2026年10月28日，美国华盛顿大学Bingni W. Brunton等科学家在《自然》发表研究，通过连接组模拟鉴定出果蝇行走的中央模式发生器。

动物运动依赖于由中央模式发生器（CPGs）驱动的节律性身体运动：这些神经回路无需振荡输入即可产生振荡输出。然而，在任何动物中，行走CPG的回路结构仍属未知。为鉴定行走果蝇中节律性腿部运动所依赖的细胞和突触，研究人员开发了果蝇腹神经索连接组的动态模拟。对来自中央脑的下行神经元进行计算激活筛选，鉴定出DNg100——一个已知的行走指令神经元——是节律性腿部运动活动最强的驱动者。模拟网络修剪分离出一个最小节律生成回路，由一个抑制性和两个兴奋性中间神经元组成；这一三神经元回路在四个连接组数据集中对所有六条腿的运动节律均为必需且充分。模拟还预测，一条独立的下行通路（DNb08）驱动节律性腿部运动，研究人员在行为果蝇中利用光遗传学实验证实了这一点。研究结果揭示了果蝇行走及其他节律性腿部运动的推定CPG回路的细胞身份和突触结构。

附：英文原文

Title: Connectome simulations identify a central pattern generator for fly walking

Author: Pugliese, Sarah M., Chou, Grant M., Abe, Elliott T. T., Turcu, Denis, Lancaster, Jackson K., Tuthill, John C., Brunton, Bingni W.

Issue&Volume: 2026-10-28

Abstract: Animal locomotion relies on rhythmic body movements driven by central pattern generators (CPGs): neural circuits that produce oscillating output without oscillating input. However, the circuit structure of a CPG for walking is not known in any animal1,2. To identify the cells and synapses that underlie rhythmic leg movement in walking flies, we developed dynamic simulations of the Drosophila ventral nerve cord connectomes3,4,5,6. A computational activation screen of descending neurons from the central brain identified DNg100—a known command neuron for walking—as the strongest driver of rhythmic leg motor activity. Simulated network pruning isolated a minimal rhythm-generating circuit consisting of one inhibitory and two excitatory interneurons; this three-neuron circuit was necessary and sufficient for motor rhythms across all six legs and in four connectome datasets. Simulations also predicted that a separate descending pathway (DNb08) drives rhythmic leg movements, which we confirmed experimentally using optogenetics in behaving flies. Our results reveal the cellular identity and synaptic structure of a putative CPG circuit for walking and other rhythmic leg movements in flies.

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-11195-y

Source:https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-11195-y