2007年，哈佛大學(xué)的科學(xué)家曾利用熒光蛋白成像技術(shù)制作出實(shí)驗(yàn)鼠的神經(jīng)結(jié)構(gòu)圖,。據(jù)美國《大眾科學(xué)》網(wǎng)站2月27日報道,，美國研究學(xué)者對這一技術(shù)進(jìn)行了更多的改進(jìn)，并描繪出果蠅的神經(jīng)網(wǎng)絡(luò),，公布的圖片相當(dāng)漂亮,。
通過激活神經(jīng)元中的復(fù)合熒光蛋白，科學(xué)家們能夠繪制出神經(jīng)網(wǎng)絡(luò)圖,，以研究生物的大腦究竟是怎樣工作的,。美國果蠅學(xué)者使用的這種叫做“雙重大腦彩虹”的技術(shù)要比之前的方法更為直觀，它是用更多的顏色對果蠅的神經(jīng)網(wǎng)絡(luò)進(jìn)行標(biāo)記和描繪,。
相關(guān)研究成果已經(jīng)公布在上周的《自然方法》雜志上,。從照片上來看，果蠅大腦橫斷面上方的很多神經(jīng)元都顯示得非常清晰,?？茖W(xué)家們已經(jīng)能夠通過“修改”果蠅的基因來進(jìn)行更精準(zhǔn)的著色標(biāo)記，這對研究神經(jīng)元之間究竟如何“通訊”以及未來破解人類大腦的秘密將起到非常關(guān)鍵的作用,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
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Nature Methods doi:10.1038/nmeth.1566
Drosophila Brainbow: a recombinase-based fluorescence labeling technique to subdivide neural expression patterns
Stefanie Hampel,1, 2 Phuong Chung,1, 2 Claire E McKellar,1 Donald Hall,1 Loren L Looger1 & Julie H Simpson1
We developed a multicolor neuron labeling technique in Drosophila melanogaster that combines the power to specifically target different neural populations with the label diversity provided by stochastic color choice. This adaptation of vertebrate Brainbow uses recombination to select one of three epitope-tagged proteins detectable by immunofluorescence. Two copies of this construct yield six bright, separable colors. We used Drosophila Brainbow to study the innervation patterns of multiple antennal lobe projection neuron lineages in the same preparation and to observe the relative trajectories of individual aminergic neurons. Nerve bundles, and even individual neurites hundreds of micrometers long, can be followed with definitive color labeling. We traced motor neurons in the subesophageal ganglion and correlated them to neuromuscular junctions to identify their specific proboscis muscle targets. The ability to independently visualize multiple lineage or neuron projections in the same preparation greatly advances the goal of mapping how neurons connect into circuits.
