BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Neuropeptides\, sexually dimorphic neurons\, and male aggression -
  Kenta Asahina\, California Institute of Technology
DTSTART:20140115T110000Z
DTEND:20140115T120000Z
UID:TALK49539@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Emma
DESCRIPTION:Aggressive actions are among the most fundamental innate behav
 iors. Animals across diverse phyla\, from sea anemones to mammals\, perfor
 m antagonistic behaviors\, underscoring the ethological importance of such
  actions. In many animal species\, males tend to be more aggressive than f
 emales as they engage in male-male disputes over territory and potential m
 ates. However\, the molecular and neural basis of the sex-specific level o
 f aggressiveness remains unknown. Using Drosophila as a model\, I identifi
 ed a small number of sexually dimorphic neurons in the male brain that pla
 y a critical role in controlling the level of aggressiveness. These neuron
 s express the neuropeptide tachykinin (Tk)\, the release of which enhances
  aggression by acting primarily on one of the two Drosophila Tk receptors\
 , Takr86C. Furthermore\, I obtained evidence that the activity of these ne
 urons influences “aggressive motivation”\, by broadly modulating multi
 ple sensory cues and environmental conditions that affect male aggressiven
 ess. By combining high-throughput behavioral analysis\, neuronal imaging a
 nd manipulation techniques\, and genome editing\, I aim to elucidate how c
 omplex social behaviors like aggression are controlled by molecules and ci
 rcuits and to obtain novel insights into the neural components of motivati
 on.
LOCATION:MRC LMB: Klug Seminar Room 2A180
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR