Lobula plate and ocellar interneurons converge onto a cluster of descending neurons leading to neck and leg motor neuropil in Calliphora erythrocephala

Organization of an ascending circuit that conveys flight motor state in Drosophila

Natural behaviors are a coordinated symphony of motor acts that drive reafferent (self-induced) sensory activation. Individual sensors cannot disambiguate exafferent (externally induced) from reafferent sources. Nevertheless, animals readily differentiate between these sources of sensory signals to carry out adaptive behaviors through corollary discharge circuits (CDCs), which provide predictive motor signals from motor pathways to sensory processing and other motor pathways. Yet, how CDCs comprehensively integrate into the nervous system remains unexplored. Here, we use connectomics, neuroanatomical, physiological, and behavioral approaches to resolve the network architecture of two pairs of ascending histaminergic neurons (AHNs) in Drosophila, which function as a predictive CDC in other insects. Both AHN pairs receive input primarily from a partially overlapping population of descending neurons, especially from DNg02, which controls wing motor output. Using Ca2+ imaging and behavioral recordings, we show that AHN activation is correlated to flight behavior and precedes wing motion. Optogenetic activation of DNg02 is sufficient to activate AHNs, indicating that AHNs are activated by descending commands in advance of behavior and not as a consequence of sensory input. Downstream, each AHN pair targets predominantly non-overlapping networks, including those that process visual, auditory, and mechanosensory information, as well as networks controlling wing, haltere, and leg sensorimotor control. These results support the conclusion that the AHNs provide a predictive motor signal about wing motor state to mostly non-overlapping sensory and motor networks. Future work will determine how AHN signaling is driven by other descending neurons and interpreted by AHN downstream targets to maintain adaptive sensorimotor performance.

Anatomical organization of the cerebrum of the praying mantis Hierodula membranacea

Many predatory animals, such as the praying mantis, use vision for prey detection and capture. Mantises are known in particular for their capability to estimate distances to prey by stereoscopic vision. While the initial visual processing centers have been extensively documented, we lack knowledge on the architecture of central brain regions, pivotal for sensory motor transformation and higher brain functions. To close this gap, we provide a three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of the central brain of the Asian mantis, Hierodula membranacea. The atlas facilitates in-depth analysis of neuron ramification regions and aides in elucidating potential neuronal pathways. We integrated seven 3D-reconstructed visual interneurons into the atlas. In total, 42 distinct neuropils of the cerebrum were reconstructed based on synapsin-immunolabeled whole-mount brains. Backfills from the antenna and maxillary palps, as well as immunolabeling of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), further substantiate the identification and boundaries of brain areas. The composition and internal organization of the neuropils were compared to the anatomical organization of the brain of the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) and the two available brain atlases of Polyneoptera-the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) and the Madeira cockroach (Rhyparobia maderae). This study paves the way for detailed analyses of neuronal circuitry and promotes cross-species brain comparisons. We discuss differences in brain organization between holometabolous and polyneopteran insects. Identification of ramification sites of the visual neurons integrated into the atlas supports previous claims about homologous structures in the optic lobes of flies and mantises.

The motor apparatus of head movements in the Oleander hawkmoth (Daphnis nerii, Lepidoptera)

Head movements of insects play a vital role in diverse locomotory behaviors including flying and walking. Because insect eyes move minimally within their sockets, their head movements are essential to reduce visual blur and maintain a stable gaze. As in most vertebrates, gaze stabilization behavior in insects requires the integration of both visual and mechanosensory feedback by the neck motor neurons. Although visual feedback is derived from the optic flow over the retina of their compound eyes, mechanosensory feedback is derived from their organs of balance, similar to the vestibular system in vertebrates. In Diptera, vestibular feedback is derived from the halteres-modified hindwings that evolved into mechanosensory organs-and is integrated with visual feedback to actuate compensatory head movements. However, non-Dipteran insects, including Lepidoptera, lack halteres. In these insects, vestibular feedback is obtained from the antennal Johnston's organs but it is not well-understood how it integrates with visual feedback during head movements. Indeed, although head movements are well-studied in flies, the underlying motor apparatus in non-Dipteran taxa has received relatively less attention. As a first step toward understanding compensatory head movements in the Oleander hawkmoth Daphnis nerii, we image the anatomy and architecture of their neck joint sclerites and muscles using X-ray microtomography, and the associated motor neurons using fluorescent dye fills and confocal microscopy. Based on these morphological data, we propose testable hypotheses about the putative function of specific neck muscles during head movements, which can shed light on their role in neck movements and gaze stabilization.

A look into feedback neural computation upon collision selectivity

Physiological studies have shown that a group of locust's lobula giant movement detectors (LGMDs) has a diversity of collision selectivity to approaching objects, relatively darker or brighter than their backgrounds in cluttered environments. Such diversity of collision selectivity can serve locusts to escape from attack by natural enemies, and migrate in swarm free of collision. For computational studies, endeavours have been made to realize the diverse selectivity which, however, is still one of the most challenging tasks especially in complex and dynamic real world scenarios. The existing models are mainly formulated as multi-layered neural networks with merely feed-forward information processing, and do not take into account the effect of re-entrant signals in feedback loop, which is an essential regulatory loop for motion perception, yet never been explored in looming perception. In this paper, we inaugurate feedback neural computation for constructing a new LGMD-based model, named F-LGMD to look into the efficacy upon implementing different collision selectivity. Accordingly, the proposed neural network model features both feed-forward processing and feedback loop. The feedback control propagates output signals of parallel ON/OFF channels back into their starting neurons, thus makes part of the feed-forward neural network, i.e. the ON/OFF channels and the feedback loop form an iterative cycle system. Moreover, the feedback control is instantaneous, which leads to the existence of a fixed point whereby the fixed point theorem is applied to rigorously derive valid range of feedback coefficients. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, we conduct systematic experiments covering synthetic and natural collision datasets, and also online robotic tests. The experimental results show that the F-LGMD, with a unified network, can fulfil the diverse collision selectivity revealed in physiology, which not only reduces considerably the handcrafted parameters compared to previous studies, but also offers a both efficient and robust scheme for collision perception through feedback neural computation.

