1
|
Lillvis JL, Wang K, Shiozaki HM, Xu M, Stern DL, Dickson BJ. Nested neural circuits generate distinct acoustic signals during Drosophila courtship. Curr Biol 2024; 34:808-824.e6. [PMID: 38295797 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Many motor control systems generate multiple movements using a common set of muscles. How are premotor circuits able to flexibly generate diverse movement patterns? Here, we characterize the neuronal circuits that drive the distinct courtship songs of Drosophila melanogaster. Male flies vibrate their wings toward females to produce two different song modes-pulse and sine song-which signal species identity and male quality. Using cell-type-specific genetic reagents and the connectome, we provide a cellular and synaptic map of the circuits in the male ventral nerve cord that generate these songs and examine how activating or inhibiting each cell type within these circuits affects the song. Our data reveal that the song circuit is organized into two nested feedforward pathways with extensive reciprocal and feedback connections. The larger network produces pulse song, the more complex and ancestral song form. A subset of this network produces sine song, the simpler and more recent form. Such nested organization may be a common feature of motor control circuits in which evolution has layered increasing flexibility onto a basic movement pattern.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua L Lillvis
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Dr., Ashburn, VA 20147, USA.
| | - Kaiyu Wang
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Dr., Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; Lingang Laboratory, Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai 201602, China
| | - Hiroshi M Shiozaki
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Dr., Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Min Xu
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Dr., Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - David L Stern
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Dr., Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Barry J Dickson
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Dr., Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Pang R, Baker C, Murthy M, Pillow J. Inferring neural dynamics of memory during naturalistic social communication. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.26.577404. [PMID: 38328156 PMCID: PMC10849655 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.26.577404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Memory processes in complex behaviors like social communication require forming representations of the past that grow with time. The neural mechanisms that support such continually growing memory remain unknown. We address this gap in the context of fly courtship, a natural social behavior involving the production and perception of long, complex song sequences. To study female memory for male song history in unrestrained courtship, we present 'Natural Continuation' (NC)-a general, simulation-based model comparison procedure to evaluate candidate neural codes for complex stimuli using naturalistic behavioral data. Applying NC to fly courtship revealed strong evidence for an adaptive population mechanism for how female auditory neural dynamics could convert long song histories into a rich mnemonic format. Song temporal patterning is continually transformed by heterogeneous nonlinear adaptation dynamics, then integrated into persistent activity, enabling common neural mechanisms to retain continuously unfolding information over long periods and yielding state-of-the-art predictions of female courtship behavior. At a population level this coding model produces multi-dimensional advection-diffusion-like responses that separate songs over a continuum of timescales and can be linearly transformed into flexible output signals, illustrating its potential to create a generic, scalable mnemonic format for extended input signals poised to drive complex behavioral responses. This work thus shows how naturalistic behavior can directly inform neural population coding models, revealing here a novel process for memory formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rich Pang
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Center for the Physics of Biological Function, Princeton, NJ and New York, NY, USA
| | - Christa Baker
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Mala Murthy
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Vedor JE. Revisiting Carl Jung's archetype theory a psychobiological approach. Biosystems 2023; 234:105059. [PMID: 37832929 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2023.105059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
This paper delves into the concept of archetypes, universal patterns of behavior and cognition, and proposes a novel tripartite model distinguishing between structural, regulatory, and representational archetypes. Drawing on insights from code biology, neuroscience, genetics, and epigenetics, the model provides a nuanced framework for understanding archetypes and their role in shaping cognition and behavior. The paper also explores the interplay between these elements to express representational archetypes. Furthermore, it addresses the informational capacity of the genome and its influence on post-natal development and the psyche. The paper concludes by discussing the future trajectory of psychology, emphasizing the need for an integrative approach that combines our understanding of social constructs with insights into our inherent organizational propensities or archetypes. This exploration holds the potential to advance our understanding of the human condition.
Collapse
|
4
|
Sten TH, Li R, Hollunder F, Eleazer S, Ruta V. Male-male interactions shape mate selection in Drosophila. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.03.565582. [PMID: 37961193 PMCID: PMC10635267 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.03.565582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Males of many species have evolved behavioral traits to both attract females and repel rivals. Here, we explore mate selection in Drosophila from both the male and female perspective to shed light on how these key components of sexual selection - female choice and male-male competition - work in concert to guide reproductive strategies. We find that male flies fend off competing suitors by interleaving their courtship of a female with aggressive wing flicks, which both repel competitors and generate a 'song' that obscures the female's auditory perception of other potential mates. Two higher-order circuit nodes - P1a and pC1x neurons - are coordinately recruited to allow males to flexibly interleave these agonistic actions with courtship displays, assuring they persistently pursue females until their rival falters. Together, our results suggest that female mating decisions are shaped by male-male interactions, underscoring how a male's ability to subvert his rivals is central to his reproductive success.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tom Hindmarsh Sten
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Present address: Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Rufei Li
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Florian Hollunder
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shadé Eleazer
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Vanessa Ruta
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Roemschied FA, Pacheco DA, Aragon MJ, Ireland EC, Li X, Thieringer K, Pang R, Murthy M. Flexible circuit mechanisms for context-dependent song sequencing. Nature 2023; 622:794-801. [PMID: 37821705 PMCID: PMC10600009 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06632-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Sequenced behaviours, including locomotion, reaching and vocalization, are patterned differently in different contexts, enabling animals to adjust to their environments. How contextual information shapes neural activity to flexibly alter the patterning of actions is not fully understood. Previous work has indicated that this could be achieved via parallel motor circuits, with differing sensitivities to context1,2. Here we demonstrate that a single pathway operates in two regimes dependent on recent sensory history. We leverage the Drosophila song production system3 to investigate the role of several neuron types4-7 in song patterning near versus far from the female fly. Male flies sing 'simple' trains of only one mode far from the female fly but complex song sequences comprising alternations between modes when near her. We find that ventral nerve cord (VNC) circuits are shaped by mutual inhibition and rebound excitability8 between nodes driving the two song modes. Brief sensory input to a direct brain-to-VNC excitatory pathway drives simple song far from the female, whereas prolonged input enables complex song production via simultaneous recruitment of functional disinhibition of VNC circuitry. Thus, female proximity unlocks motor circuit dynamics in the correct context. We construct a compact circuit model to demonstrate that the identified mechanisms suffice to replicate natural song dynamics. These results highlight how canonical circuit motifs8,9 can be combined to enable circuit flexibility required for dynamic communication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Frederic A Roemschied
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- European Neuroscience Institute, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Diego A Pacheco
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Max J Aragon
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Elise C Ireland
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Xinping Li
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Kyle Thieringer
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Rich Pang
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Mala Murthy
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Cillov A, Stumpner A. Local prothoracic auditory neurons in Ensifera. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1087050. [PMID: 36620451 PMCID: PMC9822282 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1087050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A new method for individually staining insect neurons with metal ions was described in the late 60s, closely followed by the introduction of the first bright fluorescent dye, Lucifer Yellow, for the same purpose. These milestones enabled an unprecedented level of detail regarding the neuronal basis of sensory processes such as hearing. Due to their conspicuous auditory behavior, orthopterans rapidly established themselves as a popular model for studies on hearing (first identified auditory neuron: 1974; first local auditory interneuron: 1977). Although crickets (Ensifera, Gryllidae) surpassed grasshoppers (Caelifera) as the main model taxon, surprisingly few neuronal elements have been described in crickets. More auditory neurons are described for bush crickets (Ensifera, Tettigoniidae), but due to their great biodiversity, the described auditory neurons in bush crickets are scattered over distantly related groups, hence being confounded by potential differences in the neuronal pathways themselves. Our review will outline all local auditory elements described in ensiferans so far. We will focus on one bush cricket species, Ancistrura nigrovittata (Phaneropterinae), which has the so-far highest diversity of identified auditory interneurons within Ensifera. We will present one novel and three previously described local prothoracic auditory neuron classes, comparing their morphology and aspects of sensory processing. Finally, we will hypothesize about their functions and evolutionary connections between ensiferan insects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ali Cillov
