Role of Phosphodiesterase and G-Protein in the Response     System of Phycomyces
{'Code': '08090200', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'BIO', 'LongName': 'Direct For Biological Sciences'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'IOS', 'LongName': 'Division Of Integrative Organismal Systems'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'Christopher Platt', 'PO_EMAI': None, 'PO_PHON': None}
One of the leading problems in the study of vision, and of                   sensory systems in particular, is to discover the mechanism(s) by                                                                                               which environmental stimuli cause the receptor cells to discharge                                                                                               action potentials (nerve impulses).  It is these impulses which                 are eventually interpreted by the brain as the basis for                        sensations.  The conversion of information in the environment                   (for example, light energy) into nerve impulses in receptor cells                                                                                               is known as transduction.                                                          Although fungi do not have nerves, and therefore do not have                 sensory systems in the strict interpretation of the term, some                  fungi do respond to light.  It is widely believed that the                      mechanism by which light elicits responses in these organisms is                similar to that by which light elicits responses in visual                      receptor cells.  Since fungi are amenable to genetic and                        biochemical manipulations that are impossible or extremely                      difficult in true visual receptors the elucidation of                           transduction in these organisms can be done far more easily than                in visual receptor cells.  Testing visual receptors for the                     mechanisms shown to occur in fungi can be accomplished fairly                   readily once the pathways are known in the fungi.                                                                                                                  In this project the investigator will explore the roles of                                                                                                   various enzymes and proteins involved in metabolism of compounds                                                                                                called cyclic nucleotides in the responses of fungi to light.                                                                                                   There are already reasons for suspecting that these compounds are                                                                                               common constituents of sensory transducing cells, and one of the                                                                                                enzymes that metabolizes them in the fungus under study is known                                                                                                to be sensitive to light.
{'FirstName': 'Robert', 'LastName': 'Cohen', 'PI_MID_INIT': 'J', 'PI_SUFX_NAME': None, 'PI_FULL_NAME': 'Robert J Cohen', 'EmailAddress': 'rjcohen@college.med.ufl.edu', 'NSF_ID': '000339328', 'StartDate': '01/15/1988', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}
{'Name': 'University of Florida', 'CityName': 'GAINESVILLE', 'ZipCode': '326111941', 'PhoneNumber': '3523923516', 'StreetAddress': '1523 UNION RD RM 207', 'StreetAddress2': None, 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'Florida', 'StateCode': 'FL', 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': '03', 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_ORG': 'FL03', 'ORG_UEI_NUM': 'NNFQH1JAPEP3', 'ORG_LGL_BUS_NAME': 'UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA', 'ORG_PRNT_UEI_NUM': None}
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{'Code': '118500', 'Text': 'SENSORY SYSTEMS'}
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