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Dan C, Hulse BK, Kappagantula R, Jayaraman V, Hermundstad AM. A neural circuit architecture for rapid learning in goal-directed navigation. Neuron 2024:S0896-6273(24)00326-X. [PMID: 38795708 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.04.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
Anchoring goals to spatial representations enables flexible navigation but is challenging in novel environments when both representations must be acquired simultaneously. We propose a framework for how Drosophila uses internal representations of head direction (HD) to build goal representations upon selective thermal reinforcement. We show that flies use stochastically generated fixations and directed saccades to express heading preferences in an operant visual learning paradigm and that HD neurons are required to modify these preferences based on reinforcement. We used a symmetric visual setting to expose how flies' HD and goal representations co-evolve and how the reliability of these interacting representations impacts behavior. Finally, we describe how rapid learning of new goal headings may rest on a behavioral policy whose parameters are flexible but whose form is genetically encoded in circuit architecture. Such evolutionarily structured architectures, which enable rapidly adaptive behavior driven by internal representations, may be relevant across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuntao Dan
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Brad K Hulse
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Ramya Kappagantula
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Vivek Jayaraman
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA.
| | - Ann M Hermundstad
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA.
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2
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Wiedemann BM, Takeuchi K, Ohta K, Kato-Namba A, Yabuki M, Kazama H, Nakagawa T. Hydrophobic solution functions as a multifaceted mosquito repellent by enhancing chemical transfer, altering object tracking, and forming aversive memory. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5422. [PMID: 38443480 PMCID: PMC10914761 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55975-w] [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: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Developing a safe and potent repellent of mosquitoes applicable to human skins is an effective measure against the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. Recently, we have identified that hydrophobic solutions such as low viscosity polydimethylsiloxane (L-PDMS) spread on a human skin prevent mosquitoes from staying on and biting it. This is likely due to the ability of L-PDMS in wetting mosquito legs and exerting a capillary force from which the mosquitoes attempt to escape. Here we show three additional functions of L-PDMS that can contribute to repel Aedes albopictus, by combining physicochemical analysis and behavioral assays in both an arm cage and a virtual flight arena. First, L-PDMS, when mixed with topical repellents and applied on a human skin, enhances the effect of topical repellents in reducing mosquito bites by efficiently transferring them to mosquito legs upon contact. Second, L-PDMS applied to mosquito tarsi compromises visual object tracking during flight, exerting an influence outlasting the contact. Finally, L-PDMS applied to mosquito tarsi acts as an aversive reinforcer in associative learning, making mosquitoes avoid the conditioned odor. These results uncover a multifaceted potential of L-PDMS in altering a sequence of mosquito behaviors from biting a human skin, visual object tracking following takeoff, to the response to an odor linked with L-PDMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca M Wiedemann
- Human Health Care Products Research, Kao Corporation, 2‑1‑3 Bunka, Sumida, Tokyo, 131‑8501, Japan.
| | - Kohei Takeuchi
- Human Health Care Products Research, Kao Corporation, 2‑1‑3 Bunka, Sumida, Tokyo, 131‑8501, Japan
- Sensory Science Research, Kao Corporation, 2‑1‑3 Bunka, Sumida, Tokyo, 131‑8501, Japan
| | - Kazumi Ohta
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
- RIKEN CBS-KAO Collaboration Center, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Aya Kato-Namba
- Human Health Care Products Research, Kao Corporation, 2‑1‑3 Bunka, Sumida, Tokyo, 131‑8501, Japan
| | - Masayuki Yabuki
- Sensory Science Research, Kao Corporation, 2‑1‑3 Bunka, Sumida, Tokyo, 131‑8501, Japan
| | - Hokto Kazama
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
- RIKEN CBS-KAO Collaboration Center, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8902, Japan.
| | - Takao Nakagawa
- Human Health Care Products Research, Kao Corporation, 2‑1‑3 Bunka, Sumida, Tokyo, 131‑8501, Japan
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3
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Garner D, Kind E, Nern A, Houghton L, Zhao A, Sancer G, Rubin GM, Wernet MF, Kim SS. Connectomic reconstruction predicts the functional organization of visual inputs to the navigation center of the Drosophila brain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.29.569241. [PMID: 38076786 PMCID: PMC10705420 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.29.569241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
Many animals, including humans, navigate their surroundings by visual input, yet we understand little about how visual information is transformed and integrated by the navigation system. In Drosophila melanogaster, compass neurons in the donut-shaped ellipsoid body of the central complex generate a sense of direction by integrating visual input from ring neurons, a part of the anterior visual pathway (AVP). Here, we densely reconstruct all neurons in the AVP using FlyWire, an AI-assisted tool for analyzing electron-microscopy data. The AVP comprises four neuropils, sequentially linked by three major classes of neurons: MeTu neurons, which connect the medulla in the optic lobe to the small unit of anterior optic tubercle (AOTUsu) in the central brain; TuBu neurons, which connect the anterior optic tubercle to the bulb neuropil; and ring neurons, which connect the bulb to the ellipsoid body. Based on neuronal morphologies, connectivity between different neural classes, and the locations of synapses, we identified non-overlapping channels originating from four types of MeTu neurons, which we further divided into ten subtypes based on the presynaptic connections in medulla and postsynaptic connections in AOTUsu. To gain an objective measure of the natural variation within the pathway, we quantified the differences between anterior visual pathways from both hemispheres and between two electron-microscopy datasets. Furthermore, we infer potential visual features and the visual area from which any given ring neuron receives input by combining the connectivity of the entire AVP, the MeTu neurons' dendritic fields, and presynaptic connectivity in the optic lobes. These results provide a strong foundation for understanding how distinct visual features are extracted and transformed across multiple processing stages to provide critical information for computing the fly's sense of direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin Garner
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Emil Kind
- Department of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Aljoscha Nern
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Lucy Houghton
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Arthur Zhao
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Gizem Sancer
- Department of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gerald M. Rubin
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | | | - Sung Soo Kim
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
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4
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Shao L, Xu X, Liu Y, Zhao Y. Adaptive Memory of a Neuromorphic Transistor with Multi-Sensory Signal Fusion. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:35272-35279. [PMID: 37461139 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c06429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
One of the ultimate goals of artificial intelligence is to achieve the capability of memory evolution and adaptability to changing environments, which is termed adaptive memory. To realize adaptive memory in artificial neuromorphic devices, artificial synapses with multi-sensing capability are required to collect and analyze various sensory cues from the external changing environments. However, due to the lack of platforms for mediating multiple sensory signals, most artificial synapses have been mainly limited to unimodal or bimodal sensory devices. Herein, we present a multi-modal artificial sensory synapse (MASS) based on an organic synapse to realize sensory fusion and adaptive memory. The MASS receives optical, electrical, and pressure information and in turn generates typical synaptic behaviors, mimicking the multi-sensory neurons in the brain. Sophisticated synaptic behaviors, such as Pavlovian dogs, writing/erasing, signal accumulation, and offset, were emulated to demonstrate the joint efforts of bimodal sensory cues. Moreover, associative memory can be formed in the device and be subsequently reshaped by signals from a third perception, mimicking modification of the memory and cognition when encountering a new environment. Our MASS provides a step toward next-generation artificial neural networks with an adaptive memory capability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Shao
- Laboratory of Molecular Materials and Devices, Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Xinzhao Xu
- Laboratory of Molecular Materials and Devices, Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Yunqi Liu
- Laboratory of Molecular Materials and Devices, Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Yan Zhao
- Laboratory of Molecular Materials and Devices, Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
