Anatomical and behavioral analysis of adult somatosensory neurons in Drosophila

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26870154
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Nerve anatomy/Neuropathology; Neurophysiology / General neuroscience
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Tsubouchi Asako 東京大学, 分子細胞生物学研究所, 研究員 (40713566)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 体性感覚 / 神経回路網 / ショウジョウバエ / 行動実験

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Somatosensation is crucial for the survival of all animals. Animals have various types of somatosensory neurons along the entire body surface. However, their precise distribution, morphology, axonal projections and contributing neural networks in the central nervous system still remain largely unknown.
We first analyzed the axonal projection patterns of somatosensory neurons in both the brain and the thoracico-abdominal ganglion (TAG) using an array of Gal4/UAS expression driver strains that label characteristic subsets of somatosensory cells. To analyze the functional neural circuitry for somatosensation in natural circumstances, we observed the characteristic walking behavior against wind. We found that some types of somatosensory neurons only contribute to the behavioral responses. We have established both primary and secondary somatosensory projection map of the entire body in the Drosophila central nervous system by doing anatomical and behavioral analysis.

Free Research Field

神経科学