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Mathejczyk TF, Babo ÉJ, Schönlein E, Grinda NV, Greiner A, Okrožnik N, Belušič G, Wernet MF. Behavioral responses of free-flying Drosophila melanogaster to shiny, reflecting surfaces. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2023; 209:929-941. [PMID: 37796303 PMCID: PMC10643280 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-023-01676-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Active locomotion plays an important role in the life of many animals, permitting them to explore the environment, find vital resources, and escape predators. Most insect species rely on a combination of visual cues such as celestial bodies, landmarks, or linearly polarized light to navigate or orient themselves in their surroundings. In nature, linearly polarized light can arise either from atmospheric scattering or from reflections off shiny non-metallic surfaces like water. Multiple reports have described different behavioral responses of various insects to such shiny surfaces. Our goal was to test whether free-flying Drosophila melanogaster, a molecular genetic model organism and behavioral generalist, also manifests specific behavioral responses when confronted with such polarized reflections. Fruit flies were placed in a custom-built arena with controlled environmental parameters (temperature, humidity, and light intensity). Flight detections and landings were quantified for three different stimuli: a diffusely reflecting matt plate, a small patch of shiny acetate film, and real water. We compared hydrated and dehydrated fly populations, since the state of hydration may change the motivation of flies to seek or avoid water. Our analysis reveals for the first time that flying fruit flies indeed use vision to avoid flying over shiny surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas F Mathejczyk
- Division of Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Fachbereich Biologie, Chemie and Pharmazie, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise Strasse 1-3, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Édouard J Babo
- Division of Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Fachbereich Biologie, Chemie and Pharmazie, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise Strasse 1-3, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Erik Schönlein
- Division of Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Fachbereich Biologie, Chemie and Pharmazie, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise Strasse 1-3, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nikolai V Grinda
- Division of Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Fachbereich Biologie, Chemie and Pharmazie, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise Strasse 1-3, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Greiner
- Division of Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Fachbereich Biologie, Chemie and Pharmazie, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise Strasse 1-3, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nina Okrožnik
- Division of Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Fachbereich Biologie, Chemie and Pharmazie, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise Strasse 1-3, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gregor Belušič
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Mathias F Wernet
- Division of Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Fachbereich Biologie, Chemie and Pharmazie, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise Strasse 1-3, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
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Currier TA, Pang MM, Clandinin TR. Visual processing in the fly, from photoreceptors to behavior. Genetics 2023; 224:iyad064. [PMID: 37128740 PMCID: PMC10213501 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Originally a genetic model organism, the experimental use of Drosophila melanogaster has grown to include quantitative behavioral analyses, sophisticated perturbations of neuronal function, and detailed sensory physiology. A highlight of these developments can be seen in the context of vision, where pioneering studies have uncovered fundamental and generalizable principles of sensory processing. Here we begin with an overview of vision-guided behaviors and common methods for probing visual circuits. We then outline the anatomy and physiology of brain regions involved in visual processing, beginning at the sensory periphery and ending with descending motor control. Areas of focus include contrast and motion detection in the optic lobe, circuits for visual feature selectivity, computations in support of spatial navigation, and contextual associative learning. Finally, we look to the future of fly visual neuroscience and discuss promising topics for further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A Currier
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Michelle M Pang
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Thomas R Clandinin
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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Kind E, Longden KD, Nern A, Zhao A, Sancer G, Flynn MA, Laughland CW, Gezahegn B, Ludwig HDF, Thomson AG, Obrusnik T, Alarcón PG, Dionne H, Bock DD, Rubin GM, Reiser MB, Wernet MF. Synaptic targets of photoreceptors specialized to detect color and skylight polarization in Drosophila. eLife 2021; 10:e71858. [PMID: 34913436 PMCID: PMC8789284 DOI: 10.7554/elife.71858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Color and polarization provide complementary information about the world and are detected by specialized photoreceptors. However, the downstream neural circuits that process these distinct modalities are incompletely understood in any animal. Using electron microscopy, we have systematically reconstructed the synaptic targets of the photoreceptors specialized to detect color and skylight polarization in Drosophila, and we have used light microscopy to confirm many of our findings. We identified known and novel downstream targets that are selective for different wavelengths or polarized light, and followed their projections to other areas in the optic lobes and the central brain. Our results revealed many synapses along the photoreceptor axons between brain regions, new pathways in the optic lobes, and spatially segregated projections to central brain regions. Strikingly, photoreceptors in the polarization-sensitive dorsal rim area target fewer cell types, and lack strong connections to the lobula, a neuropil involved in color processing. Our reconstruction identifies shared wiring and modality-specific specializations for color and polarization vision, and provides a comprehensive view of the first steps of the pathways processing color and polarized light inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emil Kind
- Instititut für Biologie – Abteilung Neurobiologie, Fachbereich Biologie, Chemie & Pharmazie, Freie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Kit D Longden
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
| | - Aljoscha Nern
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
| | - Arthur Zhao
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
| | - Gizem Sancer
- Instititut für Biologie – Abteilung Neurobiologie, Fachbereich Biologie, Chemie & Pharmazie, Freie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Miriam A Flynn
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
| | - Connor W Laughland
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
| | - Bruck Gezahegn
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
| | - Henrique DF Ludwig
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
| | - Alex G Thomson
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
| | - Tessa Obrusnik
- Instititut für Biologie – Abteilung Neurobiologie, Fachbereich Biologie, Chemie & Pharmazie, Freie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Paula G Alarcón