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology & Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Karigo T, Deutsch D. Flexibility of neural circuits regulating mating behaviors in mice and flies. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:949781. [PMID: 36426135 PMCID: PMC9679785 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.949781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mating is essential for the reproduction of animal species. As mating behaviors are high-risk and energy-consuming processes, it is critical for animals to make adaptive mating decisions. This includes not only finding a suitable mate, but also adapting mating behaviors to the animal's needs and environmental conditions. Internal needs include physical states (e.g., hunger) and emotional states (e.g., fear), while external conditions include both social cues (e.g., the existence of predators or rivals) and non-social factors (e.g., food availability). With recent advances in behavioral neuroscience, we are now beginning to understand the neural basis of mating behaviors, particularly in genetic model organisms such as mice and flies. However, how internal and external factors are integrated by the nervous system to enable adaptive mating-related decision-making in a state- and context-dependent manner is less well understood. In this article, we review recent knowledge regarding the neural basis of flexible mating behaviors from studies of flies and mice. By contrasting the knowledge derived from these two evolutionarily distant model organisms, we discuss potential conserved and divergent neural mechanisms involved in the control of flexible mating behaviors in invertebrate and vertebrate brains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tomomi Karigo
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States,The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States,*Correspondence: Tomomi Karigo,
| | - David Deutsch
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel,David Deutsch,
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Zheng Z, Li F, Fisher C, Ali IJ, Sharifi N, Calle-Schuler S, Hsu J, Masoodpanah N, Kmecova L, Kazimiers T, Perlman E, Nichols M, Li PH, Jain V, Bock DD. Structured sampling of olfactory input by the fly mushroom body. Curr Biol 2022; 32:3334-3349.e6. [PMID: 35797998 PMCID: PMC9413950 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.06.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Associative memory formation and recall in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is subserved by the mushroom body (MB). Upon arrival in the MB, sensory information undergoes a profound transformation from broadly tuned and stereotyped odorant responses in the olfactory projection neuron (PN) layer to narrowly tuned and nonstereotyped responses in the Kenyon cells (KCs). Theory and experiment suggest that this transformation is implemented by random connectivity between KCs and PNs. However, this hypothesis has been challenging to test, given the difficulty of mapping synaptic connections between large numbers of brain-spanning neurons. Here, we used a recent whole-brain electron microscopy volume of the adult fruit fly to map PN-to-KC connectivity at synaptic resolution. The PN-KC connectome revealed unexpected structure, with preponderantly food-responsive PN types converging at above-chance levels on downstream KCs. Axons of the overconvergent PN types tended to arborize near one another in the MB main calyx, making local KC dendrites more likely to receive input from those types. Overconvergent PN types preferentially co-arborize and connect with dendrites of αβ and α'β' KC subtypes. Computational simulation of the observed network showed degraded discrimination performance compared with a random network, except when all signal flowed through the overconvergent, primarily food-responsive PN types. Additional theory and experiment will be needed to fully characterize the impact of the observed non-random network structure on associative memory formation and recall.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhihao Zheng
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Feng Li
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Corey Fisher
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Iqbal J Ali
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Nadiya Sharifi
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Steven Calle-Schuler
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Joseph Hsu
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Najla Masoodpanah
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Lucia Kmecova
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Tom Kazimiers
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; Kazmos GmbH, Dresden, Germany
| | - Eric Perlman
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; Yikes LLC, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Matthew Nichols
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | | | | | - Davi D Bock
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Baker CA, McKellar C, Pang R, Nern A, Dorkenwald S, Pacheco DA, Eckstein N, Funke J, Dickson BJ, Murthy M. Neural network organization for courtship-song feature detection in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2022; 32:3317-3333.e7. [PMID: 35793679 PMCID: PMC9378594 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Animals communicate using sounds in a wide range of contexts, and auditory systems must encode behaviorally relevant acoustic features to drive appropriate reactions. How feature detection emerges along auditory pathways has been difficult to solve due to challenges in mapping the underlying circuits and characterizing responses to behaviorally relevant features. Here, we study auditory activity in the Drosophila melanogaster brain and investigate feature selectivity for the two main modes of fly courtship song, sinusoids and pulse trains. We identify 24 new cell types of the intermediate layers of the auditory pathway, and using a new connectomic resource, FlyWire, we map all synaptic connections between these cell types, in addition to connections to known early and higher-order auditory neurons-this represents the first circuit-level map of the auditory pathway. We additionally determine the sign (excitatory or inhibitory) of most synapses in this auditory connectome. We find that auditory neurons display a continuum of preferences for courtship song modes and that neurons with different song-mode preferences and response timescales are highly interconnected in a network that lacks hierarchical structure. Nonetheless, we find that the response properties of individual cell types within the connectome are predictable from their inputs. Our study thus provides new insights into the organization of auditory coding within the Drosophila brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christa A Baker
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Claire McKellar
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; Janelia Research Campus, HHMI, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Rich Pang
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | - Sven Dorkenwald
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; Computer Science, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Diego A Pacheco
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Nils Eckstein
- Janelia Research Campus, HHMI, Ashburn, VA, USA; Institute of Neuroinformatics UZH/ETHZ, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jan Funke
- Janelia Research Campus, HHMI, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | | | - Mala Murthy
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Multimodal Information Processing and Associative Learning in the Insect Brain. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13040332. [PMID: 35447774 PMCID: PMC9033018 DOI: 10.3390/insects13040332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary Insect behaviors are a great indicator of evolution and provide useful information about the complexity of organisms. The realistic sensory scene of an environment is complex and replete with multisensory inputs, making the study of sensory integration that leads to behavior highly relevant. We summarize the recent findings on multimodal sensory integration and the behaviors that originate from them in our review. Abstract The study of sensory systems in insects has a long-spanning history of almost an entire century. Olfaction, vision, and gustation are thoroughly researched in several robust insect models and new discoveries are made every day on the more elusive thermo- and mechano-sensory systems. Few specialized senses such as hygro- and magneto-reception are also identified in some insects. In light of recent advancements in the scientific investigation of insect behavior, it is not only important to study sensory modalities individually, but also as a combination of multimodal inputs. This is of particular significance, as a combinatorial approach to study sensory behaviors mimics the real-time environment of an insect with a wide spectrum of information available to it. As a fascinating field that is recently gaining new insight, multimodal integration in insects serves as a fundamental basis to understand complex insect behaviors including, but not limited to navigation, foraging, learning, and memory. In this review, we have summarized various studies that investigated sensory integration across modalities, with emphasis on three insect models (honeybees, ants and flies), their behaviors, and the corresponding neuronal underpinnings.
Collapse
|
11
|
Brain-Wide Synaptic Inputs to Aromatase-Expressing Neurons in the Medial Amygdala Suggest Complex Circuitry for Modulating Social Behavior. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0329-21.2021. [PMID: 35074828 PMCID: PMC8925724 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0329-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we reveal an unbiased view of the brain regions that provide specific inputs to aromatase-expressing cells in the medial amygdala, neurons that play an outsized role in the production of sex-specific social behaviors, using rabies tracing and light sheet microscopy. While the downstream projections from these cells are known, the specific inputs to the aromatase-expressing cells in the medial amygdala remained unknown. We observed established connections to the medial amygdala (e.g., bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and accessory olfactory bulb) indicating that aromatase neurons are a major target cell type for efferent input including from regions associated with parenting and aggression. We also identified novel and unexpected inputs from areas involved in metabolism, fear and anxiety, and memory and cognition. These results confirm the central role of the medial amygdala in sex-specific social recognition and social behavior, and point to an expanded role for its aromatase-expressing neurons in the integration of multiple sensory and homeostatic factors, which are likely used to modulate many other social behaviors.
