51
|
Friedman DA, Johnson BR, Linksvayer TA. Distributed physiology and the molecular basis of social life in eusocial insects. Horm Behav 2020; 122:104757. [PMID: 32305342 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The traditional focus of physiological and functional genomic research is on molecular processes that play out within a single multicellular organism. In the colonial (eusocial) insects such as ants, bees, and termites, molecular and behavioral responses of interacting nestmates are tightly linked, and key physiological processes are regulated at the scale of the colony. Such colony-level physiological processes regulate nestmate physiology in a distributed fashion, through various social communication mechanisms. As a result of physiological decentralization over evolutionary time, organismal mechanisms, for example related to pheromone detection, hormone signaling, and neural signaling pathways, are deployed in novel contexts to influence nestmate and colony traits. Here we explore how functional genomic, physiological, and behavioral studies can benefit from considering the traits of eusocial insects in this light. We highlight functional genomic work exploring how nestmate-level and colony-level traits arise and are influenced by interactions among physiologically-specialized nestmates of various developmental stages. We also consider similarities and differences between nestmate-level (organismal) and colony-level (superorganismal) physiological processes, and make specific hypotheses regarding the physiology of eusocial taxa. Integrating theoretical models of distributed systems with empirical functional genomics approaches will be useful in addressing fundamental questions related to the evolution of eusociality and collective behavior in natural systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D A Friedman
- University of California, Davis, Department of Entomology, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America.
| | - B R Johnson
- University of California, Davis, Department of Entomology, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America
| | - T A Linksvayer
- University of Pennsylvania, Department of Biology, Pennsylvania, PA 19104, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
52
|
DeAngelis BD, Zavatone-Veth JA, Gonzalez-Suarez AD, Clark DA. Spatiotemporally precise optogenetic activation of sensory neurons in freely walking Drosophila. eLife 2020; 9:e54183. [PMID: 32319425 PMCID: PMC7198233 DOI: 10.7554/elife.54183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous work has characterized how walking Drosophila coordinate the movements of individual limbs (DeAngelis et al., 2019). To understand the circuit basis of this coordination, one must characterize how sensory feedback from each limb affects walking behavior. However, it has remained difficult to manipulate neural activity in individual limbs of freely moving animals. Here, we demonstrate a simple method for optogenetic stimulation with body side-, body segment-, and limb-specificity that does not require real-time tracking. Instead, we activate at random, precise locations in time and space and use post hoc analysis to determine behavioral responses to specific activations. Using this method, we have characterized limb coordination and walking behavior in response to transient activation of mechanosensitive bristle neurons and sweet-sensing chemoreceptor neurons. Our findings reveal that activating these neurons has opposite effects on turning, and that activations in different limbs and body regions produce distinct behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian D DeAngelis
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
| | | | | | - Damon A Clark
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
- Department of Physics, Yale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
53
|
Individual, but not population asymmetries, are modulated by social environment and genotype in Drosophila melanogaster. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4480. [PMID: 32161330 PMCID: PMC7066193 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61410-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Theory predicts that social interactions can induce an alignment of behavioral asymmetries between individuals (i.e., population-level lateralization), but evidence for this effect is mixed. To understand how interaction with other individuals affects behavioral asymmetries, we systematically manipulated the social environment of Drosophila melanogaster, testing individual flies and dyads (female-male, female-female and male-male pairs). In these social contexts we measured individual and population asymmetries in individual behaviors (circling asymmetry, wing use) and dyadic behaviors (relative position and orientation between two flies) in five different genotypes. We reasoned that if coordination between individuals drives alignment of behavioral asymmetries, greater alignment at the population-level should be observed in social contexts compared to solitary individuals. We observed that the presence of other individuals influenced the behavior and position of flies but had unexpected effects on individual and population asymmetries: individual-level asymmetries were strong and modulated by the social context but population-level asymmetries were mild or absent. Moreover, the strength of individual-level asymmetries differed between strains, but this was not the case for population-level asymmetries. These findings suggest that the degree of social interaction found in Drosophila is insufficient to drive population-level behavioral asymmetries.
Collapse
|
54
|
Jin P, Jan LY, Jan YN. Mechanosensitive Ion Channels: Structural Features Relevant to Mechanotransduction Mechanisms. Annu Rev Neurosci 2020; 43:207-229. [PMID: 32084327 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-070918-050509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Activation of mechanosensitive ion channels underlies a variety of fundamental physiological processes that require sensation of mechanical force. Different mechanosensitive channels adapt distinctive structures and mechanotransduction mechanisms to fit their biological roles. How mechanosensitive channels work, especially in animals, has been extensively studied in the past decade. Here we review key findings in the functional and structural characterizations of these channels and highlight the structural features relevant to the mechanotransduction mechanism of each specific channel.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peng Jin
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, USA;
| | - Lily Yeh Jan
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, USA; .,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
| | - Yuh-Nung Jan
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, USA; .,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
| |
Collapse
|
55
|
Ping Y, Shao L, Li M, Yang L, Zhang J. Contribution of Social Influences through Superposition of Visual and Olfactory Inputs to Circadian Re-entrainment. iScience 2020; 23:100856. [PMID: 32058967 PMCID: PMC6997854 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.100856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Circadian patterns of locomotor activity are influenced by social interactions. Studies on insects highlight the importance of volatile odors and the olfactory system. Wild-type Drosophila exhibit immediate re-entrainment to new light:dark (LD) cycles, whereas cryb and jetc mutants show deficits in re-entrainability. We found that both male mutants re-entrained faster to phase-shifted LD cycles when social interactions with WT female flies were promoted than the isolated males. In addition, we found that accelerated re-entrainment mediated by social interactions depended on both visual and olfactory cues, and the effect of both cues presented jointly was nearly identical to the sum of the effects of the two cues presented separately. Moreover, we found that re-entrainment deficits in period (per) expression-oscillation in jetc mutants were partially restored by promoting social interactions. Our results demonstrated that, in addition to olfaction, social interactions through the visual system also play important roles in clock entrainment. Interactions with WT females accelerates re-entrainment in jetc and cryb male mutants Both visual and olfactory inputs contribute to fast re-entrainment in jetc mutants jetc mutants in groups re-entrain faster on per expression rhythms than isolated one
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yong Ping
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders (No.13dz2260500), Shanghai Mental Health Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China.
| | - Lingzhan Shao
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders (No.13dz2260500), Shanghai Mental Health Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Minzhe Li
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Luna Yang
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jiaxing Zhang
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| |
Collapse
|
56
|
Jiang L, Cheng Y, Gao S, Zhong Y, Ma C, Wang T, Zhu Y. Emergence of social cluster by collective pairwise encounters in Drosophila. eLife 2020; 9:51921. [PMID: 31959283 PMCID: PMC6989122 DOI: 10.7554/elife.51921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals exhibit an astonishing ability to form groups of large numbers of individuals. The dynamic properties of such groups have been the subject of intensive investigation. The actual grouping processes and underlying neural mechanisms, however, remain elusive. Here, we established a social clustering paradigm in Drosophila to investigate the principles governing social group formation. Fruit flies spontaneously assembled into a stable cluster mimicking a distributed network. Social clustering was exhibited as a highly dynamic process including all individuals, which participated in stochastic pair-wise encounters mediated by appendage touches. Depriving sensory inputs resulted in abnormal encounter responses and a high failure rate of cluster formation. Furthermore, the social distance of the emergent network was regulated by ppk-specific neurons, which were activated by contact-dependent social grouping. Taken together, these findings revealed the development of an orderly social structure from initially unorganised individuals via collective actions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lifen Jiang
- School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.,State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yaxin Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yincheng Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chengrui Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tianyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
57
|
Williamson WR, Peek MY, Breads P, Coop B, Card GM. Tools for Rapid High-Resolution Behavioral Phenotyping of Automatically Isolated Drosophila. Cell Rep 2019; 25:1636-1649.e5. [PMID: 30404015 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.10.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Revised: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Sparse manipulation of neuron excitability during free behavior is critical for identifying neural substrates of behavior. Genetic tools for precise neuronal manipulation exist in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, but behavioral tools are still lacking to identify potentially subtle phenotypes only detectible using high-throughput and high spatiotemporal resolution. We developed three assay components that can be used modularly to study natural and optogenetically induced behaviors. FlyGate automatically releases flies one at a time into an assay. FlyDetect tracks flies in real time, is robust to severe occlusions, and can be used to track appendages, such as the head. GlobeDisplay is a spherical projection system covering the fly's visual receptive field with a single projector. We demonstrate the utility of these components in an integrated system, FlyPEZ, by comprehensively modeling the input-output function for directional looming-evoked escape takeoffs and describing a millisecond-timescale phenotype from genetic silencing of a single visual projection neuron type.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Martin Y Peek
- Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Patrick Breads
- Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Brian Coop
- Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Gwyneth M Card
- Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
58
|
TwoLumps Ascending Neurons Mediate Touch-Evoked Reversal of Walking Direction in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2019; 29:4337-4344.e5. [PMID: 31813606 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2019] [Revised: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
External cues, including touch, enable walking animals to flexibly maneuver around obstacles and extricate themselves from dead-ends (for reviews, see [1-3]). In a screen for neurons that enable Drosophila melanogaster to retreat when it encounters a dead-end, we identified a pair of ascending neurons, the TwoLumps Ascending (TLA) neurons. Silencing TLA activity impairs backward locomotion, whereas optogenetic activation triggers backward walking. TLA-induced reversal is mediated in part by the Moonwalker Descending Neurons (MDNs) [4], which receive excitatory input from the TLAs. Silencing the TLAs decreases the extent to which freely walking flies back up upon encountering a physical barrier in the dark, and TLAs show calcium responses to optogenetic activation of neurons expressing the mechanosensory channel NOMPC. We infer that TLAs convey feedforward mechanosensory stimuli to transiently activate MDNs in response to anterior body touch.
