Mechano-sensing mechanism of insect flight without nervous control in insect flight

蚊子等小型昆虫的翅膀拍打频率可以达到500 Hz或更高。如此高的频率不能通过重复普通的收缩-松弛循环来达到。相反，它们是通过飞行肌肉的自我持续振荡能力而成为可能的，而一种被称为“拉伸激活”的机械感应机制对这种能力至关重要。在这项研究中，我们能够获得澄清的分子机制的关键信息“拉伸激活”通过记录活跳动的昆虫飞行肌肉内的分子运动，在5000帧/秒的速度，通过使用高通量X射线束的SPring-8和超快CMOS摄像机。

The wing-beat frequencies of small insects like mosquitos can reach 500 Hz or higher. Such high frequencies cannot be reached by repeating ordinary contraction-relaxation cycles. Instead, they are made possible by the capacity of self-sustained oscillation of the flight muscle, and a mechano-sensing mechanism called "stretch activation" is essential for this capacity. In this study, we were able to obtain crucial information in clarifying the molecular mechanism of "stretch activation" by recording the molecular movement within the flight muscle of live beating insects at a speed of 5000 frames/s by using the high-flux X-ray beams of SPring-8 and ultrafast CMOS video cameras.