Collapse
|
12
|
Dorkenwald S, McKellar CE, Macrina T, Kemnitz N, Lee K, Lu R, Wu J, Popovych S, Mitchell E, Nehoran B, Jia Z, Bae JA, Mu S, Ih D, Castro M, Ogedengbe O, Halageri A, Kuehner K, Sterling AR, Ashwood Z, Zung J, Brittain D, Collman F, Schneider-Mizell C, Jordan C, Silversmith W, Baker C, Deutsch D, Encarnacion-Rivera L, Kumar S, Burke A, Bland D, Gager J, Hebditch J, Koolman S, Moore M, Morejohn S, Silverman B, Willie K, Willie R, Yu SC, Murthy M, Seung HS. FlyWire: online community for whole-brain connectomics. Nat Methods 2022; 19:119-128. [PMID: 34949809 PMCID: PMC8903166 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-021-01330-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Due to advances in automated image acquisition and analysis, whole-brain connectomes with 100,000 or more neurons are on the horizon. Proofreading of whole-brain automated reconstructions will require many person-years of effort, due to the huge volumes of data involved. Here we present FlyWire, an online community for proofreading neural circuits in a Drosophila melanogaster brain and explain how its computational and social structures are organized to scale up to whole-brain connectomics. Browser-based three-dimensional interactive segmentation by collaborative editing of a spatially chunked supervoxel graph makes it possible to distribute proofreading to individuals located virtually anywhere in the world. Information in the edit history is programmatically accessible for a variety of uses such as estimating proofreading accuracy or building incentive systems. An open community accelerates proofreading by recruiting more participants and accelerates scientific discovery by requiring information sharing. We demonstrate how FlyWire enables circuit analysis by reconstructing and analyzing the connectome of mechanosensory neurons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sven Dorkenwald
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Computer Science Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Claire E McKellar
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Thomas Macrina
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Computer Science Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Nico Kemnitz
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Kisuk Lee
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Brain & Cognitive Sciences Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ran Lu
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Jingpeng Wu
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Sergiy Popovych
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Computer Science Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Eric Mitchell
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Barak Nehoran
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Computer Science Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Zhen Jia
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Computer Science Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - J Alexander Bae
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Electrical Engineering Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Shang Mu
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Dodam Ih
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Manuel Castro
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | - Akhilesh Halageri
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Kai Kuehner
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Amy R Sterling
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Zoe Ashwood
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Computer Science Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Jonathan Zung
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Computer Science Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | | | | | - Chris Jordan
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | - Christa Baker
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - David Deutsch
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | - Sandeep Kumar
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Austin Burke
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Doug Bland
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Jay Gager
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - James Hebditch
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Selden Koolman
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Merlin Moore
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Sarah Morejohn
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Ben Silverman
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Kyle Willie
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Ryan Willie
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Szi-Chieh Yu
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Mala Murthy
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - H Sebastian Seung
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
- Computer Science Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Tiraboschi E, Leonardelli L, Segata G, Haase A. Parallel Processing of Olfactory and Mechanosensory Information in the Honey Bee Antennal Lobe. Front Physiol 2021; 12:790453. [PMID: 34950059 PMCID: PMC8691435 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.790453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In insects, neuronal responses to clean air have so far been reported only episodically in moths. Here we present results obtained by fast two-photon calcium imaging in the honey bee Apis mellifera, indicating a substantial involvement of the antennal lobe, the first olfactory neuropil, in the processing of mechanical stimuli. Clean air pulses generate a complex pattern of glomerular activation that provides a code for stimulus intensity and dynamics with a similar level of stereotypy as observed for the olfactory code. Overlapping the air pulses with odor stimuli reveals a superposition of mechanosensory and odor response codes with high contrast. On the mechanosensitive signal, modulations were observed in the same frequency regime as the oscillatory motion of the antennae, suggesting a possible way to detect odorless airflow directions. The transduction of mechanosensory information via the insect antennae has so far been attributed primarily to Johnston's organ in the pedicel of the antenna. The possibility that the antennal lobe activation by clean air originates from Johnston's organ could be ruled out, as the signal is suppressed by covering the surfaces of the otherwise freely moving and bending antennae, which should leave Johnston's organ unaffected. The tuning curves of individual glomeruli indicate increased sensitivity at low-frequency mechanical oscillations as produced by the abdominal motion in waggle dance communication, suggesting a further potential function of this mechanosensory code. The discovery that the olfactory system can sense both odors and mechanical stimuli has recently been made also in mammals. The results presented here give hope that studies on insects can make a fundamental contribution to the cross-taxa understanding of this dual function, as only a few thousand neurons are involved in their brains, all of which are accessible by in vivo optical imaging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ettore Tiraboschi
- Department of Physics, University of Trento, Trento, Italy.,Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Luana Leonardelli
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.,Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Information Engineering, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Albrecht Haase
- Department of Physics, University of Trento, Trento, Italy.,Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Major JC. Archetypes and code biology. Biosystems 2021; 208:104501. [PMID: 34364930 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2021.104501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
As a clinical psychologist, I observe stereotyped formulas of behavior in action every day in the consulting room, despite differences in age, race, or culture; they present themselves as codified rules or typical modes of behavior in archetypical situations. Such circumstances coincide with what C.G. Jung defended: the existence of archetypes stored in an inherited/phylogenetic repository, which he called the collective unconscious - somewhat similar to the notion of an ethogram, as shown by ethology. Psychologists can use a perspective to facilitate understanding the phenomenon: the code biology perspective (Barbieri 2014). This approach can help us recognize how these phenomenological events have an ontological reality based not only on the existence of organic information but also on the existence of organic meaning. We are not a tabula rasa (Wilson 2000): despite the explosive diversification of the brain and the emergence of conscience and intentionality, we observe the conservation of basic instincts and emotions (Ekman 2004; Damasio 2010) not only in humans but in all mammals and other living beings; we refer to the neural activity on which the discrimination behavior is based, i.e., the neural codes. The conservation of these fundamental set-of-rules or conventions suggests that one or more neural codes have been highly conserved and serves as an interpretive basis for what happens to the living being who owns them (Barbieri 2003). Thus, archetypes' phenomenological reality can be understood not as something metaphorical but as an ontological (phylogenetic) fact (Goodwyn 2019). Furthermore, epigenetic regulation theories present the possibility that the biomolecular process incorporates elements of the context where it takes place; something fundamental to understand our concept - the archetype presents itself as the mnesic remnant of the behavioral history of individuals who preceded us on the evolutionary scale. In short: brains are optimized for processing ethologically relevant sensory signals (Clemens et al., 2015). From the perspective of the corporeal mind (Searle 2002), in this paper, we will show the parallels between code biology and the concept of the archetype, as Jung defended it and as it appears in clinical practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J C Major
- International Academy of Analytical Psychology, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Mobbs D, Wise T, Suthana N, Guzmán N, Kriegeskorte N, Leibo JZ. Promises and challenges of human computational ethology. Neuron 2021; 109:2224-2238. [PMID: 34143951 PMCID: PMC8769712 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The movements an organism makes provide insights into its internal states and motives. This principle is the foundation of the new field of computational ethology, which links rich automatic measurements of natural behaviors to motivational states and neural activity. Computational ethology has proven transformative for animal behavioral neuroscience. This success raises the question of whether rich automatic measurements of behavior can similarly drive progress in human neuroscience and psychology. New technologies for capturing and analyzing complex behaviors in real and virtual environments enable us to probe the human brain during naturalistic dynamic interactions with the environment that so far were beyond experimental investigation. Inspired by nonhuman computational ethology, we explore how these new tools can be used to test important questions in human neuroscience. We argue that application of this methodology will help human neuroscience and psychology extend limited behavioral measurements such as reaction time and accuracy, permit novel insights into how the human brain produces behavior, and ultimately reduce the growing measurement gap between human and animal neuroscience.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dean Mobbs
- Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, 1200 E. California Blvd., HSS 228-77, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Computation and Neural Systems Program at the California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd., HSS 228-77, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
| | - Toby Wise
- Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, 1200 E. California Blvd., HSS 228-77, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK; Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK
| | - Nanthia Suthana
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Departments of Neurosurgery, Psychology, and Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Noah Guzmán
- Computation and Neural Systems Program at the California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd., HSS 228-77, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Nikolaus Kriegeskorte
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Stanley RA, Kyriacou CP. A latitudinal cline in a courtship song character of Drosophila melanogaster. J Neurogenet 2021; 35:333-340. [PMID: 34100669 DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2021.1933968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The courtship song of male Drosophila melanogaster is generated by wing vibration and contains an interpulse interval (IPI) which is species-specific and usually falls in the mean range of 30-40 ms. The IPI is extremely temperature-sensitive, so we wondered whether flies collected along the eastern coast of Australia between latitudes 16.9°S and 42.9°S might have adapted to the different thermal conditions and show differences in mean IPI. We observe a significant correlation between IPI and latitude in addition to the well-known association between latitude and body size (Bergmannn's Rule). However, somewhat surprisingly we could not detect a significant association between body size and IPI. We also examined flies collected from the North and South-facing slopes of 'Evolution Canyon' in Israel and observed differences in IPI that support the view that thermal adaptation can shape this important song character. We also examined the songs of flies from Kenya and observed no correlation between altitude of collection and IPI. In all three experiments, body size did not correlate with IPI. A global analysis of all three sets of populations on three continents revealed a strong association between IPI and latitude. We speculate that IPI is shaped by thermal and sexual selection whereas body size is also shaped by natural selection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rosamund A Stanley
- Department of Genetics & Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Male courtship song drives escape responses that are suppressed for successful mating. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9227. [PMID: 33927291 PMCID: PMC8084941 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88691-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Persuasion is a crucial component of the courtship ritual needed to overcome contact aversion. In fruit flies, it is well established that the male courtship song prompts receptivity in female flies, in part by causing sexually mature females to slow down and pause, allowing copulation. Whether the above receptivity behaviours require the suppression of contact avoidance or escape remains unknown. Here we show, through genetic manipulation of neurons we identified as required for female receptivity, that male song induces avoidance/escape responses that are suppressed in wild type flies. First, we show that silencing 70A09 neurons leads to an increase in escape, as females increase their walking speed during courtship together with an increase in jumping and a reduction in pausing. The increase in escape response is specific to courtship, as escape to a looming threat is not intensified. Activation of 70A09 neurons leads to pausing, confirming the role of these neurons in escape modulation. Finally, we show that the escape displays by the female result from the presence of a courting male and more specifically from the song produced by a courting male. Our results suggest that courtship song has a dual role, promoting both escape and pause in females and that escape is suppressed by the activity of 70A09 neurons, allowing mating to occur.