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Tsuji M, Nishizuka Y, Emoto K. Threat gates visual aversion via theta activity in Tachykinergic neurons. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3987. [PMID: 37443364 PMCID: PMC10345120 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39667-z] [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: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals must adapt sensory responses to an ever-changing environment for survival. Such sensory modulation is especially critical in a threatening situation, in which animals often promote aversive responses to, among others, visual stimuli. Recently, threatened Drosophila has been shown to exhibit a defensive internal state. Whether and how threatened Drosophila promotes visual aversion, however, remains elusive. Here we report that mechanical threats to Drosophila transiently gate aversion from an otherwise neutral visual object. We further identified the neuropeptide tachykinin, and a single cluster of neurons expressing it ("Tk-GAL42 ∩ Vglut neurons"), that are responsible for gating visual aversion. Calcium imaging analysis revealed that mechanical threats are encoded in Tk-GAL42 ∩ Vglut neurons as elevated activity. Remarkably, we also discovered that a visual object is encoded in Tk-GAL42 ∩ Vglut neurons as θ oscillation, which is causally linked to visual aversion. Our data reveal how a single cluster of neurons adapt organismal sensory response to a threatening situation through a neuropeptide and a combination of rate/temporal coding schemes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masato Tsuji
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yuto Nishizuka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Kazuo Emoto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
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6
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Duan W, Zhang Y, Zhang X, Yang J, Shan H, Liu L, Wei H. A Visual Pathway into Central Complex for High-Frequency Motion-Defined Bars in Drosophila. J Neurosci 2023; 43:4821-4836. [PMID: 37290936 PMCID: PMC10312062 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0128-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Relative motion breaks a camouflaged target from a same-textured background, thus eliciting discrimination of a motion-defined object. Ring (R) neurons are critical components in the Drosophila central complex, which has been implicated in multiple visually guided behaviors. Using two-photon calcium imaging with female flies, we demonstrated that a specific population of R neurons that innervate the superior domain of bulb neuropil, termed superior R neurons, encoded a motion-defined bar with high spatial frequency contents. Upstream superior tuberculo-bulbar (TuBu) neurons transmitted visual signals by releasing acetylcholine within synapses connected with superior R neurons. Blocking TuBu or R neurons impaired tracking performance of the bar, which reveals their importance in motion-defined feature encoding. Additionally, the presentation of a low spatial frequency luminance-defined bar evoked consistent excitation in R neurons of the superior bulb, whereas either excited or inhibited responses were evoked in the inferior bulb. The distinct properties of the responses to the two bar stimuli indicate there is a functional division between the bulb subdomains. Moreover, physiological and behavioral tests with restricted lines suggest that R4d neurons play a vital role in tracking motion-defined bars. We conclude that the central complex receives the motion-defined features via a visual pathway from superior TuBu to R neurons and might encode different visual features via distinct response patterns at the population level, thereby driving visually guided behaviors.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Animals could discriminate a motion-defined object that is indistinguishable with a same-textured background until it moves, but little is known about the underlying neural mechanisms. In this study, we identified that R neurons and their upstream partners, TuBu neurons, innervating the superior bulb of Drosophila central brain are involved in the discrimination of high-frequency motion-defined bars. Our study provides new evidence that R neurons receive multiple visual inputs from distinct upstream neurons, indicating a population coding mechanism for the fly central brain to discriminate diverse visual features. These results build progress in unraveling neural substrates for visually guided behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenlan Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
| | - Yihao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
| | - Jihua Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
| | - Heying Shan
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Li Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Hongying Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
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7
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Currier TA, Pang MM, Clandinin TR. Visual processing in the fly, from photoreceptors to behavior. Genetics 2023; 224:iyad064. [PMID: 37128740 PMCID: PMC10213501 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 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: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Originally a genetic model organism, the experimental use of Drosophila melanogaster has grown to include quantitative behavioral analyses, sophisticated perturbations of neuronal function, and detailed sensory physiology. A highlight of these developments can be seen in the context of vision, where pioneering studies have uncovered fundamental and generalizable principles of sensory processing. Here we begin with an overview of vision-guided behaviors and common methods for probing visual circuits. We then outline the anatomy and physiology of brain regions involved in visual processing, beginning at the sensory periphery and ending with descending motor control. Areas of focus include contrast and motion detection in the optic lobe, circuits for visual feature selectivity, computations in support of spatial navigation, and contextual associative learning. Finally, we look to the future of fly visual neuroscience and discuss promising topics for further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A Currier
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Michelle M Pang
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Thomas R Clandinin
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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8
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Kandimalla P, Omoto JJ, Hong EJ, Hartenstein V. Lineages to circuits: the developmental and evolutionary architecture of information channels into the central complex. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2023:10.1007/s00359-023-01616-y. [PMID: 36932234 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-023-01616-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
The representation and integration of internal and external cues is crucial for any organism to execute appropriate behaviors. In insects, a highly conserved region of the brain, the central complex (CX), functions in the representation of spatial information and behavioral states, as well as the transformation of this information into desired navigational commands. How does this relatively invariant structure enable the incorporation of information from the diversity of anatomical, behavioral, and ecological niches occupied by insects? Here, we examine the input channels to the CX in the context of their development and evolution. Insect brains develop from ~ 100 neuroblasts per hemisphere that divide systematically to form "lineages" of sister neurons, that project to their target neuropils along anatomically characteristic tracts. Overlaying this developmental tract information onto the recently generated Drosophila "hemibrain" connectome and integrating this information with the anatomical and physiological recording of neurons in other species, we observe neuropil and lineage-specific innervation, connectivity, and activity profiles in CX input channels. We posit that the proliferative potential of neuroblasts and the lineage-based architecture of information channels enable the modification of neural networks across existing, novel, and deprecated modalities in a species-specific manner, thus forming the substrate for the evolution and diversification of insect navigational circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratyush Kandimalla
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA. .,Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Jaison Jiro Omoto
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.,Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth J Hong
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Volker Hartenstein
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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9
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Yan W, Lin H, Yu J, Wiggin TD, Wu L, Meng Z, Liu C, Griffith LC. Subtype-Specific Roles of Ellipsoid Body Ring Neurons in Sleep Regulation in Drosophila. J Neurosci 2023; 43:764-786. [PMID: 36535771 PMCID: PMC9899086 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1350-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The ellipsoid body (EB) is a major structure of the central complex of the Drosophila melanogaster brain. Twenty-two subtypes of EB ring neurons have been identified based on anatomic and morphologic characteristics by light-level microscopy and EM connectomics. A few studies have associated ring neurons with the regulation of sleep homeostasis and structure. However, cell type-specific and population interactions in the regulation of sleep remain unclear. Using an unbiased thermogenetic screen of EB drivers using female flies, we found the following: (1) multiple ring neurons are involved in the modulation of amount of sleep and structure in a synergistic manner; (2) analysis of data for ΔP(doze)/ΔP(wake) using a mixed Gaussian model detected 5 clusters of GAL4 drivers which had similar effects on sleep pressure and/or depth: lines driving arousal contained R4m neurons, whereas lines that increased sleep pressure had R3m cells; (3) a GLM analysis correlating ring cell subtype and activity-dependent changes in sleep parameters across all lines identified several cell types significantly associated with specific sleep effects: R3p was daytime sleep-promoting, and R4m was nighttime wake-promoting; and (4) R3d cells present in 5HT7-GAL4 and in GAL4 lines, which exclusively affect sleep structure, were found to contribute to fragmentation of sleep during both day and night. Thus, multiple subtypes of ring neurons distinctively control sleep amount and/or structure. The unique highly interconnected structure of the EB suggests a local-network model worth future investigation; understanding EB subtype interactions may provide insight how sleep circuits in general are structured.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT How multiple brain regions, with many cell types, can coherently regulate sleep remains unclear, but identification of cell type-specific roles can generate opportunities for understanding the principles of integration and cooperation. The ellipsoid body (EB) of the fly brain exhibits a high level of connectivity and functional heterogeneity yet is able to tune multiple behaviors in real-time, including sleep. Leveraging the powerful genetic tools available in Drosophila and recent progress in the characterization of the morphology and connectivity of EB ring neurons, we identify several EB subtypes specifically associated with distinct aspects of sleep. Our findings will aid in revealing the rules of coding and integration in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Yan
