Localization of dopamine function in gustatory memory

记忆形成的基因和神经过程在动物群体中高度保守，果蝇中强大的遗传学允许对记忆形成的神经基础进行详细研究。已经开发了一种单飞味觉记忆测定，其允许询问编码记忆的神经元。果蝇的遗传学方法将被用来精确识别参与味觉记忆的神经元。关联性味觉记忆依赖于多巴胺，多巴胺是一种在许多动物门中参与奖赏和记忆形成的神经递质。功能成像方法将用于确定激活多巴胺神经元的感觉线索，以及记忆相关神经元的活动如何在记忆形成后发生变化。 这项工作将允许产生记忆形成的细胞模型，这将提高整个动物王国对学习和行为可塑性的理解。除了科学目标，这项研究计划将增加代表性不足的科学家，本科研究人员和更广泛的社区在内华达州，里诺大学的科学访问。这个项目将涉及高中学生，在内华达州发现博物馆的推广工作，和本科课程的发展。此外，研究人员还将组织每月一次的针对中小学生的科学研究实践活动。虽然神经递质多巴胺是关联记忆的保守调节剂，但它介导记忆的细胞和神经原理尚未得到很好的理解。这项工作结合了一种新的味觉记忆行为测定与遗传和光遗传学工具，以确定和表征个体神经元调节味觉记忆。这是第一次，一种新的GAL 4系遗传工具包允许直接操纵多巴胺神经元的个体群体，高达单个神经元的水平。本研究的目的是精确地识别PPL 1多巴胺神经元调节厌恶性味觉记忆;检查PPL 1多巴胺神经元的连接性，这些神经元内的厌恶性味觉记忆;并采用生理（GCaMP成像）分析PPL 1多巴胺神经元检查可塑性。总之，这项研究将确定味觉记忆所需的神经回路和记忆形成过程中发生在该回路中的生理变化。

The genes and neural processes underlying memory formation are highly conserved across animal groups, and the powerful genetics in the fruit fly allows for a detailed investigation of the neural basis of memory formation. A single-fly taste memory assay has been developed that allows for interrogation of the neurons that encode memories. Genetic approaches in the fruit fly will be employed to precisely identify the neurons involved in taste memory. Associative taste memory depends on dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in reward and memory formation in many animal phyla. Functional imaging approaches will be used to determine the sensory cues that activate dopamine neurons, and how activity of memory-relevant neurons changes following memory formation. This work will allow for the generation of a cellular model of memory formation that will be improve understanding of learning and behavioral plasticity throughout the animal kingdom. In addition to the scientific goals, this research program will increase accessibility to science for underrepresented scientists, undergraduate researchers and the broader community at the University of Nevada, Reno. This project will involve high school students, outreach work at the Nevada Discovery Museum, and undergraduate curriculum development. Additionally, the investigators will organize monthly hands-on events about scientific research aimed at elementary and middle school students. While the neurotransmitter dopamine is a conserved regulator of associative memories, the cellular and neural principles through which it mediates memory are not yet well understood. This work combines a novel behavioral assay for taste memory with genetic and optogenetic tools to identify and characterize individual neurons regulating taste memory. For the first time, a novel genetic toolkit of GAL4 lines allows for direct manipulation individual populations of dopamine neurons, up to level of single neurons. The aims of this research will precisely identify the PPL1 dopamine neurons modulating aversive taste memory; examine the connectivity of PPL1 dopamine neurons underlying aversive taste memory; and employ physiological (GCaMP imaging) analysis of PPL1 dopamine neurons to examine plasticity within these neurons. Taken together, this research will identify neural circuitry required for taste memory and the physiological changes that occur in this circuitry during memory formation.