Adult vertebrate brain plasticity is fairly widespread and extremely important in understanding neurodegenerative disease as well as reversal of central nervous system injuries yet its control is not well understood. Small RNAs are now known to be a post-transcriptional mechanism of regulation with a rapid course of action, consonant with rapid brain changes. Recent studies have shown a role for small RNAs in neuron development and differentiation. It has also been shown that the action of these RNAs is conserved from fish to mammals. Here we propose a series of experiments using a unique teleost fish model system with well-characterized neuronal changes that are plastic and under social control. We will use this system to assess the role(s) of small RNAs in neural plasticity in vivo. In this species, when a male ascends in social status, the gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH1) containing neurons increase eightfold in volume and increase their dendritic branching. These morphological changes occur within 3-5 days of social ascent and are reversed when the animal descends in social status. The ability to manipulate social status experimentally will allow us to assess the role of small RNAs in mediating adult brain plasticity in vivo. We will first identify small RNAs associated with distinct phases of fish undergoing social ascent, social descent and no status change. We will then experimentally manipulate levels of the targeted small RNAs to identify the causal role of these molecules in regulating plasticity in brain neurons. Molecules regulating plasticity in GnRH1 neurons can then be tested to map other regions of the brain undergoing plasticity. This work will reveal whether and which small RNAs participate in regulating neuronal plasticity. Since the GnRH1 system is conserved across vertebrates, the results from this work will be relevant for all vertebrates.
We will identify small RNAs and determine their role in regulating plastic changes of neurons in vivo. Understanding whether and how these small RNA act in the vertebrate brain will have wide reaching application in understanding how brain changes in health and disease are regulated.
| Fernald, Russell D (2015) Social behaviour: can it change the brain? Anim Behav 103:259-265 |
| Fernald, Russell D (2014) Cognitive Skills Needed for Social Hierarchies. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol 79:229-36 |
| Fernald, Russell D (2014) Communication about social status. Curr Opin Neurobiol 28:1-4 |
| Fernald, Russell D (2012) Social control of the brain. Annu Rev Neurosci 35:133-51 |
