表达的影响。它是基于早期的研究表明，在女性中，一些雄激素诱导的变化（行为）是暂时的，而其他（骨骼，肌肉）是持久的;雄激素治疗的男性可能会变成具有夸大结构特征（骨骼）的“超级男性”。人们可以通过性类固醇操纵来模拟这些鱼的自然成熟过程，并研究指导结构和行为转变的机制。莫米里德细胞骨类似于哺乳动物的骨。有关骨代谢的知识来自于吗啡制剂，可以使其成为一种有价值的研究工具。雄激素处理的幼年和成年雌性出现大量的臀鳍条骨扩张，这是雄性的特征。这种扩张显然为肌肉组织提供了必要的基质，而肌肉组织又执行了臀鳍反射（形成了一个共同的产卵囊）。- 整合器官、细胞和分子水平的分析，这些研究确定（1）性腺类固醇诱导的骨转化的程度（使用放射照相术）和行为（2）解剖（a）臀鳍及其运动神经元控制（B）电器官（c）性腺（光学显微镜，（B）发电器官，和（c）性腺（3）用免疫细胞化学（ICC）BrdU定年技术研究雄激素对尾鳍骨、软骨、肌肉和运动神经元细胞出生和/或生长的影响;（4）HRP束示踪以确定对肛鳍反射的控制（脊髓运动神经元池）;（5）使用ICC方法来估计涉及肛鳍反射控制的那些靶中的雄激素受体密度;以及（6）确定循环血浆雄激素水平的量（使用市售的测试试剂盒）。以下问题将得到解决：（1）骨骼和肌肉尺寸的增加是如何产生的（细胞的诞生和/或生长）;（2）鱼的雄激素在介导影响肌肉、骨骼和软骨以及运动神经元池的细胞变化中的作用;（3）雄激素受体在这些结构中的分布;（4）为什么，响应激素治疗和撤退，是性腺类固醇敏感性灵活（塑料）在某些目标和相当刚性（固定）在其他人，最后，（5）如何做这些问题的答案有助于全面理解表达的求偶展示结构和行为。

Gonadal steroid effects on anatomy and behavior: This project will investigate the effects of gonadal steroids on the on the expression of courtship display structures and behavior in African mormyrid fish. It is based on earlier studies that demonstrated in females some androgen- induced changes (behavior) were temporary and others (bone, muscle) long-lasting; androgen-treated males may turn into "supermales" with exaggerated structural traits (bone). -One can mimic natural processes of maturation in these fish through sex steroid manipulation, and study the mechanisms that direct structural and behavioral transformations. Mormyrid cellular bone resembles mammalian bone. Knowledge about bone metabolism derived from the mormyrid preparation can render it a valuable research tool. -Androgen treated juvenile and adult females develop massive anal-fin ray bone expansion, characteristic of males. This expansion apparently provides the necessary substrate for musculature which in turn executes the anal fin reflex (forming a common spawning pouch). -Integrating organismic, cellular, and molecular levels of analysis these studies determine (1) the extent of gonadal steroid- induced transformations of bone (using radiography) and behavior (anal- fin reflex, electric organ discharge), (2) the anatomy of (a) the anal fin and its motoneuronal control (b) the electric organ, and (c) gonads (light microscopy, (b) the electric organ, and (c) gonads (light microscopy) using established tissue staining techniques; (3) androgen effects on cell birth and/or growth of anal-fin bone, cartilage, muscle and motoneurons using immunocytochemical (ICC) BrdU birthdating techniques; (4) HRP tract tracing to determine the control of the anal-fin reflex (spinal cord motoneuronal pools); (5) using ICC methodology to estimate the density of androgen receptors in those targets implicated in the control of anal-fin reflex, and (6) determine the amount of circulating plasma androgen levels (using commercially available test kits). The following questions will be addressed: (1) How does the increase in bone and muscle size come about (cell birth and/or growth); (2) what is the role of the fish's androgens in mediating cellular changes affecting muscle, bone, and cartilage, as well as motoneuronal pools; (3) what is the distribution of androgen receptors in these structures; (4) why, responding to hormone treatment and withdrawal, is gonadal steroid sensitivity flexible (plastic) in some targets and rather rigid (fixed) in others, and finally, (5) how do the answers to these questions contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the expression of courtship display structures and behavior.