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Hai Lin
- Central Research Institute, United Imaging Healthcare, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Junwei Yu
- Department of Biology, National Center for Behavioral Genomics and Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02453
| | - Timothy D Wiggin
- Department of Biology, National Center for Behavioral Genomics and Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02453
| | - Litao Wu
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Zhiqiang Meng
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, 518000, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen, 518000, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Chang Liu
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, 518000, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen, 518000, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Viral Vectors for Biomedicine, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Leslie C Griffith
- Department of Biology, National Center for Behavioral Genomics and Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02453
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10
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Pfeiffer K. The neuronal building blocks of the navigational toolkit in the central complex of insects. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 55:100972. [PMID: 36126877 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2022.100972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The central complex in the brain of insects is a group of midline-spanning neuropils at the interface between sensory and premotor tasks of the brain. It is involved in sleep control, decision-making and most prominently in goal-directed locomotion behaviors. The recently published connectome of the central complex of Drosophila melanogaster is a milestone in understanding the intricacies of the central-complex circuits and will provide inspiration for testable hypotheses for the coming years. Here, I provide a basic neuroanatomical description of the central complex of Drosophila and other species and discuss some recent advancements, some of which, such as the discovery of coordinate transformation through vector math, have been predicted from connectomics data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keram Pfeiffer
- Behavioural Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany.
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11
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Frighetto G, Zordan MA, Castiello U, Megighian A, Martin JR. Dopamine Modulation of Drosophila Ellipsoid Body Neurons, a Nod to the Mammalian Basal Ganglia. Front Physiol 2022; 13:849142. [PMID: 35492587 PMCID: PMC9048027 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.849142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The central complex (CX) is a neural structure located on the midline of the insect brain that has been widely studied in the last few years. Its role in navigation and goal-oriented behaviors resembles those played by the basal ganglia in mammals. However, the neural mechanisms and the neurotransmitters involved in these processes remain unclear. Here, we exploited an in vivo bioluminescence Ca2+ imaging technique to record the activity in targeted neurons of the ellipsoid body (EB). We used different drugs to evoke excitatory Ca2+-responses, depending on the putative neurotransmitter released by their presynaptic inputs, while concomitant dopamine administration was employed to modulate those excitations. By using a genetic approach to knockdown the dopamine 1-like receptors, we showed that different dopamine modulatory effects are likely due to specific receptors expressed by the targeted population of neurons. Altogether, these results provide new data concerning how dopamine modulates and shapes the response of the ellipsoid body neurons. Moreover, they provide important insights regarding the similitude with mammals as far as the role played by dopamine in increasing and stabilizing the response of goal-related information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Frighetto
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Saclay, France
| | - Mauro A. Zordan
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Umberto Castiello
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Aram Megighian
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Jean-René Martin
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Saclay, France
- *Correspondence: Jean-René Martin,
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12
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Flexible navigational computations in the Drosophila central complex. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 73:102514. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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13
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Ning J, Li Z, Zhang X, Wang J, Chen D, Liu Q, Sun Y. Behavioral signatures of structured feature detection during courtship in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2022; 32:1211-1231.e7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Revised: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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14
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Takahashi N, Zittrell F, Hensgen R, Homberg U. Receptive field structures for two celestial compass cues at the input stage of the central complex in the locust brain. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274503. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Successful navigation depends on an animal's ability to perceive its spatial orientation relative to visual surroundings. Heading direction in insects is represented in the central complex (CX), a navigation center in the brain, to generate steering commands. In insects that navigate relative to sky compass signals, CX neurons are tuned to celestial cues indicating the location of the sun. The desert locust CX contains a compass-like representation of two related celestial cues: the direction of unpolarized direct sunlight and the pattern of polarized light, which depends on the sun position. Whether congruent tuning to these two compass cues emerges within the CX network or is inherited from CX input neurons is unclear. To address this question, we intracellularly recorded from GABA-immunoreactive TL neurons, input elements to the locust CX (corresponding to R neurons in Drosophila), while applying visual stimuli simulating unpolarized sunlight and polarized light across the hemisphere above the animal. We show that TL neurons have large receptive fields for both types of stimuli. However, faithful integration of polarization angles across the dorsal hemisphere, or matched-filter ability to encode particular sun positions, was found in only two out of 22 recordings. Those two neurons also showed a good match in sun position coding through polarized and unpolarized light signaling, whereas 20 neurons showed substantial mismatch in signaling of the two compass cues. The data, therefore, suggest that considerable refinement of azimuth coding based on sky compass signals occurs at the synapses from TL neurons to postsynaptic CX compass neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi Takahashi
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, D-35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Frederick Zittrell
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, D-35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Ronja Hensgen
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, D-35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Uwe Homberg
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, D-35032 Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
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15
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Hulse BK, Haberkern H, Franconville R, Turner-Evans DB, Takemura SY, Wolff T, Noorman M, Dreher M, Dan C, Parekh R, Hermundstad AM, Rubin GM, Jayaraman V. A connectome of the Drosophila central complex reveals network motifs suitable for flexible navigation and context-dependent action selection. eLife 2021; 10:66039. [PMID: 34696823 PMCID: PMC9477501 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Flexible behaviors over long timescales are thought to engage recurrent neural networks in deep brain regions, which are experimentally challenging to study. In insects, recurrent circuit dynamics in a brain region called the central complex (CX) enable directed locomotion, sleep, and context- and experience-dependent spatial navigation. We describe the first complete electron-microscopy-based connectome of the Drosophila CX, including all its neurons and circuits at synaptic resolution. We identified new CX neuron types, novel sensory and motor pathways, and network motifs that likely enable the CX to extract the fly's head-direction, maintain it with attractor dynamics, and combine it with other sensorimotor information to perform vector-based navigational computations. We also identified numerous pathways that may facilitate the selection of CX-driven behavioral patterns by context and internal state. The CX connectome provides a comprehensive blueprint necessary for a detailed understanding of network dynamics underlying sleep, flexible navigation, and state-dependent action selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brad K Hulse
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Hannah Haberkern
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Romain Franconville
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | | | | | - Tanya Wolff
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Marcella Noorman
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Marisa Dreher
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Chuntao Dan
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Ruchi Parekh
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | | | - Gerald M Rubin
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Vivek Jayaraman
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
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16
