Genetic and endocrine regulation of multi-organ plasticity and sexually dimorphic behaviors - the hormone-dependent regulation of organ plasticity in response to a changing environment is a…

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences awarded the University of Maryland Baltimore County $416,456 on August 1, 2026, under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859) to support basic research into the genetic and endocrine regulation of multi-organ plasticity and sexually dimorphic behaviors. The research investigates how hormones coordinate physiological responses across multiple organ systems in response to environmental change, with particular focus on the sesquiterpenoid juvenile hormone in Drosophila flies and its role in regulating maturation of reproductive and non-reproductive behaviors in a sex-specific manner. The work examines mechanisms by which sensory information reaches neurosecretory cells and how feedback from target tissues regulates hormone release dynamics for systemic physiological and behavioral changes. Performance occurs at Baltimore, Maryland, with a period of performance extending through May 31, 2031.

Genetic and endocrine regulation of multi-organ plasticity and sexually dimorphic behaviors - the hormone-dependent regulation of organ plasticity in response to a changing environment is a cornerstone of adaptive physiology. Hormones are architects of physiological flexibility by coordinating processes in multiple organs to ensure optimal physiological and behavioral responses, leading to disorders such as growth defects and infertility when dysregulated. Although progress over the last decades has expanded our understanding of how the nervous system can stimulate endocrine glands to release hormones, IT remains poorly understood how sensory information is relayed to the relevant neurosecretory cells as well as how feedback from target tissues to neurosecretory cells in turn regulate hormone release dynamics for proper systemic changes. Maturation involves early dynamic processes that refine interactions between environmental and innate factors, leading to life-long changes in structure and behavior. These plasticity changes are observed across species, from adolescent humans to juvenile vertebrates and invertebrates. We have identified the sesquiterpenoid juvenile hormone (JH), a functional homolog of the vertebrate thyroid hormone, to regulate the maturation of innate, non- reproductive reward behaviors in a sexually dimorphic manner in young drosophila flies. Despite the well- characterized role of JH during metamorphosis, recent studies in adults indicate that JH is a key component of a systemic response that coordinates SEX-specific changes in multiple organs. In females, JH regulates the maturation of receptivity by inducing SEX pheromone production and induces GUT remodeling to adjust their internal state and behavior after mating. In males, JH is involved in the maturation of male courtship behavior and in the production of accessory gland proteins required for mating. The overall goal of our research program is to understand what mechanisms regulate hormone release, how hormone-dependent plasticity is induced in multiple organs, and how these systemic responses in turn modulate hormone release. Therefore, our overall hypothesis is that during maturation of sexually dimorphic behaviors, juvenile hormone signaling orchestrates SEX-specific anatomical remodeling and genetic programs in various organs, which in turn modulate JH release dynamics. To test this hypothesis, we will carry out three complementary projects that exploit multidisciplinary approaches and cutting-edge tools in molecular genetics, proteomics, anatomy, physiology, and behavior. First, we will determine the cellular mechanisms that regulate the peaks in JH levels that occur after eclosion and after mating. Next, we will elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying tissue remodeling and behavioral maturation. Finally, we will examine how tissue remodeling and behavioral maturation change JH release dynamics as a feedback mechanism. Given the highly conserved nature of fundamental signaling pathways, the insight gained from this model systems approach will likely advance the understanding of hormone-dependent multi-organ adaptive responses, and thus, be relevant to human health.