據(jù)1月30日的《科學》雜志報道說,，英國牛津與劍橋的研究人員已經將沙漠蝗蟲的徹底轉變（即從無害,、獨處的昆蟲轉變?yōu)槿壕有汀⒓Y成群的昆蟲）與腦中的常見化學物質5-羥色胺聯(lián)系在了一起。這一發(fā)現(xiàn)闡明了這些沙漠蝗蟲體內的從互相嫌避到彼此吸引的一種機制，而且可能會開啟控制這種對經濟具有毀滅性打擊的害蟲的新方法之門,。
Michael Anstey及其同僚對沙漠蝗蟲體內的5-羥色胺水平進行了檢測，與此同時,，他們對處于獨處狀態(tài)和群居狀態(tài)的蝗蟲進行了相關的刺激,。他們的結果顯示，那些處于最為集結狀態(tài)（即處于集結相的）的蝗蟲比那些處于平靜獨處狀態(tài)的蝗蟲,，其體內的5-羥色胺水平要高出近3倍多。
這一發(fā)現(xiàn)披露了將個體蝗蟲間的相互作用與蝗蟲群體結構發(fā)生大規(guī)模變化并開始出現(xiàn)大規(guī)模遷徙聯(lián)系在一起的一種神經化學機制,。人們已知這些沙漠蝗蟲在有的時候會形成數(shù)十億之眾的蝗群,，它們常常會對農作物的收成帶來毀滅性的打擊。
Paul Anthony Stevenson在一篇Perspective中寫道,，盡管這一發(fā)現(xiàn)不會為人們提供一種即刻的害蟲控制方法,，但如果科學家們能夠發(fā)現(xiàn)可行的化學方法將這些集結的蝗蟲重新轉化成為它們單獨存在的狀態(tài)的話，那么這些新的發(fā)現(xiàn)就會在對付這些害蟲上發(fā)揮“相當大的潛力”,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
Science 30 January 2009:DOI: 10.1126/science.1165939
Serotonin Mediates Behavioral Gregarization Underlying Swarm Formation in Desert Locusts
Michael L. Anstey,1* Stephen M. Rogers,1,2* Swidbert R. Ott,2 Malcolm Burrows,2 Stephen J. Simpson1,3
Desert locusts, Schistocerca gregaria, show extreme phenotypic plasticity, transforming between a little-seen solitarious phase and the notorious swarming gregarious phase depending on population density. An essential tipping point in the process of swarm formation is the initial switch from strong mutual aversion in solitarious locusts to coherent group formation and greater activity in gregarious locusts. We show here that serotonin, an evolutionarily conserved mediator of neuronal plasticity, is responsible for this behavioral transformation, being both necessary if behavioral gregarization is to occur and sufficient to induce it. Our data demonstrate a neurochemical mechanism linking interactions between individuals to large-scale changes in population structure and the onset of mass migration.
1 Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK.
2 Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK.
3 School of Biological Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