Collapse
|
59
|
Godoy-Diana R, Vacher J, Raspa V, Thiria B. On the Fluid Dynamical Effects of Synchronization in Side-by-Side Swimmers. Biomimetics (Basel) 2019; 4:biomimetics4040077. [PMID: 31817389 PMCID: PMC6963834 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics4040077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In-phase and anti-phase synchronization of neighboring swimmers is examined experimentally using two self-propelled independent flexible foils swimming side-by-side in a water tank. The foils are actuated by pitching oscillations at one extremity—the head of the swimmers—and the flow engendered by their undulations is analyzed using two-dimensional particle image velocimetry in their frontal symmetry plane. Following recent observations on the behavior of real fish, we focus on the comparison between in-phase and anti-phase actuation by fixing all other geometric and kinematic parameters. We show that swimming with a neighbor is beneficial for both synchronizations tested, as compared to swimming alone, with an advantage for the anti-phase synchronization. We show that the advantage of anti-phase synchronization in terms of swimming performance for the two-foil “school” results from the emergence of a periodic coherent jet between the two swimmers.
Collapse
|
60
|
Ferreira CH, Moita MA. What can a non-eusocial insect tell us about the neural basis of group behaviour? CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 36:118-124. [PMID: 31563022 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2019.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2019] [Revised: 08/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Group behaviour has been extensively studied in canonically social swarming, shoaling and flocking vertebrates and invertebrates, providing great insight into the behavioural and ecological aspects of group living. However, the search for its neuronal basis is lagging behind. In the natural environment, Drosophila melanogaster, increasingly used as a model to study neuronal circuits and behaviour, spend their lives surrounded by several conspecifics of different stages, as well as heterospecifics. Despite their dynamic multi-organism natural environment, the neuronal basis of social behaviours has been typically studied in dyadic interactions, such as mating or aggression. This review will focus on recent studies regarding how the behaviour of fruit flies can be shaped by the nature of the surrounding group. We argue that the rich social environment of Drosophila melanogaster, its arsenal of neurogenetic tools and the ability to use large sample sizes for detailed quantitative behavioural analysis makes this species ideal for mechanistic studies of group behaviour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clara H Ferreira
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Marta A Moita
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
61
|
Beckwith EJ, French AS. Sleep in Drosophila and Its Context. Front Physiol 2019; 10:1167. [PMID: 31572216 PMCID: PMC6749028 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.01167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A prominent idea emerging from the study of sleep is that this key behavioural state is regulated in a complex fashion by ecologically and physiologically relevant environmental factors. This concept implies that sleep, as a behaviour, is plastic and can be regulated by external agents and changes in internal state. Drosophila melanogaster constitutes a resourceful model system to study behaviour. In the year 2000, the utility of the fly to study sleep was realised, and has since extensively contributed to this exciting field. At the centre of this review, we will discuss studies showing that temperature, food availability/quality, and interactions with conspecifics can regulate sleep. Indeed the relationship can be reciprocal and sleep perturbation can also affect feeding and social interaction. In particular, different environmental temperatures as well as gradual changes in temperature regulate when, and how much flies sleep. Moreover, the satiation/starvation status of an individual dictates the balance between sleep and foraging. Nutritional composition of diet also has a direct impact on sleep amount and its fragmentation. Likewise, aggression between males, courtship, sexual arousal, mating, and interactions within large groups of animals has an acute and long-lasting effect on sleep amount and quality. Importantly, the genes and neuronal circuits that relay information about the external environment and internal state to sleep centres are starting to be elucidated in the fly and are the focus of this review. In conclusion, sleep, as with most behaviours, needs the full commitment of the individual, preventing participation in other vital activities. A vast array of behaviours that are modulated by external and internal factors compete with the need to sleep and thus have a significant role in regulating it.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Esteban J Beckwith
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alice S French
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
62
|
Shao L, Chung P, Wong A, Siwanowicz I, Kent CF, Long X, Heberlein U. A Neural Circuit Encoding the Experience of Copulation in Female Drosophila. Neuron 2019; 102:1025-1036.e6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Revised: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
|
63
|
Dolan MJ, Frechter S, Bates AS, Dan C, Huoviala P, Roberts RJV, Schlegel P, Dhawan S, Tabano R, Dionne H, Christoforou C, Close K, Sutcliffe B, Giuliani B, Li F, Costa M, Ihrke G, Meissner GW, Bock DD, Aso Y, Rubin GM, Jefferis GSXE. Neurogenetic dissection of the Drosophila lateral horn reveals major outputs, diverse behavioural functions, and interactions with the mushroom body. eLife 2019; 8:e43079. [PMID: 31112130 PMCID: PMC6529221 DOI: 10.7554/elife.43079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals exhibit innate behaviours to a variety of sensory stimuli including olfactory cues. In Drosophila, one higher olfactory centre, the lateral horn (LH), is implicated in innate behaviour. However, our structural and functional understanding of the LH is scant, in large part due to a lack of sparse neurogenetic tools for this region. We generate a collection of split-GAL4 driver lines providing genetic access to 82 LH cell types. We use these to create an anatomical and neurotransmitter map of the LH and link this to EM connectomics data. We find ~30% of LH projections converge with outputs from the mushroom body, site of olfactory learning and memory. Using optogenetic activation, we identify LH cell types that drive changes in valence behavior or specific locomotor programs. In summary, we have generated a resource for manipulating and mapping LH neurons, providing new insights into the circuit basis of innate and learned olfactory behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael-John Dolan
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
- Division of NeurobiologyMRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Shahar Frechter
- Division of NeurobiologyMRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Chuntao Dan
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | - Paavo Huoviala
- Division of NeurobiologyMRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Philipp Schlegel
- Division of NeurobiologyMRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Serene Dhawan
- Division of NeurobiologyMRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Remy Tabano
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | - Heather Dionne
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | | | - Kari Close
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | - Ben Sutcliffe
- Division of NeurobiologyMRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Bianca Giuliani
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | - Feng Li
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | - Marta Costa
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Gudrun Ihrke
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | | | - Davi D Bock
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | - Yoshinori Aso
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | - Gerald M Rubin
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | - Gregory SXE Jefferis
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
- Division of NeurobiologyMRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
64
|
Gu S, Wang F, Patel NP, Bourgeois JA, Huang JH. A Model for Basic Emotions Using Observations of Behavior in Drosophila. Front Psychol 2019; 10:781. [PMID: 31068849 PMCID: PMC6491740 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Emotion plays a crucial role, both in general human experience and in psychiatric illnesses. Despite the importance of emotion, the relative lack of objective methodologies to scientifically studying emotional phenomena limits our current understanding and thereby calls for the development of novel methodologies, such us the study of illustrative animal models. Analysis of Drosophila and other insects has unlocked new opportunities to elucidate the behavioral phenotypes of fundamentally emotional phenomena. Here we propose an integrative model of basic emotions based on observations of this animal model. The basic emotions are internal states that are modulated by neuromodulators, and these internal states are externally expressed as certain stereotypical behaviors, such as instinct, which is proposed as ancient mechanisms of survival. There are four kinds of basic emotions: happiness, sadness, fear, and anger, which are differentially associated with three core affects: reward (happiness), punishment (sadness), and stress (fear and anger). These core affects are analogous to the three primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) in that they are combined in various proportions to result in more complex “higher order” emotions, such as love and aesthetic emotion. We refer to our proposed model of emotions as called the “Three Primary Color Model of Basic Emotions.”