Organization of an Ascending Circuit that Conveys Flight Motor State

Natural behaviors are a coordinated symphony of motor acts which drive self-induced or reafferent sensory activation. Single sensors only signal presence and magnitude of a sensory cue; they cannot disambiguate exafferent (externally-induced) from reafferent sources. Nevertheless, animals readily differentiate between these sources of sensory signals to make appropriate decisions and initiate adaptive behavioral outcomes. This is mediated by predictive motor signaling mechanisms, which emanate from motor control pathways to sensory processing pathways, but how predictive motor signaling circuits function at the cellular and synaptic level is poorly understood. We use a variety of techniques, including connectomics from both male and female electron microscopy volumes, transcriptomics, neuroanatomical, physiological and behavioral approaches to resolve the network architecture of two pairs of ascending histaminergic neurons (AHNs), which putatively provide predictive motor signals to several sensory and motor neuropil. Both AHN pairs receive input primarily from an overlapping population of descending neurons, many of which drive wing motor output. The two AHN pairs target almost exclusively non-overlapping downstream neural networks including those that process visual, auditory and mechanosensory information as well as networks coordinating wing, haltere, and leg motor output. These results support the conclusion that the AHN pairs multi-task, integrating a large amount of common input, then tile their output in the brain, providing predictive motor signals to non-overlapping sensory networks affecting motor control both directly and indirectly.

Ocellar spatial vision in Myrmecia ants

In addition to compound eyes, insects possess simple eyes known as ocelli. Input from the ocelli modulates optomotor responses, flight-time initiation, and phototactic responses - behaviours that are mediated predominantly by the compound eyes. In this study, using pattern electroretinography (pERG), we investigated the contribution of the compound eyes to ocellar spatial vision in the diurnal Australian bull ant Myrmecia tarsata by measuring the contrast sensitivity and spatial resolving power of the ocellar second-order neurons under various occlusion conditions. Furthermore, in four species of Myrmecia ants active at different times of the day, and in European honeybee Apis mellifera, we characterized the ocellar visual properties when both visual systems were available. Among the ants, we found that the time of activity had no significant effect on ocellar spatial vision. Comparing day-active ants and the honeybee, we did not find any significant effect of locomotion on ocellar spatial vision. In M. tarsata, when the compound eyes were occluded, the amplitude of the pERG signal from the ocelli was reduced 3 times compared with conditions when the compound eyes were available. The signal from the compound eyes maintained the maximum contrast sensitivity of the ocelli as 13 (7.7%), and the spatial resolving power as 0.29 cycles deg-1. We conclude that ocellar spatial vison improves significantly with input from the compound eyes, with a noticeably larger improvement in contrast sensitivity than in spatial resolving power.

Persistent Firing and Adaptation in Optic-Flow-Sensitive Descending Neurons

A general principle of sensory systems is that they adapt to prolonged stimulation by reducing their response over time. Indeed, in many visual systems, including higher-order motion sensitive neurons in the fly optic lobes and the mammalian visual cortex, a reduction in neural activity following prolonged stimulation occurs. In contrast to this phenomenon, the response of the motor system controlling flight maneuvers persists following the offset of visual motion. It has been suggested that this gap is caused by a lingering calcium signal in the output synapses of fly optic lobe neurons. However, whether this directly affects the responses of the post-synaptic descending neurons, leading to the observed behavioral output, is not known. We use extracellular electrophysiology to record from optic-flow-sensitive descending neurons in response to prolonged wide-field stimulation. We find that, as opposed to most sensory and visual neurons, and in particular to the motion vision sensitive neurons in the brains of both flies and mammals, the descending neurons show little adaption during stimulus motion. In addition, we find that the optic-flow-sensitive descending neurons display persistent firing, or an after-effect, following the cessation of visual stimulation, consistent with the lingering calcium signal hypothesis. However, if the difference in after-effect is compensated for, subsequent presentation of stimuli in a test-adapt-test paradigm reveals adaptation to visual motion. Our results thus show a combination of adaptation and persistent firing in the neurons that project to the thoracic ganglia and thereby control behavioral output.

Visual motion sensitivity in descending neurons in the hoverfly

Many animals use motion vision information to control dynamic behaviors. For example, flying insects must decide whether to pursue a prey or not, to avoid a predator, to maintain their current flight trajectory, or to land. The neural mechanisms underlying the computation of visual motion have been particularly well investigated in the fly optic lobes. However, the descending neurons, which connect the optic lobes with the motor command centers of the ventral nerve cord, remain less studied. To address this deficiency, we describe motion vision sensitive descending neurons in the hoverfly Eristalis tenax. We describe how the neurons can be identified based on their receptive field properties, and how they respond to moving targets, looming stimuli and to widefield optic flow. We discuss their similarities with previously published visual neurons, in the optic lobes and ventral nerve cord, and suggest that they can be classified as target-selective, looming sensitive and optic flow sensitive, based on these similarities. Our results highlight the importance of using several visual stimuli as the neurons can rarely be identified based on only one response characteristic. In addition, they provide an understanding of the neurophysiology of visual neurons that are likely to affect behavior.

