Role of the T1 Neuronal Circuit in Pheromone Behaviors

T1 神经元回路在信息素行为中的作用

• 批准号: 7689752
• 负责人: Dean P. Smith
• 金额: $ 27.48万
• 依托单位: UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-09-19 至 2011-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7689752
• 关键词: Acetates; Aggressive behavior; Agriculture; Animal Model; Animals; Applied Genetics; Behavior; Behavioral; Binding Proteins; Biological; Biological Assay; Biological Models; Complementary DNA; Detection; Disease; Drosophila genus; Drosophila melanogaster; Female; Food; Genomics; Human; Insect Control; Insecta; Learning; Mediating; Mental disorders; Modification; Molecular; Nervous system structure; Neurons; Partner in relationship; Pathway interactions; Perception; Pheromone; Population; Reproduction; Research; Role; Sex Behavior; Signal Transduction; Social Behavior; Source; Transgenic Organisms; Variant; Work; base; clinically relevant; extracellular; fly; genetic analysis; genetic manipulation; in vivo; insight; interest; male; mutant; public health relevance; reproductive; response; tool

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The role of the T1 neuronal circuit in pheromone behaviors Research Summary Understanding the molecular and cellular basis of behavior is of great importance, both for the academic interest of understanding the substrates underlying behavior, and for the potential clinical relevance of understanding human behavior and mental illness. We propose to study a simple behavior paradigm in a genetically tractable animal model system; volatile pheromone-triggered behaviors in Drosophila melanogaster. 11-cis- vaccenyl acetate (cVA) is a male-produced pheromone that mediates aggregation and sexual behavior in Drosophila. cVA detection occurs through a small number of olfactory neurons located in trichoid sensilla on the antenna. Neurons within a subset of trichoid sensilla (the T1 sensilla) are exquisitely tuned to cVA and appear to be the primary cVA perception pathway. However, recent work also implicates a distinct set of trichoid neurons expressing Or65a in cVA-mediated behavior and learning. To begin to dissect the contribution of these two pathways in cVA-induced behavior, we will examine the effect of the loss or the constitutive activation of the T1 pathway on behavior. We propose two specific aims. First, we will create flies expressing a dominant, activating variant of the extracellular pheromone-binding protein LUSH that will allow us to manipulate the activity in this neuronal circuit. Second, we will use flies expressing activated LUSH or mutants with reduced T1 activity to dissect the role of increased or decreased activity in the T1 circuit on behavior. The results of these studies will provide new insights into the role of the T1 neuronal circuit in cVA-induced behavior. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE Pheromones trigger social behaviors in animals that are genetically hard wired, such as reproduction and aggression. In insects, pheromones guide mating behavior and aggregation to food sources. Therefore, understanding how pheromones are perceived and decoded by the insect nervous system could be of great practical benefit to control insects that transmit diseases or destroy agriculture. We study pheromone signaling in the Drosophila, where we can apply genetic analysis to behavior. The pheromone cVA is important for mating and aggregation in fruit flies, and appears to be sensed through two different neuronal circuits. Here, we will use genetic manipulations to activate or inactivate these pathways to elucidate the behavioral contributions of each to mating and aggregation behaviors. The expected results from these studies will help us understand how pheromone perception occurs in insects in general.

描述（由申请人提供）：T1神经元回路在信息素行为中的作用研究概述了解行为的分子和细胞基础是非常重要的，无论是对于了解行为基础的学术兴趣，还是对于了解人类行为和精神疾病的潜在临床相关性。我们建议研究一个简单的行为范式，在遗传上易于处理的动物模型系统;挥发性信息素触发的行为在果蝇。11-cis- vaccenyl acetate（cVA）是果蝇雄性产生的信息素，其介导聚集和性行为。cVA检测通过位于触角上的类神经感觉器中的少量嗅觉神经元发生。神经元内的一个子集的类神经元的感觉器（T1感觉器）是精致的cVA调谐，似乎是主要的cVA感知通路。然而，最近的工作也暗示了一组不同的类神经元表达Or 65 a在cVA介导的行为和学习。为了开始剖析这两条通路在cVA诱导的行为中的作用，我们将研究T1通路的缺失或组成性激活对行为的影响。我们提出两个具体目标。首先，我们将创造出一种表达细胞外信息素结合蛋白LUSH的显性激活变体的果蝇，这将使我们能够操纵这种神经元回路中的活动。其次，我们将使用表达激活的LUSH或T1活性降低的突变体的苍蝇来剖析T1回路中活性增加或减少对行为的作用。这些研究的结果将为T1神经元回路在cVA诱导行为中的作用提供新的见解。信息素引发动物的社会行为，这些行为在基因上是硬连线的，例如繁殖和攻击。在昆虫中，信息素引导交配行为和聚集到食物源。因此，了解昆虫神经系统如何感知和解码信息素，对于控制传播疾病或破坏农业的昆虫具有很大的实际意义。我们研究果蝇的信息素信号，在那里我们可以将遗传分析应用于行为。信息素cVA对于果蝇的交配和聚集是重要的，并且似乎通过两种不同的神经回路来感知。在这里，我们将使用遗传操作来激活或抑制这些途径，以阐明每一个交配和聚集行为的行为贡献。这些研究的预期结果将有助于我们了解昆虫一般是如何感知信息素的。