Neurophysiological correlates of swarming behaviour in desert locusts.

沙漠蝗虫Schistocerca gregaria是一种可以成群的蝗虫。蝗虫的这一定义性特征--成群形成或“相变”--是因为它们的行为、形态和生理会随着环境的变化而变化。在低种群密度下，蝗虫会互相躲避，不会成群，但随着种群的增长，动物之间的接触会使它们开始积极聚集：这一过程称为集群化，导致种群螺旋式增长，并形成包含数百万或数十亿个体的巨大连贯和毁灭性的群体。这种显著的行为改变必须通过神经元活动和突触特性的改变（可塑性）来实现，但令人惊讶的是，人们对所涉及的途径或机制知之甚少。在这个项目中，我们将使用一系列的技术，包括在体内电生理学，在这个强大的模型系统中，研究环境诱导的行为可塑性的神经生理学相关性。成群蝗虫和非成群蝗虫对姿态和运动的控制有何不同？在蜂群形成的过程中，差异产生的速度有多快？特定的应激相关分子（“热休克蛋白”）是否调节肢体控制的变异性和/或蜂群形成过程中发生的变化？

Desert locusts Schistocerca gregaria are grasshoppers that can swarm. This defining characteristic of locusts - swarm formation or 'phase change' - comes about because their behaviour, morphology and physiology change in response to environmental cues. At low population densities, locusts avoid each other and do not swarm, but as populations grow, contact between the animals causes them to begin to actively aggregate: a process called gregarisation that leads to a spiralling population growth and the formation of vast coherent and devastating swarms containing millions or billions of individuals. The remarkable behavioural alterations must come about through modifications (plasticity) of neuronal activity and synaptic properties, but surprisingly little is known about the pathways or mechanisms involved. In this project we will use a range of techniques, including in vivo electrophysiology, to examine the neurophysiological correlates of environmentally-induced behavioural plasticity in this powerful model system. How does the control of posture and locomotion differ between swarming and non-swarming locusts? How quickly do the differences arise during swarm formation? Do particular stress-related molecules ('heat shock proteins') regulate variability in limb control and/or the changes that occur during swarm formation?