Comparative physiological research on functional specialization in sensory systems

本研究旨在分析以节肢动物为主的感觉系统的初级加工和神经加工，主要研究以下四个方面：（1）感受器细胞的动态结构变化，（2）感觉系统的神经回路及其整合过程，（3）依赖于感觉经验的可塑性的发展，（4）不同模式之间的综合交互作用。（1）在果蝇复眼中，视蛋白转运到视杆体微绒毛的受体部位，发现了两种与初级激发过程相关的蛋白质。(2)In蝴蝶的复眼中发现了五种类型的光谱感受器，它们对从红光到紫外光都有反应。此外，一些幼虫的视觉中间神经元被纳入成人的视叶，然后作为运动检测器。该蝴蝶在生殖器中有两对眼外光感受位点。在蛾类中，从外侧副叶向胸神经节下行的一些神经元对信息素气味产生与性行为相关的放电活动。(3)In果蝇羽化后，12种蛋白质和肽的体积根据视觉体验而增加。从17种无脊椎动物中分离出100多种神经肽，并对其功能进行了研究。（4）蜜蜂触角叶中的一些中间神经元整合了来自不同触角感受器的湿感受器和嗅觉感受器的信号。螯虾脑中的非尖峰巨中间神经元整合了来自眼睛、平衡囊和本体感受器的感觉输入。

The purpose of this research is to analyze the primary processes and neural processing in the sensory systems mainly of arthropods, focusing on the following four topics ; (1)dynamic structural changes of receptor cells, (2)neural circuits of sensory systems and their integrating processes, (3)development of plasticities depending on sensory experiences, and (4)integrative interactions between different modalities.A part of the obtained results are as follows : (1)In Drosophila compound eyes, the subrhabdomeric cisternae were involved in opsin transport to the rhabdomeric microvilli, the receptor sites, where two kinds of proteins related to the primary excitation processes were discovered. (2)In butterflies, five types of spectral receptors responding to from red to UV light were found in the compound eyes. In addition, some larval visual interneurons were incorporated into the adult optic lobes, and then functioned as movement detectors. The butterfly had two pairs of extraocular photoreceptive sites in the genitalia. In moths, some of the neurons descending from lateral accessory lobes toward the thoracic ganglia responded to pheromone odor with firing activities related to sexual behaviors. (3)In flies, twelve kinds of proteins and peptides increased in volume depending on visual experiences after emergence. Above one hundred neuropeptides were isolated from 17 species of invertebrates, of which functions were examined. (4)Some interneurons in the honeybee antennal lobes integrated the signals from hygroreceptors ad olfactory receptors housed in different antennal sensilla. The nonspiking giant interneurons in the crayfish brain integrated the sensory inputs from eyes, statocystes and proprioceptors.