Elucidation of prediction and implementation in an insect neural system that allows multiple information to be read out from airflow stimuli

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K16283
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 46030:Function of nervous system-related
• Research Institution: Mie University (2020-2021); Hokkaido University (2019)
• Principal Investigator: Shidara Hisashi 三重大学, 医学系研究科, 助教 (00812736)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 神経回路 / デコーディング / 気流刺激 / 電気生理 / 逃避行動

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Animals have to extract a variety of information from stimuli, including the direction and intensity for their survival. Here, we focused on the wind-sensitive system of the cricket to understand how animals detect each parameter of a stimulus and show their response. In this cricket’s system, the air-flow information was delivered by some identified interneurons, and the response depends on the parameters of wind stimuli. Our results of behavioral experiment, electrophysiological data, and observation of anatomical features showed that distinctive groups of giant interneurons detected the direction and intensity of wind stimuli.

Free Research Field

神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

神経活動に外界の情報がどの様に表現されているのか調べた研究は多くある。一方で、その神経活動と行動の関係を対応付けることは個体サイズが大きい場合難しい。本研究では、複数の神経細胞によって気流刺激の速度と方向の情報が読み出される仕組みを、行動出力の結果とあわせて明らかにできた。本研究は、動物が外界を理解しそれに応じて行動を行う一連の流れの理解に寄与することができる。