Abstract

The main aims of the proposed work are to identify and characterize the effects of seasonal variations in day length on brain development, with a view toward elaborating how and why brains of animals born at different times of year come to differ structurally and functionally. The model species to be studied is the meadow vole. Specific projects include: 1) determining the postnatal intervals during which photoperiod influences brain growth, 2) assessing the influence of seasonal variation in day length on brain myelination, 3) determining the effect of photoperiod on gliogenesis and neurogenesis of developing voles, 4) assessing the effects of photoperiod and of spontaneous recrudescence of the reproductive system on brain growth of overwintering voles, 5) determining the role of testicular androgens in brain growth and in the genesis of sex differences in brain development, 6) elaborating the role of the pineal gland in photoperiod-induced brain development. Parameters to be measured or manipulated include brain mass, total brain DNA content, myelin content of brain, plasma testosterone levels, duration of day length. The proposed work may lead to new concepts of central nervous system structural modifiability by environmental factors and could ultimately result in photo- therapies that affect brain development.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
2R01HD002982-21
Application #
3310177
Study Section
(SSS)
Project Start
1978-08-01
Project End
1990-07-31
Budget Start
1987-08-01
Budget End
1988-07-31
Support Year
21
Fiscal Year
1987
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
University of California Berkeley
Department
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
094878337
City
Berkeley
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94704

  Publications

Kauffman, A S; Cabrera, A; Zucker, I (2001) Energy intake and fur in summer- and winter-acclimated Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus). Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 281:R519-27
Prendergast, B J; Flynn, A K; Zucker, I (2000) Triggering of neuroendocrine refractoriness to short-day patterns of melatonin in Siberian hamsters. J Neuroendocrinol 12:303-10
Bae, H H; Stamper, J L; Heydorn, E C et al. (2000) Role of area postrema in control of torpor in Siberian hamsters. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 279:R591-8
Prendergast, B J; Gorman, M R; Zucker, I (2000) Establishment and persistence of photoperiodic memory in hamsters. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 97:5586-91
Bae, H H; Mangels, R A; Cho, B S et al. (1999) Ventromedial hypothalamic mediation of photoperiodic gonadal responses in male Syrian hamsters. J Biol Rhythms 14:391-401
Stamper, J L; Dark, J; Zucker, I (1999) Photoperiod modulates torpor and food intake in Siberian hamsters challenged with metabolic inhibitors. Physiol Behav 66:113-8
Prendergast, B J; Hugenberger, J L (1999) Frequency coding of melatonin signals sufficient to induce testicular growth in photoregressed Siberian hamsters. J Neuroendocrinol 11:237-41
Dark, J; Lewis, D A; Zucker, I (1999) Hypoglycemia and torpor in Siberian hamsters. Am J Physiol 276:R776-81
Prendergast, B J; Freeman, D A (1999) Pineal-independent regulation of photo-nonresponsiveness in the Siberian hamster (Phodopus sungorus). J Biol Rhythms 14:62-71
Prendergast, B J; Zucker, I; Yellon, S M et al. (1998) Melatonin chimeras alter reproductive development and photorefractoriness in Siberian hamsters. J Biol Rhythms 13:518-31

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