This project seeks to understand the genetic organization of visual approach preferences in Japanese quail chicks (C. coturnix japonica), and to determine the roles of the genotype in the sensory mediation, environmental determination, and cerebral representation of these preferences. Specific studies include: (1) Identifying how major genes and genetic interactions determine extreme variations of unconditional color preferences. (2) Artificially selecting quail for and determining the genetic organization of unconditional pattern preferences. (3) Determining how the major genes that are responsible for unconditional color and pattern preferences may interact with each other and are controlled by variables of the background genotype. (4) Determining the quail's luminosity and wavelength discrimination functions, and relating it to genetically variable color preferences. (5) Identifying the variations of visual pigments, pigmented oil droplets, and the receptor architectonics of the quail retina, also in relation to genetically variable color preferences. (6) Determining how the genetically variable unconditional preferences and artificially selected """"""""Hi"""""""" or """"""""Lo"""""""" learning capacities of the quail may influence the speed and stimulus specificities of imprinting, and how such influences may transfer to learning situations other than imprinting. (7) Identifying specific similarities and differences between the cerebral representation of genetically variable unconditional preference phenotypes and their environmental phenocopies. Procedures of investigation included artificial selection of quail for unconditional stimulus preferences and genetically variable imprinting effects, genetic analysis of the selected populations, psychophysical determination of visual sensitivities microspectrophotometric assessment of the absorption spectra of visual pigments and pigmented retinal oil droplets, and autoradiographic identification of brain areas that are activated by stimuli of genetically and/or environmentally variable preference values. In addition to clarifying the genetic organization, sensory mediation and cerebral representation of the quail's unconditional and acquired stimulus preferences, these procedures will also identify the function of retinal oil droplets in avian color vision and will test a model of gene expression pertinent to the conceptualization and general study of gene effects in behavioral disorders.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
2R01HD006770-14
Application #
3310583
Study Section
Biopsychology Study Section (BPO)
Project Start
1976-06-01
Project End
1992-12-31
Budget Start
1988-01-01
Budget End
1988-12-31
Support Year
14
Fiscal Year
1988
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Menninger Foundation
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Topeka
State
KS
Country
United States
Zip Code
66601
Kabai, P; Kovach, J K (1997) Unconditional discrimination as a paradigm for investigating visual processing in the avian brainstem. Acta Biol Hung 48:9-14
Csillag, A; Kabai, P; Kovach, J K (1995) Effects of diencephalic lesions on approach responses and color preferences in quail. Physiol Behav 58:659-67
Kabai, P; Kovach, J K (1993) Persistence of approach response after decerebration in newly hatched quail chicks. Physiol Behav 53:699-707
Kabai, P; Kovach, J K (1993) Subtelencephalic visual discrimination in selected lines of Japanese quail. Neuroreport 4:255-8
Bowmaker, J K; Kovach, J K; Whitmore, A V et al. (1993) Visual pigments and oil droplets in genetically manipulated and carotenoid deprived quail: a microspectrophotometric study. Vision Res 33:571-8
Kovach, J K (1993) Sources of behavioral deviation modeled by early color preferences in quail. III. Developmental stability and normative canalization. Behav Genet 23:369-77
Kovach, J K; Kabai, P (1993) Effects of bilateral hemispherectomy on genetically variable stimulus preferences and imprinting in quail chicks. Brain Res 629:181-8
Kovach, J K (1992) Sources of behavioral deviation modeled by early color preferences in quail. I. Behavioral synergism and systemic instability. Behav Genet 22:575-84
Kabai, P; Kovach, J; Vadasz, C (1992) Neural correlates of genetically determined and acquired color preferences in quail chicks. Brain Res 573:260-6
Kovach, J K (1992) Sources of behavioral deviation modeled by early color preferences in quail. II. Diathetic genes and the leftover variance ""V(e)"". Behav Genet 22:585-99

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