“蟑螂汽車旅館”被放置在許多廚房碗柜,、臥室壁櫥或浴室櫥柜的背后,。但是，對于這些禍害人類居民的害蟲而言,，這種于上世紀(jì)80年代引入的陷阱僅僅在數(shù)年后，便喪失了對日益增多的德國小蠊的誘惑力,。
研究人員很快意識(shí)到,，一些蟑螂進(jìn)化出了對葡萄糖的厭惡，葡萄糖是用來掩蓋毒藥的甜味誘餌,，并且這種害蟲還會(huì)將對葡萄糖的厭惡傳給下一代?，F(xiàn)在科學(xué)家已經(jīng)明白了這種行為是如何進(jìn)化而來的。
與其他昆蟲一樣,，蟑螂也是通過特殊的接受器探知味道的,，其接受器便是位于蟑螂口器上的毛發(fā)似的附器。這些接受器能夠區(qū)分甜味和苦味,，傳遞給蟑螂的不同信號(hào)幫助它們判斷吃掉食物還是避開食物,。
研究人員對捕獲自實(shí)驗(yàn)室外的超過1000只的蟑螂以及實(shí)驗(yàn)室喂養(yǎng)的約250只蟑螂進(jìn)行了研究。實(shí)驗(yàn)結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn),，普通的蟑螂都在欣然享受著葡萄糖和果糖,，但是，厭惡葡萄糖的蟑螂只吃果糖,，并會(huì)吐出葡萄糖,。該研究小組將研究報(bào)告在線發(fā)表于《科學(xué)》Science雜志上。電生理記錄顯示,，葡萄糖能夠觸發(fā)普通蟑螂的甜味接受器,，但卻會(huì)觸發(fā)一些蟑螂的苦味接受器。
這種反應(yīng)上的改變可能會(huì)拯救這種昆蟲的生命,，但是這也有其不利之處：厭惡葡萄糖的蟑螂發(fā)育和繁殖要比那些并不過分講究飲食的同類慢很多,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi:10.1126/science.1234854
PMC:
PMID:
Changes in Taste Neurons Support the Emergence of an Adaptive Behavior in Cockroaches
Ayako Wada-Katsumata, Jules Silverman, Coby Schal*
In response to the anthropogenic assault of toxic baits, populations of the German cockroach have rapidly evolved an adaptive behavioral aversion to glucose (a phagostimulant component of baits). We hypothesized that changes in the peripheral gustatory system are responsible for glucose aversion. In both wild-type and glucose-averse (GA) cockroaches, D-fructose and D-glucose stimulated sugar–gustatory receptor neurons (GRNs), whereas the deterrent caffeine stimulated bitter-GRNs. In contrast, in GA cockroaches, D-glucose also stimulated bitter-GRNs and suppressed the responses of sugar-GRNs. Thus, D-glucose is processed as both a phagostimulant and deterrent in GA cockroaches, and this newly acquired peripheral taste sensitivity underlies glucose aversion in multiple GA populations. The rapid emergence of this highly adaptive behavior underscores the plasticity of the sensory system to adapt to rapid environmental change.
