The Role of Social Environment on Learning and Gene Regulation

项目摘要 社会环境在人类面临的几个最紧迫的问题中发挥着重要作用， 成长的世界社会交往会影响生活方式，从而可能导致疾病，如肥胖， 有密切联系的个人。与人联系较少的人更容易患抑郁症和自杀。 相反，快乐的情绪和合作的行为会在更多的人之间迅速传播。 紧密相连。这些联系在很大程度上是学习的。虽然社会环境显然起着关键作用， 虽然人类健康中的作用，科学家们还没有确定遗传或生理机制， 是这些习得模式或其导致的疾病结果的基础。蜜蜂有复杂的社会 这是高度可控的遗传和社会环境，并可以很容易地进行评估，为特定的 行为。一些蜜蜂会探索新的食物，而另一些蜜蜂则会利用已知的食物来源， 学习特定关系的遗传倾向。此外，蜜蜂探险家 他们大脑中的不同神经递质和他们的学习能力可以被调节。基于 基于这些特征，蜜蜂可以作为一个模型社会来探索复杂的相互作用 基因、生理和社会环境的影响。随着先进的基因表达技术的使用， 该项目的第一个目标是探索大脑中一种有前途的神经递质受体的调节。 这与学习行为密切相关。这一目标将充分表征受体是如何被 调节蜜蜂的觅食和学习不同，然后确定差异在哪里， 受体位于这些个体之间的大脑中。监管之间的因果关系 然后将使用基因敲除技术建立受体和行为。目标2将连接 这些结果通过调节已知遗传背景的个体中的社会互动来影响社会环境。 背景，然后评估这种受体的行为和基因表达如何随着社会 环境本项目包括培养本科生各方面的科研实践。 最终，这项博士后研究的结果将为NIH的重要目标提供洞察力。 通过阐明社会环境、行为的潜在遗传学和 导致个人和社会长期健康影响的行为。

Project Summary Social environment plays a significant role in several of the most pressing issues humans face in a growing world. Social interaction can influence lifestyles that may lead to diseases, such as obesity, in closely connected individuals. People who are less connected are more at risk for depression and suicide. Conversely, happy emotions and cooperative behaviors spread quickly between individuals who are more closely connected. These connections are largely learned. While social environment clearly plays a critical role in human health, scientists have yet to determine the genetic or physiological mechanisms that underlie these learned patterns or their resulting disease outcomes. Honey bees have complex societies that are highly controllable for genetics and social environment, and can easily be evaluated for specific behaviors. Some honey bees will explore for new food, while others exploit a known food source, based on genetic predispositions to learn specific kinds of relationships. Furthermore, explorer bees have different neurotransmitters in their brains and their learning can be modulated pharmacologically. Based on these characteristics, honey bees can be used as a model society to explore the complex interactions of genetics, physiology, and social environment. With the use of advanced gene expression techniques, the first aim of this project will explore the regulation of a promising neurotransmitter receptor in the brain that is strongly implicated in learning behavior. This aim will fully characterize how the receptor is being regulated in honey bees that are foraging and learning differently, then identify differences in where the receptor is located in the brain between these individuals. The causal relationship between regulation of the receptor and behavior will then be established using gene knockdown techniques. Aim 2 will connect these results to social environment by modulating social interactions in individuals of known genetic background, then evaluating how behavior and gene expression of this receptor changes with social environment. This project includes the training undergraduate student in all aspects of research practices. Ultimately, the results of this postdoctoral research will provide insight into the important goals of the NIH by elucidating the relationship between social environment, underlying genetics of behavior, and shifts in behavior that lead to long term health effects of individuals and societies.