MULTISYNAPTIC STUDY OF GABA AND ESTROGEN

前凸姿势是雌性大鼠在交配行为中对雄性大鼠腹部刺激的反应，是一种性别特异性的激素依赖性反射。由于其对激素线索的依赖性，前凸被广泛地用作研究行为的内分泌控制机制的机会。尽管许多研究都集中在将荷尔蒙信号传递给产生行为的神经冲动的神经回路上，但由于技术上的限制，无法对发生在该通路的各个节点上的信息处理进行详细分析。通过应用跨神经元示踪剂伪狂犬病病毒，我打算识别神经元群体，特别是在中脑导水管周围灰质(PAG)，这与躯体控制前凸有关。具体地说，这项建议中描述的研究将解决关于雌激素和GABA在这个网络中相互作用的确切位置(S)的问题。

The lordosis posture is a sex-specific, hormone-dependant reflex displayed by the female rat in response to flank stimulation by the male rat during copulatory behavior. Because of its dependence on hormonal cues, lordosis has been widely used as an opportunity to study the mechanism of endocrine control of behavior. Although numerous studies have focused on the neural circuitry that transduces hormonal cues to the neural impulses that produce the behavior, technical limitations have prevented a detailed analysis of the information processing that occurs at individual nodes of the pathway. By applying the transneuronal tracer, pseudorabies virus, I intend to identify populations of neurons, particularly in the periaqueductal gray (PAG), which are relevant to the somatic control of lordosis. Specifically, the studies described in this proposal will address questions regarding the exact site(s) of estrogen and GABA interactions within this network.