The effects of food deprivation in adult crickets on neurogenesis in the mushroom body

In most organsisms, the ability to produce new neurons after maturity is a rarity most commonly found in insects. The production of new neurons to persist during adulthood and manage to integrate into the mature nervous system was first recognized in the house cricket, acheta domesticus. Known as neurogenesis, these cluster of neuroblasts have been recognized as playing a key role in olfactory and learning. Due to its simple brain, the house cricket makes an ideal subject in addressing the functional significance of neurogenesis and cell proliferation within the mushroom body of the brain. Specifically, the mushroom body is where cell proliferation of the neuroblasts can be seen clustering. Previous research have shown that continued production of neuroblasts, which are progenitors of Kenyon cells which are known to later become neurons, have persisted through adulthood. To evaluate the effects of food deprivation on neurogenesis, we examined cell cluster formation in the apex of the mushroom body in fed and starved adult male crickets. To induce food deprivation, the crickets were individually separated and grouped into fed and starved for five days. Day two, the crickets were injected with BrDu before dissection. Previous research have also noted the decrease of neurogenesis in food deprived animals. In this study, we examined these effects on neurogenesis and cell proliferation for any change in cell clusters found at the apex. Using Immunohistochemsitry for cell marking, we expect to find a depletion in cell clusters and neurogenesis production in starved male crickets versus the fed crickets.