果蝇产卵行为的偏好和可塑性实验模型

A Model System for Analyzing Behavioral Preference and Plasticity in Drosophila Egg-Laying

我们用经典的Sherrington模型构建了一个以食物环境为输入,果蝇产卵行为为输出的神经行为学模型,并且对这个模型的敏感性以及可塑性进行了探索性研究.通过给果蝇提供不同的食物成分和浓度,我们发现,果蝇在不同浓度的食物上产卵量有明显偏好差异,并表现出很好的敏感性和稳定性.而当阻断了果蝇的嗅觉感受神经元后,产卵的浓度偏好受到了影响.另一方面,我们用经典条件化的学习方式对果蝇的产卵行为进行训练后,发现果蝇也可以学会将光照条件和产卵行为偶联起来.这也证明了这个模型具有很好的可塑性.这个模型将为今后进一步研究果蝇食物偏好、产卵行为、条件化学习等的神经和分子机制奠定良好的基础.

Understanding the connection between sensory input and motor output is challenging. There is a need for good model systems to evaluate the molecular and neural mechanism of animal behavior. Here we show a new system for analyzing preference and plasticity of Drosophila egg-laying behavior. We found that selection of egg-laying site in flies is a good model to investigate the food preference in Drosophila. On sugar food with lower concentration, flies showed significant preference that was reduced upon the inhibition of olfactory pathway. Moreover, to examine the plasticity of egg-laying behavior, a new learning paradigm was devised. We associated light-dark cycle of egg-laying with different food conditions and found that flies could maintain egg-laying memory at least 3 days after training. This egg-laying system provides the basis for further study of molecular and neural mechanism underlying the relationship between environment and behavior.