Collapse
|
18
|
Pacheco DA, Thiberge SY, Pnevmatikakis E, Murthy M. Auditory activity is diverse and widespread throughout the central brain of Drosophila. Nat Neurosci 2021; 24:93-104. [PMID: 33230320 PMCID: PMC7783861 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-020-00743-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Sensory pathways are typically studied by starting at receptor neurons and following postsynaptic neurons into the brain. However, this leads to a bias in analyses of activity toward the earliest layers of processing. Here, we present new methods for volumetric neural imaging with precise across-brain registration to characterize auditory activity throughout the entire central brain of Drosophila and make comparisons across trials, individuals and sexes. We discover that auditory activity is present in most central brain regions and in neurons responsive to other modalities. Auditory responses are temporally diverse, but the majority of activity is tuned to courtship song features. Auditory responses are stereotyped across trials and animals in early mechanosensory regions, becoming more variable at higher layers of the putative pathway, and this variability is largely independent of ongoing movements. This study highlights the power of using an unbiased, brain-wide approach for mapping the functional organization of sensory activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diego A Pacheco
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Stephan Y Thiberge
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Bezos Center for Neural Circuit Dynamics, Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Eftychios Pnevmatikakis
- Center for Computational Mathematics, Flatiron Institute, Simons Foundation, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mala Murthy
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
- Bezos Center for Neural Circuit Dynamics, Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Deutsch D, Pacheco D, Encarnacion-Rivera L, Pereira T, Fathy R, Clemens J, Girardin C, Calhoun A, Ireland E, Burke A, Dorkenwald S, McKellar C, Macrina T, Lu R, Lee K, Kemnitz N, Ih D, Castro M, Halageri A, Jordan C, Silversmith W, Wu J, Seung HS, Murthy M. The neural basis for a persistent internal state in Drosophila females. eLife 2020; 9:e59502. [PMID: 33225998 PMCID: PMC7787663 DOI: 10.7554/elife.59502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sustained changes in mood or action require persistent changes in neural activity, but it has been difficult to identify the neural circuit mechanisms that underlie persistent activity and contribute to long-lasting changes in behavior. Here, we show that a subset of Doublesex+ pC1 neurons in the Drosophila female brain, called pC1d/e, can drive minutes-long changes in female behavior in the presence of males. Using automated reconstruction of a volume electron microscopic (EM) image of the female brain, we map all inputs and outputs to both pC1d and pC1e. This reveals strong recurrent connectivity between, in particular, pC1d/e neurons and a specific subset of Fruitless+ neurons called aIPg. We additionally find that pC1d/e activation drives long-lasting persistent neural activity in brain areas and cells overlapping with the pC1d/e neural network, including both Doublesex+ and Fruitless+ neurons. Our work thus links minutes-long persistent changes in behavior with persistent neural activity and recurrent circuit architecture in the female brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Deutsch
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Diego Pacheco
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | | | - Talmo Pereira
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Ramie Fathy
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Jan Clemens
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Cyrille Girardin
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Adam Calhoun
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Elise Ireland
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Austin Burke
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Sven Dorkenwald
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
- Department of Computer Science, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Claire McKellar
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Thomas Macrina
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
- Department of Computer Science, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Ran Lu
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Kisuk Lee
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
- Brain & Cognitive Science Department, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Nico Kemnitz
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Dodam Ih
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Manuel Castro
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Akhilesh Halageri
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Chris Jordan
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - William Silversmith
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Jingpeng Wu
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - H Sebastian Seung
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
- Department of Computer Science, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Mala Murthy
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Mezzera C, Brotas M, Gaspar M, Pavlou HJ, Goodwin SF, Vasconcelos ML. Ovipositor Extrusion Promotes the Transition from Courtship to Copulation and Signals Female Acceptance in Drosophila melanogaster. Curr Biol 2020; 30:3736-3748.e5. [PMID: 32795437 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.06.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Communication between male and female fruit flies during courtship is essential for successful mating, but, as with many other species, it is the female who decides whether to mate. Here, we show a novel role for ovipositor extrusion in promoting male copulation attempts in virgin and mated females and signaling acceptance in virgins. We first show that ovipositor extrusion is only displayed by sexually mature females, exclusively during courtship and in response to the male song. We identified a pair of descending neurons that controls ovipositor extrusion in mated females. Genetic silencing of the descending neurons shows that ovipositor extrusion stimulates the male to attempt copulation. A detailed behavioral analysis revealed that during courtship, the male repeatedly licks the female genitalia, independently of ovipositor extrusion, and that licking an extruded ovipositor prompts a copulation attempt. However, if the ovipositor is not subsequently retracted, copulation is prevented, as it happens with mated females. In this study, we reveal a dual function of the ovipositor: while its extrusion is necessary for initiating copulation by the male, its retraction signals female acceptance. We thus uncover the significance of the communication between male and female that initiates the transition from courtship to copulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Mezzera
- Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisbon 1400-038, Portugal
| | | | - Miguel Gaspar
- Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisbon 1400-038, Portugal
| | - Hania J Pavlou
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | - Stephen F Goodwin
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Wang F, Wang K, Forknall N, Parekh R, Dickson BJ. Circuit and Behavioral Mechanisms of Sexual Rejection by Drosophila Females. Curr Biol 2020; 30:3749-3760.e3. [PMID: 32795445 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.07.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The mating decisions of Drosophila melanogaster females are primarily revealed through either of two discrete actions: opening of the vaginal plates to allow copulation, or extrusion of the ovipositor to reject the male. Both actions are triggered by the male courtship song, and both are dependent upon the female's mating status. Virgin females are more likely to open their vaginal plates in response to song; mated females are more likely to extrude their ovipositor. Here, we examine the neural cause and behavioral consequence of ovipositor extrusion. We show that the DNp13 descending neurons act as command-type neurons for ovipositor extrusion, and that ovipositor extrusion is an effective deterrent only when performed by females that have previously mated. The DNp13 neurons respond to male song via direct synaptic input from the pC2l auditory neurons. Mating status does not modulate the song responses of DNp13 neurons, but rather how effectively they can engage the motor circuits for ovipositor extrusion. We present evidence that mating status information is mediated by ppk+ sensory neurons in the uterus, which are activated upon ovulation. Vaginal plate opening and ovipositor extrusion are thus controlled by anatomically and functionally distinct circuits, highlighting the diversity of neural decision-making circuits even in the context of closely related behaviors with shared exteroceptive and interoceptive inputs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fei Wang
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Kaiyu Wang
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Nora Forknall
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Ruchi Parekh
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Barry J Dickson
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Neuroethology of acoustic communication in field crickets - from signal generation to song recognition in an insect brain. Prog Neurobiol 2020; 194:101882. [PMID: 32673695 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Field crickets are best known for the loud calling songs produced by males to attract conspecific females. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge of the neurobiological basis underlying the acoustic communication for mate finding in field crickets with emphasis on the recent research progress to understand the neuronal networks for motor pattern generation and auditory pattern recognition of the calling song in Gryllus bimaculatus. Strong scientific interest into the neural mechanisms underlying intraspecific communication has driven persistently advancing research efforts to study the male singing behaviour and female phonotaxis for mate finding in these insects. The growing neurobiological understanding also inspired many studies testing verifiable hypotheses in sensory ecology, bioacoustics and on the genetics and evolution of behaviour. Over last decades, acoustic communication in field crickets served as a very successful neuroethological model system. It has contributed significantly to the scientific process of establishing, reconsidering and refining fundamental concepts in behavioural neurosciences such as command neurons, central motor pattern generation, corollary discharge processing and pattern recognition by sensory feature detection, which are basic building blocks of our modern understanding on how nervous systems control and generate behaviour in all animals.
