Sensory processing of social and defensive chemosignals

社会和防御化学信号的感觉处理

基本信息

批准号：
9011941
负责人：
Catherine Dulac
金额：
$ 35.91万
依托单位：
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
财政年份：
2013
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2013-03-20 至 2018-02-28
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9011941
关键词：
Accessory Olfactory Bulbs Address Adolescent Amygdaloid structure Animals Architecture Area Aromatase Autistic Disorder Behavior Behavioral Brain Cell Nucleus Chemicals Child Rearing Code Communication Communication impairment Complex Cues Data Defect Detection Diagnosis Disease Dorsal Electrophysiology (science)Employee Strikes Enzymes Female General Practitioners Genetic Goals Health Human Hypothalamic structure Individual Laboratories Lesion Mammals Maps Medial Mediating Mental disorders Molecular Mus Neurons Neurosciences Output Partner in relationship Pathology Pattern Pheromone Population Population Process Positioning Attribute Preparation Process Property Receptor Activation Reporting Rodent Role Schizophrenia Sensory Sensory Process Signal Transduction Social Interaction Specialist Staging Stimulus System Testing Therapeutic Intervention Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone Time Transgenic Mice Vomeronasal Systems base behavioral response information processing insight interest male neuromechanism neuronal circuitry novel optogenetics programs receptor relating to nervous system research study response segregation sensory input sexual dimorphism social tool vomeronasal organ

项目摘要

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this project is to investigate how social chemosignals are processed by vomeronasal circuits in many species, the signals essential for guiding social interactions rely on the emission and detection of pheromones. Rodents strongly rely on the vomeronasal system to detect these cues and guide genetically pre-programmed social and defensive behaviors. We, and others, have recently made significant progress in understanding the molecular and celular basis of chemosensory detection by the vomeronasal organ (VNO) and in visualizing complex patterns of activity by its primary target, the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). However, the information processing performed by downstream brain areas in order to elicit innate behavioral responses. encode behaviorally relevant signals has not yet been uncovered. This project draws on novel electrophysiological, genetic and optogenetic approaches to determine how units from the (MeA) transform social and defensive sensory cues into behavioraly relevant signals. The MeA occupies a critical position in the vomeronasal-sensorimotor transformation between the AOB and distinct nuclei of the hypothalamus that are involved in eliciting distinct behavioral responses. medial amydgala Proposed experiments will address 1- how the MeA processes the complex sensory representation from the AOB, in order to convey information reflecting the behavioral significance of the detected cues to centers in the hypothalamus. 2- the sensory representation of distinct genetically defined populations of neurons in the MeA, and more specifically the responses of two complementary populations of neurons expresing either the enzyme aromatase (Ar) or thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH that are located in distinct areas of the MeA reported to drive mating and defensive behaviors, respectively. 3- the contribution of elementary VNO signals to neuronal activation across the brain using transgenic mouse lines and optogenetic tools that enable the activation of discrete receptor populations corresponding to the detection of predators, as well as male and female conspecifics. In humans, defects in social recognition are the core of poorly understood and debilitating mental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. Because of their central role in the coding and processing of environmental cues leading to appropriate behavioral responses, the neural principles of social and defensive recognition uncovered in these studies are largely applicable throughout the animal kingdom. Thus, our findings will inform the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders, in which social and sensory communications are impaired.

描述（由申请人提供）：该项目的目标是研究许多物种的犁鼻回路如何处理社会化学信号，指导社会互动所必需的信号依赖于信息素的发射和检测。啮齿类动物强烈依赖犁鼻系统来检测这些线索并指导基因预先编程的社交和防御行为。我们和其他人最近在理解犁鼻器官（VNO）化学感应检测的分子和细胞基础以及可视化其主要目标副嗅球（AOB）的复杂活动模式方面取得了重大进展。然而，下游大脑区域进行信息处理以引发先天的行为反应。编码行为相关信号尚未被发现。该项目利用新颖的电生理学、遗传学和光遗传学方法来确定（MeA）单元如何将社交和防御感官线索转化为行为相关信号。 MeA 在 AOB 和下丘脑不同核团之间的犁鼻感觉运动转化中占据关键位置，这些核团参与引发不同的行为反应。内侧杏仁核提议的实验将解决 1-MeA 如何处理来自 AOB 的复杂感觉表征，以便将反映检测到的线索的行为意义的信息传递给下丘脑的中心。 2- MeA 中不同基因定义的神经元群体的感觉表征，更具体地说，是表达芳香酶 (Ar) 或促甲状腺素释放激素 (TRH，位于大脑不同区域的两个互补神经元群体的反应)据报道，MeA 分别驱动交配和防御行为 3- 使用转基因小鼠品系和光遗传学工具，基本 VNO 信号对整个大脑神经元激活的贡献，这些工具能够激活相应的离散受体群。在人类中，社会认知缺陷是自闭症和精神分裂症等精神疾病的核心，因为它们在环境线索的编码和处理中发挥着核心作用。这些研究中发现的社会和防御性识别的神经原理在很大程度上适用于整个动物界，从而导致适当的行为反应。因此，我们的研究结果将为社交和感觉沟通受损的精神障碍的诊断和治疗提供信息。