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Plasticity between visual input pathways and the head direction system. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 71:60-68. [PMID: 34619578 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Animals can maintain a stable sense of direction even when they navigate in novel environments, but how the animal's brain interprets and encodes unfamiliar sensory information in its navigation system to maintain a stable sense of direction is a mystery. Recent studies have suggested that distinct brain structures of mammals and insects have evolved to solve this common problem with strategies that share computational principles; specifically, a network structure called a ring attractor maintains the sense of direction. Initially, in a novel environment, the animal's sense of direction relies on self-motion cues. Over time, the mapping from visual inputs to head direction cells, responsible for the sense of direction, is established via experience-dependent plasticity. Yet the mechanisms that facilitate acquiring a world-centered sense of direction, how many environments can be stored in memory, and what visual features are selected, all remain unknown. Thanks to recent advances in large scale physiological recording, genetic tools, and theory, these mechanisms may soon be revealed.
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17
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Hensgen R, Göthe J, Jahn S, Hümmert S, Schneider KL, Takahashi N, Pegel U, Gotthardt S, Homberg U. Organization and neural connections of the lateral complex in the brain of the desert locust. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:3533-3560. [PMID: 34216020 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The lateral complexes (LXs) are bilaterally paired neuropils in the insect brain that mediate communication between the central complex (CX), a brain center controlling spatial orientation, various sensory processing areas, and thoracic motor centers that execute locomotion. The LX of the desert locust consists of the lateral accessory lobe (LAL), and the medial and lateral bulb. We have analyzed the anatomical organization and the neuronal connections of the LX in the locust, to provide a basis for future functional studies. Reanalyzing the morphology of neurons connecting the CX and the LX revealed likely feedback loops in the sky compass network of the CX via connections in the gall of the LAL and a newly identified neuropil termed ovoid body. In addition, we characterized 16 different types of neuron that connect the LAL with other areas in the brain. Eight types of neuron provide information flow between both LALs, five types are LAL input neurons, and three types are LAL output neurons. Among these are neurons providing input from sensory brain areas such as the lobula and antennal neuropils. Brain regions most often targeted by LAL neurons are the posterior slope, the wedge, and the crepine. Two descending neurons with dendrites in the LAL were identified. Our data support and complement existing knowledge about how the LAL is embedded in the neuronal network involved in processing of sensory information and generation of appropriate behavioral output for goal-directed locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronja Hensgen
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Jonas Göthe
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Jahn
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Sophie Hümmert
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Kim Lucia Schneider
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Naomi Takahashi
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Uta Pegel
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Sascha Gotthardt
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Uwe Homberg
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Marburg, Germany
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18
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Yamagata N, Ezaki T, Takahashi T, Wu H, Tanimoto H. Presynaptic inhibition of dopamine neurons controls optimistic bias. eLife 2021; 10:64907. [PMID: 34061730 PMCID: PMC8169112 DOI: 10.7554/elife.64907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulation of reward signaling in the brain is critical for appropriate judgement of the environment and self. In Drosophila, the protocerebral anterior medial (PAM) cluster dopamine neurons mediate reward signals. Here, we show that localized inhibitory input to the presynaptic terminals of the PAM neurons titrates olfactory reward memory and controls memory specificity. The inhibitory regulation was mediated by metabotropic gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors clustered in presynaptic microdomain of the PAM boutons. Cell type-specific silencing the GABA receptors enhanced memory by augmenting internal reward signals. Strikingly, the disruption of GABA signaling reduced memory specificity to the rewarded odor by changing local odor representations in the presynaptic terminals of the PAM neurons. The inhibitory microcircuit of the dopamine neurons is thus crucial for both reward values and memory specificity. Maladaptive presynaptic regulation causes optimistic cognitive bias.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Takahiro Ezaki
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Hongyang Wu
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Hiromu Tanimoto
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
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19
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Hardcastle BJ, Omoto JJ, Kandimalla P, Nguyen BCM, Keleş MF, Boyd NK, Hartenstein V, Frye MA. A visual pathway for skylight polarization processing in Drosophila. eLife 2021; 10:e63225. [PMID: 33755020 PMCID: PMC8051946 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many insects use patterns of polarized light in the sky to orient and navigate. Here, we functionally characterize neural circuitry in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, that conveys polarized light signals from the eye to the central complex, a brain region essential for the fly's sense of direction. Neurons tuned to the angle of polarization of ultraviolet light are found throughout the anterior visual pathway, connecting the optic lobes with the central complex via the anterior optic tubercle and bulb, in a homologous organization to the 'sky compass' pathways described in other insects. We detail how a consistent, map-like organization of neural tunings in the peripheral visual system is transformed into a reduced representation suited to flexible processing in the central brain. This study identifies computational motifs of the transformation, enabling mechanistic comparisons of multisensory integration and central processing for navigation in the brains of insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben J Hardcastle
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Jaison J Omoto
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Pratyush Kandimalla
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Bao-Chau M Nguyen
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Mehmet F Keleş
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Natalie K Boyd
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Volker Hartenstein
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Mark A Frye
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
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20
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Carter O, van Swinderen B, Leopold DA, Collin S, Maier A. Perceptual rivalry across animal species. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:3123-3133. [PMID: 32361986 PMCID: PMC7541519 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 04/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
This review in memoriam of Jack Pettigrew provides an overview of past and current research into the phenomenon of multistable perception across multiple animal species. Multistable perception is characterized by two or more perceptual interpretations spontaneously alternating, or rivaling, when animals are exposed to stimuli with inherent sensory ambiguity. There is a wide array of ambiguous stimuli across sensory modalities, ranging from the configural changes observed in simple line drawings, such as the famous Necker cube, to the alternating perception of entire visual scenes that can be instigated by interocular conflict. The latter phenomenon, called binocular rivalry, in particular caught the attention of the late Jack Pettigrew, who combined his interest in the neuronal basis of perception with a unique comparative biological approach that considered ambiguous sensation as a fundamental problem of sensory systems that has shaped the brain throughout evolution. Here, we examine the research findings on visual perceptual alternation and suppression in a wide variety of species including insects, fish, reptiles, and primates. We highlight several interesting commonalities across species and behavioral indicators of perceptual alternation. In addition, we show how the comparative approach provides new avenues for understanding how the brain suppresses opposing sensory signals and generates alternations in perceptual dominance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Carter
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, AUS
| | | | | | - Shaun Collin
- School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, AUS
| | - Alex Maier
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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21
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Cheong HS, Siwanowicz I, Card GM. Multi-regional circuits underlying visually guided decision-making in Drosophila. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2020; 65:77-87. [PMID: 33217639 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2020.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Visually guided decision-making requires integration of information from distributed brain areas, necessitating a brain-wide approach to examine its neural mechanisms. New tools in Drosophila melanogaster enable circuits spanning the brain to be charted with single cell-type resolution. Here, we highlight recent advances uncovering the computations and circuits that transform and integrate visual information across the brain to make behavioral choices. Visual information flows from the optic lobes to three primary central brain regions: a sensorimotor mapping area and two 'higher' centers for memory or spatial orientation. Rapid decision-making during predator evasion emerges from the spike timing dynamics in parallel sensorimotor cascades. Goal-directed decisions may occur through memory, navigation and valence processing in the central complex and mushroom bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Sj Cheong
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, United States
| | - Igor Siwanowicz
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, United States
| | - Gwyneth M Card
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, United States.