Collapse
|
23
|
Stumpner A, Gubert S, Knorr DY, Göpfert MC. Auditory DUM neurons in a bush-cricket: inhibited inhibitors. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2020; 206:793-807. [PMID: 32656577 PMCID: PMC7392950 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-020-01438-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Thoracic ganglia of many hearing insects house the first level of auditory processing. In bush-crickets, the largest population of local auditory neurons in the prothoracic processing centre are dorsal unpaired median (DUM) neurons. It has been suggested that DUM neurons are inhibitory using γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) as transmitter. Immunohistochemistry reveals a population of about 35–50 GABA-positive somata in the posterior medial cluster of the prothoracic ganglion. Only very few small somata in this cluster remain unstained. At least 10 neurites from 10 neurons can be identified. Intracellularly stained auditory DUM neurons have their soma in the cluster of median GABA positive cells and most of them exhibit GABA-immunoreactivity. Responses of certain DUM neurons show obvious signs of inhibition. Application of picrotoxin (PTX), a chloride-channel blocker in insects, changes the responses of many DUM neurons. They become broader in frequency tuning and broader or narrower in temporal pattern tuning. Furthermore, inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) may be replaced by excitatory postsynaptic potentials. Loss of an IPSP in the rising graded potential after PTX-application leads to a significant reduction of first-spike latency. Therefore, auditory DUM neurons receive effective inhibition and are the best candidates for inhibition in DUM neurons and other auditory interneurons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Stumpner
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Silvia Gubert
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Debbra Y Knorr
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Martin C Göpfert
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Bates AS, Manton JD, Jagannathan SR, Costa M, Schlegel P, Rohlfing T, Jefferis GSXE. The natverse, a versatile toolbox for combining and analysing neuroanatomical data. eLife 2020; 9:e53350. [PMID: 32286229 PMCID: PMC7242028 DOI: 10.7554/elife.53350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
To analyse neuron data at scale, neuroscientists expend substantial effort reading documentation, installing dependencies and moving between analysis and visualisation environments. To facilitate this, we have developed a suite of interoperable open-source R packages called the natverse. The natverse allows users to read local and remote data, perform popular analyses including visualisation and clustering and graph-theoretic analysis of neuronal branching. Unlike most tools, the natverse enables comparison across many neurons of morphology and connectivity after imaging or co-registration within a common template space. The natverse also enables transformations between different template spaces and imaging modalities. We demonstrate tools that integrate the vast majority of Drosophila neuroanatomical light microscopy and electron microscopy connectomic datasets. The natverse is an easy-to-use environment for neuroscientists to solve complex, large-scale analysis challenges as well as an open platform to create new code and packages to share with the community.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - James D Manton
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Sridhar R Jagannathan
- Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Marta Costa
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Philipp Schlegel
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Torsten Rohlfing
- SRI International, Neuroscience Program, Center for Health SciencesMenlo ParkUnited States
| | - Gregory SXE Jefferis
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Calhoun AJ, Pillow JW, Murthy M. Unsupervised identification of the internal states that shape natural behavior. Nat Neurosci 2019; 22:2040-2049. [PMID: 31768056 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-019-0533-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Internal states shape stimulus responses and decision-making, but we lack methods to identify them. To address this gap, we developed an unsupervised method to identify internal states from behavioral data and applied it to a dynamic social interaction. During courtship, Drosophila melanogaster males pattern their songs using feedback cues from their partner. Our model uncovers three latent states underlying this behavior and is able to predict moment-to-moment variation in song-patterning decisions. These states correspond to different sensorimotor strategies, each of which is characterized by different mappings from feedback cues to song modes. We show that a pair of neurons previously thought to be command neurons for song production are sufficient to drive switching between states. Our results reveal how animals compose behavior from previously unidentified internal states, which is a necessary step for quantitative descriptions of animal behavior that link environmental cues, internal needs, neuronal activity and motor outputs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam J Calhoun
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Jonathan W Pillow
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Mala Murthy
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Datta SR, Anderson DJ, Branson K, Perona P, Leifer A. Computational Neuroethology: A Call to Action. Neuron 2019; 104:11-24. [PMID: 31600508 PMCID: PMC6981239 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.09.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 203] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2019] [Revised: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The brain is worthy of study because it is in charge of behavior. A flurry of recent technical advances in measuring and quantifying naturalistic behaviors provide an important opportunity for advancing brain science. However, the problem of understanding unrestrained behavior in the context of neural recordings and manipulations remains unsolved, and developing approaches to addressing this challenge is critical. Here we discuss considerations in computational neuroethology-the science of quantifying naturalistic behaviors for understanding the brain-and propose strategies to evaluate progress. We point to open questions that require resolution and call upon the broader systems neuroscience community to further develop and leverage measures of naturalistic, unrestrained behavior, which will enable us to more effectively probe the richness and complexity of the brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - David J Anderson
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA; Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Kristin Branson
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Pietro Perona
- Division of Engineering & Applied Sciences 136-93, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Andrew Leifer
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Deutsch D, Clemens J, Thiberge SY, Guan G, Murthy M. Shared Song Detector Neurons in Drosophila Male and Female Brains Drive Sex-Specific Behaviors. Curr Biol 2019; 29:3200-3215.e5. [PMID: 31564492 PMCID: PMC6885007 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Males and females often produce distinct responses to the same sensory stimuli. How such differences arise-at the level of sensory processing or in the circuits that generate behavior-remains largely unresolved across sensory modalities. We address this issue in the acoustic communication system of Drosophila. During courtship, males generate time-varying songs, and each sex responds with specific behaviors. We characterize male and female behavioral tuning for all aspects of song and show that feature tuning is similar between sexes, suggesting sex-shared song detectors drive divergent behaviors. We then identify higher-order neurons in the Drosophila brain, called pC2, that are tuned for multiple temporal aspects of one mode of the male's song and drive sex-specific behaviors. We thus uncover neurons that are specifically tuned to an acoustic communication signal and that reside at the sensory-motor interface, flexibly linking auditory perception with sex-specific behavioral responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Deutsch
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Jan Clemens
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA; European Neuroscience Institute Göttingen - A Joint Initiative of the University Medical Center Göttingen and the Max-Planck Society, Grisebachstrasse 5, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Stephan Y Thiberge
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA; Bezos Center for Neural Circuit Dynamics, Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton NJ 08540, USA
| | - Georgia Guan
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Mala Murthy
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA; Bezos Center for Neural Circuit Dynamics, Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton NJ 08540, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
The Cognitive Ecology of Stimulus Ambiguity: A Predator-Prey Perspective. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:1048-1060. [PMID: 31416642 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Organisms face the cognitive challenge of making decisions based on imperfect information. Predators and prey, in particular, are confronted with ambiguous stimuli when foraging and avoiding attacks. These challenges are accentuated by variation imposed by environmental, physiological, and cognitive factors. While the cognitive factors influencing perceived ambiguity are often assumed to be fixed, contemporary findings reveal that perceived ambiguity is instead the dynamic outcome of interactive cognitive processes. Here, we present a framework that integrates recent advances in neurophysiology and sensory ecology with a classic decision-making model, signal detection theory (SDT), to understand the cognitive mechanisms that shape perceived stimulus ambiguity in predators and prey. Since stimulus ambiguity is pervasive, the framework discussed here provides insights that extend into nonforaging contexts.
Collapse
|
29
|
Stumpner A, Lefebvre PC, Seifert M, Ostrowski TD. Temporal processing properties of auditory DUM neurons in a bush-cricket. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2019; 205:717-733. [PMID: 31327050 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-019-01359-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Insects with ears process sounds and respond to conspecific signals or predator cues. Axons of auditory sensory cells terminate in mechanosensory neuropils from which auditory interneurons project into (brain-) areas to prepare response behaviors. In the prothoracic ganglion of a bush-cricket, a cluster of local DUM (dorsal unpaired median) neurons has recently been described and constitutes a filter bank for carrier frequency. Here, we demonstrate that these neurons also constitute a filter bank for temporal patterns. The majority of DUM neurons showed pronounced phasic-tonic responses. The transitions from phasic to tonic activation had different time constants in different DUM neurons. Time constants of the membrane potential were shorter in most DUM neurons than in auditory sensory neurons. Patterned stimuli with known behavioral relevance evoked a broad range of responses in DUM neurons: low-pass, band-pass, and high-pass characteristics were encountered. Temporal and carrier frequency processing were not correlated. Those DUM neurons producing action potentials showed divergent processing of temporal patterns when the graded potential or the spiking was analyzed separately. The extent of membrane potential fluctuations mimicking the patterned stimuli was different between otherwise similarly responding neurons. Different kinds of inhibition were apparent and their relevance for temporal processing is discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Stumpner
- Department Cellular Neurobiology, University of Göttingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany.
