Department of Cellular Neurobiology
Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute for Zoology and Anthropology
Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute for Zoology and Anthropology
Dr. Ralf Heinrich
Dept. of Cellular Neurobiology
Schwann-Schleiden Research Center
Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3
37077 Göttingen
Phone: +49(0)551 / 39177958
Fax: +49(0)551 / 39177952
E-mail: rheinri1@gwdg.de
Behavior is the product of
complex interactions between various types of neurons that integrate external
sensory information with internal physiological states. Internal states may
function as motivational systems that bias an organism to perform most useful
actions to secure survival and reproduction by influencing the initiation,
intensity, direction and persistence of behaviors. Our lab is especially
interested in central nervous and humoral mechanisms underlying the selection
and adaptation of actions that are most appropriate for the particular
situation an animal encounters. We study the neurochemical regulation of behavior
with a combination of neuroethological, pharmacological, electrophysiological,
histochemical and immunocytochemical methods and apply these to intact animals,
reduced preparations and cultured cells of various invertebrate species.
Another series of projects
explores the neuroprotective and neuroregenerative mechanisms of erythropoietin
(Epo) in insects. Similar to earlier studies on mammalin nervous systems, it
has been demonstrated that human recombinant Epo increases insect neuronal
survival in vitro by interfering with
apoptotic pathways and improves insect neuronal regeneration in vitro and in vivo by yet unidentified mechanisms. These results
suggest that mammals and insects may share an Epo-like ligand/receptor system
with both structural and functional similarities in neuroprotection and
neuroregeneration.
Invertebrates offer unique
advantages over more complex nervous systems of vertebrates and especially
mammals, such as a smaller number of neurons in the central nervous system,
individually identifiable neurons and rather limited repertoires of behaviors,
many of which are composed of genetically determined and stereotype movements.
For studying a particular nervous mechanism one can select the most suitable
and experimentally accessible preparation from a huge variety of different
species with specific anatomical characteristics and more or less complex
behaviors.
designed by A. Wirmer