Distribution of Like-muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor M2 in the Brain of Three Castes of Polyrhachis vicina

The cholinergic system plays an important role in the central nervous system of insects and is closely related to the complex behavior of insects. The immunohistochemical technique was performed to detect the expression of like-muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M2 in the brain of three castes of Polyrhachis vicina. A positive expression of like-muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M2 was observed in the mushroom body, central body and antennal lobes of the ant brain; but there is great diversity in their location and intensity among worker, queen and male ants. It is speculated that like-muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M2 plays a critical role in the central nervous system, in terms of projecting visual information and olfactory information into the protocerebrum and integrating many inputs.

Keywords
Polyrhachis vicina; Insect brain; Cholinergic system; Like-muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M2; Central nervous system