- Instititut für Biologie – Abteilung Neurobiologie, Fachbereich Biologie, Chemie & Pharmazie, Freie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Heather Dionne
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
| | - Davi D Bock
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
| | - Gerald M Rubin
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
| | - Michael B Reiser
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
| | - Mathias F Wernet
- Instititut für Biologie – Abteilung Neurobiologie, Fachbereich Biologie, Chemie & Pharmazie, Freie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
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Loesche F, Reiser MB. An Inexpensive, High-Precision, Modular Spherical Treadmill Setup Optimized for Drosophila Experiments. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:689573. [PMID: 34335199 PMCID: PMC8322621 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.689573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
To pursue a more mechanistic understanding of the neural control of behavior, many neuroethologists study animal behavior in controlled laboratory environments. One popular approach is to measure the movements of restrained animals while presenting controlled sensory stimulation. This approach is especially powerful when applied to genetic model organisms, such as Drosophila melanogaster, where modern genetic tools enable unprecedented access to the nervous system for activity monitoring or targeted manipulation. While there is a long history of measuring the behavior of body- and head-fixed insects walking on an air-supported ball, the methods typically require complex setups with many custom components. Here we present a compact, simplified setup for these experiments that achieves high-performance at low cost. The simplified setup integrates existing hardware and software solutions with new component designs. We replaced expensive optomechanical and custom machined components with off-the-shelf and 3D-printed parts, and built the system around a low-cost camera that achieves 180 Hz imaging and an inexpensive tablet computer to present view-angle-corrected stimuli updated through a local network. We quantify the performance of the integrated system and characterize the visually guided behavior of flies in response to a range of visual stimuli. In this paper, we thoroughly document the improved system; the accompanying repository incorporates CAD files, parts lists, source code, and detailed instructions. We detail a complete ~$300 system, including a cold-anesthesia tethering stage, that is ideal for hands-on teaching laboratories. This represents a nearly 50-fold cost reduction as compared to a typical system used in research laboratories, yet is fully featured and yields excellent performance. We report the current state of this system, which started with a 1-day teaching lab for which we built seven parallel setups and continues toward a setup in our lab for larger-scale analysis of visual-motor behavior in flies. Because of the simplicity, compactness, and low cost of this system, we believe that high-performance measurements of tethered insect behavior should now be widely accessible and suitable for integration into many systems. This access enables broad opportunities for comparative work across labs, species, and behavioral paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Loesche
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, United States
| | - Michael B Reiser
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, United States
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Sancer G, Wernet MF. The development and function of neuronal subtypes processing color and skylight polarization in the optic lobes of Drosophila melanogaster. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2021; 61:101012. [PMID: 33618155 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2020.101012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The retinal mosaics of many insects contain different ommatidial subtypes harboring photoreceptors that are both molecularly and morphologically specialized for comparing between different wavelengths versus detecting the orientation of skylight polarization. The neural circuits underlying these different inputs and the characterization of their specific cellular elements are the subject of intense research. Here we review recent progress on the description of both assembly and function of color and skylight polarization circuitry, by focusing on two cell types located in the distal portion of the medulla neuropil of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster's optic lobes, called Dm8 and Dm9. In the main part of the retina, Dm8 cells fall into two molecularly distinct subtypes whose center becomes specifically connected to either one of randomly distributed 'pale' or 'yellow' R7 photoreceptor fates during development. Only in the 'dorsal rim area' (DRA), both polarization-sensitive R7 and R8 photoreceptors are connected to different Dm8-like cell types, called Dm-DRA1 and Dm-DRA2, respectively. An additional layer of interommatidial integration is introduced by Dm9 cells, which receive input from multiple neighboring R7 and R8 cells, as well as providing feedback synapses back into these photoreceptors. As a result, the response properties of color-sensitive photoreceptor terminals are sculpted towards being both maximally decorrelated, as well as harboring several levels of opponency (both columnar as well as intercolumnar). In the DRA, individual Dm9 cells appear to mix both polarization and color signals, thereby potentially serving as the first level of integration of different celestial stimuli. The molecular mechanisms underlying the establishment of these synaptic connections are beginning to be revealed, by using a combination of live imaging, developmental genetic studies, and cell type-specific transcriptomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gizem Sancer
- Freie Universität Berlin, Fachbereich Biologie, Chemie und Pharmazie, Institut für Biologie - Neurobiologie, Königin-Luise Strasse 1-3, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Mathias F Wernet
- Freie Universität Berlin, Fachbereich Biologie, Chemie und Pharmazie, Institut für Biologie - Neurobiologie, Königin-Luise Strasse 1-3, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
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Kaushik PK, Olsson SB. Using virtual worlds to understand insect navigation for bio-inspired systems. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2020; 42:97-104. [PMID: 33010476 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2020.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Insects perform a wide array of intricate behaviors over large spatial and temporal scales in complex natural environments. A mechanistic understanding of insect cognition has direct implications on how brains integrate multimodal information and can inspire bio-based solutions for autonomous robots. Virtual Reality (VR) offers an opportunity assess insect neuroethology while presenting complex, yet controlled, stimuli. Here, we discuss the use of insects as inspiration for artificial systems, recent advances in different VR technologies, current knowledge gaps, and the potential for application of insect VR research to bio-inspired robots. Finally, we advocate the need to diversify our model organisms, behavioral paradigms, and embrace the complexity of the natural world. This will help us to uncover the proximate and ultimate basis of brain and behavior and extract general principles for common challenging problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavan Kumar Kaushik
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, GKVK Campus, Bellary Road, Bengaluru, 560064, India.
| | - Shannon B Olsson
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, GKVK Campus, Bellary Road, Bengaluru, 560064, India.
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