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simeng Gu
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
| | - Fushun Wang
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China.,Department of Psychology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Nitesh P Patel
- College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - James A Bourgeois
- College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Baylor Scott & White Health, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Jason H Huang
- Department of Psychology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China.,College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| |
Collapse
|
65
|
Onodera Y, Ichikawa R, Terao K, Tanimoto H, Yamagata N. Courtship behavior induced by appetitive olfactory memory. J Neurogenet 2019; 33:143-151. [PMID: 30955396 DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2019.1593978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Reinforcement signals such as food reward and noxious punishment can change diverse behaviors. This holds true in fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster, which can be conditioned by an odor and sugar reward or electric shock punishment. Despite a wide variety of behavior modulated by learning, conditioned responses have been traditionally measured by altered odor preference in a choice, and other memory-guided behaviors have been only scarcely investigated. Here, we analyzed detailed conditioned odor responses of flies after sugar associative learning by employing a video recording and semi-automated processing pipeline. Trajectory analyses revealed that multiple behavioral components were altered along with conditioned approach to the rewarded odor. Notably, we found that lateral wing extension, a hallmark of courtship behavior of D. melanogaster, was robustly increased specifically in the presence of the rewarded odor. Strikingly, genetic disruption of the mushroom body output did not impair conditioned courtship increase, while markedly weakening conditioned odor approach. Our results highlight the complexity of conditioned responses and their distinct regulatory mechanisms that may underlie coordinated yet complex memory-guided behaviors in flies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuya Onodera
- a Graduate School of Life Sciences , Tohoku University , Sendai 980-8577 , Japan
| | - Rino Ichikawa
- a Graduate School of Life Sciences , Tohoku University , Sendai 980-8577 , Japan
| | - Kanta Terao
- a Graduate School of Life Sciences , Tohoku University , Sendai 980-8577 , Japan
| | - Hiromu Tanimoto
- a Graduate School of Life Sciences , Tohoku University , Sendai 980-8577 , Japan
| | - Nobuhiro Yamagata
- a Graduate School of Life Sciences , Tohoku University , Sendai 980-8577 , Japan
| |
Collapse
|
66
|
Olsen D, Murphy DW. Random sequential addition simulations of animal aggregations provide null models of group structure. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2019; 14:035001. [PMID: 30818295 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ab0b8b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Apparent structure in animal aggregations such as fish and Antarctic krill schools may result from the tight packing of these elongated animals. This geometrical structure may be difficult to differentiate from behavior-induced structure resulting from individuals preferentially taking up certain positions relative to conspecifics to gain an adaptive advantage such as reduced locomotive cost. Here we use random sequential addition (RSA) simulations to quantify the effect of animal shape, aggregation organization, and aggregation density on 2D school structure. This technique allows for the generation of a null model for nearest neighbor distance and nearest neighbor position angle for a specific body shape and aggregation density, thus isolating the effect of geometry from that of behavior. We further identify a shape-specific aggregation density threshold above which the animal shape affects the spatial distribution of nearest neighbors. Nearest neighbor distance data of fish schools with densities above and below the threshold are found to agree well with nearest neighbor statistics found from RSA-generated schools.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Olsen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, United States of America
| | | |
Collapse
|
67
|
Giraldo D, Adden A, Kuhlemann I, Gras H, Geurten BRH. Correcting locomotion dependent observation biases in thermal preference of Drosophila. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3974. [PMID: 30850647 PMCID: PMC6408449 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-40459-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensing environmental temperatures is essential for the survival of ectothermic organisms. In Drosophila, two of the most used methodologies to study temperature preferences (TP) and the genes involved in thermosensation are two-choice assays and temperature gradients. Whereas two-choice assays reveal a relative TP, temperature gradients can identify the absolute Tp. One drawback of gradients is that small ectothermic animals are susceptible to cold-trapping: a physiological inability to move at the cold area of the gradient. Often cold-trapping cannot be avoided, biasing the resulting TP to lower temperatures. Two mathematical models were previously developed to correct for cold-trapping. These models, however, focus on group behaviour which can lead to overestimation of cold-trapping due to group aggregation. Here we present a mathematical model that simulates the behaviour of individual Drosophila in temperature gradients. The model takes the spatial dimension and temperature difference of the gradient into account, as well as the rearing temperature of the flies. Furthermore, it allows the quantification of cold-trapping and reveals unbiased TP. Additionally, our model reveals that flies have a range of tolerable temperatures, and this measure is more informative about the behaviour than commonly used TP. Online simulation is hosted at http://igloo.uni-goettingen.de. The code can be accessed at https://github.com/zerotonin/igloo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diego Giraldo
- Department for Cellular Neurobiology, Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Andrea Adden
- Department for Cellular Neurobiology, Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Ilyas Kuhlemann
- Department for Biophysical Chemistry, Institute for Physical Chemistry, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Heribert Gras
- Department for Cellular Neurobiology, Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Bart R H Geurten
- Department for Cellular Neurobiology, Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
68
|
Wang LX, Niu CD, Zhang Y, Jia YL, Zhang YJ, Zhang Y, Zhang YQ, Gao CF, Wu SF. The NompC channel regulates Nilaparvata lugens proprioception and gentle-touch response. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 106:55-63. [PMID: 30496804 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2018.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
NompC channel is a member of the transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channel superfamily. It can regulate gentle-touch, locomotion, hearing and food texture detection in Drosophila. We cloned the NompC gene of Nilaparvata lugens (NlNompC). The full length NlNompC possessed similar structure as DmNompC, which belongs to TRPN subfamily. The expression pattern analysis of different developmental stages and body parts showed that the transcription of NlNompC was more abundant in adult stage and in the abdomen. Injection of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) of NlNompC in the third-instar nymphs successfully knocked down the target gene with 75% suppression. At nine days after injection, the survival rate of dsRNA injected nymphs was as low as 9.84%. Behavioral observation revealed that the locomotion of the dsRNA injected nymphs was defective with much less movement compared to the negative control. Feeding and honeydew excretion of the dsRNA injected insects also decreased significantly. These results suggested that NlNompC is a classical mechanotransduction channel that plays important roles in proprioception and locomotion, and is essential for the survival of N. lugens. The results also contribute to the understanding of how TRP channels regulate proprioception.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Li-Xiang Wang
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, State & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Green Pesticide Invention and Application, Weigang Road 1, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chun-Dong Niu
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, State & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Green Pesticide Invention and Application, Weigang Road 1, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, State & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Green Pesticide Invention and Application, Weigang Road 1, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ya-Long Jia
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, State & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Green Pesticide Invention and Application, Weigang Road 1, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yi-Jie Zhang
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, State & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Green Pesticide Invention and Application, Weigang Road 1, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, State & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Green Pesticide Invention and Application, Weigang Road 1, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yu-Qing Zhang
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, State & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Green Pesticide Invention and Application, Weigang Road 1, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Cong-Fen Gao
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, State & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Green Pesticide Invention and Application, Weigang Road 1, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Shun-Fan Wu
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, State & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Green Pesticide Invention and Application, Weigang Road 1, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China.
| |
Collapse
|
69
|
Automated behavioural analysis reveals the basic behavioural repertoire of the urochordate Ciona intestinalis. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2416. [PMID: 30787329 PMCID: PMC6382837 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-38791-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantitative analysis of animal behaviour in model organisms is becoming an increasingly essential approach for tackling the great challenge of understanding how activity in the brain gives rise to behaviour. Here we used automated image-based tracking to extract behavioural features from an organism of great importance in understanding the evolution of chordates, the free-swimming larval form of the tunicate Ciona intestinalis, which has a compact and fully mapped nervous system composed of only 231 neurons. We analysed hundreds of videos of larvae and we extracted basic geometric and physical descriptors of larval behaviour. Importantly, we used machine learning methods to create an objective ontology of behaviours for C. intestinalis larvae. We identified eleven behavioural modes using agglomerative clustering. Using our pipeline for quantitative behavioural analysis, we demonstrate that C. intestinalis larvae exhibit sensory arousal and thigmotaxis. Notably, the anxiotropic drug modafinil modulates thigmotactic behaviour. Furthermore, we tested the robustness of the larval behavioural repertoire by comparing different rearing conditions, ages and group sizes. This study shows that C. intestinalis larval behaviour can be broken down to a set of stereotyped behaviours that are used to different extents in a context-dependent manner.