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22
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Turner-Evans DB, Jensen KT, Ali S, Paterson T, Sheridan A, Ray RP, Wolff T, Lauritzen JS, Rubin GM, Bock DD, Jayaraman V. The Neuroanatomical Ultrastructure and Function of a Biological Ring Attractor. Neuron 2020; 108:145-163.e10. [PMID: 32916090 PMCID: PMC8356802 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Neural representations of head direction (HD) have been discovered in many species. Theoretical work has proposed that the dynamics associated with these representations are generated, maintained, and updated by recurrent network structures called ring attractors. We evaluated this theorized structure-function relationship by performing electron-microscopy-based circuit reconstruction and RNA profiling of identified cell types in the HD system of Drosophila melanogaster. We identified motifs that have been hypothesized to maintain the HD representation in darkness, update it when the animal turns, and tether it to visual cues. Functional studies provided support for the proposed roles of individual excitatory or inhibitory circuit elements in shaping activity. We also discovered recurrent connections between neuronal arbors with mixed pre- and postsynaptic specializations. Our results confirm that the Drosophila HD network contains the core components of a ring attractor while also revealing unpredicted structural features that might enhance the network's computational power.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kristopher T Jensen
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; Computational and Biological Learning Lab, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Saba Ali
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Tyler Paterson
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Arlo Sheridan
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Robert P Ray
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Tanya Wolff
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - J Scott Lauritzen
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Gerald M Rubin
- 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, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Vivek Jayaraman
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA.
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23
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Timaeus L, Geid L, Sancer G, Wernet MF, Hummel T. Parallel Visual Pathways with Topographic versus Nontopographic Organization Connect the Drosophila Eyes to the Central Brain. iScience 2020; 23:101590. [PMID: 33205011 PMCID: PMC7648135 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 06/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
One hallmark of the visual system is a strict retinotopic organization from the periphery toward the central brain, where functional imaging in Drosophila revealed a spatially accurate representation of visual cues in the central complex. This raised the question how, on a circuit level, the topographic features are implemented, as the majority of visual neurons enter the central brain converge in optic glomeruli. We discovered a spatial segregation of topographic versus nontopographic projections of distinct classes of medullo-tubercular (MeTu) neurons into a specific visual glomerulus, the anterior optic tubercle (AOTU). These parallel channels synapse onto different tubercular-bulbar (TuBu) neurons, which in turn relay visual information onto specific central complex ring neurons in the bulb neuropil. Hence, our results provide the circuit basis for spatially accurate representation of visual information and highlight the AOTU's role as a prominent relay station for spatial information from the retina to the central brain. A Drosophila visual circuit conveys input from the periphery to the central brain Several synaptic pathways form parallel channels using the anterior optic tubercle Some pathways maintain topographic relationships across several synaptic steps Different target neurons in the central brain are identified
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorin Timaeus
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Laura Geid
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gizem Sancer
- Department of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mathias F Wernet
- Department of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Hummel
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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24
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Okubo TS, Patella P, D'Alessandro I, Wilson RI. A Neural Network for Wind-Guided Compass Navigation. Neuron 2020; 107:924-940.e18. [PMID: 32681825 PMCID: PMC7507644 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Spatial maps in the brain are most accurate when they are linked to external sensory cues. Here, we show that the compass in the Drosophila brain is linked to the direction of the wind. Shifting the wind rightward rotates the compass as if the fly were turning leftward, and vice versa. We describe the mechanisms of several computations that integrate wind information into the compass. First, an intensity-invariant representation of wind direction is computed by comparing left-right mechanosensory signals. Then, signals are reformatted to reduce the coding biases inherent in peripheral mechanics, and wind cues are brought into the same circular coordinate system that represents visual cues and self-motion signals. Because the compass incorporates both mechanosensory and visual cues, it should enable navigation under conditions where no single cue is consistently reliable. These results show how local sensory signals can be transformed into a global, multimodal, abstract representation of space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuo S Okubo
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Paola Patella
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Rachel I Wilson
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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25
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Hensgen R, England L, Homberg U, Pfeiffer K. Neuroarchitecture of the central complex in the brain of the honeybee: Neuronal cell types. J Comp Neurol 2020; 529:159-186. [PMID: 32374034 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The central complex (CX) in the insect brain is a higher order integration center that controls a number of behaviors, most prominently goal directed locomotion. The CX comprises the protocerebral bridge (PB), the upper division of the central body (CBU), the lower division of the central body (CBL), and the paired noduli (NO). Although spatial orientation has been extensively studied in honeybees at the behavioral level, most electrophysiological and anatomical analyses have been carried out in other insect species, leaving the morphology and physiology of neurons that constitute the CX in the honeybee mostly enigmatic. The goal of this study was to morphologically identify neuronal cell types of the CX in the honeybee Apis mellifera. By performing iontophoretic dye injections into the CX, we traced 16 subtypes of neuron that connect a subdivision of the CX with other regions in the bee's central brain, and eight subtypes that mainly interconnect different subdivisions of the CX. They establish extensive connections between the CX and the lateral complex, the superior protocerebrum and the posterior protocerebrum. Characterized neuron classes and subtypes are morphologically similar to those described in other insects, suggesting considerable conservation in the neural network relevant for orientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronja Hensgen
- Animal Physiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Laura England
- Animal Physiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Uwe Homberg
- Animal Physiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Keram Pfeiffer
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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26
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Adden A, Wibrand S, Pfeiffer K, Warrant E, Heinze S. The brain of a nocturnal migratory insect, the Australian Bogong moth. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:1942-1963. [PMID: 31994724 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Every year, millions of Australian Bogong moths (Agrotis infusa) complete an astonishing journey: In Spring, they migrate over 1,000 km from their breeding grounds to the alpine regions of the Snowy Mountains, where they endure the hot summer in the cool climate of alpine caves. In autumn, the moths return to their breeding grounds, where they mate, lay eggs and die. These moths can use visual cues in combination with the geomagnetic field to guide their flight, but how these cues are processed and integrated into the brain to drive migratory behavior is unknown. To generate an access point for functional studies, we provide a detailed description of the Bogong moth's brain. Based on immunohistochemical stainings against synapsin and serotonin (5HT), we describe the overall layout as well as the fine structure of all major neuropils, including the regions that have previously been implicated in compass-based navigation. The resulting average brain atlas consists of 3D reconstructions of 25 separate neuropils, comprising the most detailed account of a moth brain to date. Our results show that the Bogong moth brain follows the typical lepidopteran ground pattern, with no major specializations that can be attributed to their spectacular migratory lifestyle. These findings suggest that migratory behavior does not require widespread modifications of brain structure, but might be achievable via small adjustments of neural circuitry in key brain areas. Locating these subtle changes will be a challenging task for the future, for which our study provides an essential anatomical framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Adden
