RUI: Non-genomic Androgen Receptor Mechanisms Involved in Social Regulation

第一部分：这项研究将研究所有脊椎动物产生的类固醇激素是如何直接激活大脑神经元表面的受体来影响行为的。一旦被激活，这些受体就会迅速改变这些细胞对传入的感觉输入的内部反应，从而改变有机体对周围世界的感知。确定类固醇是否通过这种机制起作用，将有助于我们更好地了解基本的激素信号机制，以及使动物(包括人类)能够调整其行为反应以适应不断变化的社会环境的复杂神经化学过程。这些实验将通过专门为本科院校的学生提供的实践研究经验，为我国未来的科学家、教育工作者和医生的培训做出贡献。学生将通过PI开设的实验室课程以及在PI实验室集中的独立研究经验参与与该奖项相关的项目。PIS将招募来自不同社会经济和种族背景的学生参与这项研究。此外，PI将通过神经科学工作坊促进关于缅因州美洲原住民保留地的STEM教育。第二部分：尽管在各种脊椎动物的外周组织中，非基因组雄激素受体信号机制已经被很好地记录下来，但它们的快速、中枢影响还没有得到彻底的研究。该项目将研究雄激素可以迅速影响雄性金鱼的社会行为的一种新机制。这个项目的目标是评估1)睾酮是否通过雄激素受体在竞争环境中迅速促进求爱；2)雄激素受体通过影响对信息素的反应迅速调节求爱；3)雄激素受体影响大脑网络的早期嗅觉处理和/或功能耦合。通过描述雄激素快速调节社会刺激处理的新机制，将有可能揭示基本的神经内分泌信号机制，使动物能够迅速调整其行为反应，以适应不断变化的社会环境。该项目还将产生两大类更广泛的影响。首先，它将通过将拟议的研究整合到现有的神经科学实验室课程中，以及通过独立的暑期实习和荣誉项目，直接加强鲍登学院本科生的科学教育。其次，PI将继续在缅因州北部为美洲原住民7年级学生举办为期4天的研讨会，该研讨会是围绕这个项目而建立的。

Part 1: This research will examine how steroid hormones, which are produced by all vertebrates, directly activate receptors on the surfaces of neurons in the brain to influence behavior. Once activated, these receptors rapidly change the internal responsiveness of those cells to incoming sensory inputs and thus alter an organism's perception of the world around it. Determining if steroids work through such mechanisms will help us better understand basic hormone signaling mechanisms as well as the complex neurochemical processes that enable animals, including humans, to adjust their behavioral responses to constantly changing social environments. The experiments will contribute to the training of our nation's future scientists, educators and doctors through the hands-on research experiences that will be provided for students at an exclusively undergraduate institution. Students will participate in projects related to the award through a lab course run by the PI as well as through focused independent research experiences in the PI's lab. The PIs will recruit students from diverse socioeconomic and racial backgrounds to participate in the research. Additionally, the PI will promote STEM education on a Native American reservation in Maine through a neuroscience workshop.Part 2: Although non-genomic androgen receptor signaling mechanisms have been well-documented in the peripheral tissue of a variety of vertebrates their rapid, central influences have not been thoroughly examined. This project will investigate a novel mechanism through which androgens may rapidly affect social behavior in male goldfish. The goals of this project are to assess whether 1) testosterone rapidly promotes courtship in competitive contexts through androgen receptors; 2) androgen receptors rapidly modulate courtship by influencing responses to pheromones; and 3) androgen receptors affect early olfactory processing and/or functional coupling across brain networks. By characterizing a novel mechanism through which androgens rapidly modulate the processing of social stimuli, new insight into the fundamental neuroendocrine signaling mechanisms that allow animals to rapidly adjust their behavioral responses to constantly changing social environments will be potentially revealed. This project will also have two major types of broader impact. First, it will directly enhance the scientific education of undergraduates at Bowdoin College by integrating the proposed research into an existing neuroscience laboratory course and through independent summer internships and honors projects. Second, the PIs will continue a 4-day workshop in northern Maine for Native American 7th grade students that is built around this project.