| | | | - Marvin Seifert
- School of Life Science, Baden Lab for Vision and Visual Ecology, University of Sussex, BN1 9QR, Falmer, UK
| | - Tim Daniel Ostrowski
- Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, A.T. Still University, 800 W. Jefferson Street, Kirksville, MO, 63501, USA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Dolan MJ, Frechter S, Bates AS, Dan C, Huoviala P, Roberts RJV, Schlegel P, Dhawan S, Tabano R, Dionne H, Christoforou C, Close K, Sutcliffe B, Giuliani B, Li F, Costa M, Ihrke G, Meissner GW, Bock DD, Aso Y, Rubin GM, Jefferis GSXE. Neurogenetic dissection of the Drosophila lateral horn reveals major outputs, diverse behavioural functions, and interactions with the mushroom body. eLife 2019; 8:e43079. [PMID: 31112130 PMCID: PMC6529221 DOI: 10.7554/elife.43079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals exhibit innate behaviours to a variety of sensory stimuli including olfactory cues. In Drosophila, one higher olfactory centre, the lateral horn (LH), is implicated in innate behaviour. However, our structural and functional understanding of the LH is scant, in large part due to a lack of sparse neurogenetic tools for this region. We generate a collection of split-GAL4 driver lines providing genetic access to 82 LH cell types. We use these to create an anatomical and neurotransmitter map of the LH and link this to EM connectomics data. We find ~30% of LH projections converge with outputs from the mushroom body, site of olfactory learning and memory. Using optogenetic activation, we identify LH cell types that drive changes in valence behavior or specific locomotor programs. In summary, we have generated a resource for manipulating and mapping LH neurons, providing new insights into the circuit basis of innate and learned olfactory behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael-John Dolan
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
- Division of NeurobiologyMRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Shahar Frechter
- Division of NeurobiologyMRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Chuntao Dan
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | - Paavo Huoviala
- Division of NeurobiologyMRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Philipp Schlegel
- Division of NeurobiologyMRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Serene Dhawan
- Division of NeurobiologyMRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Remy Tabano
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | - Heather Dionne
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | | | - Kari Close
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | - Ben Sutcliffe
- Division of NeurobiologyMRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Bianca Giuliani
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | - Feng Li
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | - Marta Costa
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Gudrun Ihrke
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | | | - Davi D Bock
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | - Yoshinori Aso
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | - Gerald M Rubin
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | - Gregory SXE Jefferis
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
- Division of NeurobiologyMRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Reverse-Correlation Analysis of the Mechanosensation Circuit and Behavior in C. elegans Reveals Temporal and Spatial Encoding. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5182. [PMID: 30914655 PMCID: PMC6435754 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41349-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals must integrate the activity of multiple mechanoreceptors to navigate complex environments. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the general roles of the mechanosensory neurons have been defined, but most studies involve end-point or single-time-point measurements, and thus lack dynamic information. Here, we formulate a set of unbiased quantitative characterizations of the mechanosensory system by using reverse correlation analysis on behavior. We use a custom tracking, selective illumination, and optogenetics platform to compare two mechanosensory systems: the gentle-touch (TRNs) and harsh-touch (PVD) circuits. This method yields characteristic linear filters that allow for the prediction of behavioral responses. The resulting filters are consistent with previous findings and further provide new insights on the dynamics and spatial encoding of the systems. Our results suggest that the tiled network of the gentle-touch neurons has better resolution for spatial encoding than the harsh-touch neurons. Additionally, linear-nonlinear models can predict behavioral responses based only on sensory neuron activity. Our results capture the overall dynamics of behavior induced by the activation of sensory neurons, providing simple transformations that quantitatively characterize these systems. Furthermore, this platform can be extended to capture the behavioral dynamics induced by any neuron or other excitable cells in the animal.
Collapse
|
32
|
Baker CA, Clemens J, Murthy M. Acoustic Pattern Recognition and Courtship Songs: Insights from Insects. Annu Rev Neurosci 2019; 42:129-147. [PMID: 30786225 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-080317-061839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Across the animal kingdom, social interactions rely on sound production and perception. From simple cricket chirps to more elaborate bird songs, animals go to great lengths to communicate information critical for reproduction and survival via acoustic signals. Insects produce a wide array of songs to attract a mate, and the intended receivers must differentiate these calls from competing sounds, analyze the quality of the sender from spectrotemporal signal properties, and then determine how to react. Insects use numerically simple nervous systems to analyze and respond to courtship songs, making them ideal model systems for uncovering the neural mechanisms underlying acoustic pattern recognition. We highlight here how the combination of behavioral studies and neural recordings in three groups of insects-crickets, grasshoppers, and fruit flies-reveals common strategies for extracting ethologically relevant information from acoustic patterns and how these findings might translate to other systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christa A Baker
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA;
| | - Jan Clemens
- University Medical Center Goettingen, Max-Planck-Society, European Neuroscience Institute, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany;
| | - Mala Murthy
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Batchelor AV, Wilson RI. Sound localization behavior in Drosophila melanogaster depends on inter-antenna vibration amplitude comparisons. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:222/3/jeb191213. [PMID: 30733260 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.191213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster hear with their antennae: sound evokes vibration of the distal antennal segment, and this vibration is transduced by specialized mechanoreceptor cells. The left and right antennae vibrate preferentially in response to sounds arising from different azimuthal angles. Therefore, by comparing signals from the two antennae, it should be possible to obtain information about the azimuthal angle of a sound source. However, behavioral evidence of sound localization has not been reported in Drosophila Here, we show that walking D. melanogaster do indeed turn in response to lateralized sounds. We confirm that this behavior is evoked by vibrations of the distal antennal segment. The rule for turning is different for sounds arriving from different locations: flies turn toward sounds in their front hemifield, but they turn away from sounds in their rear hemifield, and they do not turn at all in response to sounds from 90 or -90 deg. All of these findings can be explained by a simple rule: the fly steers away from the antenna with the larger vibration amplitude. Finally, we show that these behaviors generalize to sound stimuli with diverse spectro-temporal features, and that these behaviors are found in both sexes. Our findings demonstrate the behavioral relevance of the antenna's directional tuning properties. They also pave the way for investigating the neural implementation of sound localization, as well as the potential roles of sound-guided steering in courtship and exploration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra V Batchelor
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rachel I Wilson
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Abstract
Sexually reproducing animals display sex differences in behavior. Although many of these sex differences in behavior are acquired with experience, sexually dimorphic behaviors such as mating and aggression are innate in the sense that they can be displayed without prior training or experience. In this review, we present recent advances in our understanding of the neural control of such innate sexually dimorphic social behaviors, with a focus on sexual behavior and aggression in flies and mice. We provide a brief overview of fundamental processes that regulate sexual differentiation in these animals to provide a framework within which more recent advances can be understood. We discuss advances in sensory, neuromodulatory, neural circuit, and experiential regulation of sexually dimorphic social behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nirao M. Shah
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Carrillo-Medina JL, Latorre R. Detection of Activation Sequences in Spiking-Bursting Neurons by means of the Recognition of Intraburst Neural Signatures. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16726. [PMID: 30425274 PMCID: PMC6233224 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34757-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bursting activity is present in many cells of different nervous systems playing important roles in neural information processing. Multiple assemblies of bursting neurons act cooperatively to produce coordinated spatio-temporal patterns of sequential activity. A major goal in neuroscience is unveiling the mechanisms underlying neural information processing based on this sequential dynamics. Experimental findings have revealed the presence of precise cell-type-specific intraburst firing patterns in the activity of some bursting neurons. This characteristic neural signature coexists with the information encoded in other aspects of the spiking-bursting signals, and its functional meaning is still unknown. We investigate the ability of a neuron conductance-based model to detect specific presynaptic activation sequences taking advantage of intraburst fingerprints identifying the source of the signals building up a sequential pattern of activity. Our simulations point out that a reader neuron could use this information to contextualize incoming signals and accordingly compute a characteristic response by relying on precise phase relationships among the activity of different emitters. This would provide individual neurons enhanced capabilities to control and negotiate sequential dynamics. In this regard, we discuss the possible implications of the proposed contextualization mechanism for neural information processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José Luis Carrillo-Medina
- Departamento de Eléctrica y Electrónica, Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas - ESPE, Sangolquí, Ecuador
| | - Roberto Latorre
- Grupo de Neurocomputación Biológica, Dpto. Ingeniería Informática, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Clemens J, Coen P, Roemschied FA, Pereira TD, Mazumder D, Aldarondo DE, Pacheco DA, Murthy M. Discovery of a New Song Mode in Drosophila Reveals Hidden Structure in the Sensory and Neural Drivers of Behavior. Curr Biol 2018; 28:2400-2412.e6. [PMID: 30057309 PMCID: PMC6830513 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Revised: 03/10/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Deciphering how brains generate behavior depends critically on an accurate description of behavior. If distinct behaviors are lumped together, separate modes of brain activity can be wrongly attributed to the same behavior. Alternatively, if a single behavior is split into two, the same neural activity can appear to produce different behaviors. Here, we address this issue in the context of acoustic communication in Drosophila. During courtship, males vibrate their wings to generate time-varying songs, and females evaluate songs to inform mating decisions. For 50 years, Drosophila melanogaster song was thought to consist of only two modes, sine and pulse, but using unsupervised classification methods on large datasets of song recordings, we now establish the existence of at least three song modes: two distinct pulse types, along with a single sine mode. We show how this seemingly subtle distinction affects our interpretation of the mechanisms underlying song production and perception. Specifically, we show that visual feedback influences the probability of producing each song mode and that male song mode choice affects female responses and contributes to modulating his song amplitude with distance. At the neural level, we demonstrate how the activity of four separate neuron types within the fly's song pathway differentially affects the probability of producing each song mode. Our results highlight the importance of carefully segmenting behavior to map the underlying sensory, neural, and genetic mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jan Clemens
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Philip Coen
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | - Talmo D Pereira
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - David Mazumder
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Diego E Aldarondo
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Diego A Pacheco
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Mala Murthy
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Deciphering Drosophila female innate behaviors. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2018; 52:139-148. [PMID: 29940518 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2018.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Innate responses are often sexually dimorphic. Studies of female specific behaviors have remained niche, but the focus is changing as illustrated by the recent progress in understanding the female courtship responses and egg-laying decisions. In this review, we will cover our current knowledge about female behaviors in these two specific contexts. Recent studies elucidate on how females process the courtship song. They also show that egg-laying decisions are extremely complex, requiring the assessment of food, microbial, predator and social cues. Study of female responses will improve our understanding of how a nervous system processes different challenges.
