SGER: Neural Systems and Neurogenetic Analysis of Memory Centers

[9316729]施特劳斯菲尔德一些昆虫的大脑中有一个复杂的解剖结构，叫做蘑菇体，它与学习和行为有关。SGER的这项工作探索了一个假设，即蘑菇体提供了一个连接网络，一个多重神经堆，调解视觉位置记忆。这种新颖的方法是研究“基因表达神经解剖学”，以及果蝇的行为，以及它众所周知的遗传学。基因表达将用于定义蘑菇体中神经元的遗传亚群，将进行具有行为缺陷的果蝇的遗传杂交，并将测试视觉位置记忆的存在。基因工具是否能够成功地阐明神经解剖学，是否能够提供与视觉记忆机制的联系，还存在一些风险。这些结果的重要性将超越无脊椎动物中枢神经解剖学的问题，为未来在细胞水平上复杂记忆回路的遗传和系统研究提供一个框架。这项工作将对感觉神经生物学、昆虫研究、学习和记忆以及进化研究产生影响。* * *

9316729 Strausfeld Some insect species have in their brain a complex anatomical structure called the mushroom body, which has been linked to learning and behavior. This SGER work explores the hypothesis that the mushroom bodies provide a network of connections, a multiplex neuropile, that mediates visual place memory. The novel approach is to work out "gene expression neuroanatomy" along with behavior in the fruitfly, Drosophila, with its well-known genetics. Gene expression will be used to define genetic subsets of neurons in the mushroom bodies, genetic crosses of Drosophila with behavioral deficits will be made, and the existence of visual place memory will be tested. There is some risk whether genetic tools will be successful in clarifying the neuroanatomy, and will be able to provide a link to the visual memory mechanisms. The results will be important beyond the issues of invertebrate central neuroanatomy, in providing a framework for future genetic and systematic studies of complex memory circuits at the cellular level. This work will have an impact on sensory neurobiology, insect research in general, learning and memory, and evolutionary studies. ***