9423846 Edwards The relationship between the brain and behavior is a dynamic two-way interaction. Biologists would like to understand both how the brain generates behaviors, and also how behavioral contexts produce effects on the brain. It is well-known that social behaviors produce effects on the brain (and therefore other behaviors), but the mechanisms for such interactions is largely unknown. In this grant Dr. Edwards and his colleagues will examine how the dominance status of animals impacts the chemistry of the nervous system and the subsequent expression of well-defined behaviors such as escape. The brain chemical serotonin can modify escape behavior. Dr. Edwards group has evidence that serotonin's effects on brain cells mediating escape vary in fundamentally different ways in dominant animals versus subordinate animals. The mechanisms for serotonin's differential effects will be analyzed at the level of identified cells and specific subtypes of the serotonin receptor. This work will provide new inqights into the pathways by which social behavior and brain function interact. ***