Collapse
|
70
|
Batchelor AV, Wilson RI. Sound localization behavior in Drosophila melanogaster depends on inter-antenna vibration amplitude comparisons. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:222/3/jeb191213. [PMID: 30733260 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.191213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster hear with their antennae: sound evokes vibration of the distal antennal segment, and this vibration is transduced by specialized mechanoreceptor cells. The left and right antennae vibrate preferentially in response to sounds arising from different azimuthal angles. Therefore, by comparing signals from the two antennae, it should be possible to obtain information about the azimuthal angle of a sound source. However, behavioral evidence of sound localization has not been reported in Drosophila Here, we show that walking D. melanogaster do indeed turn in response to lateralized sounds. We confirm that this behavior is evoked by vibrations of the distal antennal segment. The rule for turning is different for sounds arriving from different locations: flies turn toward sounds in their front hemifield, but they turn away from sounds in their rear hemifield, and they do not turn at all in response to sounds from 90 or -90 deg. All of these findings can be explained by a simple rule: the fly steers away from the antenna with the larger vibration amplitude. Finally, we show that these behaviors generalize to sound stimuli with diverse spectro-temporal features, and that these behaviors are found in both sexes. Our findings demonstrate the behavioral relevance of the antenna's directional tuning properties. They also pave the way for investigating the neural implementation of sound localization, as well as the potential roles of sound-guided steering in courtship and exploration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra V Batchelor
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rachel I Wilson
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| |
Collapse
|
71
|
Narasimha S, Nagornov KO, Menin L, Mucciolo A, Rohwedder A, Humbel BM, Stevens M, Thum AS, Tsybin YO, Vijendravarma RK. Drosophila melanogaster cloak their eggs with pheromones, which prevents cannibalism. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e2006012. [PMID: 30629594 PMCID: PMC6328083 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2006012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Oviparous animals across many taxa have evolved diverse strategies that deter egg predation, providing valuable tests of how natural selection mitigates direct fitness loss. Communal egg laying in nonsocial species minimizes egg predation. However, in cannibalistic species, this very behavior facilitates egg predation by conspecifics (cannibalism). Similarly, toxins and aposematic signaling that deter egg predators are often inefficient against resistant conspecifics. Egg cannibalism can be adaptive, wherein cannibals may benefit through reduced competition and added nutrition, but since it reduces Darwinian fitness, the evolution of anticannibalistic strategies is rife. However, such strategies are likely to be nontoxic because deploying toxins against related individuals would reduce inclusive fitness. Here, we report how D. melanogaster use specific hydrocarbons to chemically mask their eggs from cannibal larvae. Using an integrative approach combining behavioral, sensory, and mass spectrometry methods, we demonstrate that maternally provisioned pheromone 7,11-heptacosadiene (7,11-HD) in the eggshell’s wax layer deters egg cannibalism. Furthermore, we show that 7,11-HD is nontoxic, can mask underlying substrates (for example, yeast) when coated upon them, and its detection requires pickpocket 23 (ppk23) gene function. Finally, using light and electron microscopy, we demonstrate how maternal pheromones leak-proof the egg, consequently concealing it from conspecific larvae. Our data suggest that semiochemicals possibly subserve in deceptive functions across taxa, especially when predators rely on chemical cues to forage, and stimulate further research on deceptive strategies mediated through nonvisual sensory modules. This study thus highlights how integrative approaches can illuminate our understanding on the adaptive significance of deceptive defenses and the mechanisms through which they operate. Egg-laying species that lack parental care often protect their eggs from predators by laying them in communal groups or by fortifying them with toxins. However, these strategies may backfire when the predators are from the same species (cannibals) since a) there are plenty of available eggs in these sites, b) the cannibals may be resistant to the toxins, and c) poisoning cannibals who may be related would reduce inclusive fitness. Under these circumstances, natural selection should favor anticannibalistic strategies that are likely to be nontoxic. Here, we investigate how fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), which oviposit communally, protect their eggs from cannibalism by their own larvae. We show that maternal hydrocarbons incorporated into the egg’s wax layer to make them waterproof interestingly also serve as a mask that conceals their identity from cannibal larvae. In particular, we identify one female sex pheromone that deters cannibalism by forming a layer around the egg to conceal it. We further demonstrate that this pheromone is nontoxic and can mask underlying substrates such as yeast when used as a coating. While deceptive strategies (such as camouflage) deployed to avoid predation are extensively studied from a visual perspective, our findings suggest that deceptive strategies operating through other nonvisual sensory systems might be equally common across taxa.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sunitha Narasimha
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Laure Menin
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Antonio Mucciolo
- Electron Microscopy Facility, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Astrid Rohwedder
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Bruno M. Humbel
- Electron Microscopy Facility, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Martin Stevens
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, University of Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas S. Thum
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Yury O. Tsybin
- Spectroswiss Sàrl, EPFL Innovation Park, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | |
Collapse
|
72
|
Sehdev A, Mohammed YG, Tafrali C, Szyszka P. Social foraging extends associative odor-food memory expression in an automated learning assay for Drosophila. J Exp Biol 2019; 222:jeb.207241. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.207241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Animals socially interact during foraging and share information about the quality and location of food sources. The mechanisms of social information transfer during foraging have been mostly studied at the behavioral level, and its underlying neural mechanisms are largely unknown. Fruit flies have become a model for studying the neural bases of social information transfer, because they provide a large genetic toolbox to monitor and manipulate neuronal activity, and they show a rich repertoire of social behaviors. Fruit flies aggregate, they use social information for choosing a suitable mating partner and oviposition site, and they show better aversive learning when in groups. However, the effects of social interactions on associative odor-food learning have not yet been investigated. Here we present an automated learning and memory assay for walking flies that allows studying the effect of group size on social interactions and on the formation and expression of associative odor-food memories. We found that both inter-fly attraction and the duration of odor-food memory expression increase with group size. We discuss possible behavioral and neural mechanisms of this social effect on odor-food memory expression. This study opens up opportunities to investigate how social interactions during foraging are relayed in the neural circuitry of learning and memory expression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aarti Sehdev
- University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, Neurobiology, Konstanz 78457, Germany
| | - Yunusa G. Mohammed
- University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, Neurobiology, Konstanz 78457, Germany
| | - Cansu Tafrali
- University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, Neurobiology, Konstanz 78457, Germany
| | - Paul Szyszka
- University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, Neurobiology, Konstanz 78457, Germany
- University of Otago, Department of Zoology, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
73
|
Soto-Yéber L, Soto-Ortiz J, Godoy P, Godoy-Herrera R. The behavior of adult Drosophila in the wild. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0209917. [PMID: 30596767 PMCID: PMC6312304 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about how Drosophila adults behave in the wild, including mating, allocation of food and space, and escape from predators. This lack of information has negative implications for our ability to understand the capabilities of the nervous system to integrate sensory cues necessary for the adaptation of organisms in natural conditions. We characterized a set of behavioral routines of D. melanogaster and D. simulans adults in three ecologically different orchards: grape, apple and prickly pear. We also investigated how the flies identify conspecifics and aliens in the wild to better understand relationships between group formation and adaptation of Drosophila to breeding sites. We characterized the locations by recording in each orchard humidity, temperature, illumination conditions, pH of fruits, the presence/absence of other Drosophila species and the predator ant Linepithema humile. Our findings suggest that the home range of these species of Drosophila includes decaying fruits and, principally, a variety of microhabitats that surround the fruits. The ecological heterogeneity of the orchards and odors emitted by adult D. melanogaster and D. simulans influence perch preferences, cluster formation, court and mating, egg-laying site selection, and use of space. This is one of the first large examinations of the association between changing, complex environments and a set of adult behaviors of Drosophila. Therefore, our results have implications for understanding the genetic differentiation and evolution of populations of species in the genus Drosophila.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luis Soto-Yéber
- Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Sede Chillán, Campus Fernando May, Avenida Coihueco S/N, Chillán, Chile
| | - José Soto-Ortiz
- Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Sede Chillán, Campus Fernando May, Avenida Coihueco S/N, Chillán, Chile
| | - Pablo Godoy
- Programa de Genética Humana, ICBM, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Independencia 1027, Santiago, Chile
| | - Raúl Godoy-Herrera
- Programa de Genética Humana, ICBM, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Independencia 1027, Santiago, Chile
