Mechanisms of short term habituation in C. elegans

线虫的短期习惯机制

• 批准号: 122216-2008
• 负责人: Rankin, Catharine
• 金额: $ 2.55万
• 依托单位: University of British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2012-01-01 至 2013-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=497252
• 关键词: Mechanisms; short; term; habituation; C.

Although many researchers focus on the mechanisms of long-term memory, there are fewer researchers who focus on the mechanisms of short-term memory. The objectives of the research described in this proposal are to focus on discovering the mechanisms underlying short-term memory for a very simple form of learning, habituation in a very simple model system, the nematode C. elegans. Habituation involves learning to ignore stimuli that are repeated and that do not have any meaning (i.e. traffic sounds, the sound of a fan in the room, the movement of leaves on a tree). All animals can learn this. We will approach studying the mechanism of this type of learning at the level of behaviour, at the level of the neural circuit and at the level of genes. For the behavioural aspects of the proposed research we will try to break the behaviour down into its component parts in order to investigate which features in addition to interstimulu interval (stimulus frequency), response magnitude and response frequency of habituation are independently mediated. At the level of the neurons we will use tools to assess gene activation in identified neurons (ie. green fluorescent protein, Western blots, quantitative real time PCR, transgenic cell specific rescues of mutations) to focus on whether the mechanisms mediating different aspects of habituation are in the sensory neurons or the interneurons in origin. Finally at the level of the gene we will use a genetic screen to identify a large number of genes that play a role in habituation in C. elegans. In addition we will analyze classical conditioning in the mutants we identify to see whether genes that affect habituation also affect classical conditioning. In this way we will investigate the relationship between habituation and classical conditioning.

虽然许多研究者关注长时记忆的机制，但关注短时记忆机制的研究较少。 在这个提议中描述的研究的目标是集中在发现一个非常简单的学习形式的短期记忆的机制，在一个非常简单的模型系统，线虫C。优雅的习惯化包括学习忽略那些重复的、没有任何意义的刺激（例如，交通的声音、房间里风扇的声音、树上树叶的运动）。 所有的动物都能学会。 我们将在行为水平、神经回路水平和基因水平上研究这种学习的机制。 对于拟议的研究的行为方面，我们将尝试打破其组成部分的行为，以调查哪些功能，除了interstimulu间隔（刺激频率），反应幅度和反应频率的习惯化是独立介导的。 在神经元的水平上，我们将使用工具来评估已识别神经元中的基因激活（即。绿色荧光蛋白、蛋白质印迹、定量真实的时间PCR、转基因细胞特异性突变拯救）来集中于介导习惯化的不同方面的机制是在感觉神经元中还是在起源的中间神经元中。 最后，在基因水平上，我们将使用遗传筛选来识别大量在C中习惯化中起作用的基因。优美的此外，我们将分析经典条件反射的突变体，我们确定，看看是否基因，影响习惯化也影响经典条件反射。 通过这种方式，我们将研究习惯化和经典条件反射之间的关系。