TP3 - Infection and behavior: The role of the mushroom body, AMPs and octopamine in brain-body communication

TP3 - 感染和行为：蘑菇体、AMP 和章鱼胺在脑体通讯中的作用

• 批准号: 403196890
• 负责人: Professorin Dr. Ilona Grunwald Kadow
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Institut für Physiologie II
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Units
• 资助国家: 德国
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/403196890?language=en
• 关键词: TP3; Infection; behavior; role; mushroom

The ability to adapt behavior to avoid contaminated or dangerous food is highly conserved across species, regardless of their preferred food source, life span or anatomy. Despite the prevalence of this type of behavioral adaptation, how animals make the connection between the presence of toxic or pathogenic substances in their digestive system and the neural circuits that guide feeding and food choice remains incompletely understood. During the first funding period, we have provided evidence in Drosophila melanogaster that pathogen ingestion is recognized by the nervous system through the immune receptors PGRP-LC and -LE in neuromodulatory (i.e. octopaminergic) neurons. Based in addition on our data implicating the sense of smell and the insect’s learning and memory center, the mushroom body (MB), we propose a model wherein pathogen ingestion is detected by immune receptors in octopaminergic neurons that in turn convey this information to the MB, where it lastingly modulates feeding behavior potentially through mechanisms analogous to short-term olfactory associative learning. At this point, several questions remain unanswered that we wish to address during a second funding period. We anticipate that this follow-up project will clarify the role and origin of octopamine signaling and the function of PGRP/Imd signaling in these neurons in MB-dependent acquired food aversion. Moreover, we hope to shed light on the role of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and whether they act similarly as or in concert with neuropeptides. Finally, we will characterize the impact of pathogen ingestion on the state and plasticity of neurons of the MB and beyond. Together, results from this project will help to clarify the role of a learning center in the important ability to learn to avoid dangerous food sources.

适应行为以避免受污染或危险食物的能力在不同物种之间高度保守，无论其偏好的食物来源、寿命或解剖结构如何。尽管这种行为适应很普遍，但动物消化系统中有毒或致病物质的存在与指导进食和食物选择的神经回路之间的联系仍然不完全清楚。在第一个资助期间，我们在果蝇中提供了证据，表明神经系统通过神经调节（即章鱼胺能）神经元中的免疫受体 PGRP-LC 和 -LE 识别病原体的摄入。此外，根据我们涉及嗅觉和昆虫学习和记忆中心蘑菇体（MB）的数据，我们提出了一个模型，其中八巴胺能神经元中的免疫受体检测到病原体的摄入，然后将这些信息传递给MB，MB通过类似于短期嗅觉联想学习的机制潜在地持久调节摄食行为。目前，还有几个问题尚未得到解答，我们希望在第二个资助期内解决这些问题。我们预计这个后续项目将阐明章鱼胺信号传导的作用和起源以及这些神经元中 PGRP/Imd 信号传导在 MB 依赖性获得性食物厌恶中的功能。此外，我们希望阐明抗菌肽（AMP）的作用以及它们是否与神经肽类似或协同作用。最后，我们将描述病原体摄入对 MB 及其他神经元状态和可塑性的影响。总之，该项目的结果将有助于阐明学习中心在学习避免危险食物来源的重要能力方面的作用。