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
74
|
Suriyampola PS, Cacéres J, Martins EP. Effects of short-term turbidity on sensory preference and behaviour of adult fish. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
75
|
van Breugel F, Huda A, Dickinson MH. Distinct activity-gated pathways mediate attraction and aversion to CO 2 in Drosophila. Nature 2018. [PMID: 30464346 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
Carbon dioxide is produced by many organic processes and is a convenient volatile cue for insects1 that are searching for blood hosts2, flowers3, communal nests4, fruit5 and wildfires6. Although Drosophila melanogaster feed on yeast that produce CO2 and ethanol during fermentation, laboratory experiments7-12 suggest that walking flies avoid CO2. Here we resolve this paradox by showing that both flying and walking Drosophila find CO2 attractive, but only when they are in an active state associated with foraging. Their aversion to CO2 at low-activity levels may be an adaptation to avoid parasites that seek CO2, or to avoid succumbing to respiratory acidosis in the presence of high concentrations of CO2 that exist in nature13,14. In contrast to CO2, flies are attracted to ethanol in all behavioural states, and invest twice the time searching near ethanol compared to CO2. These behavioural differences reflect the fact that ethanol is a unique signature of yeast fermentation, whereas CO2 is generated by many natural processes. Using genetic tools, we determined that the evolutionarily conserved ionotropic co-receptor IR25a is required for CO2 attraction, and that the receptors necessary for CO2 avoidance are not involved in this attraction. Our study lays the foundation for future research to determine the neural circuits that underlie both state- and odorant-dependent decision-making in Drosophila.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Floris van Breugel
- California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.,University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Ainul Huda
- California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
76
|
Distinct activity-gated pathways mediate attraction and aversion to CO 2 in Drosophila. Nature 2018; 564:420-424. [PMID: 30464346 PMCID: PMC6314688 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0732-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Carbon dioxide is produced by many organic processes, and is a convenient volatile cue for insects1 searching for blood hosts2, flowers3, communal nests4, fruit5, and wildfires6. Curiously, although Drosophila melanogaster feed on yeast that produce CO2 and ethanol during fermentation, laboratory experiments suggest that walking flies avoid CO27–12. Here, we resolve this paradox by showing that both flying and walking Drosophila find CO2 attractive, but only when in an active state associated with foraging. Aversion at low activity levels may be an adaptation to avoid CO2-seeking-parasites, or succumbing to respiratory acidosis in the presence of high concentrations of CO2 that exist in nature13,14. In contrast to CO2, flies are attracted to ethanol in all behavioral states, and invest twice the time searching near ethanol compared to CO2. These behavioral differences reflect the fact that whereas CO2 is generated by many natural processes, ethanol is a unique signature of yeast fermentation. Using genetic tools, we determined that the evolutionarily ancient ionotropic co-receptor IR25a is required for CO2 attraction, and that the receptors necessary for CO2 avoidance are not involved. Our study lays the foundation for future research to determine the neural circuits underlying both state- and odorant- dependent decision making in Drosophila.
Collapse
|
77
|
Duistermars BJ, Pfeiffer BD, Hoopfer ED, Anderson DJ. A Brain Module for Scalable Control of Complex, Multi-motor Threat Displays. Neuron 2018; 100:1474-1490.e4. [PMID: 30415997 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.10.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Threat displays are a universal feature of agonistic interactions. Whether threats are part of a continuum of aggressive behaviors or separately controlled remains unclear. We analyze threats in Drosophila and show they are triggered by male cues and visual motion, and comprised of multiple motor elements that can be flexibly combined. We isolate a cluster of ∼3 neurons whose activity is necessary for threat displays but not for other aggressive behaviors, and whose artificial activation suffices to evoke naturalistic threats in solitary flies, suggesting that the neural control of threats is modular with respect to other aggressive behaviors. Artificially evoked threats suffice to repel opponents from a resource in the absence of contact aggression. Depending on its level of artificial activation, this neural threat module can evoke different motor elements in a threshold-dependent manner. Such scalable modules may represent fundamental "building blocks" of neural circuits that mediate complex multi-motor behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Duistermars
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Barret D Pfeiffer
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Eric D Hoopfer
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - David J Anderson
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
78
|
Larsch J, Baier H. Biological Motion as an Innate Perceptual Mechanism Driving Social Affiliation. Curr Biol 2018; 28:3523-3532.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Revised: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
|
79
|
Méndez-Valderrama JF, Kinkhabwala YA, Silver J, Cohen I, Arias TA. Density-functional fluctuation theory of crowds. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3538. [PMID: 30166535 PMCID: PMC6117271 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05750-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
A primary goal of collective population behavior studies is to determine the rules governing crowd distributions in order to predict future behaviors in new environments. Current top-down modeling approaches describe, instead of predict, specific emergent behaviors, whereas bottom-up approaches must postulate, instead of directly determine, rules for individual behaviors. Here, we employ classical density functional theory (DFT) to quantify, directly from observations of local crowd density, the rules that predict mass behaviors under new circumstances. To demonstrate our theory-based, data-driven approach, we use a model crowd consisting of walking fruit flies and extract two functions that separately describe spatial and social preferences. The resulting theory accurately predicts experimental fly distributions in new environments and provides quantification of the crowd “mood”. Should this approach generalize beyond milling crowds, it may find powerful applications in fields ranging from spatial ecology and active matter to demography and economics. Tools from statistical physics can be used to investigate a large variety of fields ranging from economics to biology. Here the authors first adapt density-functional theory to predict the distributions of crowds in new environments and then validate their approach using groups of fruit flies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Yunus A Kinkhabwala
- Department of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Jeffrey Silver
- Metron Inc., Scientific Solutions, Reston, VA, 2019, USA
| | - Itai Cohen
- Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - T A Arias
- Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
80
|
Alisch T, Crall JD, Kao AB, Zucker D, de Bivort BL. MAPLE (modular automated platform for large-scale experiments), a robot for integrated organism-handling and phenotyping. eLife 2018; 7:37166. [PMID: 30117804 PMCID: PMC6193762 DOI: 10.7554/elife.37166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Lab organisms are valuable in part because of large-scale experiments like screens, but performing such experiments over long time periods by hand is arduous and error-prone. Organism-handling robots could revolutionize large-scale experiments in the way that liquid-handling robots accelerated molecular biology. We developed a modular automated platform for large-scale experiments (MAPLE), an organism-handling robot capable of conducting lab tasks and experiments, and then deployed it to conduct common experiments in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Caenorhabditis elegans, Physarum polycephalum, Bombus impatiens, and Drosophila melanogaster. Focusing on fruit flies, we developed a suite of experimental modules that permitted the automated collection of virgin females and execution of an intricate and laborious social behavior experiment. We discovered that (1) pairs of flies exhibit persistent idiosyncrasies in social behavior, which (2) require olfaction and vision, and (3) social interaction network structure is stable over days. These diverse examples demonstrate MAPLE’s versatility for automating experimental biology. Biological research can, at times, be mind-numbingly tedious: scientists often have to do the same experiment over and over on many different samples. When working with animals such as fruit flies, this means researchers have to physically handle large numbers of specimens, selecting certain individuals or moving them from one container to another to perform the study. This represents a serious bottleneck that slows down discovery. Automation represents an obvious solution to this issue. In fact, it has already revolutionized fields like molecular biology, where robots can handle the liquids required for the experiments. Yet, it is not so easy to automate tasks that involve animals larger than a millimeter. To fill that gap, Alisch et al. have developed a robotic system called Modular Automated Platform for Large-scale Experiments (MAPLE) that can manipulate fruit flies and other small organisms. Using gentle vacuum, MAPLE can pick up individual flies to move them from one compartment to another. These areas could be places where the insects grow or where experimental measurements are automatically gathered. Putting the robot to work, Alisch et al. used MAPLE to collect virgin female flies for genetic experiments, a common task in fruit flies laboratories. The system was also configured to load flies into arenas where their behavior could be measured. Finally, MAPLE assisted with an experiment that involved tracking the interactions of known individuals to examine if the flies exhibited social networks, and if those networks were stable. This logistically complicated experiment would have been difficult to run without the help of an automated system. Alisch et al. also show that the robot can be adjusted to work with various species often used for research, such as nematode worms, yeast, slime mould and even bumblebees. This allows the system to be useful in a range of research fields. As MAPLE fits on a table top and is fairly affordable, the hope is that it could help many scientists do their experiments faster and with greater consistency, freeing up time for creative thinking and new ideas. Ultimately, this tool could help to speed up scientific progress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tom Alisch