Neuroarchitecture of the central complex of the desert locust: Tangential neurons

The central complex (CX) comprises a group of midline neuropils in the insect brain, consisting of the protocerebral bridge (PB), the upper (CBU) and lower division (CBL) of the central body and a pair of globular noduli. It receives prominent input from the visual system and plays a major role in spatial orientation of the animals. Vertical slices and horizontal layers of the CX are formed by columnar, tangential, and pontine neurons. While pontine and columnar neurons have been analyzed in detail, especially in the fruit fly and desert locust, understanding of the organization of tangential cells is still rudimentary. As a basis for future functional studies, we have studied the morphologies of tangential neurons of the CX of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria. Intracellular dye injections revealed 43 different types of tangential neuron, 8 of the PB, 5 of the CBL, 24 of the CBU, 2 of the noduli, and 4 innervating multiple substructures. Cell bodies of these neurons were located in 11 different clusters in the cell body rind. Judging from the presence of fine versus beaded terminals, the vast majority of these neurons provide input into the CX, especially from the lateral complex (LX), the superior protocerebrum, the posterior slope, and other surrounding brain areas, but not directly from the mushroom bodies. Connections are largely subunit- and partly layer-specific. No direct connections were found between the CBU and the CBL. Instead, both subdivisions are connected in parallel with the PB and distinct layers of the noduli.

A neuronal correlate of insect stereopsis

A puzzle for neuroscience—and robotics—is how insects achieve surprisingly complex behaviours with such tiny brains. One example is depth perception via binocular stereopsis in the praying mantis, a predatory insect. Praying mantids use stereopsis, the computation of distances from disparities between the two retinal images, to trigger a raptorial strike of their forelegs when prey is within reach. The neuronal basis of this ability is entirely unknown. Here we show the first evidence that individual neurons in the praying mantis brain are tuned to specific disparities and eccentricities, and thus locations in 3D-space. Like disparity-tuned cortical cells in vertebrates, the responses of these mantis neurons are consistent with linear summation of binocular inputs followed by an output nonlinearity. Our study not only proves the existence of disparity sensitive neurons in an insect brain, it also reveals feedback connections hitherto undiscovered in any animal species.

The praying mantis, a predatory insect, estimates depth via binocular vision. In this way, the animal decides whether prey is within reach. Here, the authors explore the neural correlates of binocular distance estimation and report that individual neurons are tuned to specific locations in 3D space.

Optogenetic dissection of descending behavioral control in Drosophila

In most animals, the brain makes behavioral decisions that are transmitted by descending neurons to the nerve cord circuitry that produces behaviors. In insects, only a few descending neurons have been associated with specific behaviors. To explore how descending neurons control an insect’s movements, we developed a novel method to systematically assay the behavioral effects of activating individual neurons on freely behaving terrestrial D. melanogaster. We calculated a two-dimensional representation of the entire behavior space explored by these flies, and we associated descending neurons with specific behaviors by identifying regions of this space that were visited with increased frequency during optogenetic activation. Applying this approach across a large collection of descending neurons, we found that (1) activation of most of the descending neurons drove stereotyped behaviors, (2) in many cases multiple descending neurons activated similar behaviors, and (3) optogenetically activated behaviors were often dependent on the behavioral state prior to activation.

The functional organization of descending sensory-motor pathways in Drosophila

In most animals, the brain controls the body via a set of descending neurons (DNs) that traverse the neck. DN activity activates, maintains or modulates locomotion and other behaviors. Individual DNs have been well-studied in species from insects to primates, but little is known about overall connectivity patterns across the DN population. We systematically investigated DN anatomy in Drosophila melanogaster and created over 100 transgenic lines targeting individual cell types. We identified roughly half of all Drosophila DNs and comprehensively map connectivity between sensory and motor neuropils in the brain and nerve cord, respectively. We find the nerve cord is a layered system of neuropils reflecting the fly's capability for two largely independent means of locomotion -- walking and flight -- using distinct sets of appendages. Our results reveal the basic functional map of descending pathways in flies and provide tools for systematic interrogation of neural circuits.

Descending neurons from the lateral accessory lobe and posterior slope in the brain of the silkmoth Bombyx mori

A population of descending neurons connect the brain and thoracic motor center, playing a critical role in controlling behavior. We examined the anatomical organization of descending neurons (DNs) in the brain of the silkmoth Bombyx mori. Moth pheromone orientation is a good model to investigate neuronal mechanisms of behavior. Based on mass staining and single-cell staining, we evaluated the anatomical organization of neurite distribution by DNs in the brain. Dense innervation was observed in the posterior-ventral part of the brain called the posterior slope (PS). We analyzed the morphology of DNs innervating the lateral accessory lobe (LAL), which is considered important for moth olfactory behavior. We observed that all LAL DNs also innervate the PS, suggesting the integration of signals from the LAL and PS. We also identified a set of DNs innervating the PS but not the LAL. These DNs were sensitive to the sex pheromone, suggesting a role of the PS in motor control for pheromone processing. Here we discuss the organization of descending pathways for pheromone orientation.

Eyes Matched to the Prize: The State of Matched Filters in Insect Visual Circuits

Confronted with an ever-changing visual landscape, animals must be able to detect relevant stimuli and translate this information into behavioral output. A visual scene contains an abundance of information: to interpret the entirety of it would be uneconomical. To optimally perform this task, neural mechanisms exist to enhance the detection of important features of the sensory environment while simultaneously filtering out irrelevant information. This can be accomplished by using a circuit design that implements specific "matched filters" that are tuned to relevant stimuli. Following this rule, the well-characterized visual systems of insects have evolved to streamline feature extraction on both a structural and functional level. Here, we review examples of specialized visual microcircuits for vital behaviors across insect species, including feature detection, escape, and estimation of self-motion. Additionally, we discuss how these microcircuits are modulated to weigh relevant input with respect to different internal and behavioral states.

