爭斗是同性社會性動物間的基本社會相互作用之一,。尋找對爭斗有重要作用的細胞,、分析爭斗的機理，有助于理解動物的社會性,，為適當控制病態(tài)爭斗,、維護和諧提供基礎(chǔ)。
北京大學(xué)生命科學(xué)學(xué)院院長,、北京生命科學(xué)研究所副所長饒毅教授領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的實驗室用遺傳學(xué),、分子生物學(xué)和神經(jīng)生物學(xué)跨學(xué)科綜合途徑研究爭斗的機理。2008年8月《自然—神經(jīng)學(xué)》（Nature Neuroscience）雜志刊發(fā)了周傳,、饒勇,、饒毅的論文“A subset of octopaminergic neurons are important for Drosophila aggression”,，報道了該實驗室在動物社會行為研究方面的發(fā)現(xiàn)。
周傳等用遺傳學(xué)的模式動物果蠅研究爭斗的分子和細胞機理,。他們發(fā)現(xiàn),，一種稱為鱆胺的神經(jīng)遞質(zhì)分子，對爭斗很重要,。神經(jīng)遞質(zhì)是神經(jīng)細胞之間,、神經(jīng)細胞和其他靶細胞之間的信號分子，一個神經(jīng)細胞通過神經(jīng)遞質(zhì)將信號傳到下一個細胞,。當動物不能合成鱆胺的時候,，爭斗降低，而走,、嗅覺,、求偶等其他行為不變。當用實驗方法巧妙地使合成鱆胺的神經(jīng)細胞不能活動時,，爭斗也很快下降,；而在激活產(chǎn)生鱆胺的神經(jīng)細胞時，爭斗上升,。這些結(jié)果表明爭斗需要鱆胺,，揭示了爭斗的分子機理。他們還發(fā)現(xiàn),，在特定部位,，有五個產(chǎn)生鱆胺的神經(jīng)細胞對爭斗很重要，只要這五個細胞能產(chǎn)生鱆胺,，其他細胞沒有鱆胺也不影響爭斗,，揭示了爭斗的細胞機理。
饒毅實驗室從2004年開始在北京用果蠅和老鼠研究動物的幾種社會行為,。這篇論文是他們研究的一部分,。該項研究獲得科技部和北京市科委資助。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
Nature Neuroscience,，doi:10.1038/nn.2164,，Chuan Zhou，Yi Rao
A subset of octopaminergic neurons are important for Drosophila aggression
Chuan Zhou1,2, Yong Rao1 & Yi Rao1,3
Abstract
Aggression is an innate behavior that is important for animal survival and evolution. We examined the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying aggression in Drosophila. Reduction of the neurotransmitter octopamine, the insect equivalent of norepinephrine, decreased aggression in both males and females. Mutants lacking octopamine did not initiate fighting and did not fight other flies, although they still provoked other flies to fight themselves. Mutant males lost to the wild-type males in fighting and in competing for copulation with females. Enhanced octopaminergic signaling increased aggression in socially grouped flies, but not in socially isolated flies. We carried out genetic rescue experiments that revealed the functional importance of neuronal octopamine and identified a small subset of octopaminergic neurons in the suboesophageal ganglion as being important for aggression.
National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 7 Zhongguanchun Life Sciences Park, Beijing 102206, China.
Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Rd., Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.
School of Life Sciences and State Key Laboratory of Biomembrane, Peking University, 5 Yiheyuan Rd., Haidian District, Beijing 100871, China.
