Neurons of the Central Complex of the Locust Schistocerca gregaria are Sensitive to Polarized Light
Neurons of the Central Complex of the Locust Schistocerca gregaria are Sensitive to Polarized Light
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DOI：
10.1523/jneurosci.22-03-01114.2002
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发表时间：
2002-02
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
H. Vitzthum;Monika C. M. Müller;U. Homberg
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
H. Vitzthum;Monika C. M. Müller;U. Homberg
中央复合体是位于昆虫大脑中心的一个按地形排列的神经纤维结构。它由三个主要部分组成，即中央体的上、下部分和原脑桥。为了进一步表征这种大脑结构的作用，我们记录了沙漠蝗虫中央复合体中已识别的神经元对视觉刺激的反应。我们报告说，特定类型的中枢复合体中间神经元对偏振光敏感。神经元对线偏振光表现出紧张性反应，尖峰放电频率取决于e矢量方向。对于所有被测试的神经元，e向量反应曲线显示极化对抗性。被记录的神经元的感受野位于背侧视野，一些神经元同时接受复眼和其他神经元的输入，只接受同侧眼睛的输入。除了对偏振光的反应外，某些神经元对非偏振光也表现出紧张性的棘波放电。大多数极化敏感神经元与中枢体下部相关，但有一类神经元在中枢体上部有树枝，也是极化敏感神经元。向中央复合体发送偏振光信息的视觉通路包括通过前视结节的投射。考虑到昆虫神经元的感受场和偏振光的生物学意义，中央复合体可能在动物的天空罗盘介导的空间导航中发挥作用。
The central complex is a topographically ordered neuropil structure in the center of the insect brain. It consists of three major subdivisions, the upper and lower divisions of the central body and the protocerebral bridge. To further characterize the role of this brain structure, we have recorded the responses of identified neurons of the central complex of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria to visual stimuli. We report that particular types of central complex interneurons are sensitive to polarized light. Neurons showed tonic responses to linearly polarized light with spike discharge frequencies depending on e-vector orientation. For all neurons tested, e-vector response curves showed polarization opponency. Receptive fields of the recorded neurons were in the dorsal field of view with some neurons receiving input from both compound eyes and others, only from the ipsilateral eye. In addition to responses to polarized light, certain neurons showed tonic spike discharges to unpolarized light. Most polarization-sensitive neurons were associated with the lower division of the central body, but one type of neuron with arborizations in the upper division of the central body was also polarization-sensitive. Visual pathways signaling polarized light information to the central complex include projections via the anterior optic tubercle. Considering the receptive fields of the neurons and the biological significance of polarized light in insects, the central complex might serve a function in sky compass-mediated spatial navigation of the animals.