Independent suboesophageal neuronal innervation of the defense gland and longitudinal muscles in the stick insect (Peruphasma schultei) prothorax

This study investigates the neuroanatomy of the defense gland and a related muscle in the stick insect Peruphasma schultei with axonal tracing and histological sections. The gland is innervated by three neurons through the Nervus anterior of the suboesophageal ganglion (SOG), the ipsilateral neuron (ILN), the contralateral neuron (CLN) and the prothoracic intersegmental neuron (PIN). The ILN has a large soma which is typical for motoneurons that cause fast contraction of large muscles and its dendrites are located in motor-sensory and sensory neuropile areas of the SOG. The CLN might be involved in the coordination of bilateral or unilateral discharge as its neurites are closely associated to the ILN of the contralateral gland. Close to the ejaculatory duct of the gland lies a dorsal longitudinal neck muscle, musculus pronoto-occipitalis (Idlm2), which is likely indirectly involved in gland discharge by controlling neck movements and, therefore, the direction of discharge. This muscle is innervated by three ventral median neurons (VMN). Thus, three neuron types (ILN, CLN, and PIN) innervate the gland muscle directly, and the VMNs could aid secretion indirectly. The cytoanatomy of motorneurons innervating the defense gland and neck muscle are discussed regarding the structure and functions of the neuropile in the SOG. As a basis for the neuroanatomical study on the defense gland we assembled a map of the SOG in Phasmatodea.

Optic flow-based collision-free strategies: From insects to robots

Flying insects are able to fly smartly in an unpredictable environment. It has been found that flying insects have smart neurons inside their tiny brains that are sensitive to visual motion also called optic flow. Consequently, flying insects rely mainly on visual motion during their flight maneuvers such as: takeoff or landing, terrain following, tunnel crossing, lateral and frontal obstacle avoidance, and adjusting flight speed in a cluttered environment. Optic flow can be defined as the vector field of the apparent motion of objects, surfaces, and edges in a visual scene generated by the relative motion between an observer (an eye or a camera) and the scene. Translational optic flow is particularly interesting for short-range navigation because it depends on the ratio between (i) the relative linear speed of the visual scene with respect to the observer and (ii) the distance of the observer from obstacles in the surrounding environment without any direct measurement of either speed or distance. In flying insects, roll stabilization reflex and yaw saccades attenuate any rotation at the eye level in roll and yaw respectively (i.e. to cancel any rotational optic flow) in order to ensure pure translational optic flow between two successive saccades. Our survey focuses on feedback-loops which use the translational optic flow that insects employ for collision-free navigation. Optic flow is likely, over the next decade to be one of the most important visual cues that can explain flying insects' behaviors for short-range navigation maneuvers in complex tunnels. Conversely, the biorobotic approach can therefore help to develop innovative flight control systems for flying robots with the aim of mimicking flying insects' abilities and better understanding their flight.

Sensorimotor Neuroscience: Motor Precision Meets Vision

Visual motion sensing neurons in the fly also encode a range of behavior-related signals. These nonvisual inputs appear to be used to correct some of the challenges of visually guided locomotion.

Comparative Neuroanatomy of the Lateral Accessory Lobe in the Insect Brain

The lateral accessory lobe (LAL) mediates signals from the central complex to the thoracic motor centers. The results obtained from different insects suggest that the LAL is highly relevant to the locomotion. Perhaps due to its deep location and lack of clear anatomical boundaries, few studies have focused on this brain region. Systematic data of LAL interneurons are available in the silkmoth. We here review individual neurons constituting the LAL by comparing the silkmoth and other insects. The survey through the connectivity and intrinsic organization suggests potential homology in the organization of the LAL among insects.

Complementary motion tuning in frontal nerve motor neurons of the blowfly

Flies actively turn their head during flight to stabilize their gaze and reduce motion blur. This optomotor response is triggered by wide-field motion indicating a deviation from a desired flight path. We focus on the neuronal circuit that underlies this behavior in the blowfly Calliphora, studying the integration of optic flow in neck motor neurons that innervate muscles controlling head rotations. Frontal nerve motor neurons (FNMNs) have been described anatomically and recorded from extracellularly before. Here, we assign for the first time to five anatomical classes of FNMNs their visual motion tuning. We measured their responses to optic flow, as produced by rotations around particular body axes, recording intracellularly from single axons. Simultaneous injection of Neurobiotin allowed for the anatomical characterization of the recorded cells and revealed coupling patterns with neighboring neurons. The five FNMN classes can be divided into two groups that complement each other, regarding their preferred axes of rotation. The tuning matches the pulling planes of their innervated neck muscles, serving to rotate the head around its longitudinal axis. Anatomical and physiological findings demonstrate a synaptic connection between one FNMN and a well-described descending neuron, elucidating one important step from visual motion integration to neck motor output.

Fly visual course control: behaviour, algorithms and circuits

Understanding how the brain controls behaviour is undisputedly one of the grand goals of neuroscience research, and the pursuit of this goal has a long tradition in insect neuroscience. However, appropriate techniques were lacking for a long time. Recent advances in genetic and recording techniques now allow the participation of identified neurons in the execution of specific behaviours to be interrogated. By focusing on fly visual course control, I highlight what has been learned about the neuronal circuit modules that control visual guidance in Drosophila melanogaster through the use of these techniques.

Octopaminergic modulation of the visual flight speed regulator of Drosophila

Recent evidence suggests that flies’ sensitivity to large field optic flow is increased by the release of octopamine during flight. This increase in gain presumably enhances visually-mediated behaviors such as the active regulation of forward speed, a process that involves the comparison of a vision-based estimate of velocity with an internal set point. To determine where in the neural circuit this comparison is made, we selectively silenced the octopamine neurons in the fruit fly, Drosophila, and examined the effect on vision-based velocity regulation in free flying flies. We found that flies with inactivated octopamine neurons accelerated more slowly in response to visual motion than control flies, but maintained nearly the same baseline flight speed. Our results are parsimonious with a circuit architecture in which the internal control signal is injected into the visual motion pathway upstream of the interneuron network that estimates groundspeed.

