Prof. Hitoshi Aonuma
Researches
Animals alter their behavior in order to respond to the demands of changing environments. Society and the crowd are also dynamic environments. We have investigated the design principle of neuronal mechanisms underlying adaptive behavior including social adaptability in animals. We then focus on how animals select and decide their behavior depending on previous experiences. Aggressive behavior in insects provides us great model systems to investigate the neuronal mechanisms underlying emerging adaptive behaviors. We focus on insects and some kinds of invertebrate animals to investigate neuronal mechanisms of adaptive behavior since they have rather simple and identical nervous systems.
We have focused on cricket's aggressive agonistic behavior that is released by cuticle pheromones. Most pheromone induced stereotyped behaviors in insects and pheromone behaviors have been thought to be hard-wired: a behavior that could be turned on and off but with no plasticity. However, some pheromone behaviors are revealed to be modified by their previous experiences. Cricket aggressive behavior is an example of such pheromone-induced behaviors. The responses of males to the pheromone can be modified by the previous fighting experiences. The behavior of insects has been understood that internal states and external environments drastically mediate the threshold of releasing behavior or releasing a behavioral pattern. Previous social interaction such as mating and agonistic interaction mediates following behavior.
We have concentrated on revealing behavioral and physiological aspects of socially adaptive behaviors. We perform neurophysiological, behavioral, neurochemical, genetical, and pharmacological approaches to understand the physiology of aggressive behavior. Then based on our results from biological experiments, we build dynamic system models to bridge the gap between behavior and physiology.
In this laboratory, graduate students learn how the diversity of living organisms is produced, based on our knowledge of the structure and function of individual cells and their constituents. In particular, we will focus on the mechanisms for maintaining the homeostasis of basic cellular functions and organisms, as well as on the principles for the continuity and diversity of life. We will also promote morphological studies of cells and organisms, including analysis of the dynamic behavior of individual molecules in a Spatio-temporal manner.
Key Words
Aggressive behavior, Social behavior, Reproductive behavior, Locomotion, Ultra-fast movementBiogenic amines, Nitric oxide, Neurotransmitters, Neuromodulators
Insect (ant, cricket, etc), Crustacean (crayfish), Myriapod (centipede), Echinodermata (Brittle star)
Neuroethology, Neuroscience, Neurogenetics, Modelling, Robotics
