This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing theresources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject andinvestigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source,and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed isfor the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator.The overall goal of this research is to examine the postnatal development of central neurotransmitter systems in rhesus macaques, and to establish how these neurotransmitter systems are influenced by the changing sex-steroid environment. The study is principally focused on the glutamatergic system, because L-glutamate is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter within the brain, and it is known to play a significant role in various physiological developments. However, the study also makes use of the valuable nonhuman primate tissue by examining developmental changes in other neurotransmitter systems, especially within the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. The research involves a series of molecular and immunohistochemical approaches to characterize and quantify specific gene expression at key stages of postnatal development and across the menstrual cycle. The studies are expected to provide new insights into the ontogeny of neurotransmitter systems in a preclinical animal model. Moreover, because macaques and humans show similar postnatal cognitive developments and similar developmental changes in their sex-steroid environment, the results from this translational research should significantly further our understanding of mechanisms that underlie these physiological processes in humans.
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