蜜蜂生物节律研究进展

 生物节律主要指有机体生命活动的内在节律性。蜜蜂生物节律受到其社会性的影响,从而参与许多复杂行为的调控。与果蝇相比,蜜蜂的生物节律与哺乳动物更相似。工蜂和蜂王的生物节律表现出高度的可塑性。例如,工蜂的昼夜节律受其劳动分工形式的调控,并通过与幼蜂的直接接触来调节,哺育蜂昼夜照料幼虫,在行为或时钟基因表达方面没有昼夜节律变化。从蜜蜂的社会性、蜜蜂生物节律产生的分子机制、神经基础、研究方法、可塑性、蜜蜂的睡眠等方面综述了蜜蜂生物节律的研究进展。     

Circadian rhythms from flies to human

In this era of jet travel, our body 'remembers' the previous time zone, such that when we travel, our sleep wake pattern, mental alertness, eating habits and many other physiological processes temporarily suffer the consequences of time displacement until we adjust to the new time zone. Although the existence of a circadian clock in humans had been postulated for decades, an understanding of the molecular mechanisms has required the full complement of research tools. To gain the initial insights into circadian mechanisms, researchers turned to genetically tractable model organisms such as Drosophila.     

Circadian rhythms in olfactory responses of Drosophila melanogaster.

The core mechanism of circadian timekeeping in arthropods and vertebrates consists of feedback loops involving several clock genes, including period (per) and timeless (tim). In the fruitfly Drosophila, circadian oscillations in per expression occur in chemosensory cells of the antennae, even when the antennae are excised and maintained in isolated organ culture. Here we demonstrate a robust circadian rhythm in Drosophila in electrophysiological responses to two classes of olfactory stimuli. These rhythms are observed in wild-type flies during light-dark cycles and in constant darkness, but are abolished in per or tim null-mutant flies (per01 and tim01) which lack rhythms in adult emergence and locomotor behaviour. Olfactory rhythms are also abolished in the per 7.2:2 transgenic line in which per expression is restricted to the lateral neurons of the optic lobe. Because per 7.2:2 flies do not express per in peripheral oscillators, our results provide evidence that peripheral circadian oscillators are necessary for circadian rhythms in olfactory responses. As olfaction is essential for food acquisition, social interactions and predator avoidance in many animals, circadian regulation of olfactory systems could have profound effects on the behaviour of organisms that rely on this sensory modality.     

持续黑暗状态下对大鼠松果体细胞分泌松果体素的昼夜节律研究

为研究体外培养的大鼠松果体细胞分泌的松果体素是否具有内在节律,收集体外培养的大鼠松果体细胞在白天6∶00,8∶00,10∶00,12∶00,15∶00,和夜晚18∶00,20∶00,22∶00,1∶00,4∶00各个时间点的培养上清,并用放射免疫方法(RIA)检测各个时间点松果体细胞培养上清中的松果体素水平.CCF(complex cosine function)统计分析结果表明,在持续黑暗的环境下,体外培养的大鼠松果体细胞分泌的松果体素在培养3,6,9天后仍然表现出内在节律.然而,这种内在节律在培养12天后消失.上述结果提示体外培养的大鼠松果体细胞可以作为一个有用的体外模型来分析节律系统的生理基础.