A precocious adult visual center in the larva defines the unique optic lobe of the split-eyed whirligig beetle Dineutus sublineatus

Introduction

Whirligig beetles (Coleoptera: Gyrinidae) are aquatic insects living on the water surface. They are equipped with four compound eyes, an upper pair viewing above the water surface and a lower submerged pair viewing beneath the water surface, but little is known about how their visual brain centers (optic lobes) are organized to serve such unusual eyes. We show here, for the first time, the peculiar optic lobe organization of the larval and adult whirligig beetle Dineutus sublineatus.

Results

The divided compound eyes of adult whirligig beetles supply optic lobes that are split into two halves, an upper half and lower half, comprising an upper and lower lamina, an upper and lower medulla and a bilobed partially split lobula. However, the lobula plate, a neuropil that in flies is known to be involved in mediating stabilized flight, exists only in conjunction with the lower lobe of the lobula. We show that, as in another group of predatory beetle larvae, in the whirligig beetle the aquatic larva precociously develops a lobula plate equipped with wide-field neurons. It is supplied by three larval laminas serving the three dorsal larval stemmata, which are adjacent to the developing upper compound eye.

Conclusions

In adult whirligig beetles, dual optic neuropils serve the upper aerial eyes and the lower subaquatic eyes. The exception is the lobula plate. A lobula plate develops precociously in the larva where it is supplied by inputs from three larval stemmata that have a frontal-upper field of view, in which contrasting objects such as prey items trigger a body lunge and mandibular grasp. This precocious lobula plate is lost during pupal metamorphosis, whereas another lobula plate develops normally during metamorphosis and in the adult is associated with the lower eye. The different roles of the upper and lower lobula plates in supporting, respectively, larval predation and adult optokinetic balance are discussed. Precocious development of the upper lobula plate represents convergent evolution of an ambush hunting lifestyle, as exemplified by the terrestrial larvae of tiger beetles (Cicindelinae), in which activation of neurons in their precocious lobula plates, each serving two large larval stemmata, releases reflex body extension and mandibular grasp.

Spectral inputs and ocellar contributions to a pitch-sensitive descending neuron in the honeybee

By measuring insect compensatory optomotor reflexes to visual motion, researchers have examined the computational mechanisms of the motion processing system. However, establishing the spectral sensitivity of the neural pathways that underlie this motion behavior has been difficult, and the contribution of the simple eyes (ocelli) has been rarely examined. In this study we investigate the spectral response properties and ocellar inputs of an anatomically identified descending neuron (DNII(2)) in the honeybee optomotor pathway. Using a panoramic stimulus, we show that it responds selectively to optic flow associated with pitch rotations. The neuron is also stimulated with a custom-built light-emitting diode array that presented moving bars that were either all-green (spectrum 500-600 nm, peak 530 nm) or all-short wavelength (spectrum 350-430 nm, peak 380 nm). Although the optomotor response is thought to be dominated by green-sensitive inputs, we show that DNII(2) is equally responsive to, and direction selective to, both green- and short-wavelength stimuli. The color of the background image also influences the spontaneous spiking behavior of the cell: a green background produces significantly higher spontaneous spiking rates. Stimulating the ocelli produces strong modulatory effects on DNII(2), significantly increasing the amplitude of its responses in the preferred motion direction and decreasing the response latency by adding a directional, short-latency response component. Our results suggest that the spectral sensitivity of the optomotor response in honeybees may be more complicated than previously thought and that ocelli play a significant role in shaping the timing of motion signals.

The organization of honeybee ocelli: Regional specializations and rhabdom arrangements

We have re-investigated the organization of ocelli in honeybee workers and drones. Ocellar lenses are divided into a dorsal and a ventral part by a cusp-shaped indentation. The retina is also divided, with a ventral retina looking skywards and a dorsal retina looking at the horizon. The focal plane of lenses lies behind the retina in lateral ocelli, but within the dorsal retina in the median ocellus of both workers and drones. Ventral retinula cells are ca. 25μm long with dense screening pigments. Dorsal retinula cells are ca. 60μm long with sparse pigmentation mainly restricted to their proximal parts. Pairs of retinula cells form flat, non-twisting rhabdom sheets with elongated, straight, rectangular cross-sections, on average 8.7μm long and 1μm wide. Honeybee ocellar rhabdoms have shorter and straighter cross-sections than those recently described in the night-active bee Megalopta genalis. Across the retina, rhabdoms form a fan-shaped pattern of orientations. In each ocellus, ventral and dorsal retinula cell axons project into two separate neuropils, converging on few large neurons in the dorsal, and on many small neurons in the ventral neuropil. The divided nature of the ocelli, together with the particular construction and arrangement of rhabdoms, suggest that ocelli are not only involved in attitude control, but might also provide skylight polarization compass information.

Relating neuronal to behavioral performance: variability of optomotor responses in the blowfly

Behavioral responses of an animal vary even when they are elicited by the same stimulus. This variability is due to stochastic processes within the nervous system and to the changing internal states of the animal. To what extent does the variability of neuronal responses account for the overall variability at the behavioral level? To address this question we evaluate the neuronal variability at the output stage of the blowfly's (Calliphora vicina) visual system by recording from motion-sensitive interneurons mediating head optomotor responses. By means of a simple modelling approach representing the sensory-motor transformation, we predict head movements on the basis of the recorded responses of motion-sensitive neurons and compare the variability of the predicted head movements with that of the observed ones. Large gain changes of optomotor head movements have previously been shown to go along with changes in the animals' activity state. Our modelling approach substantiates that these gain changes are imposed downstream of the motion-sensitive neurons of the visual system. Moreover, since predicted head movements are clearly more reliable than those actually observed, we conclude that substantial variability is introduced downstream of the visual system.

