中华蜜蜂蕈形体的发育

中华蜜蜂(Apis cerana cerana)的脑由前脑、中脑和后脑三部分构成,蕈形体位于前脑的背侧,是其重要的学习及其他复杂行为的整合中心。通过对中华蜜蜂工蜂的幼虫、蛹及成虫的蕈形体形态发育的观察研究,发现中华蜜蜂的蕈形体包含约1000个成神经细胞,它们最终形成了蕈形体的所有Kenyon细胞。这些成神经细胞来自于在新孵化的幼虫脑中已存在的四丛成神经细胞,每一丛细胞的数量不多于45个。蕈形体柄区的出现约在3龄幼虫,而α叶和β叶在5龄幼虫已可明显辨认。冠区出现较晚,大约在蛹期的第二天以后。由于社会性昆虫复杂的学习、记忆和认知需求,其蕈形体的体积和复杂程度都优于其他昆虫。

Development of the Mushroom Bodies in Apis cerana cerana

The mushroom bodies are paired neuropils in the insect brain that act as multimodal sensory integration centers and are involved in learning and memory.Our studies,by using the Hematoxylin and eosin staining technique,show that the brain of a developing honey bee (Apis cerana cerana) contains approximately 1 000 neuroblasts which finally develop to the mushroom body intrinsic neurons (Kenyon cells).These neuroblasts are derived from four clusters neuroblasts that are already present in the newly hatched larva.Each cluster contains no more than 45 cells.Subpopulations of Kenyon cells,distinct in their cytoarchitecture and position,are formed at different but overlapping periods during the development of mushroom bodies,with the final localization of these neurons in place by the mid-pupal stage.This is the first comprehensive study on mushroom body formation during the larval and pupal development of A.cerana cerana.