Processing gustatory information in the fly brain

描述(由申请人提供)：检测和响应化学信号的能力对动物的生存至关重要。味觉系统主要参与喂养决定，使动物能够区分有营养的食物和有毒的食物。大脑如何处理对外围味觉线索的检测，以引发适当的摄食决定，这在任何生物体中都是未知的。果蝇的味觉系统为味觉检测和取食行为的研究提供了一个很好的模型，因为它与明确的化学线索、强大的行为反应和复杂的神经系统有关，可以通过分子、遗传和电生理的方法进行研究。这项提议的长期目标是增加对调节食物摄入量的神经通路的理解，这对于设计合理的方法来操纵喂养决定至关重要。目的1将研究候选二级味觉神经元的解剖和潜在的连通性，为理解味觉加工提供一个框架。目标2将测试二阶神经元是否整合了味觉通道的信息，或者它们是否具有通道选择性。这将为味觉线索在大脑中如何编码提供重要的洞察力。目的3将通过检测有选择地操纵二级神经元活动的行为后果，来检验候选二级味觉神经元在摄食决定中起作用的假设。所提出的分子遗传学、细胞和行为方法将提供在其他系统中难以实现的对味道处理的全面分析。这些研究将提供对味觉信息在大脑中如何处理的洞察，并是理解昆虫摄食的必要基础，与限制 虫媒疾病的传播。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The ability to detect and respond to chemical signals is essential for animal survival. The gustatory system is primarily involved in feeding decisions, allowing animals to distinguish foods that are nutritious versus those that are toxic. How the detection of gustatory cues in the periphery is processed by the brain to elicit appropriate feeding decisions is not understood in any organism. The gustatory system of Drosophila provides an excellent model for studies of taste detection and feeding behavior because it is associated with well-defined chemical cues, robust behavioral responses and a complex nervous system that is amenable to molecular, genetic and electrophysiological approaches. The long-term objective of this proposal is to increase understanding of the neural pathways that regulate food intake, crucial for devising rational approaches to manipulate feeding decisions. Aim 1 will examine the anatomy and potential connectivity of candidate second- order taste neurons to provide a framework for understanding gustatory processing. Aim 2 will test whether second-order neurons integrate information across taste modalities or whether they are modality-selective. This will provide important insight into how taste cues are encoded in the brain. Aim 3 will test the hypothesis that candidate second-order taste neurons function in feeding decisions, by examining the behavioral consequences of manipulating activity selectively in second-order neurons. The proposed molecular genetics, cellular and behavioral approaches will provide a comprehensive analysis of taste processing that is difficult to achieve in other systems. These studies will provide insight into how gustatory information is processed in the brain and are an essential foundation for understanding insect feeding, relevant to limiting the spread of insect-borne disease.