The molecular basis of gene net work which is involved in the development and function of Drosophila mushroom bodies.

蘑菇体是果蝇大脑高级功能的中枢，参与嗅觉联想学习、基础认知等多种行为。为了系统地阐明MB中优先表达的基因，我们分析了羟基脲消融MB相关转录谱的全基因组改变。我们根据微阵列数据选择了100个基因，并通过原位杂交检测了它们在大脑中的表达模式。发现有70个基因在含有MB细胞体的后嗅皮层中表达。这些基因编码多种功能的蛋白质，包括转录、信号、细胞粘附、通道和转运蛋白。此外，我们通过转基因RNA干扰（RNAi）检测了40个微阵列鉴定基因的发育功能；当被MB特异性Ga14驱动基因抑制时，发现有8个基因引起中到强MB缺陷。这些结果不仅提供了控制MB发育的基因库，而且还提供了可能在MB可塑性中具有重要生理功能的神经因子库的重要信息。在未来，我们希望通过进一步的遗传和行为分析来阐明每种已确定基因所调节的特定神经过程和功能。

Mushroom bodies (MBs) are the centers for higher-order functions in the Drosophila brain, participating in diverse behaviors such as olfactory associative learning and elementary cognition. As way to systematically elucidate genes preferentially expressed in MBs, we have analysed genome-wide alterations in transcript profiles associated with MB ablation by hydroxyurea. We selected 100 genes based on microarray data and examined their expression patterns in the brain by in situ hybridization. Seventy genes were found to be expressed in the posterodorsal cortex, which habors the MB cell bodies. These genes encode proteins of diverse functions, including transcription, signaling, cell adhesion, channels, and transporters. Moreover, we have examined developmental functions of 40 of the microarray-identified genes by transgenic RNA interference (RNAi) ; 8 genes was found to cause mid to strong MB defects when suppressed with a MB-specific Ga14 driver. These results provide important information not only on the repertoire of genes that control MB development but also on the repertoire of neural factors that may have important physiological functions in MB plasticity. In the future, we would like to try to elucidate specific neural processes and functions regulated by each of the identified genes by further genetic and behavior analyses.