Novel approaches to insect learning systems using transgenic crickets

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We attempted to establish (1) transgenic techniques and (2) RNA interference (RNAi) methods to study molecular basis of learning in crickets, Gryllus bimaculatus. For the former, we successfully obtained heterozygous knockout individuals of type 1 dopamine receptor (DopR1) by using CRISPR/CAS system, and now we are now trying to obtain homozygous DopR1 knockout crickets by inbreeding them. For the latter, we performed RNAi experiments with to types of dopamine receptors (Dop1 and Dop2) and a type of octopamine receptor (OA1) and obtained evidence to show that DopR1 participates in aversive learning and OA1 participates in appetitive condoning, whereas DA2 participates in neither of them. The results provided convincing evidence that octopamine neurons and dopamine neurons mediate reward and punishment signals, respectively, in associative learning in crickets.