雌蝇交配行为的神经环路机制

One of the major questions in the field of neuroscience is to ask how neural circuits produce complex social behaviors. Drosophila provides a particularly tractable system to approach this goal, where we can mark, manipulate and record genetically defined populations of neurons. We will use Drosophila as a model system to investigate the neural circuits underlying female mating behaviors. A female fly will decide whether to accept a courting male by evaluating the pheromone and courtship song stimuli she perceives. During copulation, male will transfer sex peptide into female reproductive tract, and female will become unreceptive and actively reject other courting males. By taking a multidisciplinary approach combining molecular biology, genetics, optical imaging and neurobiology, we will focus on understanding: (1) neural circuits for cVA pheromone sensation; (2) neural circuits for 7-T pheromone sensation; (3) neural circuits for courtship song detection; (4) neural mechanism by which sex peptide modulates female mating behaviors. This study will contribute to a basic understanding of how female mating behavior is affected by both external sensory stimuli and internal physiological state.

研究社会行为的神经环路机制是神经科学领域的一个重要问题。果蝇是一个极好的动物模型，因为我们可以利用果蝇遗传技术去标记、操纵和记录特定类型的神经环路。本项目将以果蝇为模型研究雌性动物交配行为的神经环路机制。雌蝇在感受到雄蝇的外激素和求偶歌的刺激后，需做出抉择是否与雄蝇交配。而交配过程中雄蝇会向雌蝇体内注入性肽，性肽会诱发雌蝇拒绝其它雄蝇的求偶。我们将结合分子生物学、遗传学、光学成像和神经生物学技术来在神经环路水平研究以下几个问题：（1）外激素cVA感知的神经环路机制；（2）外激素7-T感知的神经环路机制；（3）求偶歌感知的神经环路机制；（4）雌蝇交配行为受性肽调控的神经机制。本项目研究将使我们系统深入的理解外在感觉刺激和内在生理状态如何共同调节雌性动物交配行为的。