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Liu X, Yang S, Sun L, Xie G, Chen W, Liu Y, Wang G, Yin X, Zhao X. Distribution and Organization of Descending Neurons in the Brain of Adult Helicoverpa armigera (Insecta). INSECTS 2023; 14:63. [PMID: 36661991 PMCID: PMC9862761 DOI: 10.3390/insects14010063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The descending neurons (DNs) of insects connect the brain and thoracic ganglia and play a key role in controlling insect behaviors. Here, a comprehensive investigation of the distribution and organization of the DNs in the brain of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) was made by using backfilling from the neck connective combined with immunostaining techniques. The maximum number of DN somata labeled in H. armigera was about 980 in males and 840 in females, indicating a sexual difference in DNs. All somata of DNs in H. armigera were classified into six different clusters, and the cluster of DNd was only found in males. The processes of stained neurons in H. armigera were mainly found in the ventral central brain, including in the posterior slope, ventral lateral protocerebrum, lateral accessory lobe, antennal mechanosensory and motor center, gnathal ganglion and other small periesophageal neuropils. These results indicate that the posterior ventral part of the brain is vital for regulating locomotion in insects. These findings provide a detailed description of DNs in the brain that could contribute to investigations on the neural mechanism of moth behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolan Liu
- Henan International Joint Laboratory of Green Pest Control, College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Shufang Yang
- Henan International Joint Laboratory of Green Pest Control, College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Longlong Sun
- Henan International Joint Laboratory of Green Pest Control, College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Guiying Xie
- Henan International Joint Laboratory of Green Pest Control, College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Wenbo Chen
- Henan International Joint Laboratory of Green Pest Control, College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Guirong Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Xinming Yin
- Henan International Joint Laboratory of Green Pest Control, College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Xincheng Zhao
- Henan International Joint Laboratory of Green Pest Control, College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
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Honkanen A, Saari P, Takalo J, Heimonen K, Weckström M. The role of ocelli in cockroach optomotor performance. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 204:231-243. [PMID: 29192330 PMCID: PMC5799336 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1235-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Revised: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Insect ocelli are relatively simple eyes that have been assigned various functions not related to pictorial vision. In some species they function as sensors of ambient light intensity, from which information is relayed to various parts of the nervous system, e.g., for the control of circadian rhythms. In this work we have investigated the possibility that the ocellar light stimulation changes the properties of the optomotor performance of the cockroach Periplaneta americana. We used a virtual reality environment where a panoramic moving image is presented to the cockroach while its movements are recorded with a trackball. Previously we have shown that the optomotor reaction of the cockroach persists down to the intensity of moonless night sky, equivalent to less than 0.1 photons/s being absorbed by each compound eye photoreceptor. By occluding the compound eyes, the ocelli, or both, we show that the ocellar stimulation can change the intensity dependence of the optomotor reaction, indicating involvement of the ocellar visual system in the information processing of movement. We also measured the cuticular transmission, which, although relatively large, is unlikely to contribute profoundly to ocellar function, but may be significant in determining the mean activity level of completely blinded cockroaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Honkanen
- Nano and Molecular Systems Research Unit, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, 90014, Oulu, Finland. .,Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Paulus Saari
- Nano and Molecular Systems Research Unit, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Jouni Takalo
- Nano and Molecular Systems Research Unit, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, 90014, Oulu, Finland.,Centre for Cognition in Small Brains, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Kyösti Heimonen
- Nano and Molecular Systems Research Unit, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Matti Weckström
- Nano and Molecular Systems Research Unit, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
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Hsu CT, Bhandawat V. Organization of descending neurons in Drosophila melanogaster. Sci Rep 2016; 6:20259. [PMID: 26837716 PMCID: PMC4738306 DOI: 10.1038/srep20259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/31/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural processing in the brain controls behavior through descending neurons (DNs) - neurons which carry signals from the brain to the spinal cord (or thoracic ganglia in insects). Because DNs arise from multiple circuits in the brain, the numerical simplicity and availability of genetic tools make Drosophila a tractable model for understanding descending motor control. As a first step towards a comprehensive study of descending motor control, here we estimate the number and distribution of DNs in the Drosophila brain. We labeled DNs by backfilling them with dextran dye applied to the neck connective and estimated that there are ~1100 DNs distributed in 6 clusters in Drosophila. To assess the distribution of DNs by neurotransmitters, we labeled DNs in flies in which neurons expressing the major neurotransmitters were also labeled. We found DNs belonging to every neurotransmitter class we tested: acetylcholine, GABA, glutamate, serotonin, dopamine and octopamine. Both the major excitatory neurotransmitter (acetylcholine) and the major inhibitory neurotransmitter (GABA) are employed equally; this stands in contrast to vertebrate DNs which are predominantly excitatory. By comparing the distribution of DNs in Drosophila to those reported previously in other insects, we conclude that the organization of DNs in insects is highly conserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia T Hsu