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Sara Wibrand
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Eric Warrant
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Stanley Heinze
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.,NanoLund, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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27
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Shiozaki HM, Ohta K, Kazama H. A Multi-regional Network Encoding Heading and Steering Maneuvers in Drosophila. Neuron 2020; 106:126-141.e5. [PMID: 32023429 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2019] [Revised: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
An internal sense of heading direction is computed from various cues, including steering maneuvers of the animal. Although neurons encoding heading and steering have been found in multiple brain regions, it is unclear whether and how they are organized into neural circuits. Here we show that, in flying Drosophila, heading and turning behaviors are encoded by population dynamics of specific cell types connecting the subregions of the central complex (CX), a brain structure implicated in navigation. Columnar neurons in the fan-shaped body (FB) of the CX exhibit circular dynamics that multiplex information about turning behavior and heading. These dynamics are coordinated with those in the ellipsoid body, another CX subregion containing a heading representation, although only FB neurons flip turn preference depending on the visual environment. Thus, the navigational system spans multiple subregions of the CX, where specific cell types show coordinated but distinct context-dependent dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi M Shiozaki
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
| | - Kazumi Ohta
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Hokto Kazama
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; RIKEN CBS-KAO Collaboration Center, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan.
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28
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Abstract
Many animals use an internal sense of direction to guide their movements through the world. Neurons selective to head direction are thought to support this directional sense and have been found in a diverse range of species, from insects to primates, highlighting their evolutionary importance. Across species, most head-direction networks share four key properties: a unique representation of direction at all times, persistent activity in the absence of movement, integration of angular velocity to update the representation, and the use of directional cues to correct drift. The dynamics of theorized network structures called ring attractors elegantly account for these properties, but their relationship to brain circuits is unclear. Here, we review experiments in rodents and flies that offer insights into potential neural implementations of ring attractor networks. We suggest that a theory-guided search across model systems for biological mechanisms that enable such dynamics would uncover general principles underlying head-direction circuit function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brad K Hulse
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, Virginia 20147, USA; ,
| | - Vivek Jayaraman
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, Virginia 20147, USA; ,
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29
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Kim SS, Hermundstad AM, Romani S, Abbott LF, Jayaraman V. Generation of stable heading representations in diverse visual scenes. Nature 2019; 576:126-131. [PMID: 31748750 PMCID: PMC8115876 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1767-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Many animals rely on an internal heading representation when navigating in varied environments1–10. How this representation is linked to the sensory cues defining different surroundings is unclear. In the fly brain, heading is represented by ‘compass neurons’ that innervate a ring-shaped structure, the ellipsoid body3,11,12. Each compass neuron receives inputs from visual-feature-selective ‘ring neurons’13–16, providing the ideal substrate for the extraction of directional information from a visual scene. We combine two-photon calcium imaging and optogenetics in tethered flying flies with circuit modeling to show how the correlated activity of compass and visual neurons drives plasticity17–22, that flexibly transforms two-dimensional visual cues into a stable heading representation. We also describe how this plasticity enables the fly to convert a partial heading representation established from orienting within part of a novel setting into a complete heading representation. Our results provide mechanistic insight into memory-related computations essential for flexible navigation in varied surroundings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung Soo Kim
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA. .,Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA. .,Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
| | - Ann M Hermundstad
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Sandro Romani
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - L F Abbott
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA.,Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Vivek Jayaraman
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA.
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30
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Huang C, Tai CY, Yang KP, Chang WK, Hsu KJ, Hsiao CC, Wu SC, Lin YY, Chiang AS, Chu SW. All-Optical Volumetric Physiology for Connectomics in Dense Neuronal Structures. iScience 2019; 22:133-146. [PMID: 31765994 PMCID: PMC6883334 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2019.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
All-optical physiology (AOP) manipulates and reports neuronal activities with light, allowing for interrogation of neuronal functional connections with high spatiotemporal resolution. However, contemporary high-speed AOP platforms are limited to single-depth or discrete multi-plane recordings that are not suitable for studying functional connections among densely packed small neurons, such as neurons in Drosophila brains. Here, we constructed a 3D AOP platform by incorporating single-photon point stimulation and two-photon high-speed volumetric recordings with a tunable acoustic gradient-index (TAG) lens. We demonstrated the platform effectiveness by studying the anterior visual pathway (AVP) of Drosophila. We achieved functional observation of spatiotemporal coding and the strengths of calcium-sensitive connections between anterior optic tubercle (AOTU) sub-compartments and >70 tightly assembled 2-μm bulb (BU) microglomeruli in 3D coordinates with a single trial. Our work aids the establishment of in vivo 3D functional connectomes in neuron-dense brain areas. All-optical volumetric physiology = precise stimulation + fast volumetric recording Precise single-photon point stimulation among genetically defined neurons 3D two-photon imaging by an acoustic gradient-index lens for dense neural structures Observation of 3D functional connectivity in Drosophila anterior visual pathway
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiao Huang
- Department of Physics, National Taiwan University, 1, Sec 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Chu-Yi Tai
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, 101, Sec 2, Guangfu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Kai-Ping Yang
- Department of Physics, National Taiwan University, 1, Sec 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Kun Chang
- Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, 101, Sec 2, Guangfu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Kuo-Jen Hsu
- Department of Physics, National Taiwan University, 1, Sec 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan; Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, 101, Sec 2, Guangfu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Chun Hsiao
- Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, 101, Sec 2, Guangfu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Shun-Chi Wu
- Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, 101, Sec 2, Guangfu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Yin Lin
- Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, 101, Sec 2, Guangfu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan.
| | - Ann-Shyn Chiang
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, 101, Sec 2, Guangfu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan; Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, 101, Sec 2, Guangfu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan; Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, 101, Sec 2, Guangfu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan; Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80780, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan; Institute of Molecular and Genomic Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli 35053, Taiwan; Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, University of California, San Diego, CA 92161, USA.
| | - Shi-Wei Chu
- Department of Physics, National Taiwan University, 1, Sec 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan; Molecular Imaging Center, National Taiwan University, 1, Sec 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan.
