9420796 Weeks Hormones often exert dramatic effects on animal behavior, yet the mechanisms by which they act on the nervous system to alter behavior are not yet well understood, The identification of mechanisms for hormone-nervous system interactions is facilitated by studying animals with simple and accessible nervous systems. In this project, a group led by Dr. Weeks will utilize the hawkmoth, Manduca sexta, to study profound neural and behavioral changes in response to developmental alterations in steroid and peptide hormone levels. A specific behavior during the initial phase of metamorphosis in Manduca. pre-ecdysis behavior, is performed to loosen the old cuticle before it is shed at each molt. The performance of this behavior is attenuated at specific times during development. This work will correlate changes in hormones with functional changes in specific identified brain cells. The results of this research will be relevant to understanding neural mechanisms of hormonally-mediated behavioral changes in a wide variety of living organisms. ***
