在基因-脑-行为的框架下探索果蝇面对竞争的视觉线索的抉择行为

Linking Genes-Brain-Behavior to Explore Decision /choice Behavior In Drosophila Facing Conflict Visual Cues

2001年11月16日出版的Science [1] 发表了唐世明和郭爱克的“果蝇面对竞争的视觉线索的抉择行为”的研究论文,在相关领域引起了广泛兴趣,已陆续被国际权威学者引用。主要介绍了其研究内容、研究方法及所取得的进展,并简单介绍了论文发表后国际上的引用情况以及新的进展。

Human and most animals can make a rapid and rational decision and choice among alternative behaviors by assessing the advantages and disadvantages based previous experience,but the underlying neural mechanism is largely unknown.A simple behavior of choice among competing alternatives was studied quantitatively in Drosophila at flight simulator.Individual flies were conditioned to choose a flight path in accordance to the color and shape cues and tested with contradictory cues following the training.Wild type flies can make a discrete and firm choice in their flight between two competing alternatives as the relative salience of color and shape cues gradually changes,but this ability is greatly diminished in mutant (mbm1) flies with miniature mushroom bodies (MBs) or with hydroxyurea-ablation of MBs.Thus Drosophila genetics may be useful for elucidating the neural basis of choice behavior.