应用3D打印技术辅助识别昆虫脑解剖结构

【目的】明确烟芽夜蛾Heliothis virescens雄成虫脑的结构,构建和打印脑的三维模型,并将该技术扩展应用到黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster、西方蜜蜂Apis mellifera和沙漠蝗Schistocerca gregaria上,制作这些模式昆虫脑的3D打印模型。【方法】首先采用突触蛋白抗体免疫组织化学染色标记的方法研究烟芽夜蛾雄成虫脑的结构,利用激光扫描共聚焦显微镜获取脑解剖结构图像,利用图形分析软件创建三维脑模型,并利用3D打印技术进行三维图像打印。【结果】鉴定出烟芽夜蛾雄成虫脑及颚神经节、触角叶、视叶、前视结节、中央体和蕈形体等主要神经髓结构,并构建了三维数字化模型。首次成功应用3D打印技术打印了烟芽夜蛾雄成虫脑的三维数字化模型,获得实体模型。并将该技术进一步应用到黑腹果蝇、西方蜜蜂和沙漠蝗,获得了这些昆虫的脑实体模型。基于脑模型,对这些昆虫的味觉中枢、嗅觉中枢、视觉中枢和学习及记忆中枢等神经髓结构做了系统比较。【结论】3D打印模型为脑解剖结构的观察提供了新形式,并提供了便利工具。3D打印所得脑实体模型大小适中,可以放在手中,任意旋转,从不同角度观察昆虫脑不规则结构的形态、位置和空间关系,也便于比较不同昆虫脑结构异同,加深对昆虫脑结构和功能及其演化的认识。

Neuronal architecture and functional mapping of the taste center of larval Helicoverpa armigera(Lepidoptera:Noctuidae)

The sense of taste plays a crucial role in herbivorous insects by discriminating nutrients from complex plant metabolic compounds.The peripheral coding of taste has been thoroughly studied in many insect species,but the central gustatory pathways are poorly described.In the present study,we characterized single neurons in the gnathal ganglion of Helicoverpa armigera larvae using the intracellular recording/staining technique.We identified different types of neurons,including sensory neurons,interneurons,and motor neurons.The morphologies of these neurons were largely diverse and their arborizations seemingly covered the whole gnathal ganglion.The representation of the single neurons responding to the relevant stimuli of sweet and bitter cues showed no distinct patterns in the gnathal ganglion.We postulate that taste signals may be processed in a manner consistent with the principle of population coding in the gnathal ganglion of H.armigera larvae.