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Researchers Uncover Neural Mechanisms Responsible for Animals' Social Interaction

Oct 23, 2020

The absence or abnormality of social approach behavior leads to mental disorders such as depression, autism and mental anxiety. Therefore, a research on neural mechanisms behind social approach behavior will further deepen our understanding of relevant mental diseases and help us work out correlating treatment methods.

So far there has been no suitable animal models and paradigms available to study serotonergic neurons for social affinity, which is restricted to the maneuverability and observability of animals and the complexity of neural systems.

In a study published in Nature Communications, a group led by Prof. ZHU Yan from the Institute of Biophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed a new paradigm of social approach behavior with fruit flies as the candidate to measure the motivational drive of animals for social interaction, and uncovered the neural mechanisms responsible for their desire for social affiliation.

The researchers developed a high-throughput approach with fruit flies as the paradigm to study their social approach behaviors. They were the first to use big data to confirm that flies exhibit stable and powerful social approach behaviors and that the deprivation of their vision and olfaction will remarkably lower such behaviors.

KCγ neurons in the γ lobe of flies' mushroom body were found to play crucial roles in the activation of their social affinity using the techniques of neuron silence and optogenetics activation. In other words, the activated KCγ neurons will improve social approach behaviors of flies and vice versa.

Besides, the researchers utilized experimental methods such as t-GRASP and trans-Tango to probe into neural circuits conducive for social affinity. According to their findings, olfaction-related information can be delivered to KCγ neurons through KCα/β neurons in mushroom body and that of vision will be transported to KCγ neurons via F5 neurons in layer 5 of the fan-shaped body.

This study uncovered key neural circuits modulating social affiliation of fruit flies and opened a significant entrance to further explore neural mechanisms promoting animals' social interaction and understand mental disorders of human beings.

Social approach behavior refers to a natural tendency in which animals approach and investigate unfamiliar conspecifics. It is one of major motivational forces accountable for animals' various behaviors and provides individuals living in a population with stronger survival capability than those without companions.

Contact

ZHU Yan

Institute of Biophysics

E-mail:

Social attraction in Drosophila is regulated by the mushroom body and serotonergic system

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