Chromatin and Behavior

项目摘要/摘要 神经科学研究的一个主要目标是了解行为的分子遗传学规范和 环境是如何影响这些机制的。缺乏对这些分子遗传学的了解 机制是取得进展的一个主要障碍，因为这限制了人们对核、核和核安全之间相互作用的了解， 指导行为和可塑性的突触和生理神经元功能。理解分子-- 在模型系统中驱动复杂行为的遗传机制是重要的一步。我们提出了一个 协作和独特的方法来解决我们对复杂行为缺乏理解的问题。这项研究将 是首批在全基因组范围内检查驱动复合体的几种分子表型的人之一 行为。我们建议使用我们实验室最新开发的最先进的工具来检查 在细胞特有的水平上，有几种分子表型。我们将研究染色质，转录因子结合， 明确定义和已知的神经回路中的基因表达和替代的前-mRNA剪接 是行为的基础。这种创新的方法将使我们能够确定需要 通过在开发和维护过程中检查这些表型来驱动这种行为的潜力和维护 成人期。此外，我们还研究了环境如何通过检测分子来改变行为 以及长时记忆形成的神经回路基础。该项目将是第一个阐明和整合， 以一种细胞特有的方式，几种指导复杂行为的分子表型，包括如何性行为- 分子环境的不同会影响行为。我们将以统计的方式整合所有 这些表型有助于深入了解环境、分子、神经回路之间的复杂相互作用 和行为表型。

Project Summary/Abstract A major goal of neuroscience research is to understand the molecular-genetic specification of behaviors and how the environment influences these mechanisms. Lack of knowledge of these molecular-genetic mechanisms is a major barrier to progress, as this limits knowledge about the interplay between nuclear, synaptic and physiological neuronal functions that direct behaviors and plasticity. Understanding the molecular- genetic mechanisms that drive complex behaviors in model systems is an important step. We propose a collaborative and unique approach to address our lack of understanding of complex behaviors. This study will be one of the first to examine on a genome-wide scale several molecular phenotypes that drive complex behaviors. We propose to use state-of-the-art tools, which are newly developed by our laboratory, to examine at a cell-specific level several molecular phenotypes. We will examine chromatin, transcription factor binding, gene expression and alternative pre-mRNA splicing in neural circuits that are well defined and known to underlie behavior. This innovative approach will allow us to identify the molecular process that are required to drive the potential and maintenance of this behavior, by examining these phenotypes during development and adult stages. In addition, we examine how the environment can modify behavior by examining the molecular and neural circuit basis of long-term memory formation. The project will be the first to elucidate and integrate, in a cell-specific manner, several molecular phenotypes that direct complex behavior, including how sex- differences in the molecular environment influence behavior. We will statistically integrate knowledge of all of these phenotypes to gain insights into the complex interplay between environment, molecular, neural circuit and behavioral phenotypes.