Motion adaptation and the velocity coding of natural scenes

Estimating relative velocity in the natural environment is challenging because natural scenes vary greatly in contrast and spatial structure. Widely accepted correlation-based models for elementary motion detectors (EMDs) are sensitive to contrast and spatial structure and consequently generate ambiguous estimates of velocity. Identified neurons in the third optic lobe of the hoverfly can reliably encode the velocity of natural images largely independent of contrast, despite receiving inputs directly from arrays of such EMDs. This contrast invariance suggests an important role for additional neural processes in robust encoding of image motion. However, it remains unclear which neural processes are contributing to contrast invariance. By recording from horizontal system neurons in the hoverfly lobula, we show two activity-dependent adaptation mechanisms acting as near-ideal normalizers for images of different contrasts that would otherwise produce highly variable response magnitudes. Responses to images that are initially weak neural drivers are boosted over several hundred milliseconds. Responses to images that are initially strong neural drivers are reduced over longer time scales. These adaptation mechanisms appear to be matched to higher-order natural image statistics reconciling the neurons' accurate encoding of image velocity with the inherent ambiguity of correlation-based motion detectors.

Local and global motion preferences in descending neurons of the fly

For a moving animal, optic flow is an important source of information about its ego-motion. In flies, the processing of optic flow is performed by motion sensitive tangential cells in the lobula plate. Amongst them, cells of the vertical system (VS cells) have receptive fields with similarities to optic flows generated during rotations around different body axes. Their output signals are further processed by pre-motor descending neurons. Here, we investigate the local motion preferences of two descending neurons called descending neurons of the ocellar and vertical system (DNOVS1 and DNOVS2). Using an LED arena subtending 240° × 95° of visual space, we mapped the receptive fields of DNOVS1 and DNOVS2 as well as those of their presynaptic elements, i.e. VS cells 1–10 and V2. The receptive field of DNOVS1 can be predicted in detail from the receptive fields of those VS cells that are most strongly coupled to the cell. The receptive field of DNOVS2 is a combination of V2 and VS cells receptive fields. Predicting the global motion preferences from the receptive field revealed a linear spatial integration in DNOVS1 and a superlinear spatial integration in DNOVS2. In addition, the superlinear integration of V2 output is necessary for DNOVS2 to differentiate between a roll rotation and a lift translation of the fly.

State-dependent performance of optic-flow processing interneurons

Active locomotive states are metabolically expensive and require efficient sensory processing both to avoid wasteful movements and to cope with an extended bandwidth of sensory stimuli. This is particularly true for flying animals because flight, as opposed to walking or resting, imposes a steplike increase in metabolism for the precise execution and control of movements. Sensory processing itself carries a significant metabolic cost, but the principles governing the adjustment of sensory processing to different locomotor states are not well understood. We use the blowfly as a model system to study the impact on visual processing of a neuromodulator, octopamine, which is known to be involved in the regulation of flight physiology. We applied an octopamine agonist and recorded the directional motion responses of identified visual interneurons known to process self-motion-induced optic flow to directional motion stimuli. The neural response range of these neurons is increased and the response latency is reduced. We also found that, due to an elevated spontaneous spike rate, the cells' negative signaling range is increased. Meanwhile, the preferred self-motion parameters the cells encode were state independent. Our results indicate that in the blowfly energetically expensive sensory coding strategies, such as rapid, large responses, and high spontaneous spike activity could be adjusted by the neuromodulator octopamine, likely to save energy during quiet locomotor states.

Robust coding of flow-field parameters by axo-axonal gap junctions between fly visual interneurons

Complex flight maneuvers require a sophisticated system to exploit the optic flow resulting from moving images of the environment projected onto the retina. In the fly's visual course control center, the lobula plate, 10 so-called vertical system (VS) cells are thought to match, with their complex receptive fields, the optic flow resulting from rotation around different body axes. However, signals of single VS cells are unreliable indicators of such optic flow parameters in the context of their noisy, texture-dependent input from local motion measurements. Here we propose an alternative encoding scheme based on network simulations of biophysically realistic compartmental models of VS cells. The simulations incorporate recent data about the highly selective connectivity between VS cells consisting of an electrical axo-axonal coupling between adjacent cells and a reciprocal inhibition between the most distant cells. We find that this particular wiring performs a linear interpolation between the output signals of VS cells, leading to a robust representation of the axis of rotation even in the presence of textureless patches of the visual surround.

Synaptic organization of lobula plate tangential cells inDrosophila: γ-Aminobutyric acid receptors and chemical release sites

In flies, the large tangential cells of the lobula plate represent an important processing center for visual navigation based on optic flow. Although the visual response properties of these cells have been well studied in blowflies, information on their synaptic organization is mostly lacking. Here we study the distribution of presynaptic release and postsynaptic inhibitory sites in the same set of cells in Drosophila melanogaster. By making use of transgenic tools and immunohistochemistry, our results suggest that HS and VS cells of Drosophila express gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors in their dendritic region within the lobula plate, thus being postsynaptic to inhibitory input there. At their axon terminals in the protocerebrum, both cell types express synaptobrevin, suggesting the presence of presynaptic specializations there. HS- and VS-cell terminals additionally show evidence for postsynaptic GABAergic input, superimposed on this synaptic polarity. Our findings are in line with the general circuit for visual motion detection and receptive field properties as postulated from electrophysiological and optical recordings in blowflies, suggesting a similar functional organization of lobula plate tangential cells in the two species.