Collapse
|
38
|
Brüggemeier B, Porter MA, Vigoreaux JO, Goodwin SF. Female Drosophila melanogaster respond to song-amplitude modulations. Biol Open 2018; 7:bio032003. [PMID: 29666051 PMCID: PMC6031343 DOI: 10.1242/bio.032003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2017] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Males in numerous animal species use mating songs to attract females and intimidate competitors. We demonstrate that modulations in song amplitude are behaviourally relevant in the fruit fly Drosophila We show that Drosophilamelanogaster females prefer amplitude modulations that are typical of melanogaster song over other modulations, which suggests that amplitude modulations are processed auditorily by D. melanogaster Our work demonstrates that receivers can decode messages in amplitude modulations, complementing the recent finding that male flies actively control song amplitude. To describe amplitude modulations, we propose the concept of song amplitude structure (SAS) and discuss similarities and differences to amplitude modulation with distance (AMD).This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Brüggemeier
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
- AudioLabs, Fraunhofer-Institut für Integrierte Schaltungen, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Mason A Porter
- Department of Mathematics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
- CABDyN Complexity Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 1HP, UK
| | - Jim O Vigoreaux
- Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Stephen F Goodwin
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Yamada D, Ishimoto H, Li X, Kohashi T, Ishikawa Y, Kamikouchi A. GABAergic Local Interneurons Shape Female Fruit Fly Response to Mating Songs. J Neurosci 2018; 38:4329-4347. [PMID: 29691331 PMCID: PMC6596007 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3644-17.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2017] [Revised: 03/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals use acoustic signals to attract a potential mating partner. In fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), the courtship pulse song has a species-specific interpulse interval (IPI) that activates mating. Although a series of auditory neurons in the fly brain exhibit different tuning patterns to IPIs, it is unclear how the response of each neuron is tuned. Here, we studied the neural circuitry regulating the activity of antennal mechanosensory and motor center (AMMC)-B1 neurons, key secondary auditory neurons in the excitatory neural pathway that relay song information. By performing Ca2+ imaging in female flies, we found that the IPI selectivity observed in AMMC-B1 neurons differs from that of upstream auditory sensory neurons [Johnston's organ (JO)-B]. Selective knock-down of a GABAA receptor subunit in AMMC-B1 neurons increased their response to short IPIs, suggesting that GABA suppresses AMMC-B1 activity at these IPIs. Connection mapping identified two GABAergic local interneurons that synapse with AMMC-B1 and JO-B. Ca2+ imaging combined with neuronal silencing revealed that these local interneurons, AMMC-LN and AMMC-B2, shape the response pattern of AMMC-B1 neurons at a 15 ms IPI. Neuronal silencing studies further suggested that both GABAergic local interneurons suppress the behavioral response to artificial pulse songs in flies, particularly those with a 15 ms IPI. Altogether, we identified a circuit containing two GABAergic local interneurons that affects the temporal tuning of AMMC-B1 neurons in the song relay pathway and the behavioral response to the courtship song. Our findings suggest that feedforward inhibitory pathways adjust the behavioral response to courtship pulse songs in female flies.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT To understand how the brain detects time intervals between sound elements, we studied the neural pathway that relays species-specific courtship song information in female Drosophila melanogaster We demonstrate that the signal transmission from auditory sensory neurons to key secondary auditory neurons antennal mechanosensory and motor center (AMMC)-B1 is the first-step to generate time interval selectivity of neurons in the song relay pathway. Two GABAergic local interneurons are suggested to shape the interval selectivity of AMMC-B1 neurons by receiving auditory inputs and in turn providing feedforward inhibition onto AMMC-B1 neurons. Furthermore, these GABAergic local interneurons suppress the song response behavior in an interval-dependent manner. Our results provide new insights into the neural circuit basis to adjust neuronal and behavioral responses to a species-specific communication sound.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daichi Yamada
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Ishimoto
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
| | - Xiaodong Li
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
| | - Tsunehiko Kohashi
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
| | - Yuki Ishikawa
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
| | - Azusa Kamikouchi
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Lefebvre PC, Seifert M, Stumpner A. Auditory DUM neurons in a bush-cricket: A filter bank for carrier frequency. J Comp Neurol 2018; 526:1166-1182. [PMID: 29380378 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Revised: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In bush-crickets the first stage of central auditory processing occurs in the prothoracic ganglion. About 15 to 50 different auditory dorsal unpaired median neurons (DUM neurons) exist but they have not been studied in any detail. These DUM neurons may be classified into seven different morphological types, although, there is only limited correlation between morphology and physiological responses. Ninety seven percent of the stained neurons were local, 3% were intersegmental. About 90% project nearly exclusively into the auditory neuropile, and 45% into restricted areas therein. Lateral extensions overlap with the axons of primary auditory sensory neurons close to their branching point. DUM neurons are typically tuned to frequencies covering the range between 2 and 50 kHz and thereby may establish a filter bank for carrier frequency. Less than 10% of DUM neurons have their branches in adjacent and more posterior regions of the auditory neuropile and are mostly tuned to low frequencies, less sensitive than the other types and respond to vibration. Thirty five percent of DUM show indications of inhibition, either through reduced responses at higher intensities, or by hyperpolarizing responses to sound. Most DUM neurons produce phasic spike responses preferably at higher intensities. Spikes may be elicited by intracellular current injection. Preliminary data suggest that auditory DUM neurons have GABA as transmitter and therefore may inhibit other auditory interneurons. From all known local auditory neurons, only DUM neurons have frequency specific responses which appear suited for local processing relevant for acoustic communication in bush crickets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paule Chloé Lefebvre
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, University of Göttingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marvin Seifert
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, University of Göttingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Stumpner
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, University of Göttingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Göttingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Patella P, Wilson RI. Functional Maps of Mechanosensory Features in the Drosophila Brain. Curr Biol 2018; 28:1189-1203.e5. [PMID: 29657118 PMCID: PMC5952606 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.02.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Johnston's organ is the largest mechanosensory organ in Drosophila. It contributes to hearing, touch, vestibular sensing, proprioception, and wind sensing. In this study, we used in vivo 2-photon calcium imaging and unsupervised image segmentation to map the tuning properties of Johnston's organ neurons (JONs) at the site where their axons enter the brain. We then applied the same methodology to study two key brain regions that process signals from JONs: the antennal mechanosensory and motor center (AMMC) and the wedge, which is downstream of the AMMC. First, we identified a diversity of JON response types that tile frequency space and form a rough tonotopic map. Some JON response types are direction selective; others are specialized to encode amplitude modulations over a specific range (dynamic range fractionation). Next, we discovered that both the AMMC and the wedge contain a tonotopic map, with a significant increase in tonotopy-and a narrowing of frequency tuning-at the level of the wedge. Whereas the AMMC tonotopic map is unilateral, the wedge tonotopic map is bilateral. Finally, we identified a subregion of the AMMC/wedge that responds preferentially to the coherent rotation of the two mechanical organs in the same angular direction, indicative of oriented steady air flow (directional wind). Together, these maps reveal the broad organization of the primary and secondary mechanosensory regions of the brain. They provide a framework for future efforts to identify the specific cell types and mechanisms that underlie the hierarchical re-mapping of mechanosensory information in this system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paola Patella
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rachel I Wilson
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Li X, Ishimoto H, Kamikouchi A. Auditory experience controls the maturation of song discrimination and sexual response in Drosophila. eLife 2018; 7:e34348. [PMID: 29555017 PMCID: PMC5860867 DOI: 10.7554/elife.34348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In birds and higher mammals, auditory experience during development is critical to discriminate sound patterns in adulthood. However, the neural and molecular nature of this acquired ability remains elusive. In fruit flies, acoustic perception has been thought to be innate. Here we report, surprisingly, that auditory experience of a species-specific courtship song in developing Drosophila shapes adult song perception and resultant sexual behavior. Preferences in the song-response behaviors of both males and females were tuned by social acoustic exposure during development. We examined the molecular and cellular determinants of this social acoustic learning and found that GABA signaling acting on the GABAA receptor Rdl in the pC1 neurons, the integration node for courtship stimuli, regulated auditory tuning and sexual behavior. These findings demonstrate that maturation of auditory perception in flies is unexpectedly plastic and is acquired socially, providing a model to investigate how song learning regulates mating preference in insects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodong Li
- Graduate School of ScienceNagoya UniversityNagoyaJapan
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Abstract
The need for high-throughput, precise, and meaningful methods for measuring behavior has been amplified by our recent successes in measuring and manipulating neural circuitry. The largest challenges associated with moving in this direction, however, are not technical but are instead conceptual: what numbers should one put on the movements an animal is performing (or not performing)? In this review, I will describe how theoretical and data analytical ideas are interfacing with recently-developed computational and experimental methodologies to answer these questions across a variety of contexts, length scales, and time scales. I will attempt to highlight commonalities between approaches and areas where further advances are necessary to place behavior on the same quantitative footing as other scientific fields.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gordon J Berman
- Department of Biology, Emory University, 1510 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, 30322, GA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Fast intensity adaptation enhances the encoding of sound in Drosophila. Nat Commun 2018; 9:134. [PMID: 29317624 PMCID: PMC5760620 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02453-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
To faithfully encode complex stimuli, sensory neurons should correct, via adaptation, for stimulus properties that corrupt pattern recognition. Here we investigate sound intensity adaptation in the Drosophila auditory system, which is largely devoted to processing courtship song. Mechanosensory neurons (JONs) in the antenna are sensitive not only to sound-induced antennal vibrations, but also to wind or gravity, which affect the antenna's mean position. Song pattern recognition, therefore, requires adaptation to antennal position (stimulus mean) in addition to sound intensity (stimulus variance). We discover fast variance adaptation in Drosophila JONs, which corrects for background noise over the behaviorally relevant intensity range. We determine where mean and variance adaptation arises and how they interact. A computational model explains our results using a sequence of subtractive and divisive adaptation modules, interleaved by rectification. These results lay the foundation for identifying the molecular and biophysical implementation of adaptation to the statistics of natural sensory stimuli.
