NEUROENDOCRINE REGULATION OF THE CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS

描述（改编自申请人摘要）：生物计时 系统位于各种动物的神经系统中， 包括产生昼夜信息的可计时时钟， 从而控制节奏行为。 本系统的变更 深刻地影响动物（包括人类）的表现，并密切 与某些类型的情感障碍有关 由于信号流 （输入到起搏器输出）的昼夜节律是常见的， 动物物种，从果蝇研究中获得的基本信息是 与高等动物的临床意义交织在一起。 大多数分子 果蝇生物计时系统的遗传学研究集中在 时钟基因周期和永恒。 在本建议中，考虑因素是 神经内分泌因素也可能影响苍蝇的起搏 系统 一种被称为色素分散激素（PDH）的神经肽， 已知与皮肤颜色的昼夜节律变化有关 在甲壳类动物中。 类似的神经肽已经被鉴定出来， 生物学功能似乎与昆虫的昼夜节律有关。 最近， 果蝇PDH同源物的cDNA（Dm-PDF）已由 申请人，拟议的研究将扩大这一初步成就 目的：明确Dm-PDF在调节果蝇生物学行为中的作用， 计时系统使用综合分子遗传方法，沿着 行为分析

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from applicant's abstract): The biological timing system is located in the nervous system of a wide variety of animals and consists of an entrainable clock which generates circadian information, which then governs the rhythmic behavior. Alterations of this system profoundly affect the animal's (including human) performance and are closely associated with certain types of affective disorders. Since the signal flow (input to pacemaker to output) for the circadian rhythms is common to most animal species, basic information obtained from research in the fruit fly is intertwined with clinical significance in higher animals. Most molecular genetic studies of the biological timing system in Drosophila have focused on the clock genes period and timeless. In this proposal, consideration is given to neuroendocrine factors that may also affect the fly's pacemaking system. A neuropeptide called pigment-dispersing hormone (PDH) has been known to be involved in the circadian rhythmic changes on integumental color in crustaceans. Similar neuropeptides have been identified, and their biological functions appear related to insect circadian rhythms. Recently, cDNA of the Drosophila PDH homolog (Dm-PDF) has been cloned by the applicant, and the proposed research will extend this initial accomplishment to define the roles of Dm-PDF in the regulation of the fly's biological timing system using comprehensive molecular genetic approaches along with behavioral analyses.