Neuropeptides are small proteinaceous molecules which are involved in a variety of brain roles, ranging from controlling movements to transmitting sensory information such as pain. These chemicals are also implicated in more long-term behavioral changes such as learning and memory, arousal and various emotional states. Although much is known about the behavioral effects of neuropeptides, relatively little is understood about how these neurochemicals cause changes at the cellular and molecular levels. Unfortunately, these sorts of physiological studies are not currently feasible in mammals because of technical difficulties and that the mammalian brain is exceedingly centralized and complex. To overcome these problems, Dr. Tublitz has capitalized on relatively simple nervous system of invertebrates. He concentrates on a family of neuropeptides, the Cardioacceleratory Peptides (CAPs), that modulate several different tissues, including the heart, gut and CNS. Dr. Tublitz will examine the physiology of individual cells which synthesize and release the CAPs. He will examine why the number of neuropeptide neurons change during the animal's lifetime. Moreover, Dr. Tublitz will determine the molecular mechanisms by which the CAPs exert the powerful and long-lasting effects upon the target tissues. These investigations, currently possible only in simple invertebrate preparations, will likely provide new and important information about neuropeptide function that will be applicable to all species, including humans. This work will lead to a better understanding of how the chemicals in the brain interact with each other and with the brain's nerve cells to modify behavior.
