Synaptic Neurochemistry of Sensory Pathways in the Insect Central Nervous System

摘要

This research project has sought to develop an understanding of the synaptic neurochemistry of important sensory pathways in an experimentally favorable invertebrate central nervous system -- the brain of the moth Manduca sexta. We have concentrated on the olfactory and visual systems because of our knowledge of the functional organization and physiology of these systems is extensive. Our goal has been to add the understanding of the chemical-signalling mechanisms involved in the formation processing in a model CNS. In this phase of the research, we have focused effort on identifying important neurotransmitter candidates in the CNS (and the two sensory pathways in particular) and on exploring the neurochemical anatomy of the systems. The latter effort has involved the use of histochemical and immunocytochemical methods to probe the cellular localization of several of the important neurotransmitter and neuropeptide candidates in the sensory pathways. Three principal lines of investigation have been followed during the reporting period. These lines are: Chemical probing for neurotransmitter candidates; Metabolic studies of GABA; and Neurochemical anatomy. Keywords: Neuropeptides.