PERINATAL DETERMINANTS OF DEVELOPMENT

本项目的总体目标是了解 哺乳动物繁殖和发育的季节性节律。 具体来说，我建议确定母亲的 光周期的历史影响她的后代的发展， 来描述季节性的社会行为的发展 生育率的变化。 模式物种，草甸田鼠（Microtus 彭德怀（pennsylvania），被选中，因为有广泛的知识， 自然历史，以作为实验室假设的基础 分析. 越来越多的研究表明， 这些信息会影响新生儿 发展 草原田鼠母鼠能够孕育胎儿， 在出生前和出生后将信息传递给后代。 另夕h 母亲在短时间内的时间长度（无论她是否仍然是 对短日照敏感或已成为光不应的） 怀孕影响其后代出生前和出生后的发育。 母亲光周期史对后代的传播 大概可以让他们在他们的季节适当地发展， 出生 该项目涉及产妇死亡的机制， 光周期信息传递及光周期的影响 社会行为发展史。 具体目标包括：1）描述母窝的控制 收缩时间作为幼犬体温调节能力的函数， 受母体光周期史的影响。2)确定角色 褪黑激素在传递光周期信息中的作用 通过测量，移除和替换， 实验 3)确定母体光周期的影响 历史、当前光周期和伴侣年龄对交配行为的影响， 控制人口的痛苦/攻击性社会互动 生育 建议项目如能顺利完成， 了解母亲和幼崽的机制， 生理和社会发育的显著季节差异。 越来越多的数据表明，人类也受到 季节的变化，无论是成年人还是成年人。 外推 从草地田鼠到其他短命啮齿动物的数据是可信的， 类似机制在人类中运作的可能性必须是 娱乐。 最终，季节性影响对发展的影响， 人类母亲，可能被证明是重要的， 环境因素，如营养充足。

The overall goal of this project is to understand the mechanisms of seasonal rhythms in reproduction and development of mammals. Specifically, I propose to determine the mechanisms by which the mother's photoperiodic history influences the development of her offspring, and to describe the development of social behaviors underlying seasonal variations in fertility. The model species, the meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus), was chosen because there is extensive knowledge of its natural history upon which to base hypotheses for experimental laboratory analysis. A growing body of research indicates that dams communicate photoperiod information to their fetuses and this information influences neonatal development. Meadow vole dams are capable of fetuses and this information to their offspring pre- and postnatally. Additionally, the length of time the mother has been in short days (whether she is still sensitive to short daylengths or has become photorefractory) prior to impregnation influences development of her offspring pre-and postnatally. Communication of maternal photoperiodic history to the offspring presumably allows them to develop appropriately for the season of their birth. This project addresses the mechanism(s) of the maternal photoperiodic information transfer and the influence of photoperiod history on development of social behaviors. Specific aims include: 1) Delineation of the control of maternal-litter contract time as a function of pup thermoregulatory abilities which are influenced by the maternal photoperiodic history. 2) Determining the role of melatonin in communicating information about photoperiodic history between the dam and her offspring by measurement, removal and replacement experiments. 3) Determining the effect of maternal photoperiodic history, current photoperiod, and age of partner on mating behavior and afflictive/aggressive social interactions that control population fertility. Successful completion of the proposed projects will enhanced our understanding of mechanisms in the mothers and pups that result in significant seasonal differences in physiological and social development. A growing body of data demonstrates that humans are also affected by the changing seasons both neonatally and as adults. The extrapolation of data from meadow voles to other short-lived rodents is plausible, and the possibility of similar mechanisms operating in humans must be entertained. Ultimately seasonal effects on development, directed by the human mother, may prove to be important in conjunction with other environmental factors such as adequacy of nutrition.