美国霍华德休斯医学院David L. Stern和Hiroshi M. Shiozaki研究组取得一项新突破。他们的研究发现果蝇嵌套的神经环路的活动驱动着不同的求偶歌曲。2024年8月28日出版的《自然—神经科学》发表了这项成果。

课题组研究人员研究了果蝇控制不同求偶歌曲的神经环路机制。求爱的雄性在两种类型的歌声之间迅速交替：脉冲和正弦。通过记录会唱歌的果蝇腹侧神经索中的钙信号，研究团队发现一个神经群在两种歌曲中都是活跃的，而一个扩展的神经群，包括来自第一群的神经元，在脉冲歌曲中是活跃的。

大脑记录显示，这种嵌套的激活模式存在于歌唱所需的两条下行通路中。连接组学分析表明，这两条下行通路以与其激活模式一致的方式向腹侧神经索神经元提供结构化的输入。这些结果表明，由不同的下行信号指导的嵌套的运动前环路活动，可以在运动动作之间快速切换。

据悉，运动系统实施不同的运动程序来模式化行为序列，但如何每时每刻控制不同的运动动作仍不清楚。

附：英文原文

Title: Activity of nested neural circuits drives different courtship songs in Drosophila

Author: Shiozaki, Hiroshi M., Wang, Kaiyu, Lillvis, Joshua L., Xu, Min, Dickson, Barry J., Stern, David L.

Issue&Volume: 2024-08-28

Abstract: Motor systems implement diverse motor programs to pattern behavioral sequences, yet how different motor actions are controlled on a moment-by-moment basis remains unclear. Here, we investigated the neural circuit mechanisms underlying the control of distinct courtship songs in Drosophila. Courting males rapidly alternate between two types of song: pulse and sine. By recording calcium signals in the ventral nerve cord in singing flies, we found that one neural population is active during both songs, whereas an expanded neural population, which includes neurons from the first population, is active during pulse song. Brain recordings showed that this nested activation pattern is present in two descending pathways required for singing. Connectomic analysis reveals that these two descending pathways provide structured input to ventral nerve cord neurons in a manner consistent with their activation patterns. These results suggest that nested premotor circuit activity, directed by distinct descending signals, enables rapid switching between motor actions.

DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01738-9

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-024-01738-9