Visual system of calliphorid flies: organization of optic glomeruli and their lobula complex efferents

Reconstructions of silver-stained brains revealed 27 optic glomeruli that occupy a major volume of the lateral protocerebrum. Axons from different morphological types of columnar output neurons from the lobula complex sort out to specific glomeruli. Glomeruli are partially enwrapped by glial processes and are invaded by the dendrites and terminals of local interneurons that connect different glomeruli in a manner analogous to local interneurons in the antennal lobes. Each type of columnar neuron contributes to a palisade-like ensemble that extends across the whole or a circumscribed area of the retinotopic mosaic. A second class of outputs from the lobula comprises wide-field neurons, the dendrites of which interact with planar fields or column-like patches of retinotopic inputs from the medulla. These neurons also send their axons to optic glomeruli. Dye fills demonstrate that lobula complex neurons supplying glomeruli do not generally terminate directly on descending neurons. Local interneurons and projection neurons provide integrative circuitry within and among glomeruli. As exemplified by the anterior optic tubercle, optic glomeruli can also have elaborate internal architectures. The results are discussed with respect to the identification of motion- and orientation-selective neurons at the level of the lobula and lateral protocerebrum and with respect to the evolutionary implications raised by the existence of neural arrangements serving the compound eyes, which are organized like neuropils serving segmental ganglia equipped with appendages.

Visual system of calliphorid flies: motion- and orientation-sensitive visual interneurons supplying dorsal optic glomeruli

Intracellular recordings accompanied by dye fills were made from neurons associated with optic glomeruli in the lateral protocerebrum of the brain of the blowfly Phaenicia sericata. The present account describes the morphology of these cells and their electrophysiological responses to oriented bar motion. The most dorsal glomeruli are each supplied by retinotopic efferent neurons that have restricted dendritic fields in the lobula and lobula plate of the optic lobes. Each of these lobula complex cells represents a morphologically identified type of neuron arranged as an ensemble that subtends the entire monocular visual field. Of the four recorded and filled efferent types, three were broadly tuned to the orientation of bar stimuli. At the level of optic glomeruli a relay neuron extending centrally from optic foci and a local interneuron that arborizes among glomeruli showed narrow tuning to oriented bar motion. The present results are discussed with respect to the behavioral significance of oriented motion discrimination by flies and other insects, and with respect to neuroanatomical data demonstrating the organization of deep visual neuropils.

A motion-sensitive neurone responds to signals from the two visual systems of the blowfly, the compound eyes and ocelli

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.

Motoneurons of the flight power muscles of the blowflyCalliphora erythrocephala: Structures and mutual dye coupling

The morphologies of the motoneurons of the dorsolongitudinal and the three dorsoventral flight power muscles (DLM, DVM 1-3) of Calliphora were investigated by means of cobalt backfills and intracellular biocytin stainings. The DLM is innervated by four prothoracic motoneurons supplying the four ventral muscle fibers and one mesothoracic motoneuron supplying the two dorsal fibers. The three fibers of the DVM 1 and the two fibers of the DVM 2 are innervated by five mesothoracic motoneurons, whereas the two fibers of the DVM 3 are innervated by two prothoracic motoneurons. In general, the motoneurons of each muscle have a common ventral soma cluster located in a characteristic position on the ipsilateral side of the thoracic ganglion, show similar dendritic arborizations in the mesothoracic wing neuropil, and have the same axon pathway. Only the soma of the common motoneuron of two dorsal fibers of the DLM is situated dorsally in the contralateral hemiganglion. The motoneurons of each muscle were found to be strongly dye coupled with each other, indicating that they are connected by gap junctions. In addition, the motoneurons of each muscle establish characteristic coupling patterns with the motoneurons of the other flight power muscles on both sides of the thorax and with two bilateral groups of local mesothoracic interneurons. The revealed coupling patterns are assumed to be of major relevance for the generation the characteristic, rhythmic flight activity of the motoneurons described in previous studies.

The morphology, physiology and function of suboesophageal neck motor neurons in the honeybee

We report some of the neural and muscular circuitry that allows honeybees to control head movements. We studied neck motor neurons with cell bodies in the suboesophageal ganglion, axons in the first cervical nerve (IK1) and terminals in neck muscles 44 and 51 (muscle classification: Snodgrass in Smithsonian Misc Coll 103:1-120, 1942). We show that muscle 44 actually comprises five separate bundles of muscle fibres (subunits), while muscle 51 is split into two subunits. Eight motor neurons innervate muscles 44 and 51. Two motor neurons have cell bodies in the ventral-median cell body group (one innervates a subunit in muscle 44, the other a subunit in muscle 51). One motor neuron has a ventrally located contralateral cell body (innervating a subunit in muscle 44) and five have laterally located ipsilateral cell bodies. Of the five lateral cells, one innervates a subunit in muscle 51, three selectively innervate subunits in muscle 44 and one co-innervates a subunit in muscle 44 with the contralateral cell. Extracellular recordings revealed three types of visually driven, direction-selective cell-types in each IK1 tuned for leftward, rightward and downward motion over the eyes. The spatiotemporal tuning of the units is similar to that of other visual interneurons in the bee brain.

Dye-coupling visualizes networks of large-field motion-sensitive neurons in the fly

In the fly, visually guided course control is accomplished by a set of 60 large-field motion-sensitive neurons in each brain hemisphere. These neurons have been shown to receive retinotopic motion information from local motion detectors on their dendrites. In addition, recent experiments revealed extensive coupling between the large-field neurons through electrical synapses. These two processes together give rise to their broad and elaborate receptive fields significantly surpassing the extent of their dendritic fields. Here, we demonstrate that the electrical connections between different large-field neurons can be visualized using Neurobiotin dye injection into a single one of them. When combined with a fluorescent dye which does not cross electrical synapses, the injected cell can be identified unambiguously. The Neurobiotin staining corroborates the electrical coupling postulated amongst the cells of the vertical system (VS-cells) and between cells of the horizontal system (HS-cells and CH-cells). In addition, connections between some cells are revealed that have so far not been considered as electrically coupled.

