近日，美国德克萨斯大学西南医学中心Todd F. Roberts及其研究团队发现了鸣禽中指导声音学习的记忆是如何植入的。这一研究成果发表在2019年10月4日出版的国际学术期刊《科学》上。

研究人员在斑胸草雀中发现了一个声音与神经的通路，可以在其中植入引导学习歌唱元素持续的记忆。该通路中突触的激活种下了记忆，从而指导了歌唱元素持续的学习，并且可以超过与其他个体的社交互动中的学习。但是，记忆形成后该回路的遗传损伤不会破坏随后的歌曲模仿，这表明这些记忆存储在下游突触中。因此，这些感觉运动突触的活动可以绕过听觉和社交经验的学习，并植入指导学习歌曲时间的记忆。

据介绍，动物通过模仿更有经验的个体的行为来学习许多复杂的行为。这种基本的但仍知之甚少的学习形式依赖于对观察到行为的持久记忆进行编码的能力。

附：英文原文

Title: Inception of memories that guide vocal learning in the songbird

Author: Wenchan Zhao, Francisco Garcia-Oscos, Daniel Dinh, Todd F. Roberts

Issue&Volume: Volume 366 Issue 6461

Abstract: Animals learn many complex behaviors by emulating the behavior of more experienced individuals. This essential, yet still poorly understood, form of learning relies on the ability to encode lasting memories of observed behaviors. We identified a vocal-motor pathway in the zebra finch where memories that guide learning of song-element durations can be implanted. Activation of synapses in this pathway seeds memories that guide learning of song-element duration and can override learning from social interactions with other individuals. Genetic lesions of this circuit after memory formation, however, do not disrupt subsequent song imitation, which suggests that these memories are stored at downstream synapses. Thus, activity at these sensorimotor synapses can bypass learning from auditory and social experience and embed memories that guide learning of song timing.

DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw4226

Source:https://science.sciencemag.org/content/366/6461/83