黑腹果蝇是生物学研究中最重要的模式生物之一,它能够将一种奖赏性或者惩罚性的条件刺激和一种气味分子相互关联,形成嗅觉联想式学习记忆。学习记忆作为动物神经系统的高级功能,从果蝇到高等的哺乳动物都存在很高的保守性,它可以分为短时、长时等不同形式,不同形式的学习记忆之间相互联系却又各自有其独特的形成机制。近些年的研究发现果蝇学习记忆过程有大量的分子参与,如参与调控神经元发育、突触的形成、神经递质的释放、新蛋白质的合成以及细胞内的信号通路等相关蛋白。嗅觉受体神经元接受气味分子的信号并传递到投射神经元,然后再传递到果蝇的智能中心——蘑菇体。蘑菇体起到整合条件刺激和非条件刺激信号的作用,腺苷环化酶在该过程中可能发挥重要的功能。最近一些研究发现蘑菇体神经元能够和其它神经元如DAL、APL、DPM、R2/R4m等,一起组成记忆形成、存储、巩固以及索取的神经环路,同时不同的神经元在不同形式的学习记忆中扮演不同的角色。这些发现从分子遗传、神经环路等层次解析了神经系统是怎样形成以及存贮不同形式记忆的机制。
Drosophila melanogaster is one of the most important model organisms in biological research, which can form olfactory associated learning and memory though integrate a reward or punitive conditional stimulus with an odor. As an advanced feature of animal nervous systems, learning and memory are highly conserved from Drosophila to mammals, and which can be divided into different forms: STM, MTM, ARM, and LTM. Different forms of learning and memory are interrelated with each other, while has its own unique mechanism. Recent years, lots of molecules had been found in volved in the formation of olfactory learning and memory in Drosophila, such as molecules which participate in the regulation of neuronal development, synapse formation, neurotransmitter release, protein synthesis and intracellular signaling pathways and so on. Olfactory receptor neurons can transfer the odor signal to the projection neurons, which then deliver the signal to mushroom body, the intel- ligence center of Drosophila. Mushroom body plays an important role in the integration of conditional and unconditional stimulus signal, and adenylate cyelase may function as a key molecular in this process. Recently, some studies have found the mushroom body neurons can connect with other neurons, such as DAL APL DPM R2/R4m neurons, which then form the neuronal circuit of memory formation, storage, consolidation and retrieval. These findings, ran ging from the molecular to the neural circuits level, make it an ideal system for elucidating the mechanism of different kind of memory.