Objective The main objective of this project is to compare distantly related animals with the aim to determine to what extent the behavioural functions of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT), as well as those of the endogenous opioid system, are conserved in evolution, and whether the two systems operate synergistically. With this aim, it is planned(1) to study the effects of serotonergic and opioidergic drugs on motor behaviours of experimental animals representing various major taxons, and to reveal both similarities and differences;(2) in selected animals, to investigate the central neuronal mechanisms underlying the observed serotonin- and opioid-regulated behaviours and, as far as possible, to describe them in terms of identified neurons and neuronal networks. The proposers are experienced in neuroethology and behavioral pharmacology of well investigated, the so called "model" animals: mice (the Novosibirsk team), fish carassius auratus (the Borok Team), cricket Gryllus bimaculatus (the Goettingen team), caddis fly larve Chaetopterix villosa (the Borok team), gastropod molluscs Lymnaea stagnalis and Helix pomatia (the Kaliningrad and Moscow team) and leech Hirudo medicinalis (The Portsmouth team). In this project, the efforts of these participants will be combined, using both similar and complementary methodological approaches (behavioural pharmacology, electrophysiology, immunocytochemistry and radioligand methods). Collaborative experiments between teams are also planned.The main activities of this project are:Mice: (1) Study of the effects of different 5-HTergic and peptidergic drugs on aggressive and submissive behaviours;(2) Study of the agression-related changes in the 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A, mu and kappa opioid receptor binding sites in the brain;Carassius auratus:(1) Study of the effects of serotonergic and opioidergic drugs on motor behaviors in the goldfish, with special reference to the exploratory behaviour;(2) Examination of a possible correlation between above drug-induced changes in behavior and ATPase activity of the nervous tissue;Gryllus bimaculatus: Study of the involvement of serotonin and opioid-like peptides in social, escape and locomotor behaviorsChaetopterix villosa (F.): Study of the effects of serotonergic and opioidergic drugs on motor behaviours, with special reference to the exploratory behaviour ;Lymnaea stagnalis and Helix pomatia:(1) Study of the effects of serotonergic and opioidergic drugs on the feeding, defensive and locomotor behaviour;(2) Analysis of the effects at the cellular level;(3) Study of the effects of methabolic precursor of 5HT on isolated 5HT-ergic neurons.Hirudo medicinalis:(1) Study of the distribution of opioid-like immunoreactive neuropeptides other than met-enkephalin;(2) Study of the behavioural effects of serotonergic and opioidergic drugs. Programme(s) IC-INTAS - International Association for the promotion of cooperation with scientists from the independent states of the former Soviet Union (INTAS), 1993- Topic(s) 4 - Life Sciences RUSSIA - RUSSIA Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme Data not available Coordinator Universitat Gottingen EU contribution No data Address Berliner Str. 28 37073 Gottingen Germany See on map Total cost No data Participants (5) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all Russian Academy of Sciences Russia EU contribution No data Address 152742 Borok, Yaroslavskaya obl. See on map Total cost No data Russian Academy of Sciences Russia EU contribution No data Address Vavilova Str.26 117808 Moscow See on map Total cost No data Siberian branch of Russian Academy of Sciences Russia EU contribution No data Address Lavrentiev prospect, 10 630090 Novosibirsk See on map Total cost No data University of Kaliningrad Russia EU contribution No data Address Universitetskaya 2 236040 Kaliningrad See on map Total cost No data University of Portsmouth United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address King Henry I Street P01 2DY Portsmouth See on map Total cost No data