GENE REGULATION IN AUDITORY LEARNING

描述(改编自摘要)：这是第一次申请 研究基因组、分子和细胞变化的奖项 鸟类大脑中听觉记忆的获得。此应用程序 是基于这样的观察，当鸣鸟接触到一本小说 同种歌声，某些即刻早期基因(即，zenk和c-jun)是 在前脑被称为尾侧新纹状体(NCM)的区域诱导。 此外，反复听一首歌会导致一种持久的 NCM神经元对这首歌的听觉反应习惯化 电生理学测量的；这种习惯性的持久性 需要新的蛋白质和信使核糖核酸合成。首席调查员寻求 为了研究由病毒引起的基因组反应的功能意义 SUNG及其与NCM长期修改的可能关系 细胞的听觉反应特性。具体目标是：(1) 进一步描述Zenk对歌曲的反应，包括 NCM中表达Zenk的细胞的身份；(2)寻找其他基因 在RNA合成的不同时间由SING诱导的NCM 被证明是习惯化所必需的；(3)描述和测试一种方法以 阻断体内某些歌曲相关基因的表达；(4)确定 歌曲相关基因在歌曲引发的基因组级联中的位置；以及 (5)考察歌唱相关基因在长程习服中的作用。 特别的一首歌。

DESCRIPTION (adapted from the Abstract): This is an application for a first award to study the genomic, molecular, and cellular changes that underlie the acquisition of auditory memories in the avian brain. This application is based on the observation that when songbirds are exposed to a novel conspecific song, certain immediate early genes (i.e., ZENK and c-jun) are induced in a region of the forebrain known as the caudal neostriatum (NCM). Furthermore, repeated exposure to a single song results in a long-lasting habituation of the auditory responses of NCM neurons to this song as measured electrophysiologically; the persistence of this habituation requires new protein and mRNA synthesis. The Principal Investigator seeks to examine the functional significance of the genomic response triggered by song and its possible relation to the long-term modification of the NCM cells' auditory response properties. The specific aims are to: (1) characterize further the expression of ZENK in response to song, including the identity of cells in NCM that express ZENK; (2) search for other genes induced in the NCM by song at various times when RNA synthesis has been shown to be necessary for habituation; (3) characterize and test a method to block expression of certain song-related genes in vivo; (4) determine the position of song-related genes in the genomic cascade triggered by song; and (5) examine the role of song-related genes in the long-term habituation to a particular song.