Neurobiology of peptidergic and aminergic neurons in insects

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The central theme of my research program is the functioning of the insect nervous system. We are establishing the mechanisms by which the nervous system communicates; examining hormonal, synaptic, and modulatory mechanisms using neurophysiological, neurochemical, endocrinological, and molecular biological techniques. The questions we are asking are fundamentally important for all nervous systems:  How can a neuron transmit information to a target cell? What types of chemicals act as the transmitters for this information and how are these chemical messages translated by the target cell? How can this information be modulated and coordinated to produce an appropriate behaviour in the animal? In particular we are interested in the role of peptides and amines as neurohormones, released into the blood to co-ordinate activities of diverse groups of cells, and as neuromodulators, modulating the ongoing activities of distinct pathways. We focus on a number of identified peptide families and amines and novel peptides, incorporating multiple techniques in the quest for a complete understanding of the integration and regulation of the appropriate cells.  In the medically important bug, Rhodnius prolixus, (the vector for Chagas' Disease) we are examining events that occur following a blood meal, including the hormonal control of diuresis and anti-diuresis.  In particular, we are defining the precise input associated with feeding that results in elevations in haemolymph serotonin and diuretic peptides, describing the location and physiological properties of the neurons that release these diuretic and anti-diuretic factors, and the target sites of their neuroactive chemicals (salivary glands, crop, hindgut, Malpighian tubules and epidermal cells).  Progress in this area will be enhanced by the Rhodnius genome project, a project funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute for the Large-Scale Sequencing Network, in response to a White Paper submitted by a consortium, of which I am a member.In addition to answering fundamental questions about how the nervous system works, this research also lays the foundation for pest control strategies, targeting neuropeptides as lead compounds.