Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

) Behavior in animals is produced by the central nervous system (CNS) and is strongly influenced by hormones that can act within the CNS, on neuromuscular targets and on visceral organs. The ultimate goal of my research is to understand the mechanisms through which hormones modulate behavior. My research program takes an integrated approach to this problem by studying behavior at the level of whole animals, identifying hormones and neurotransmitters that underlie behavior, and uncovering the mechanisms of action of hormones and transmitters at the cellular and sub-cellular levels. I use invertebrates as model systems for study. Much of my work has focused on "FMRFamide-like peptides", which appear to be present in all animals. These chemicals regulate the heart, vascular tissues, nerve cells, muscle cells and visceral organs. ) During the next 5 years, I will examine the biochemical processes that allow specific neuropeptides to enhance communication between neurons and their target cells at chemical synapses. I will also determine whether different peptides play essentially the same role and, thus, are essentially redundant, or whether different peptides act on specific cells. I will also examine aggressive interactions between members of the same species and determine whether or not such behaviors are modified by neuropeptide hormones. This work will provide a more complete picture of how biochemical and cellular actions of hormones are integrated to produce and/or modify behavior. The proposed experiments will be performed on crayfish and fruitflies, which offer advantages of having simple, well-studied nervous systems and stereotypical behaviors that are easy to identify and quantify. Fruitflies also have a completely sequenced genome and many mutant and genetically engineered strains that can be used as tools for investigating specific biochemical pathways. ) This proposal will support cellular and behavioral neuroscience research in Canada and will produce highly qualified Canadian researchers.