Golgi analysis of tangential neurons in the lobula plate ofDrosophila melanogaster

The lobula plate (LP), which is the third order optic neuropil of flies, houses wide-field neurons which are exquisitely sensitive to motion. Among Diptera, motion-sensitive neurons of larger flies have been studied at the anatomical and physiological levels. However, the neurons of Drosophila lobula plate are relatively less explored. As Drosophila permits a genetic analysis of neural functions, we have analysed the organization of lobula plate of Drosophila melanogaster. Neurons belonging to eight anatomical classes have been observed in the present study. Three neurons of the horizontal system (HS) have been visualized. The HS north (HSN) neuron, occupying the dorsal lobula plate is stunted in its geometry compared to that of larger flies. Associated with the HS neurons, thinner horizontal elements known as h-cells have also been visualized in the present study. Five of the six known neurons of the vertical system (VS) have been visualized. Three additional neurons in the proximal LP comparable in anatomy to VS system have been stained. We have termed them as additional VS (AVS)-like neurons. Three thinner tangential cells that are comparable to VS neurons, which are elements of twin vertical system (tvs); and two cells with wide dendritic fields comparable to CH neurons of Diptera have been also observed. Neurons comparable to VS cells but with 'tufted' dendrites have been stained. The HSN and VS1-VS2 neurons are dorsally stunted. This is possibly due to the shape of the compound eye of Drosophila which is reduced in the fronto-dorsal region as compared to larger flies.

Synaptic connections of cholinergic antennal lobe relay neurons innervating the lateral horn neuropile in the brain of Drosophila melanogaster

Presumed cholinergic projection neurons (PNs) in the brain of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, immunoreactive to choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), convey olfactory information between the primary sensory antennal lobe neuropile and the mushroom body calyces, and finally terminate in the lateral horn (LH) neuropile. The texture and synaptic connections of ChAT PNs in the LH and, comparatively, in the smaller mushroom body calyces were investigated by immuno light and electron microscopy. The ChAT PN fibers of the massive inner antennocerebral tract (iACT) extend into all portions of the LH, distributing in a nonrandom fashion. Immunoreactive boutons accumulate in the lateral margins of the LH, whereas the more proximal LH exhibits less intense immunolabeling. Boutons with divergent presynaptic sites, unlabeled as well as ChAT-immunoreactive, appear to be the preponderant mode of synaptic input throughout the LH. Synapses of ChAT-labeled fibers appear predominantly as divergent synaptic boutons (diameters 1-3 microm), connected to unlabeled postsynaptic profiles, or alternatively as a minority of tiny postsynaptic spines (diameters 0.05-0.5 microm) among unlabeled profiles. Together these spines encircle unidentified presynaptic boutons of interneurons which occupy large areas of the LH. Thus, synaptic circuits in the LH differ profoundly from those of the PNs in the mushroom body calyx, where ChAT spines have not been encountered. Synaptic contacts between LH ChAT elements were not observed. The synaptic LH neuropile may serve as an output area for terminals of the ChAT PNs, their presynaptic boutons providing input to noncholinergic relay neurons. The significance of the postsynaptic neurites of the ChAT PNs is discussed; either local or other interneurons might connect the ChAT PNs within the LH, or PNs might receive inputs arising from outside the LH.

Anatomical organization of retinotopic motion-sensitive pathways in the optic lobes of flies

Anatomical methods have identified conserved neuronal morphologies and synaptic relationships among small-field retinotopic neurons in insect optic lobes. These conserved cell shapes occur across many species of dipteran insects and are also shared by Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera. The suggestion that such conserved neurons should participate in motion computing circuits finds support from intracellular recordings as well as older studies that used radioactive deoxyglucose labeling to reveal strata with motion-specific activity in an achromatic neuropil called the lobula plate. While intracellular recordings provide detailed information about the motion-sensitive or motion-selective responses of identified neurons, a full understanding of how arrangements of identified neurons compute and integrate information about visual motion will come from a multidisciplinary approach that includes morphological circuit analysis, the use of genetic mutants that exhibit specific deficits in motion processing, and biomimetic models. The latter must be based on the organization and connections of real neurons, yet provide output properties similar to those of more traditional theoretical models based on behavioral observations that date from the 1950s. Microsc. Res. Tech. 62:132-150, 2003.

Morphology of higher-order ocellar interneurons in the cockroach brain

Most species of insects have two or three ocelli, in addition to a pair of compound eyes. In the cockroach ocellus, a large number of photoreceptors converge upon four second-order neurons, which exit the ocellus and project into the ocellar tract neuropil of the brain, where they form synapses with at least 15 third-order neurons. Third-order neurons project into a variety of neuropils in the brain, including the posterior slope, a premotor center from which descending neurons originate. I examined the morphology and ocellar response of neurons in the posterior slope of the cockroach, using intracellular recording and stainings. Most ocellar neurons of the posterior slope exhibited transient depolarizations at the cessation of ocellar illumination, which seem to reflect sign-conserving synaptic input from third-order neurons. Ocellar neurons of the posterior slope project into various areas of the brain, including 1) the central complex, a higher center implicated in higher locomotory control, 2) the pedunculus of the mushroom body, an associative center, 3) the lamina (the first neuropil of the culus of the mushroom body, an associative center, 3) the lamina (the first neuropil of the optic lobe), 4) the antennal lobe (olfactory center), 5) the tritocerebrum (mechanosensory center), and 6) the subesophageal and thoracic motor centers. These results suggest that the posterior slope is a high-order ocellar center from which ocellar signals are transmitted to various target neuropils of the brain, as well as a premotor center to form descending motor commands.