Project/Area Number |
18570063
|
Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
|
Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
Section | 一般 |
Research Field |
Morphology/Structure
|
Research Institution | Waseda University |
Principal Investigator |
KIKUYAMA Sakae Waseda University, Faculty of Education and Integrated Arts and Sciences, Professor Emeritus (20063638)
|
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
TOYODA Fumiyo Nara Medical University, Faculty of Medicine, Lecturer (10244708)
HASUNUMA Itaru Waseda University, Faculty of Education and Integrated Arts and Sciences, Research Associate (40434261)
|
Project Period (FY) |
2006 – 2007
|
Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 2007)
|
Budget Amount *help |
¥3,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000)
Fiscal Year 2007: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000)
Fiscal Year 2006: ¥2,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,600,000)
|
Keywords | newt / courtship behavior / prolactin / arginine vasotocin / central action of proteinacious hormones / hormone receptors / アカハライモリ / 求愛行動 / アルギニンバソトシン / アルギニンバソトシン受容体 / プロラクチン受容体 |
Research Abstract |
In the newt, Cynops pyrrhogaster,internal fertilization takes place in spite of the absence of copulatory organs. In order to transfer the spermatophore into the cloaca of the female, the male performs an unique courtship behavior. Our previous study revealed that besides androgen, prolactin(PRL) and arginine vasotocin(AVT) are involved in the expression of the courtship behavior and that both PRL and AVT act centrally to elicit the behavior .Immunohistochemical study using antibody against PRL receptor demonstrated that both the choroidal plexus and AVT containing neurons possess PRL receptors. Moreover pharmacological study using inhibitors of AVT receptors revealed that the action of AVT in terms of eliciting the behavior is mediated through Vla receptor, its distribution in the diencephalon being confined to the preoptic area, suprachiasmatic nucleus and ventral hypothalamus. This raised the possibility that PRL incorporated into the brain through the choroidal plexus acts on the AVT neurons and AVT mediates the action of PRL. To prove this hypothesis, experiments were conducted using androgen-primed male newts. Firstly it was confirmed that intracerebroventricular injection of antibody against PRL or antibody against PRL receptor blocked the expression of courtship behavior and that administration of AVT restored the expression of courtship behavior. On the other hand, the suppression of the behavior induced by the intracerebroventricular administration of an inhibitor of Vla receptor was never nullified by PRL supplementation. These results indicate that PRL primarily acts on the AVT neurons and AVT mediates the action of PRL to elicit the courtship behavior.
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