Of the five senses, the four senses of sight, hearing, smell, and taste are detected by specific sensory organs such as eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.On the other hand, somatosensory (tactile sensation) has a complicated structure in which various sensory organs scattered throughout the body send information to the brain, and the whole picture is unclear.

　The research team created a genetically modified system that can induce gene expression in only some types of cells using Drosophila melanogaster.By screening this, we succeeded in specifically manipulating all types of somatosensory cells and analyzing nerve fibers extending to the central nervous system.Thus, experiments in which activity is detected and functions are manipulated by only one specific type of nerve in the sensory nervous system are extremely difficult in mammalian experimental animals.

　It was found that the neural circuit revealed this time has a very high similarity to mammals.It is already known that the neural circuit structures of sight, smell, and taste are very similar between insects and mammals.In addition, the team found in a few years ago that the central structures that detect sound and gravity are similar in insects and mammals.This study of somatosensory has found commonality in the neural circuit structures of all five senses.

　It is concluded that this did not mean that the brains of insects and us mammals evolved apart, but that there was a common ancestor with a brain with these five senses, and that it was more likely that they evolved separately. ..

Paper information:[Science] Topological and Modality-specific Representation of Somatosensory Information in the Fly Brain