SOCIAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL REGULATION OF MATURATION

这里提出的研究针对的是内部和外部监管机构 脊椎动物的性成熟。具体地说，发展 前脑大细胞神经元对促性腺激素释放的免疫反应 激素(IrGnRH)将在硬骨鱼中使用细胞和 分子探测器。前脑irGnRH神经元组成的系统发育 在调节脑下垂体中起核心作用的古代系统 控制所有脊椎动物的性腺成熟。在分析的同时 在哺乳动物中的这一系统的复杂性是由重叠的 新皮质功能，基底前脑组织可以很容易 研究硬骨鱼。IrGnRh神经元及其调控 脑下垂体功能对机体有重要影响， 常与生长或成熟相关疾病有关(性腺功能减退 和青春化的外貌)。 在硬骨鱼H.burtoni中，irGnRH神经元的发育 通过一定大小和复杂的轴突形态和性腺来衡量 成熟受社会互动的影响。竞赛形式 较大的同种会抑制年轻成鱼的成熟，导致 IrGnRH前脑神经元体积过小和性腺功能减退。既然我们可以 控制社会系统，这一系统对 成熟度分析。 提出了两类实验：一类是识别感官 负责调解社会信号的情态， 抑制成熟和第二个消融两个关键系统，嗅觉 鳞茎和性腺，与前脑成熟有关。 我们将用以下方法来衡量这些实验的后果 人促性腺激素释放激素抗体的免疫反应性及对人促性腺激素释放激素基因表达的分子探针 GnRH。因此，我们将能够发现细胞和分子 社会调控成熟的后果。由于以下结果： 社交互动是相当极端的。这可能会为 了解基因活动的社会调节途径。

The research proposed here addresses internal and external regulators of sexual maturation in vertebrates. Specifically, development of forebrain magnocellular neurons immunoreactive to gonadotropon-releasing hormone (irGnRH) are to be studied in a teleost using cellular and molecular probes. Forebrain irGnRH neurons comprise a phylogenetically ancient system which plays a central role in modulating pituitary control of gonadal maturation in all vertebrate classes. While analysis of this system in mammals is complicated by the superimposition of neocortical functions, basal forebrain organization can be readily studied in teleosts. The irGnRh neurons and their modulation of pituitary function have important consequences to the organism and are often implicated in growth or maturation related disease (hypogonadism and juvenilized physiolgnomy). In the teleost, H. burtoni, both development of irGnRH neurons as measured by some size and complexity of neurite morphology, and gonadal maturation are influenced by social interactions. Competition form larger conspecifics suppresses maturation in young adult fish, causing both undersized irGnRH forebrain neurons and hypogonadism. Since we can control the social system, this system is highly advantageous for analysis of maturation. Two classes of experiments are proposed: One to identify the sensory modality which is responsible for mediating social signals which suppress maturation and the second to ablate two key systems, olfactory bulb and gonads, implicated in forebrain maturation. We will measure the consequences of these experiments with immunoreactivity to GnRH antibody and molecular probes to the mRNA of GnRH. We will thus be able to discover the cellular and molecular consequences of social regulation of maturation. Since the results of social interaction are quite extreme. This may set the stage for understanding a pathway for the social regulation of gene action.