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - James D Crall
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,Planetary Health Alliance, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Albert B Kao
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | | | - Benjamin L de Bivort
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,FlySorter LLC, Seattle, United States
| |
Collapse
|
81
|
Lihoreau M, Gómez-Moracho T, Pasquaretta C, Costa JT, Buhl C. Social nutrition: an emerging field in insect science. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2018; 28:73-80. [PMID: 30551770 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Revised: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Nutrition is thought to be a major driver of social evolution, yet empirical support for this hypothesis is scarce. Here we illustrate how conceptual advances in nutritional ecology illuminate some of the mechanisms by which nutrition mediates social interactions in insects. We focus on experiments and models of nutritional geometry and argue that they provide a powerful means for comparing nutritional phenomena across species exhibiting various social ecologies. This approach, initially developed to study the nutritional behaviour of individual insects, has been increasingly used to study insect groups and societies, leading to the emerging field of social nutrition. We discuss future directions for exploring how these nutritional mechanisms may influence major social transitions in insects and other animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Lihoreau
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI); CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France.
| | - Tamara Gómez-Moracho
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI); CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Cristian Pasquaretta
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI); CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - James T Costa
- Highlands Biological Station, 265 N. Sixth Street, Highlands, NC 28741, USA; Department of Biology, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC 28723, USA
| | - Camille Buhl
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Southern Australia 5005, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
82
|
Yoshimizu T, Shidara H, Ashida K, Hotta K, Oka K. Effect of interactions among individuals on the chemotaxis behaviours of Caenorhabditis elegans. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.182790. [PMID: 29691312 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.182790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In many species, individual social animals interact with others in their group and change their collective behaviours. For the solitary nematode Caenorhabditis elegans strain N2, previous research suggests that individuals can change the behaviour of other worms via pheromones and mechanosensory interactions. In particular, pheromones affect foraging behaviour, so that the chemotactic behaviours of individuals in a group (population) can be modulated by interactions with other individuals in the population. To investigate this, we directly compared the chemotactic behaviours of isolated (single) worms with those of individual animals within a population. We found that worms approached an odour source in a distinct manner depending on whether they were alone or in a population. Analysis of behaviours of the N2 worm and a pheromone production-defective mutant revealed that the 'pirouette' strategy was modulated by interaction of the worms via pheromones. Thus, pheromones play an important role in the characteristic collective behaviours seen in the population condition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Toshiki Yoshimizu
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan
| | - Hisashi Shidara
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan
| | - Keita Ashida
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan
| | - Kohji Hotta
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan
| | - Kotaro Oka
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan .,Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City 807, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
83
|
Sugi T, Okumura E, Kiso K, Igarashi R. Nanoscale Mechanical Stimulation Method for Quantifying C. elegans Mechanosensory Behavior and Memory. ANAL SCI 2018; 32:1159-1164. [PMID: 27829619 DOI: 10.2116/analsci.32.1159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Withdrawal escape response of C. elegans to nonlocalized vibration is a useful behavioral paradigm to examine mechanisms underlying mechanosensory behavior and its memory-dependent change. However, there are very few methods for investigating the degree of vibration frequency, amplitude and duration needed to induce behavior and memory. Here, we establish a new system to quantify C. elegans mechanosensory behavior and memory using a piezoelectric sheet speaker. In the system, we can flexibly change the vibration properties at a nanoscale displacement level and quantify behavioral responses under each vibration property. This system is an economic setup and easily replicated in other laboratories. By using the system, we clearly detected withdrawal escape responses and confirmed habituation memory. This system will facilitate the understanding of physiological aspects of C. elegans mechanosensory behavior in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Takuma Sugi
- PRESTO, Japanese Science and Technology Agency
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
84
|
Ruland C, Berlandi J, Eikmeier K, Weinert T, Lin FJ, Ambree O, Seggewiss J, Paulus W, Jeibmann A. Decreased cerebral Irp-1B limits impact of social isolation in wild type and Alzheimer's disease modeled in Drosophila melanogaster. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2018; 17:e12451. [PMID: 29251829 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Environmental factors, such as housing conditions and cognitively stimulating activities, have been shown to affect behavioral phenotypes and to modulate neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting cognitive functions. Epidemiological evidence and experimental studies using rodent models have indicated that social interaction reduces development and progression of disease. Drosophila models of Aβ42-associated AD lead to AD-like phenotypes, such as long-term memory impairment, locomotor and survival deficits, while effects of environmental conditions on AD-associated phenotypes have not been assessed in the fly. Here, we show that single housing reduced survival and motor performance of Aβ42 expressing and control flies. Gene expression analyses of Aβ42 expressing and control flies that had been exposed to different housing conditions showed upregulation of Iron regulatory protein 1B (Irp-1B) in fly brains following single housing. Downregulating Irp-1B in neurons of single-housed Aβ42 expressing and control flies rescued both survival and motor performance deficits. Thus, we provide novel evidence that increased cerebral expression of Irp-1B may underlie worsened behavioral outcome in socially deprived flies and can additionally modulate AD-like phenotypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C Ruland
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - J Berlandi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - K Eikmeier
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - T Weinert
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - F J Lin
- Department of Biology, Coastal Carolina University, Conway, South Carolina
| | - O Ambree
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.,Department of Behavioral Biology, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - J Seggewiss
- Institute for Human Genetics, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - W Paulus
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - A Jeibmann
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
85
|
Calhoun AJ, Murthy M. Quantifying behavior to solve sensorimotor transformations: advances from worms and flies. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2017; 46:90-98. [PMID: 28850885 PMCID: PMC5765764 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2017.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2017] [Revised: 08/05/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
The development of new computational tools has recently opened up the study of natural behaviors at a precision that was previously unachievable. These tools permit a highly quantitative analysis of behavioral dynamics at timescales that are well matched to the timescales of neural activity. Here we examine how combining these methods with established techniques for estimating an animal's sensory experience presents exciting new opportunities for dissecting the sensorimotor transformations performed by the nervous system. We focus this review primarily on examples from Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster-for these model systems, computational approaches to characterize behavior, in combination with unparalleled genetic tools for neural activation, silencing, and recording, have already proven instrumental for illuminating underlying neural mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam J Calhoun
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - Mala Murthy
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| |
Collapse
|
86
|
Discrete modes of social information processing predict individual behavior of fish in a group. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:10149-10154. [PMID: 28874581 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1703817114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Individual computations and social interactions underlying collective behavior in groups of animals are of great ethological, behavioral, and theoretical interest. While complex individual behaviors have successfully been parsed into small dictionaries of stereotyped behavioral modes, studies of collective behavior largely ignored these findings; instead, their focus was on inferring single, mode-independent social interaction rules that reproduced macroscopic and often qualitative features of group behavior. Here, we bring these two approaches together to predict individual swimming patterns of adult zebrafish in a group. We show that fish alternate between an "active" mode, in which they are sensitive to the swimming patterns of conspecifics, and a "passive" mode, where they ignore them. Using a model that accounts for these two modes explicitly, we predict behaviors of individual fish with high accuracy, outperforming previous approaches that assumed a single continuous computation by individuals and simple metric or topological weighing of neighbors' behavior. At the group level, switching between active and passive modes is uncorrelated among fish, but correlated directional swimming behavior still emerges. Our quantitative approach for studying complex, multimodal individual behavior jointly with emergent group behavior is readily extensible to additional behavioral modes and their neural correlates as well as to other species.
