昆虫大脑蘑菇体研究进展

Research on the Mushroom Body of Insects

蘑菇体是昆虫脑内重要的感觉整合中枢,在调节行为适应环境的变化中起着重要作用.早期的研究认为蘑菇体为智力中枢且具有脑的高级功能.近来蘑菇体被认为是研究学习与记忆的理想模型.用介入的方法对果蝇和其他昆虫的研究显示蘑菇体和一些行为有关.第一例蘑菇体缺失的突变体表现为学习记忆的下降,为蘑菇体在学习记忆中的作用提供了有力的证据.传统的形态学与现代的分子生物学方法揭示了蘑菇体的高级功能.蘑菇体的可塑性的研究进展揭示了学习与记忆的分子机制.

The mushroom body represents the main sensory integrative center of an insect's brain and plays a major role in the adaptation of behavioral responses to the environment.Early studies have described these structures as centers of intelligence with the advanced functions of brains;at present, the mushroom bodies are regarded as idealized models for studying the neural basis of learning and memory.Methods of intervention in Drosophila and other insects reveal that the mushroom bodies are involved in some behavioral functions.The first mushroom body structural mutants were proved to be deficient in learning and memory,thus providing some solid evidence for mushroom body functioning in these processes.Traditional morphological methods and modern molecular biology methods revealed higher functions of the mushroom bodies.Research progress in the plasticity revealed molecular mechanism of learning and memory.