美国加州理工学院David J. Anderson研究小组揭示出在果蝇中调控攻击行为的神经回路。这一研究成果于2020年12月30日在线发表在国际学术期刊《细胞》上。

研究人员确定了三种调节果蝇攻击性的细胞类型：一种是性别共享的，另一种是性别特异性的。共享的共同攻击促进（CAP）神经元在两性中介导攻击行为，而功能下游的双态但同源的细胞类型（雄性中称为雄性特异性攻击性（MAP）神经元和雌性中的fpC1）控制双态攻击。这些对称回路是雄性和雌性的攻击行为从单态饮食/动机阶段到双态完善阶段的基础。两性之间的社会隔离增强了单态→双态功能连接的强度，这表明它可能是隔离依赖性增强攻击的一个因素。

总之，这些发现揭示了一种对行为进行神经控制的回路逻辑，其中包括性单态和双态行为，这些行为可能会推广到其他生物。

据了解，攻击性涉及性单态和双态行为。人们对大脑如何实现这两种类型的行为知之甚少。

附：英文原文

Title: A circuit logic for sexually shared and dimorphic aggressive behaviors in Drosophila

Author: Hui Chiu, Eric D. Hoopfer, Maeve L. Coughlan, David J. Anderson

Issue&Volume: 2020-12-30

Abstract: Aggression involves both sexually monomorphic and dimorphic actions. How the brainimplements these two types of actions is poorly understood. We have identified threecell types that regulate aggression in Drosophila: one type is sexually shared, and the other two are sex specific. Shared common aggression-promoting(CAP) neurons mediate aggressive approach in both sexes, whereas functionally downstreamdimorphic but homologous cell types, called male-specific aggression-promoting (MAP)neurons in males and fpC1 in females, control dimorphic attack. These symmetric circuitsunderlie the divergence of male and female aggressive behaviors, from their monomorphicappetitive/motivational to their dimorphic consummatory phases. The strength of themonomorphic → dimorphic functional connection is increased by social isolation inboth sexes, suggesting that it may be a locus for isolation-dependent enhancementof aggression. Together, these findings reveal a circuit logic for the neural controlof behaviors that include both sexually monomorphic and dimorphic actions, which maygeneralize to other organisms.

DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.11.048

Source: https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(20)31620-2