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.,Deparment of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Vikas Bhandawat
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.,Deparment of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.,Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
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Harley CM, English BA, Ritzmann RE. Characterization of obstacle negotiation behaviors in the cockroach, Blaberus discoidalis. J Exp Biol 2009; 212:1463-76. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.028381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Within natural environments, animals must be able to respond to a wide range of obstacles in their path. Such responses require sensory information to facilitate appropriate and effective motor behaviors. The objective of this study was to characterize sensors involved in the complex control of obstacle negotiation behaviors in the cockroach Blaberus discoidalis. Previous studies suggest that antennae are involved in obstacle detection and negotiation behaviors. During climbing attempts, cockroaches swing their front leg that then either successfully reaches the top of the block or misses. The success of these climbing attempts was dependent on their distance from the obstacle. Cockroaches with shortened antennae were closer to the obstacle prior to climbing than controls, suggesting that distance was related to antennal length. Removing the antennal flagellum resulted in delays in obstacle detection and changes in climbing strategy from targeted limb movements to less directed attempts. A more complex scenario – a shelf that the cockroach could either climb over or tunnel under – allowed us to further examine the role of sensory involvement in path selection. Ultimately, antennae contacting the top of the shelf led to climbing whereas contact on the underside led to tunneling However, in the light, cockroaches were biased toward tunnelling; a bias which was absent in the dark. Selective covering of visual structures suggested that this context was determined by the ocelli.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. M. Harley
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - B. A. English
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - R. E. Ritzmann
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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Homberg U. Evolution of the central complex in the arthropod brain with respect to the visual system. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2008; 37:347-362. [PMID: 18502176 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2008.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2006] [Revised: 12/19/2007] [Accepted: 01/03/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Modular midline neuropils, termed arcuate body (Chelicerata, Onychophora) or central body (Myriapoda, Crustacea, Insecta), are a prominent feature of the arthropod brain. In insects and crayfish, the central body is connected to a second midline-spanning neuropil, the protocerebral bridge. Both structures are collectively termed central complex. While some investigators have assumed that central and arcuate bodies are homologous, others have questioned this view. Stimulated by recent evidence for a role of the central complex in polarization vision and object recognition, the architectures of midline neuropils and their associations with the visual system were compared across panarthropods. In chelicerates and onychophorans, second-order neuropils subserving the median eyes are associated with the arcuate body. The central complex of decapods and insects, instead, receives indirect input from the lateral (compound) eye visual system, and connections with median eye (ocellar) projections are present. Together with other characters these data are consistent with a common origin of arcuate bodies and central complexes from an ancestral modular midline neuropil but, depending on the choice of characters, the protocerebral bridge or the central body shows closer affinity with the arcuate body. A possible common role of midline neuropils in azimuth-dependent sensory and motor tasks is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uwe Homberg
- Fachbereich Biologie, Tierphysiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Strass8, D-35032 Marburg, Germany.
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Parsons MM, Krapp HG, Laughlin SB. A motion-sensitive neurone responds to signals from the two visual systems of the blowfly, the compound eyes and ocelli. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007; 209:4464-74. [PMID: 17079717 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.02560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In the blowfly Calliphora vicina, lobula plate tangential cells (LPTCs) estimate self-motion by integrating local motion information from the compound eyes. Each LPTC is sensitive to a particular (preferred) rotation of the fly's head. The fly can also sense rotation using its three ocelli (simple eyes), by comparing the light intensities measured at each ocellus. We report that an individually identified tangential cell, V1, responds in an apparently rotation-specific manner to stimulation of the ocelli. This effect was seen with or without additional stimulation of the compound eye. We delivered stimuli to the ocelli which mimicked rotation of the fly's head close to that of the preferred axis of rotation of V1. Alternating between preferred and anti-preferred rotation elicited a strongly phasic response, the amplitude of which increased with the rate of change of light intensity at the ocelli. With combined stimulation of one compound eye and the ocelli, V1 displayed a robust response to ocellar stimuli over its entire response range. These findings provide the opportunity to study quantitatively the interactions of two different visual mechanisms which both encode the same variable--the animal's rotation in space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew M Parsons
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK.
