U.S.-Germany Cooperative Research: Recruitment of Neuromodulatory Neurons during Behavior

该奖项支持约翰·莱文博士和亚利桑那大学的一名博士后与柏林自由大学神经生物学系的汉斯·约阿希姆·费格尔合作。这项合作将确定在爬行、行走、飞行、踢和强直等特征良好的行为过程中招募已识别的八胺能调制神经元的神经元路径。此外，美国和德国的研究小组将确定如何修改调制神经元招募的模式，以适应变态时的行为变化。调节性神经元释放物质，包括生物胺或神经肽，深刻影响中枢和周围神经系统的功能。尽管有很多关于调节物质对靶神经元或肌肉的影响的信息，但对激活调节神经元的神经元回路的了解相对较少。这项合作将使用两个互补的和特征良好的昆虫模型系统来研究这些神经元招募的机制。

This award supports Dr. John Levine and a post doctoral student from the University of Arizona in a collaboration with Hans Joachim Pfl¼ger of the Department of Neurobiology at the Free University of Berlin. The collaboration will determine the neuronal pathways through which identified octopaminergic modulatory neurons are recruited during well- characterized behaviors including crawling, walking, flight, kicking, and ekdysis. In addition the U.S. and German groups will determine how the patterns of modulatory neuron recruitment are modified to accommodate behavioral changes at metamorphosis. Modulatory neurons release substances, including biogenic amines or neuropeptides that influence the function of the central and peripheral nervous systems profoundly. Although there is much information regarding the effects of modulatory substances on target neurons or muscles, relatively little is understood about the neuronal circuits that activate the modulatory neurons. This collaboration will use two complementary and well- characterized insect model systems to investigate the mechanisms involved in recruitment of those neurons.