Circuit Mechanism of Pheromone Processing and Innate Behavior

信息素加工和先天行为的回路机制

• 批准号: 10601689
• 负责人: Congrong Ron Yu
• 金额: $ 48.81万
• 依托单位: STOWERS INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-01-01 至 2027-12-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10601689
• 关键词: Accessory Olfactory Bulbs; Afferent Neurons; Aggressive behavior; Amygdaloid structure; Animals; Axon; Behavior; Behavioral Assay; Biological Models; Brain; Brain region; Cells; Complex; Cues; Detection; Diagnostic; Endocrine; Endocrine system; Estrus; Evolution; Family; Female; Functional disorder; Genetic; Goals; Health; Human; Hypothalamic structure; Immediate-Early Genes; Individual; Instinct; Knowledge; Label; Link; Logic; Maps; Mediating; Mental Depression; Mental disorders; Modality; Molecular; Mood Disorders; Mus; Nature; Nervous System; Neural Pathways; Neurons; Neurosecretory Systems; Olfactory Pathways; Output; Partner in relationship; Pathway interactions; Pattern; Personal Satisfaction; Pheromone; Play; Population; Population Process; Primates; Process; Publishing; Reproductive Behavior; Resolution; Ritual compulsion; Rodent; Role; Sensory; Sex Attractants; Sex Behavior; Sexual Dysfunction; Sexual Maturation; Signal Transduction; Social Behavior; Social Controls; System; Territoriality; Testing; Therapeutic; Vertebrates; Viral; Vomeronasal Systems; behavioral response; brain cell; cognitive function; experience; experimental study; information processing; innovation; insight; male; mating behavior; mitral cell; molecular imaging; neural circuit; neuromechanism; optogenetics; public health relevance; receptor; response; sensory input; sensory mechanism; sensory system; sex; sexual identity; single-cell RNA sequencing; social; social communication; tool; transmission process; vomeronasal organ

Project Summary/Abstract Animals have evolved specialized neural circuitry that links sensory input to neuroendocrine and behavioral responses. The proper function of these systems is essential for the health and wellbeing of individuals. Sensory inputs controls some fundamentally important innate behaviors, including mating, aggression and parental behaviors. Dysfunction in these circuits may lead to depression, mood disorders, sexual dysfunction, and aberrant parental behaviors. Here we propose to study the neural circuits that detect and process pheromone information and regulate endocrine and behavioral responses in rodents. In vertebrates, pheromone cues can directly trigger mating rituals and territorial aggression. Many terrestrial species have evolved highly sophisticated vomeronasal systems to detect pheromones. The vomeronasal circuit connects directly to the endocrine systems and influences their output. These circuits are largely genetically determined and there is an intrinsic link between sensory input and the behavioral responses. The mouse vomeronasal circuitry, therefore, serves as an ideal model system to elucidate the neural mechanism of sensory information processing, mechanism of neuroendocrine control and sensory control of innate behaviors. Similar circuits exist in humans but may have been compacted during primate evolution to consist of mostly the main olfactory system, and to include other sensory modalities. The study of the vomeronasal system can provide a roadmap to understand these more complex circuits. The objective of this application is to delineate the vomeronasal circuitry that detects and processes information of two classes of female pheromones. The proposal is based on our study identifying two sets of vomeronasal receptors recognizing pheromones cues that convey the sexual identity and the estrus status of female mice, respectively. In this study, we will determine the contribution of vomeronasal sensory neurons (VSNs) expressing these receptors to sexual behaviors. We will investigate and determine the connectivity diagram between the VSNs and the mitral cells in the accessory olfactory bulb. We will also identify the brain regions and specific cell populations that process information conveyed by these cues and map their connections. These studies are expected to reveal highly specific neural circuits that control mating behaviors

项目概要/摘要 动物进化出了专门的神经回路，将感觉输入与神经内分泌和行为联系起来 回应。这些系统的正常运行对于个人的健康和福祉至关重要。 感官输入控制着一些根本上重要的先天行为，包括交配、攻击和 父母的行为。这些回路的功能障碍可能导致抑郁、情绪障碍、性功能障碍、 以及父母的异常行为。在这里，我们建议研究检测和处理的神经回路 信息素信息并调节啮齿动物的内分泌和行为反应。在脊椎动物中， 信息素线索可以直接引发交配仪式和领土侵略。许多陆地物种都有 进化出高度复杂的犁鼻系统来检测信息素。犁鼻电路连接 直接影响内分泌系统并影响其输出。这些电路很大程度上是由基因决定的 感觉输入和行为反应之间存在内在联系。小鼠犁鼻器 因此，电路可以作为阐明感觉信息神经机制的理想模型系统 处理、神经内分泌控制机制和先天行为的感觉控制。类似电路 存在于人类中，但可能在灵长类动物进化过程中被压缩，主要由主要嗅觉组成 系统，并包括其他感觉方式。犁鼻系统的研究可以提供路线图 了解这些更复杂的电路。 该应用的目的是描绘检测和处理的犁鼻电路 两类女性信息素的信息。该提案基于我们的研究，确定了两组 犁鼻受体识别信息素线索，传达性别身份和发情状态 分别是雌性小鼠。在这项研究中，我们将确定犁鼻感觉神经元的贡献 （VSN）表达这些性行为受体。我们将调查并确定连接性 VSN 和副嗅球二尖瓣细胞之间的关系图。我们还将识别大脑 处理这些线索传达的信息并绘制它们的区域和特定细胞群 连接。这些研究有望揭示控制交配行为的高度特异性的神经回路