2012年10月,，饒毅實驗室在Journal of Neuroscience （《神經(jīng)科學(xué)雜志》）雜志發(fā)表題為“性拒絕的分子遺傳學(xué)分析：鱆胺及其受體OAMB參與果蠅求偶條件化”文章。文中揭示了果蠅腦內(nèi)鱆胺及其受體OAMB在求偶學(xué)習(xí)中的作用,。
美國Brandeis大學(xué)的Siegel和Hall于1979年發(fā)現(xiàn),，雌果蠅與雄果蠅交配后拒絕第三者插足,。如果一只雄蠅追求已經(jīng)交配過的雌蠅，而被反復(fù),、甚至帶有“暴力”地拒絕后,，“失戀”的雄蠅對追求雌蠅興趣下降，不僅不愿追交配過的雌蠅,、而且不愿追未交配的“處女蠅”,。，這一現(xiàn)象稱為“求偶條件化”（courtship conditioning）,，也稱“求偶學(xué)習(xí)”(courtship learning),。
饒毅實驗室的研究生周傳等通過應(yīng)用分子生物學(xué)、遺傳學(xué),、現(xiàn)代生物物理成像等多學(xué)科技術(shù),，研究了求偶學(xué)習(xí)的分子機理。他們的研究集中于神經(jīng)遞質(zhì)鱆胺及其受體OAMB,。
他們發(fā)現(xiàn)因為基因缺失而不能合成鱆胺的雄蠅,，不出現(xiàn)求偶學(xué)習(xí)，在一再被拒絕以后,，繼續(xù)一如既往地追求雌蠅,。通過應(yīng)用分子遺傳操縱，周傳等激活含鱆胺的神經(jīng)元,，結(jié)果可以抑制雄蠅求偶,，并且能代替交配的雌蠅“教訓(xùn)”雄蠅學(xué)會減少求偶。這些結(jié)果表明鱆胺對于求偶學(xué)習(xí)是必要而且充分的,。他們進一步發(fā)現(xiàn),，鱆胺受體OAMB介導(dǎo)鱆胺部分作用，而不是全部作用,。OAMB對于求偶學(xué)習(xí)是必需的,，但非充分的。所以,，周傳等提出還有其他鱆胺受體參加介導(dǎo)鱆胺在求偶學(xué)習(xí)過程中的作用,。
這項研究是多個實驗室合作的結(jié)果。除了饒毅實驗室,，還有科學(xué)院生物物理所焦仁杰的研究生黃海,、美國加州大學(xué)王競實驗室的Kim、臺灣清華大學(xué)江安世實驗室的研究生林暄文,、美國德州大學(xué)的韓實驗室等,。北京的研究獲得科技部和北京市的支持。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0517-12.2012
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Molecular Genetic Analysis of Sexual Rejection: Roles of Octopamine and Its Receptor OAMB in Drosophila Courtship Conditioning
Chuan Zhou , Hai Huang, Susy M. Kim, Hsuanwen Lin, Xianglan Meng, Kyung-An Han, Ann-Shyn Chiang, Jing W. Wang, Renjie Jiao, and Yi Rao
After Drosophila males are rejected by mated females, their subsequent courtship is inhibited even when encountering virgin females. Molecular mechanisms underlying courtship conditioning in the CNS are unclear. In this study, we find that tyramine β hydroxylase (TβH) mutant males unable to synthesize octopamine (OA) showed impaired courtship conditioning, which could be rescued by transgenic TβH expression in the CNS. Inactivation of octopaminergic neurons mimicked the TβH mutant phenotype. Transient activation of octopaminergic neurons in males not only decreased their courtship of virgin females, but also produced courtship conditioning. Single cell analysis revealed projection of octopaminergic neurons to the mushroom bodies. Deletion of the OAMB gene encoding an OA receptor expressed in the mushroom bodies disrupted courtship conditioning. Inactivation of neurons expressing OAMB also eliminated courtship conditioning. OAMB neurons responded robustly to male-specific pheromone cis-vaccenyl acetate in a dose-dependent manner. Our results indicate that OA plays an important role in courtship conditioning through its OAMB receptor expressed in a specific neuronal subset of the mushroom bodies.
