Development of genetic tools to study central Avp1b receptors

描述（由申请人提供）：在人类中，有证据表明神经肽血管加压素可能在以异常社会行为为特征的精神健康障碍（如精神分裂症和自闭症谱系障碍）的发展和/或严重程度中发挥作用。该R 03应用程序的目标是开发遗传工具，用于探索 加压素1b受体在行为丰富的物种中的作用，已知加压素对社会行为的神经调节很重要，特别是叙利亚仓鼠和草原田鼠。拟议的实验已被设计为测试的中心假设，在哺乳动物物种的加压素1b受体是保守的序列，分布和功能。这些知识与NIMH的使命相关，因为它将进一步加深我们对以异常社会行为为特征的精神障碍的神经化学基础的认识。提出了一个具体的目标，旨在确定叙利亚仓鼠和草原田鼠的血管加压素1b受体的序列和分布，以及开发遗传工具，用于未来的功能研究。这项研究意义重大，因为通过确定加压素1b系统的保守程度以及它如何调节社会行为，我们可以提高对人类加压素系统的理解。 公共卫生相关性：拟议的研究是重要的，因为它们将提供深入了解加压素系统在两个模式生物，具有丰富的社会行为，并作出了重大贡献，我们的知识加压素系统在人类。这项拟议中的研究与公共卫生有关，因为许多神经化学物质、神经底物和神经行为调节回路在进化上是保守的。因此，这项工作的结果有望适用于人类的心理健康。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In humans, there is evidence that the neuropeptide vasopressin may play a role in the development and/or severity of mental health disorders characterized by aberrant social behavior, such as schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders. The objective of this R03 application is to develop genetic tools for the exploration of the role of the vasopressin 1b receptor in species that are behaviorally rich and in which vasopressin is known to be important to the neural regulation of social behavior, specifically, Syrian hamsters and prairie voles. The proposed experiments have been designed to test the central hypothesis that across mammalian species the vasopressin 1b receptor is conserved in sequence, distribution, and function. This knowledge is relevant to the mission of the NIMH because it will further our knowledge of the neurochemistry underlying psychiatric disorders characterized by abnormal social behavior. One specific aim is proposed that is designed to determine the sequence and distribution of the vasopressin 1b receptor in Syrian hamsters and prairie voles, as well as to develop genetic tools to use in future functional studies. The proposed research is significant because by determining how conserved the vasopressin 1b system is and how it modulates social behavior and our understanding of the vasopressin system in humans can be improved. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed studies are important because they will provide insight into the vasopressin system in two model organisms that have rich social behavior and have made substantial contributions to our knowledge of the vasopressin system in humans. The proposed research has relevance to public health because many of the neurochemicals, neurosubstrates, and circuits that the neural regulation of behavior are evolutionarily conserved. Thus, the findings of this work are expected to be applicable to the mental health of human beings.