A critical component of successful reproduction in female mammals involves integration with the male's reproductive state. How the female performs this integration is understood at the behavioral level, but is still poorly understood at the neurobiological level. A neural model will be developed to precisely measure chemical signaling of dopamine in a particular brain region (the nucleus accumbens) where dopaminergic activity is temporally synchronized with behavioral interactions with the male for successful reproduction. A technically sophisticated and innovative approach know as fast-scan cyclic voltammetry, combined with electrophysiological recording, will be used to measure dopamine release in the female's nucleus accumbens during reproduction and determine how nerve cells respond to dopamine-mediated signals. The fast scan cyclic voltammetry has the capability of measuring dynamic changes in dopamine signaling by taking measurements every 100 milliseconds, thus temporally coupling dopamine signaling and behavioral responses. This project will not only identify how the nervous system solves a complex problem of reproductive integration of brain and behavioral activities, but will also open up new avenues for detailed analyses of the neural regulation of reproduction and other social behaviors. The transfer of technology from Dr. Paul Garris's lab (Dr. Garris is a world leader in the development of fast-scan cyclic voltammetry) at Illinois State University to the University of Minnesota is a significant impact of the research goals. The project will also provide a platform for making this technology available to a range of investigators throughout the country. The development of this technology and subsequent dissemination will include making the raw data available online as well as creating online simulations that can be used as instructional tools through OmniScience (www.omnisci.org). The project will provide an important research base for the inclusion of undergraduate students, particularly underrepresented minority students, as a component of their science education and literacy.