Collapse
|
45
|
Albert JT, Kozlov AS. Comparative Aspects of Hearing in Vertebrates and Insects with Antennal Ears. Curr Biol 2017; 26:R1050-R1061. [PMID: 27780047 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of hearing in terrestrial animals has resulted in remarkable adaptations enabling exquisitely sensitive sound detection by the ear and sophisticated sound analysis by the brain. In this review, we examine several such characteristics, using examples from insects and vertebrates. We focus on two strong and interdependent forces that have been shaping the auditory systems across taxa: the physical environment of auditory transducers on the small, subcellular scale, and the sensory-ecological environment within which hearing happens, on a larger, evolutionary scale. We briefly discuss acoustical feature selectivity and invariance in the central auditory system, highlighting a major difference between insects and vertebrates as well as a major similarity. Through such comparisons within a sensory ecological framework, we aim to emphasize general principles underlying acute sensitivity to airborne sounds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joerg T Albert
- UCL Ear Institute, 332 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8EE, UK.
| | - Andrei S Kozlov
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Azevedo AW, Wilson RI. Active Mechanisms of Vibration Encoding and Frequency Filtering in Central Mechanosensory Neurons. Neuron 2017; 96:446-460.e9. [PMID: 28943231 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2017] [Revised: 07/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
To better understand biophysical mechanisms of mechanosensory processing, we investigated two cell types in the Drosophila brain (A2 and B1 cells) that are postsynaptic to antennal vibration receptors. A2 cells receive excitatory synaptic currents in response to both directions of movement: thus, twice per vibration cycle. The membrane acts as a low-pass filter, so that voltage and spiking mainly track the vibration envelope rather than individual cycles. By contrast, B1 cells are excited by only forward or backward movement, meaning they are sensitive to vibration phase. They receive oscillatory synaptic currents at the stimulus frequency, and they bandpass filter these inputs to favor specific frequencies. Different cells prefer different frequencies, due to differences in their voltage-gated conductances. Both Na+ and K+ conductances suppress low-frequency synaptic inputs, so cells with larger voltage-gated conductances prefer higher frequencies. These results illustrate how membrane properties and voltage-gated conductances can extract distinct stimulus features into parallel channels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anthony W Azevedo
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rachel I Wilson
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Aranha MM, Herrmann D, Cachitas H, Neto-Silva RM, Dias S, Vasconcelos ML. apterous Brain Neurons Control Receptivity to Male Courtship in Drosophila Melanogaster Females. Sci Rep 2017; 7:46242. [PMID: 28401905 PMCID: PMC5388873 DOI: 10.1038/srep46242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Courtship behaviours allow animals to interact and display their qualities before committing to reproduction. In fly courtship, the female decides whether or not to mate and is thought to display receptivity by slowing down to accept the male. Very little is known on the neuronal brain circuitry controlling female receptivity. Here we use genetic manipulation and behavioural studies to identify a novel set of neurons in the brain that controls sexual receptivity in the female without triggering the postmating response. We show that these neurons, defined by the expression of the transcription factor apterous, affect the modulation of female walking speed during courtship. Interestingly, we found that the apterous neurons required for female receptivity are neither doublesex nor fruitless positive suggesting that apterous neurons are not specified by the sex-determination cascade. Overall, these findings identify a neuronal substrate underlying female response to courtship and highlight the central role of walking speed in the receptivity behaviour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Márcia M Aranha
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Dennis Herrmann
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal.,Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Hugo Cachitas
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ricardo M Neto-Silva
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal.,Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Sophie Dias
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal.,Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Maria Luísa Vasconcelos
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal.,Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Failure to reproduce period-dependent song cycles in Drosophila is due to poor automated pulse-detection and low-intensity courtship. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:1970-1975. [PMID: 28174268 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1615198114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Stern has criticized a body of work from several groups that have independently studied the so-called "Kyriacou and Hall" courtship song rhythms of male Drosophila melanogaster, claiming that these ultradian ∼60-s cycles in the interpulse interval (IPI) are statistical artifacts that are not modulated by mutations at the period (per) locus [Stern DL (2014) BMC Biol 12:38]. We have scrutinized Stern's raw data and observe that his automated song pulse-detection method identifies only ∼50% of the IPIs found by manual (visual and acoustic) monitoring. This critical error is further compounded by Stern's use of recordings with very little song, the large majority of which do not meet the minimal song intensity criteria which Kyriacou and Hall used in their studies. Consequently most of Stern's recordings only contribute noise to the analyses. Of the data presented by Stern, only perL and a small fraction of wild-type males sing vigorously, so we limited our reanalyses to these genotypes. We manually reexamined Stern's raw song recordings and analyzed IPI rhythms using several independent time-series analyses. We observe that perL songs show significantly longer song periods than wild-type songs, with values for both genotypes close to those found in previous studies. These per-dependent differences disappear when the song data are randomized. We conclude that Stern's negative findings are artifacts of his inadequate pulse-detection methodology coupled to his use of low-intensity courtship song records.
Collapse
|
49
|
Auer TO, Benton R. Sexual circuitry in Drosophila. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2016; 38:18-26. [PMID: 26851712 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2016.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2015] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The sexual behavior of Drosophila melanogaster is an outstanding paradigm to understand the molecular and neuronal basis of sophisticated animal actions. We discuss recent advances in our knowledge of the genetic hardwiring of the underlying neuronal circuitry, and how pertinent sensory cues are differentially detected and integrated in the male and female brain. We also consider how experience influences these circuits over short timescales, and the evolution of these pathways over longer timescales to endow species-specific sexual displays and responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas O Auer
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Richard Benton
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Coen P, Murthy M. Singing on the fly: sensorimotor integration and acoustic communication in Drosophila. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2016; 38:38-45. [PMID: 26874218 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2016.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2016] [Revised: 01/16/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The capacity to communicate via acoustic signals is prevalent across the animal kingdom, from insects to humans. What are the neural circuit mechanisms that underlie this ability? New methods for behavioral analysis along with an unparalleled genetic toolkit have recently opened up studies of acoustic communication in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Its nervous system comprises roughly 100,000 neurons, yet flies are able to both produce and process time-varying sounds during courtship. Just as with more complex animals, sensory feedback plays an important role in shaping communication between the sexes. Here, we review recent work in Drosophila that has laid the foundation for solving the mechanisms by which sensory information dynamically modulates behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philip Coen
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States
| | - Mala Murthy
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, United States.
| |
Collapse
|