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Hong ST, Bang S, Paik D, Kang J, Hwang S, Jeon K, Chun B, Hyun S, Lee Y, Kim J. Histamine and its receptors modulate temperature-preference behaviors in Drosophila. J Neurosci 2006; 26:7245-56. [PMID: 16822982 PMCID: PMC6673956 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5426-05.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Temperature profoundly influences various life phenomena, and most animals have developed mechanisms to respond properly to environmental temperature fluctuations. To identify genes involved in sensing ambient temperature and in responding to its change, >27,000 independent P-element insertion mutants of Drosophila were screened. As a result, we found that defects in the genes encoding for proteins involved in histamine signaling [histidine decarboxylase (hdc), histamine-gated chloride channel subunit 1 (hisCl1), ora transientless (ort)] cause abnormal temperature preferences. The abnormal preferences shown in these mutants were restored by genetic and pharmacological rescue and could be reproduced in wild type using the histamine receptor inhibitors cimetidine and hydroxyzine. Spatial expression of these genes was observed in various brain regions including pars intercerebralis, fan-shaped body, and circadian clock neurons but not in dTRPA1-expressing neurons, an essential element for thermotaxis. We also found that the histaminergic mutants showed reduced tolerance for high temperature and enhanced tolerance for cold temperature. Together, these results suggest that histamine signaling may have important roles in modulating temperature preference and in controlling tolerance of low and high temperature.
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Okada R, Sakura M, Mizunami M. Distribution of dendrites of descending neurons and its implications for the basic organization of the cockroach brain. J Comp Neurol 2003; 458:158-74. [PMID: 12596256 DOI: 10.1002/cne.10580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
To determine precisely the brain areas from which descending neurons (DNs) originate, we examined the distribution of somata and dendrites of DNs in the cockroach brain by retrogradely filling their axons from the cervical connective. At least 235 pairs of somata of DNs were stained, and most of these were grouped into 22 clusters. Their dendrites were distributed in most brain areas, including lateral and medial protocerebra, which are major termination areas of output neurons of the mushroom body, but not in the optic and antennal lobes, the mushroom body, the central complex, or the posteroventral part of the lateral horn. The last area is the termination area of major types of olfactory projection neurons from the antennal lobe, i.e., uni- and macroglomerular projection neurons, so these neurons have no direct connections with DNs. The distribution of axon terminals of ascending neurons overlaps with that of DN dendrites. We propose, based on these findings, that there are numerous parallel processing streams from cephalic sensory areas to thoracic locomotory centers, many of which are via premotor brain areas from which DNs originate. In addition, outputs from the mushroom body, central complex, and posteroventral part of the lateral horn converge on some of the premotor areas, presumably to modulate the activity of some sensorimotor pathways. We propose, based on our results and documented findings, that many parallel processing streams function in various forms of reflexive and relatively stereotyped behaviors, whereas indirect pathways govern some forms of experience-dependent modification of behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryuichi Okada
- Laboratory of Neuro-Cybernetics, Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
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Simmons PJ. Signal processing in a simple visual system: the locust ocellar system and its synapses. Microsc Res Tech 2002; 56:270-80. [PMID: 11877802 DOI: 10.1002/jemt.10030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The neurons with the widest axons that carry information into a locust brain belong to L-neurons, the large, second-order neurons of the ocelli. L-neurons play roles in flight control and boosting visual sensitivity. Their morphology is simple, and their axons convey graded potentials from the ocellus with little decrement to the brain, which makes them good subjects in which to study transmission of graded potentials. L-neurons are very sensitive to changes in light, due to an abnormally high gain in the sign inverting synapses they receive from photoreceptors. Adaptation ensures that L-neurons signal contrast in a light signal when average light intensity changes, and that their responses depend on the speed of change in light. Neurons L1-3 make excitatory output synapses with third-order neurons and with L4-5. These synapses transmit tonically, but are unable to convey hyperpolarising signals about large increases in light. Graded rebound spikes enhance depolarising responses. L1-3 also make reciprocal inhibitory synapses with each other and transmission at these decrements so rapidly that it normally requires a presynaptic spike. The resolution with which graded potentials can be transferred has been studied at the inhibitory synapses, and is limited by intrinsic variability in the mechanism that determines neurotransmitter release. Electron microscopy has shown that each excitatory connection made from an L-neuron to a postsynaptic partner consists of thousands of discrete synaptic contacts, in which individual dense-staining bars in the presynaptic neuron are associated with clouds of vesicles. Acetylcholine is likely to be a neurotransmitter released by L-neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Simmons
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, United Kingdom.
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Renn SCP, Armstrong JD, Yang M, Wang Z, An X, Kaiser K, Taghert PH. Genetic analysis of theDrosophila ellipsoid body neuropil: Organization and development of the central complex. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1999. [DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-4695(19991105)41:2<189::aid-neu3>3.0.co;2-q] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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