Zimmermann Gregor, Wang Li-Ping, Vaughan Alexander G, Manoli Devanand S, Zhang Feng, Deisseroth Karl, Baker Bruce S, Scott Matthew P
Department of Developmental Biology, Genetics, and Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
PLoS One. 2009;4(4):e5100. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005100. Epub 2009 Apr 2.
The genetic analysis of behavior in Drosophila melanogaster has linked genes controlling neuronal connectivity and physiology to specific neuronal circuits underlying a variety of innate behaviors. We investigated the circuitry underlying the adult startle response, using photoexcitation of neurons that produce the abnormal chemosensory jump 6 (acj6) transcription factor. This transcription factor has previously been shown to play a role in neuronal pathfinding and neurotransmitter modality, but the role of acj6 neurons in the adult startle response was largely unknown.
We show that the activity of these neurons is necessary for a wild-type startle response and that excitation is sufficient to generate a synthetic escape response. Further, we show that this synthetic response is still sensitive to the dose of acj6 suggesting that that acj6 mutation alters neuronal activity as well as connectivity and neurotransmitter production.
RESULTS/SIGNIFICANCE: These results extend the understanding of the role of acj6 and of the adult startle response in general. They also demonstrate the usefulness of activity-dependent characterization of neuronal circuits underlying innate behaviors in Drosophila, and the utility of integrating genetic analysis into modern circuit analysis techniques.
黑腹果蝇行为的遗传分析已将控制神经元连接性和生理学的基因与各种先天行为背后的特定神经回路联系起来。我们利用对产生异常化学感应跳跃6（acj6）转录因子的神经元进行光激发，研究了成年果蝇惊吓反应的神经回路。此前已表明该转录因子在神经元路径寻找和神经递质模式中发挥作用，但acj6神经元在成年果蝇惊吓反应中的作用在很大程度上尚不清楚。
我们表明这些神经元的活动对于野生型惊吓反应是必需的，并且其兴奋足以产生一种合成逃避反应。此外，我们表明这种合成反应仍然对acj6的剂量敏感，这表明acj6突变会改变神经元活动以及连接性和神经递质产生。
结果/意义：这些结果扩展了对acj6的作用以及一般成年果蝇惊吓反应的理解。它们还证明了对果蝇先天行为背后神经回路进行活动依赖性表征的有用性，以及将遗传分析整合到现代回路分析技术中的实用性。