Collapse
|
87
|
Dissection of the Drosophila neuropeptide F circuit using a high-throughput two-choice assay. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E8091-E8099. [PMID: 28874527 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1710552114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In their classic experiments, Olds and Milner showed that rats learn to lever press to receive an electric stimulus in specific brain regions. This led to the identification of mammalian reward centers. Our interest in defining the neuronal substrates of reward perception in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster prompted us to develop a simpler experimental approach wherein flies could implement behavior that induces self-stimulation of specific neurons in their brains. The high-throughput assay employs optogenetic activation of neurons when the fly occupies a specific area of a behavioral chamber, and the flies' preferential occupation of this area reflects their choosing to experience optogenetic stimulation. Flies in which neuropeptide F (NPF) neurons are activated display preference for the illuminated side of the chamber. We show that optogenetic activation of NPF neuron is rewarding in olfactory conditioning experiments and that the preference for NPF neuron activation is dependent on NPF signaling. Finally, we identify a small subset of NPF-expressing neurons located in the dorsomedial posterior brain that are sufficient to elicit preference in our assay. This assay provides the means for carrying out unbiased screens to map reward neurons in flies.
Collapse
|
88
|
Louis M, de Polavieja G. Collective Behavior: Social Digging in Drosophila Larvae. Curr Biol 2017; 27:R1010-R1012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
89
|
Dombrovski M, Poussard L, Moalem K, Kmecova L, Hogan N, Schott E, Vaccari A, Acton S, Condron B. Cooperative Behavior Emerges among Drosophila Larvae. Curr Biol 2017; 27:2821-2826.e2. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.07.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Revised: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
|
90
|
Jezovit JA, Levine JD, Schneider J. Phylogeny, environment and sexual communication across the Drosophila genus. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 220:42-52. [PMID: 28057827 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.143008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Social behaviour emerges from the local environment but is constrained by the animal's life history and its evolutionary lineage. In this perspective, we consider the genus Drosophila and provide an overview of how these constraints can shape how individuals interact. Our focus is restricted to visual and chemical signals and how their use varies across species during courtship - currently the only social behaviour well-studied across many Drosophila species. We broadly categorize species into four climatic groups - cosmopolitan, tropical, temperate and arid - which serve as discussion points as we review comparative behavioural and physiological studies and relate them to the abiotic conditions of a species environment. We discuss how the physiological and behavioural differences among many fly species may reflect life history differences as much as, or even more than, differences in phylogeny. This perspective serves not only to summarize what has been studied across drosophilids, but also to identify questions and outline gaps in the literature worth pursuing for progressing the understanding of behavioural evolution in Drosophila.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob A Jezovit
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L1C6
| | - Joel D Levine
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L1C6
| | - Jonathan Schneider
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L1C6
| |
Collapse
|
91
|
A Defensive Kicking Behavior in Response to Mechanical Stimuli Mediated by Drosophila Wing Margin Bristles. J Neurosci 2017; 36:11275-11282. [PMID: 27807168 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1416-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanosensation, one of the fastest sensory modalities, mediates diverse behaviors including those pertinent for survival. It is important to understand how mechanical stimuli trigger defensive behaviors. Here, we report that Drosophila melanogaster adult flies exhibit a kicking response against invading parasitic mites over their wing margin with ultrafast speed and high spatial precision. Mechanical stimuli that mimic the mites' movement evoke a similar kicking behavior. Further, we identified a TRPV channel, Nanchung, and a specific Nanchung-expressing neuron under each recurved bristle that forms an array along the wing margin as being essential sensory components for this behavior. Our electrophysiological recordings demonstrated that the mechanosensitivity of recurved bristles requires Nanchung and Nanchung-expressing neurons. Together, our results reveal a novel neural mechanism for innate defensive behavior through mechanosensation. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We discovered a previously unknown function for recurved bristles on the Drosophila melanogaster wing. We found that when a mite (a parasitic pest for Drosophila) touches the wing margin, the fly initiates a swift and accurate kick to remove the mite. The fly head is dispensable for this behavior. Furthermore, we found that a TRPV channel, Nanchung, and a specific Nanchung-expressing neuron under each recurved bristle are essential for its mechanosensitivity and the kicking behavior. In addition, touching different regions of the wing margin elicits kicking directed precisely at the stimulated region. Our experiments suggest that recurved bristles allow the fly to sense the presence of objects by touch to initiate a defensive behavior (perhaps analogous to touch-evoked scratching; Akiyama et al., 2012).
Collapse
|
92
|
Abstract
Neurons allocated to sense organs respond rapidly to mechanical signals dictating behavioral responses at the organism level. The receptors that transduce these signals, and underlie these senses, are mechanically gated channels. Research on mechanosensation over the past decade, employing in many cases Drosophila as a model, has focused in typifying these receptors and in exploring the different ways, depending on context, in which these mechanosensors are modulated. In this review, we discuss first what we have learned from Drosophila on these mechanisms and we describe the different mechanosensory organs present in the Drosophila larvae and adult. Secondly, we focus on the progress obtained by studying the fly on the characterization of the mechanosensory crosstalk underlying complex behaviors like motor coordination. Finally, turning to a cellular level, we summarize what is known on the mechanical properties and sensing capabilities of neural cells and how they may affect neural physiology and pathology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Karkali
- Instituto de Biología Molecular de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Parc Cientific de Barcelona, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Enrique Martin-Blanco
- Instituto de Biología Molecular de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Parc Cientific de Barcelona, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
93
|
Sánchez-Alcañiz JA, Benton R. Multisensory neural integration of chemical and mechanical signals. Bioessays 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/bies.201700060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Antonio Sánchez-Alcañiz
- Faculty of Biology and Medicine; Center for Integrative Genomics; Génopode Building; University of Lausanne; Lausanne CH-1015 Switzerland
| | - Richard Benton
- Faculty of Biology and Medicine; Center for Integrative Genomics; Génopode Building; University of Lausanne; Lausanne CH-1015 Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
94
|
Lee S, Kim YJ, Jones WD. Central peptidergic modulation of peripheral olfactory responses. BMC Biol 2017; 15:35. [PMID: 28476120 PMCID: PMC5420127 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-017-0374-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Animal olfactory systems detect volatile environmental chemicals and integrate this information to direct the discovery of food and mates as well as danger avoidance. Rather than remaining constant, olfactory response thresholds are modulated by internal and external cues to adapt odor-guided behaviors to changing conditions. Results Here, we show in Drosophila melanogaster that neuropeptide F (NPF) modulates the responses of a specific population of antennal olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) to food-derived odors. We show that knock-down of NPF in NPF neurons specifically reduces the responses of the ab3A neurons to ethyl butyrate, a volatile ester found in apples and other fruits. Knock-down of the NPF receptor (NPFR) in the ab3A neuron reduces their responses and disrupts the ability of the flies to locate food. We also identify a sexual dimorphism in ab3A responsiveness: ab3A neurons in females immediately post-eclosion are less responsive to ethyl butyrate than those of both age-matched males and older females. Not only does this change correlate with brain NPF levels, but also NPFR mutants show no such sexual dimorphism. Finally, by way of mechanism, we show that mutation of NPFR seems to cause intracellular clustering of OR22a, the odorant receptor expressed in the ab3A neurons. Conclusions Interestingly, this modulation of the peripheral odorant responsiveness of the ab3A neurons by NPF is distinct from the modulation of presynaptic gain in the ab3A neurons previously observed with the similarly named but distinct neuropeptide sNPF. Rather than affecting the strength of the output at the level of the first synapse in the antennal lobe, NPF-NPFR signaling may affect the process of odorant detection itself by causing intracellular OR clustering. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12915-017-0374-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sion Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Young-Joon Kim
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Walton D Jones
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, South Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
95
|
