Social Regulation of GnRH Release

GnRH 释放的社会调节

• 批准号: 6936713
• 负责人: Wayne Joseph Korzan
• 金额: $ 4.45万
• 依托单位: STANFORD UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-05-12 至 2008-05-11
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6936713
• 关键词: Osteichthyes; behavioral /social science research tag; dopamine; ethology; fertility; gonadotropin releasing factor; neural plasticity; neuroendocrine system; postdoctoral investigator; psychobiology; serotonin; social status; socioenvironment

DESCRIPTION (provided by candidate): The proposed experiments are designed to understand how social interactions produce functional changes in the central nervous system. As a model system for studying this work, I will use an African cichlid fish species, Haplochromis burtoni, in which previous work has shown that the size of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons in the preoptic area (POA) in males depends on social status. Dominant males have large GnRH neurons with elaborated processes while non-dominant animals have small neurons with reduced processes. The size and neural activity of these GnRH neurons corresponds directly with the individual's reproductive potential, namely dominant males can reproduce while non-dominant animals cannot. However, the neural mechanisms through which social and environmental conditions regulate GnRH neurons and hence reproduction are not known. In many species, changes in levels of the neurotransmitters serotonin (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) are related to changes in behavior and social (e.g. rank and reproductive) status. Moreover, 5-HT cells and fibers have been found in close proximity to GnRH neurons in the preoptic area (POA) as has also been shown for dopamine immunoreactive neurons in teleost fish, amphibians and birds. Recently, dopamine has been shown to influence the electrical activity of GnRH cells in the POA of Haplochromis burtoni. The experiments proposed here are designed to understand the role of serotonin and dopamine in regulating behavior, social rank and GnRH neuron size and activity. The expected results will contribute to our understanding of how neural plasticity both control and depend on social behavior.

描述（由候选人提供）：拟议的实验旨在了解社会互动如何产生中枢神经系统的功能变化。 作为研究这项工作的模型系统，我将使用非洲慈鲷鱼种，Haplochromis burtoni，在以前的工作表明，促性腺激素释放激素（GnRH）神经元的大小在视前区（POA）在男性取决于社会地位。 占优势的雄性动物具有大的GnRH神经元，具有复杂的过程，而非占优势的动物具有小的神经元，具有减少的过程。 这些GnRH神经元的大小和神经活动直接对应于个体的生殖潜力，即占优势的雄性可以繁殖，而非占优势的动物不能。 然而，社会和环境条件调节GnRH神经元从而调节生殖的神经机制尚不清楚。 在许多物种中，神经递质5-羟色胺（5-HT）和多巴胺（DA）水平的变化与行为和社会（例如等级和生殖）地位的变化有关。 此外，5-HT细胞和纤维已被发现在视前区（POA）的GnRH神经元附近，也已被证明为硬骨鱼，两栖动物和鸟类的多巴胺免疫反应神经元。 最近，多巴胺已被证明影响的GnRH细胞的电活动在POA的朴丽鱼伯顿。 这里提出的实验旨在了解5-羟色胺和多巴胺在调节行为，社会地位和GnRH神经元大小和活动中的作用。 预期的结果将有助于我们理解神经可塑性如何控制和依赖于社会行为。