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31
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Network-Specific Synchronization of Electrical Slow-Wave Oscillations Regulates Sleep Drive in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2019; 29:3611-3621.e3. [PMID: 31630955 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.08.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Slow-wave rhythms characteristic of deep sleep oscillate in the delta band (0.5-4 Hz) and can be found across various brain regions in vertebrates. Across phyla, however, an understanding of the mechanisms underlying oscillations and how these link to behavior remains limited. Here, we discover compound delta oscillations in the sleep-regulating R5 network of Drosophila. We find that the power of these slow-wave oscillations increases with sleep need and is subject to diurnal variation. Optical multi-unit voltage recordings reveal that single R5 neurons get synchronized by activating circadian input pathways. We show that this synchronization depends on NMDA receptor (NMDAR) coincidence detector function, and that an interplay of cholinergic and glutamatergic inputs regulates oscillatory frequency. Genetically targeting the coincidence detector function of NMDARs in R5, and thus the uncovered mechanism underlying synchronization, abolished network-specific compound slow-wave oscillations. It also disrupted sleep and facilitated light-induced wakening, establishing a role for slow-wave oscillations in regulating sleep and sensory gating. We therefore propose that the synchronization-based increase in oscillatory power likely represents an evolutionarily conserved, potentially "optimal," strategy for constructing sleep-regulating sensory gates.
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Mohamed AAM, Hansson BS, Sachse S. Third-Order Neurons in the Lateral Horn Enhance Bilateral Contrast of Odor Inputs Through Contralateral Inhibition in Drosophila. Front Physiol 2019; 10:851. [PMID: 31354516 PMCID: PMC6629933 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The survival and reproduction of Drosophila melanogaster depends heavily on its ability to determine the location of an odor source and either to move toward or away from it. Despite the very small spatial separation between the two antennae and the redundancy in sensory neuron projection to both sides of the brain, Drosophila can resolve the concentration gradient by comparing the signal strength between the two antennae. When an odor stimulates the antennae asymmetrically, ipsilateral projection neurons from the first olfactory center are more strongly excited compared to the contralateral ones. However, it remains elusive how higher-order neurons process such asymmetric or lateralized odor inputs. Here, we monitored and analyzed for the first time the activity patterns of a small cluster of third-order neurons (so-called ventrolateral protocerebrum neurons) to asymmetric olfactory stimulation using two-photon calcium imaging. Our data demonstrate that lateralized odors evoke distinct activation of these neurons in the left and right brain hemisphere as a result of contralateral inhibition. Moreover, using laser transection experiments we show that this contralateral inhibition is mediated by presynaptic neurons most likely located in the lateral horn. Finally, we propose that this inhibitory interaction between higher-order neurons facilitates odor lateralization and plays a crucial role in olfactory navigation behavior of Drosophila, a theory that needs to be experimentally addressed in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Silke Sachse
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
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33
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Liang X, Ho MCW, Zhang Y, Li Y, Wu MN, Holy TE, Taghert PH. Morning and Evening Circadian Pacemakers Independently Drive Premotor Centers via a Specific Dopamine Relay. Neuron 2019; 102:843-857.e4. [PMID: 30981533 PMCID: PMC6533154 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.03.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Many animals exhibit morning and evening peaks of locomotor behavior. In Drosophila, two corresponding circadian neural oscillators-M (morning) cells and E (evening) cells-exhibit a corresponding morning or evening neural activity peak. Yet we know little of the neural circuitry by which distinct circadian oscillators produce specific outputs to precisely control behavioral episodes. Here, we show that ring neurons of the ellipsoid body (EB-RNs) display spontaneous morning and evening neural activity peaks in vivo: these peaks coincide with the bouts of locomotor activity and result from independent activation by M and E pacemakers. Further, M and E cells regulate EB-RNs via identified PPM3 dopaminergic neurons, which project to the EB and are normally co-active with EB-RNs. These in vivo findings establish the fundamental elements of a circadian neuronal output pathway: distinct circadian oscillators independently drive a common pre-motor center through the agency of specific dopaminergic interneurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xitong Liang
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Margaret C W Ho
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Yajun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Mark N Wu
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Timothy E Holy
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Paul H Taghert
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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34
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Pegel U, Pfeiffer K, Zittrell F, Scholtyssek C, Homberg U. Two Compasses in the Central Complex of the Locust Brain. J Neurosci 2019; 39:3070-3080. [PMID: 30755489 PMCID: PMC6468101 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0940-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Many migratory insects rely on a celestial compass for spatial orientation. Several features of the daytime sky, all generated by the sun, can be exploited for navigation. Two of these are the position of the sun and the pattern of polarized skylight. Neurons of the central complex (CX), a group of neuropils in the central brain of insects, have been shown to encode sky compass cues. In desert locusts, the CX holds a topographic, compass-like representation of the plane of polarized light (E-vector) presented from dorsal direction. In addition, these neurons also encode the azimuth of an unpolarized light spot, likely representing the sun. Here, we investigate whether, in addition to E-vector orientation, the solar azimuth is represented topographically in the CX. We recorded intracellularly from eight types of CX neuron while stimulating animals of either sex with polarized blue light from zenithal direction and an unpolarized green light spot rotating around the animal's head at different elevations. CX neurons did not code for elevation of the unpolarized light spot. However, two types of columnar neuron showed a linear correlation between innervated slice in the CX and azimuth tuning to the unpolarized green light spot, consistent with an internal compass representation of solar azimuth. Columnar outputs of the CX also showed a topographic representation of zenithal E-vector orientation, but the two compasses were not linked to each other. Combined stimulation with unpolarized green and polarized blue light suggested that the two compasses interact in a nonlinear way.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In the brain of the desert locust, neurons sensitive to the plane of celestial polarization are arranged like a compass in the slices of the central complex (CX). These neurons, in addition, code for the horizontal direction of an unpolarized light cue possibly representing the sun. We show here that horizontal directions are, in addition to E-vector orientations from the dorsal direction, represented in a compass-like manner across the slices of the CX. However, the two compasses are not linked to each other, but rather seem to interact in a cell-specific, nonlinear way. Our study confirms the role of the CX in signaling heading directions and shows that different cues are used for this task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uta Pegel
- Animal Physiology, Department of Biology and Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Keram Pfeiffer
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany, and
| | - Frederick Zittrell
- Animal Physiology, Department of Biology and Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Christine Scholtyssek
- School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TU, United Kingdom
| | - Uwe Homberg
- Animal Physiology, Department of Biology and Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35032 Marburg, Germany,
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35
