Science：生科院郭爱克教授神经环路调控果蝇价值抉择新发现

Ai-ke Guo, Ph.D.
Senior Investigator
Academician
akguo@@ion.ac.cn

 EDUCATION

Dr. Aike Guo is the Associate Director of ION, a Senior Investigator and Head of the Laboratory of Learning and Memory. He was the chief scientist for the “973 Program” project "Basic Research of Brain Development and Plasticity" sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2000-2005). He became an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2003. Dr. Guo's current research interest is to understand the molecular, cellular and integrative mechanisms underlying learning, memory and higher cognitive functions such as decision-making, crossmodal learning and memory, and selective attention in Drosophila. In addition to the main lines of interest mentioned above, he has also pursued several side-projects, including thermal-nociception, circadian rhythm, motion perception, male-male courtship, drug addiction as well as neurodegeneration in flies. His long-term goal in these projects is to elucidate the circuit mechanisms and relate the findings to the reinforcement learning that may be essential for addictive and courtship behaviors.

Relative website:
http://www.lmbe.seu.edu.cn/smbe/member/guoak.htm

Due to its sophisticated genetics, relatively simple anatomy, rich array of behaviors, and its remarkable conservation of molecular mechanisms to mammals, Drosophila has become the “Jack of all trades” in the life sciences. The current research interest of our lab is to understand the molecular, cellular, and integrative mechanisms underlying learning, memory and higher cognitive functions, e.g., decision-making and cross-modal memory synergism, in Drosophila. In particular, we aim at understanding how neural circuit might use the reward information for controlling goal-directed behavior, such as selective attention, decision-choice-action and intentional behavior.

In addition to the main line of research described above, we have also pursued several side-projects, including thermal nociception, circadian clock, male-male courtship, drug addiction as well as the neurodegenerations in flies. The long-term goal in these projects is elucidate whether the circuits underlying addictive or courtship behaviors have anything in common with those required for decision making processes.

Ongoing Projects:
1. Non-Fourier Motion Perception
There are two motion perception systems in the human visual system: the first-order system that uses a primitive motion energy computation to extract motion from moving luminance modulations, and the second-order system that uses motion energy to extract motion from moving texture-contrast modulations. The second-order motion has three forms: contrast, flicker and texture. Recently, a third-order system that tracks features including depth-modulated motion, isoluminant chromatic motion, and motion-modulated motion has been proposed. As in humans, we found first-order (luminance-defined or Fourier) signals for a tethered fly in the flight simulator is important to motion perception. Interestingly, Non-Fourier (including second-order and third-order) signals are also detectable in Drosophila in the absence of first-order signals.

2. Experience-dependent visual feature extraction
Visual feature extraction is defined as the selection of the main component of a system from multiple visual features, such as color, shape, etc. Fruit flies are able to learn both color and shape features. We found that flies showed improved ability of feature extraction following prior experience. However, flies lacking the mushroom body could not use prior experience to help choose the correct feature even after learning this feature. Our results indicate that prior experience enhanced visual feature exaction in Drosophila and that the mushroom body is required in this process.

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