DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Kinematics, Neural Control, and Evolution of the Head Retraction Startle Response in Elongate Anamniote Vertebrates

论文研究：运动学、神经控制和厌食性脊椎动物头部退缩惊吓反应的进化马萨诸塞州大学阿默斯特逃逸反应是一个了解神经系统功能和进化的模型系统。这些反应由后脑中被称为莫特纳细胞的巨大细胞控制。鱼类和两栖动物在受到潜在捕食者的惊吓时，会做出刻板的逃逸反应。大多数水生脊椎动物执行C-Start，这是因为这些脊椎动物对刺激做出反应的C-弯而得名。然而，以前对细长鱼类、七鳃鳗幼体(Petromyzon Marinus)、刺鳗(Mastacembelus sp.)和美洲鳗(Anguilla Rostrata)的研究表明，还有另一种水生逃逸反应，即头部缩回，其定义是身体的多个弯曲。这个项目的主要目标是描述一些不相关的鱼类和两栖动物物种的头部后退惊吓反应。其他目标是追踪脊椎动物惊吓反应行为的演变，并将解剖学特征(包括Mauner神经元的解剖)与惊吓反应类型联系起来。惊吓反应行为将在几种火蜥蜴(Eurycea Bislineata，Siren intermedia，Amiuma tridact目)，一种豚鼠(TyphLonectes Natans)，非洲肺鱼(Protopterus Anecens)，Bichir(Polypterus Palms)，芦苇(Erpetoichthys Calabaricus)，瓢虫(Elopessaurus)，美洲鳗(Anguilla Rostrens)，淡水海鳗(Gymnothorax Polyuranodon)，三刺鳗(Gasterus Steaculeatus)，海湾海鱼(Syngnathertorhynchens)，毛鱼(Hypsoblhentzi)，凤尾鱼(Pholis Laeta)，凤尾鱼(Elops Saurus)，美洲鳗(Anguilla Rostrens)，淡水海鳗(Gymnothorax Polyuranodon)，三刺鳗(Gasterus Steaculeatus)，海湾海鱼(Syngnaso Tornhynchens)，毛鱼(Hypsoblhentzi)，尖头鳗(Pholis Laeta)，凤头鳗(Anoplarchuruspuresens)，淡水鳗鳗(Gymnonothorax Polyuranodon)，三刺鳗(Gasterus Bone Aculeatus)，海湾鱼(Syngnaso Tornhynchens)，毛鱼(Hypsoblhentzi)，尖头鳗(Pholis Laeta)，凤头鳗(Anoplacurus Puresens)，淡水鳗鱼(Gymnothorus Polyuranodon)，三刺鱼(Gasterus Steaculeatus)，海湾鱼(Syngnaso Tornhynchensis)，毛鱼(Hypsoblhentzi)，尖头鱼(Pholis Laeta)，凤头鳗(Anoplarchurus Saurus)，美洲鳗(Anguilla Rostrens)，三头鳗(Gastercesaculeatus)，海湾鱼(Syngnatharuleatus)，海湾鱼(Syngnaose Tornhysis)，毛鱼(Hypsobl惊吓反应行为将使用高速视频(250帧/秒)进行分析，肌电图用来确定肌肉激活模式，组织学技术用来描述莫特纳细胞的形态。本项目旨在通过结合Mauthner神经元的功能形态和解剖学来研究头部退缩惊厥反应，以增加对神经系统功能和进化的了解。

Dissertation Research: Kinematics, neural control and the evolution of the head retraction startle response in anamniote vertebrates Elizabeth L. Brainerd and Andrea B. WardUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst Escape responses are a model system for understanding the function and evolution of the nervous system. These responses are controlled by giant cells in the hindbrain called Mauthner cells. Fishes and amphibians perform stereotyped escape responses when startled by potential predators. Most aquatic vertebrates perform a C-start that is named for the C-bend that these vertebrates make in response to a stimulus. However, previous work on elongate fishes, larval lampreys (Petromyzon marinus), spiny eels (Mastacembelus sp.), and American eels (Anguilla rostrata), have suggested that there is another aquatic escape response, head retraction, which is defined by multiple bends on the body. The primary goal of this project is to describe the head retraction startle response in a number of unrelated fish and amphibian species. Additional goals are to trace the evolution of startle response behavior in vertebrates and to correlate anatomical characteristics, including anatomy of the Mauthner neuron, with startle response type. Startle response behavior will be examined in several salamanders (Eurycea bislineata, Siren intermedia, Amphiuma tridactylum), a caecilian (Typhlonectes natans), African lungfish (Protopterus annectens), bichir (Polypterus palmas), reedfish (Erpetoichthys calabaricus), ladyfish (Elops saurus), American eel (Anguilla rostrata), freshwater moray eel (Gymnothorax polyuranodon), threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), bay pipefish (Syngnathus leptorhynchus), feather blenny (Hypsoblennius hentzi), crescent gunnel (Pholis laeta), high cockscomb (Anoplarchus purpurescens), ocean pout (Zoarces americanus), snake head (Channa micropeltes), and two spiny eels (Macrognathus siamensis and Mastacembelus armatus). Startle response behavior will be analyzed using high-speed video (250 frames/second), electromyography to determine muscle activation patterns, and histological techniques to describe the Mauthner cell morphology. This project aims to study the head retraction startle response by integrating functional morphology and anatomy of the Mauthner neuron in order to increase understanding of the function and evolution of nervous systems.