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

蘑菇体是果蝇大脑中的高级功能中心，参与嗅觉联想学习和初级认知等多种行为。作为系统阐明优先在MB中表达的基因的方法，我们分析了与由羟基脲进行MB消融相关的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70个基因在背后皮质中表达，背后皮质具有MB细胞体。这些基因编码具有不同功能的蛋白质，包括转录、信号传导、细胞粘附、通道和转运蛋白。此外，我们已经研究了40个微阵列识别的基因的发育功能，通过转基因RNA干扰（RNAi）; 8个基因被发现会导致中等到强MB缺陷时，抑制MB特异性的Ga 14驱动程序。这些结果提供了重要的信息，不仅对剧目的基因控制MB的发展，但也对剧目的神经因素，可能有重要的生理功能MB的可塑性。在未来，我们希望通过进一步的遗传和行为分析来阐明每个已识别基因所调控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.