Neural connectivity and animal behaviour

神经连接和动物行为

• 批准号: RGPIN-2022-03132
• 负责人: Cheng, Ning
• 金额: $ 2.11万
• 依托单位: University of Calgary
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=749609
• 关键词: Neural; connectivity; animal; behaviour

My long-term research program is to understand the interplay between neural circuit connectivity and its ability to govern animal behaviour. The communication among distinct regions of the nervous system, or connectivity, is fundamental to its function. Structural connectivity represents anatomical connections between different regions. Functional connectivity is the temporal dependency of neural activation patterns between distinct regions. Together, they ensure proper behavioural response to the environment. This includes social behaviour, fundamental to the survival of social species. However, the mechanisms of the interaction between neural connectivity and animal behaviour are not well understood. The amygdala and its cortical connections have long been implicated in mediating emotional and social behaviours, as well as their maturation processes during development from adolescence to adulthood. Recent studies have shown that infralimbic cortex (IL) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) connect with each other through direct projections and perturbing these projections affect certain social behaviours. However, the relation between social behaviour development and IL-BLA functional connectivity is largely unknown. In addition, social behaviours are sex-dependent in many species, including mice, yet little is known about the IL-BLA circuit in female animals. In the next 5 years, my objectives are to mechanistically investigate structural and functional IL-BLA connectivity in relation to social behaviour development in both female and male mice. My overarching hypothesis is that IL-BLA connectivity plays a critical role in the differential development and expression of social behaviours between female and male mice. Using a variety of anatomical, genetic, behavioural, and electrophysiological approaches that I have expertise in, my team will pursue the following objectives: Objective 1 will determine development of IL-BLA connectivity in adolescent versus adult C57BL/6J mice, in the social contexts where the subject is exposed to either social odors or social subjects. Objective 2 will determine the relationship between IL-BLA functional connectivity and social behaviours in both juvenile and adult mice, by modulating individual components of this circuit using chemogenetic methods. Objective 3 will determine the effects of social experience, such as social isolation, on the development of IL-BLA connectivity. My NSERC DG program will provide novel insights into the relationship between neural connectivity and social behaviour development in both sexes, and the mechanisms of increased susceptibility to social experience during adolescence.

我的长期研究计划是了解神经电路连通性与控制动物行为的能力之间的相互作用。神经系统或连通性的不同区域之间的沟通是其功能的基础。结构连通性代表不同区域之间的解剖连接。功能连通性是不同区域之间神经激活模式的时间依赖性。它们共同确保对环境的适当行为反应。这包括社会行为，这是社会物种生存的基础。但是，神经连通性与动物行为之间相互作用的机制尚不清楚。长期以来，杏仁核及其皮质联系一直涉及介导情感和社会行为，以及从青春期到成年期发展期间的成熟过程。最近的研究表明，输液皮层（IL）和基底外侧杏仁核（BLA）通过直接预测相互联系，并扰动这些投影会影响某些社会行为。但是，社会行为发展与IL-BLA功能连通性之间的关系在很大程度上是未知的。此外，社会行为在许多物种中是性别依赖性的，包括小鼠，但对雌性动物的IL-Bla电路知之甚少。在接下来的五年中，我的目标是与女性和雄性小鼠的社会行为发展有关的机械学研究结构和功能性IL-bla连通性。我的总体假设是，IL-BLA连通性在男性和男性小鼠之间社会行为的差异发展和表达中起着至关重要的作用。使用我拥有专业知识的各种解剖学，遗传，行为和电生理方法，我的团队将追求以下目标：目标1将确定在青少年与成人C57BL/6J小鼠相对于社会环境中的社会环境中的社会气味或社会气质或社会主题的成人C57BL/6J小鼠中IL-Bla连接的发展。 目标2通过使用化学遗传学方法调节该电路的各个组件，将确定少年和成年小鼠中IL-BLA功能连通性与社会行为之间的关系。 目标3将确定社会经验的影响，例如社会隔离，对IL-BLA连通性的发展。我的NSERC DG计划将提供有关性别中神经连通性与社会行为发展之间关系的新颖见解，以及在青春期期间对社会经验易感性提高的机制。