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Omoto JJ, Nguyen BCM, Kandimalla P, Lovick JK, Donlea JM, Hartenstein V. Neuronal Constituents and Putative Interactions Within the Drosophila Ellipsoid Body Neuropil. Front Neural Circuits 2018; 12:103. [PMID: 30546298 PMCID: PMC6278638 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2018.00103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The central complex (CX) is a midline-situated collection of neuropil compartments in the arthropod central brain, implicated in higher-order processes such as goal-directed navigation. Here, we provide a systematic genetic-neuroanatomical analysis of the ellipsoid body (EB), a compartment which represents a major afferent portal of the Drosophila CX. The neuropil volume of the EB, along with its prominent input compartment, called the bulb, is subdivided into precisely tessellated domains, distinguishable based on intensity of the global marker DN-cadherin. EB tangential elements (so-called ring neurons), most of which are derived from the DALv2 neuroblast lineage, predominantly interconnect the bulb and EB domains in a topographically organized fashion. Using the DN-cadherin domains as a framework, we first characterized this connectivity by Gal4 driver lines expressed in different DALv2 ring neuron (R-neuron) subclasses. We identified 11 subclasses, 6 of which correspond to previously described projection patterns, and 5 novel patterns. These subclasses both spatially (based on EB innervation pattern) and numerically (cell counts) summate to the total EB volume and R-neuron cell number, suggesting that our compilation of R-neuron subclasses approaches completion. EB columnar elements, as well as non-DALv2 derived extrinsic ring neurons (ExR-neurons), were also incorporated into this anatomical framework. Finally, we addressed the connectivity between R-neurons and their targets, using the anterograde trans-synaptic labeling method, trans-Tango. This study demonstrates putative interactions of R-neuron subclasses and reveals general principles of information flow within the EB network. Our work will facilitate the generation and testing of hypotheses regarding circuit interactions within the EB and the rest of the CX.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaison Jiro Omoto
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Bao-Chau Minh Nguyen
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Pratyush Kandimalla
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Jennifer Kelly Lovick
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Jeffrey Michael Donlea
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Volker Hartenstein
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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36
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Tanimoto Y, Kimura KD. Neuronal, mathematical, and molecular bases of perceptual decision-making in C. elegans. Neurosci Res 2018; 140:3-13. [PMID: 30389573 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2018.10.010] [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: 06/30/2018] [Revised: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Animals process sensory information from the environment to make behavioral decisions. Although environmental information may be ambiguous or gradually changing, animals can still choose one behavioral option among several through perceptual decision-making. Perceptual decision-making has been intensively studied in primates and rodents, and neural activity that accumulates sensory information has been shown to be crucial. However, it remains unclear how the accumulating neural activity is generated, and whether such activity is a conserved decision-making strategy across the animal kingdom. Here, we review the previous perceptual decision-making studies in vertebrates and invertebrates and our recent achievement in an invertebrate model animal, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. In the study, we analyzed temporal dynamics of neuronal activity during perceptual decision-making in navigational behavior of C. elegans. We identified neural activity that accumulates sensory information and elucidated the molecular mechanism for the accumulating activity, which may be relevant to decision-making across the animal kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Tanimoto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan.
| | - Koutarou D Kimura
- Department of Biological Sciences, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan.
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37
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Homberg U, Humberg TH, Seyfarth J, Bode K, Pérez MQ. GABA immunostaining in the central complex of dicondylian insects. J Comp Neurol 2018; 526:2301-2318. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.24497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Revised: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Uwe Homberg
- Faculty of Biology, Animal Physiology & Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior - CMBB; Philipps-Universität Marburg; Marburg Germany
| | - Tim-Henning Humberg
- Faculty of Biology, Animal Physiology & Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior - CMBB; Philipps-Universität Marburg; Marburg Germany
| | - Jutta Seyfarth
- Faculty of Biology, Animal Physiology & Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior - CMBB; Philipps-Universität Marburg; Marburg Germany
| | - Katharina Bode
- Faculty of Biology, Animal Physiology & Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior - CMBB; Philipps-Universität Marburg; Marburg Germany
| | - Manuel Quintero Pérez
- Faculty of Biology, Animal Physiology & Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior - CMBB; Philipps-Universität Marburg; Marburg Germany
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38
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Franconville R, Beron C, Jayaraman V. Building a functional connectome of the Drosophila central complex. eLife 2018; 7:e37017. [PMID: 30124430 PMCID: PMC6150698 DOI: 10.7554/elife.37017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The central complex is a highly conserved insect brain region composed of morphologically stereotyped neurons that arborize in distinctively shaped substructures. The region is implicated in a wide range of behaviors and several modeling studies have explored its circuit computations. Most studies have relied on assumptions about connectivity between neurons based on their overlap in light microscopy images. Here, we present an extensive functional connectome of Drosophila melanogaster's central complex at cell-type resolution. Using simultaneous optogenetic stimulation, calcium imaging and pharmacology, we tested the connectivity between 70 presynaptic-to-postsynaptic cell-type pairs. We identified numerous inputs to the central complex, but only a small number of output channels. Additionally, the connectivity of this highly recurrent circuit appears to be sparser than anticipated from light microscopy images. Finally, the connectivity matrix highlights the potentially critical role of a class of bottleneck interneurons. All data are provided for interactive exploration on a website.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Celia Beron
- Janelia Research CampusHoward Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
| | - Vivek Jayaraman
- Janelia Research CampusHoward Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
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39
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Green J, Maimon G. Building a heading signal from anatomically defined neuron types in the Drosophila central complex. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2018; 52:156-164. [PMID: 30029143 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2018.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Revised: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/17/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
A network of a few hundred neurons in the Drosophila central complex carries an estimate of the fly's heading in the world, akin to the mammalian head-direction system. Here we describe how anatomically defined neuronal classes in this network are poised to implement specific sub-processes for building and updating this population-level heading signal. The computations we describe in the fly central complex strongly resemble those posited to exist in the mammalian brain, in computational models for building head-direction signals. By linking circuit anatomy to navigational physiology, the Drosophila central complex should provide a detailed example of how a heading signal is built.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Green
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States; Laboratory of Integrative Brain Function, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Ave., Mailbox #294, New York, NY 10065, United States.
| | - Gaby Maimon
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Function, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Ave., Mailbox #294, New York, NY 10065, United States.
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40
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Choosing the right bar: a complex problem. Nat Neurosci 2017; 20:1323-1324. [DOI: 10.1038/nn.4646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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