Sen R, Wu M, Branson K, Robie A, Rubin GM, Dickson BJ. Moonwalker Descending Neurons Mediate Visually Evoked Retreat in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2017; 27:766-771. [PMID: 28238656 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2016] [Revised: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Insects, like most animals, tend to steer away from imminent threats [1-7]. Drosophila melanogaster, for example, generally initiate an escape take-off in response to a looming visual stimulus, mimicking a potential predator [8]. The escape response to a visual threat is, however, flexible [9-12] and can alternatively consist of walking backward away from the perceived threat [11], which may be a more effective response to ambush predators such as nymphal praying mantids [7]. Flexibility in escape behavior may also add an element of unpredictability that makes it difficult for predators to anticipate or learn the prey's likely response [3-6]. Whereas the fly's escape jump has been well studied [8, 9, 13-18], the neuronal underpinnings of evasive walking remain largely unexplored. We previously reported the identification of a cluster of descending neurons-the moonwalker descending neurons (MDNs)-the activity of which is necessary and sufficient to trigger backward walking [19], as well as a population of visual projection neurons-the lobula columnar 16 (LC16) cells-that respond to looming visual stimuli and elicit backward walking and turning [11]. Given the similarity of their activation phenotypes, we hypothesized that LC16 neurons induce backward walking via MDNs and that turning while walking backward might reflect asymmetric activation of the left and right MDNs. Here, we present data from functional imaging, behavioral epistasis, and unilateral activation experiments that support these hypotheses. We conclude that LC16 and MDNs are critical components of the neural circuit that transduces threatening visual stimuli into directional locomotor output.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rajyashree Sen
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Ming Wu
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Kristin Branson
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Alice Robie
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Gerald M Rubin
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Barry J Dickson
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
96
|
Ramdya P, Thandiackal R, Cherney R, Asselborn T, Benton R, Ijspeert AJ, Floreano D. Climbing favours the tripod gait over alternative faster insect gaits. Nat Commun 2017; 8:14494. [PMID: 28211509 PMCID: PMC5321742 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2016] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
To escape danger or catch prey, running vertebrates rely on dynamic gaits with minimal ground contact. By contrast, most insects use a tripod gait that maintains at least three legs on the ground at any given time. One prevailing hypothesis for this difference in fast locomotor strategies is that tripod locomotion allows insects to rapidly navigate three-dimensional terrain. To test this, we computationally discovered fast locomotor gaits for a model based on Drosophila melanogaster. Indeed, the tripod gait emerges to the exclusion of many other possible gaits when optimizing fast upward climbing with leg adhesion. By contrast, novel two-legged bipod gaits are fastest on flat terrain without adhesion in the model and in a hexapod robot. Intriguingly, when adhesive leg structures in real Drosophila are covered, animals exhibit atypical bipod-like leg coordination. We propose that the requirement to climb vertical terrain may drive the prevalence of the tripod gait over faster alternative gaits with minimal ground contact. Numerous selective forces shape animal locomotion patterns and as a result, different animals evolved to use different gaits. Here, Ramdya et al. use live and in silico Drosophila, as well as an insect-model robot, to gain insights into the conditions that promote the ubiquitous tripod gait observed in most insects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pavan Ramdya
- Laboratory of Intelligent Systems, Institute of Microengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland.,Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Robin Thandiackal
- Biorobotics Laboratory, Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Raphael Cherney
- Laboratory of Intelligent Systems, Institute of Microengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Thibault Asselborn
- Laboratory of Intelligent Systems, Institute of Microengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Richard Benton
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Auke Jan Ijspeert
- Biorobotics Laboratory, Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Dario Floreano
- Laboratory of Intelligent Systems, Institute of Microengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
97
|
A mechanosensory receptor required for food texture detection in Drosophila. Nat Commun 2017; 8:14192. [PMID: 28128210 PMCID: PMC5290141 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Textural properties provide information on the ingestibility, digestibility and state of ripeness or decay of sources of nutrition. Compared with our understanding of the chemosensory assessment of food, little is known about the mechanisms of texture detection. Here we show that Drosophila melanogaster can discriminate food texture, avoiding substrates that are either too hard or too soft. Manipulations of food substrate properties and flies' chemosensory inputs indicate that texture preferences are revealed only in the presence of an appetitive stimulus, but are not because of changes in nutrient accessibility, suggesting that animals discriminate the substrates' mechanical characteristics. We show that texture preference requires NOMPC, a TRP-family mechanosensory channel. NOMPC localizes to the sensory dendrites of neurons housed within gustatory sensilla, and is essential for their mechanosensory-evoked responses. Our results identify a sensory pathway for texture detection and reveal the behavioural integration of chemical and physical qualities of food.
Collapse
|
98
|
Anderson BB, Scott A, Dukas R. Indirect genetic effects on the sociability of several group members. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
|
99
|
Bode NWF, Sutton A, Lacey L, Fennell JG, Leonards U. A method for detecting characteristic patterns in social interactions with an application to handover interactions. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:160694. [PMID: 28280570 PMCID: PMC5319336 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Social interactions are a defining behavioural trait of social animals. Discovering characteristic patterns in the display of such behaviour is one of the fundamental endeavours in behavioural biology and psychology, as this promises to facilitate the general understanding, classification, prediction and even automation of social interactions. We present a novel approach to study characteristic patterns, including both sequential and synchronous actions in social interactions. The key concept in our analysis is to represent social interactions as sequences of behavioural states and to focus on changes in behavioural states shown by individuals rather than on the duration for which they are displayed. We extend techniques from data mining and bioinformatics to detect frequent patterns in these sequences and to assess how these patterns vary across individuals or changes in interaction tasks. To illustrate our approach and to demonstrate its potential, we apply it to novel data on a simple physical interaction, where one person hands a cup to another person. Our findings advance the understanding of handover interactions, a benchmark scenario for social interactions. More generally, we suggest that our approach permits a general perspective for studying social interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nikolai W. F. Bode
- Department of Engineering Mathematics, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UB, UK
- Author for correspondence: Nikolai W. F. Bode e-mail:
| | - Andrew Sutton
- School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TU, UK
| | - Lindsey Lacey
- School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TU, UK
| | - John G. Fennell
- School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TU, UK
| | - Ute Leonards
- School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TU, UK
| |
Collapse
|
100
|
Ramdya P, Schneider J, Levine JD. The neurogenetics of group behavior in Drosophila melanogaster. J Exp Biol 2017; 220:35-41. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.141457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Organisms rarely act in isolation. Their decisions and movements are often heavily influenced by direct and indirect interactions with conspecifics. For example, we each represent a single node within a social network of family and friends, and an even larger network of strangers. This group membership can affect our opinions and actions. Similarly, when in a crowd, we often coordinate our movements with others like fish in a school, or birds in a flock. Contributions of the group to individual behaviors are observed across a wide variety of taxa but their biological mechanisms remain largely unknown. With the advent of powerful computational tools as well as the unparalleled genetic accessibility and surprisingly rich social life of Drosophila melanogaster, researchers now have a unique opportunity to investigate molecular and neuronal determinants of group behavior. Conserved mechanisms and/or selective pressures in D. melanogaster can likely inform a much wider phylogenetic scale. Here, we highlight two examples to illustrate how quantitative and genetic tools can be combined to uncover mechanisms of two group behaviors in D. melanogaster: social network formation and collective behavior. Lastly, we discuss future challenges towards a full understanding how coordinated brain activity across many individuals gives rise to the behavioral patterns of animal societies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pavan Ramdya
- Department of Biology and Bioengineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91106, USA
| | - Jonathan Schneider
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, CanadaL5L1C6
| | - Joel D. Levine
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, CanadaL5L1C6
| |
Collapse
|