1
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Rind FC. Recent advances in insect vision in a 3D world: looming stimuli and escape behaviour. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 63:101180. [PMID: 38432555 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2024.101180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Detecting looming motion directly towards the insect is vital to its survival. Looming detection in two insects, flies and locusts, is described and contrasted. Pathways using looming detectors to trigger action and their topographical layout in the brain is explored in relation to facilitating behavioural selection. Similar visual stimuli, such as looming motion, are processed by nearby glomeruli in the brain. Insect-inspired looming motion detectors are combined to detect and avoid collision in different scenarios by robots, vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)s.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Claire Rind
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute (NUBI), UK.
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2
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Braun J, Hurtak F, Wang-Chen S, Ramdya P. Descending networks transform command signals into population motor control. Nature 2024; 630:686-694. [PMID: 38839968 PMCID: PMC11186778 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07523-9] [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: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
To convert intentions into actions, movement instructions must pass from the brain to downstream motor circuits through descending neurons (DNs). These include small sets of command-like neurons that are sufficient to drive behaviours1-the circuit mechanisms for which remain unclear. Here we show that command-like DNs in Drosophila directly recruit networks of additional DNs to orchestrate behaviours that require the active control of numerous body parts. Specifically, we found that command-like DNs previously thought to drive behaviours alone2-4 in fact co-activate larger populations of DNs. Connectome analyses and experimental manipulations revealed that this functional recruitment can be explained by direct excitatory connections between command-like DNs and networks of interconnected DNs in the brain. Descending population recruitment is necessary for behavioural control: DNs with many downstream descending partners require network co-activation to drive complete behaviours and drive only simple stereotyped movements in their absence. These DN networks reside within behaviour-specific clusters that inhibit one another. These results support a mechanism for command-like descending control in which behaviours are generated through the recruitment of increasingly large DN networks that compose behaviours by combining multiple motor subroutines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Braun
- Neuroengineering Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute & Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Femke Hurtak
- Neuroengineering Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute & Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sibo Wang-Chen
- Neuroengineering Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute & Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pavan Ramdya
- Neuroengineering Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute & Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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3
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Gowda SBM, Banu A, Hussain S, Mohammad F. Neuronal mechanisms regulating locomotion in adult Drosophila. J Neurosci Res 2024; 102:e25332. [PMID: 38646942 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25332] [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: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
The coordinated action of multiple leg joints and muscles is required even for the simplest movements. Understanding the neuronal circuits and mechanisms that generate precise movements is essential for comprehending the neuronal basis of the locomotion and to infer the neuronal mechanisms underlying several locomotor-related diseases. Drosophila melanogaster provides an excellent model system for investigating the neuronal circuits underlying motor behaviors due to its simple nervous system and genetic accessibility. This review discusses current genetic methods for studying locomotor circuits and their function in adult Drosophila. We highlight recently identified neuronal pathways that modulate distinct forward and backward locomotion and describe the underlying neuronal control of leg swing and stance phases in freely moving flies. We also report various automated leg tracking methods to measure leg motion parameters and define inter-leg coordination, gait and locomotor speed of freely moving adult flies. Finally, we emphasize the role of leg proprioceptive signals to central motor circuits in leg coordination. Together, this review highlights the utility of adult Drosophila as a model to uncover underlying motor circuitry and the functional organization of the leg motor system that governs correct movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swetha B M Gowda
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS), College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar
| | - Ayesha Banu
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS), College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar
| | - Sadam Hussain
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS), College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar
| | - Farhan Mohammad
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS), College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar
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4
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Simpson JH. Descending control of motor sequences in Drosophila. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2024; 84:102822. [PMID: 38096757 PMCID: PMC11215313 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
The descending neurons connecting the fly's brain to its ventral nerve cord respond to sensory stimuli and evoke motor programs of varying complexity. Anatomical characterization of the descending neurons and their synaptic connections suggests how these circuits organize movements, while optogenetic manipulation of their activity reveals what behaviors they can induce. Monitoring their responses to sensory stimuli or during behavior performance indicates what information they may encode. Recent advances in all three approaches make the descending neurons an excellent place to better understand the sensorimotor integration and transformation required for nervous systems to govern the motor sequences that constitute animal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie H Simpson
- Dept. Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology and Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, USA.
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5
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Pérez-Schuster V, Salomón L, Bengochea M, Basnak MA, Velázquez Duarte F, Hermitte G, Berón de Astrada M. Threatening stimuli elicit a sequential cardiac pattern in arthropods. iScience 2024; 27:108672. [PMID: 38261947 PMCID: PMC10797191 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
In order to cope with the challenges of living in dynamic environments, animals rapidly adjust their behaviors in coordination with different physiological responses. Here, we studied whether threatening visual stimuli evoke different heart rate patterns in arthropods and whether these patterns are related with defensive behaviors. We identified two sequential phases of crab's cardiac response that occur with a similar timescale to that of the motor arrest and later escape response. The first phase was modulated by low salience stimuli and persisted throughout spaced stimulus presentation. The second phase was modulated by high-contrast stimuli and reduced by repetitive stimulus presentation. The overall correspondence between cardiac and motor responses suggests that the first cardiac response phase might be related to motor arrest while the second to the escape response. We show that in the face of threat arthropods coordinate their behavior and cardiac activity in a rapid and flexible manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Pérez-Schuster
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología y Biología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional (iB3), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, Buenos Aires C1425FQB, Argentina
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Física, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lucca Salomón
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología y Biología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional (iB3), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mercedes Bengochea
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología y Biología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional (iB3), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Melanie Ailín Basnak
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología y Biología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional (iB3), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Francisco Velázquez Duarte
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología y Biología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional (iB3), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gabriela Hermitte
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología y Biología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional (iB3), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Martín Berón de Astrada
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología y Biología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional (iB3), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, Buenos Aires C1425FQB, Argentina
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6
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Clein RS, Warren MR, Neunuebel JP. Automated behavioral analysis reveals that mice employ a bait-and-switch escape mechanism to de-escalate social conflict. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.12.575321. [PMID: 38260649 PMCID: PMC10802557 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.12.575321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Intraspecies aggression has profound ecological and evolutionary consequences, as recipients can suffer injuries, decreases in fitness, and become outcasts from social groups. Although animals implement diverse strategies to avoid hostile confrontations, the extent to which social influences affect escape tactics is unclear. Here, we used computational and machine-learning approaches to analyze complex behavioral interactions as mixed-sex groups of mice, Mus musculus, freely interacted. Mice displayed a rich repertoire of behaviors marked by changes in behavioral state, aggressive encounters, and mixed-sex interactions. A prominent behavioral sequence consistently occurred after aggressive encounters, where males in submissive states quickly approached and transiently interacted with females immediately before the aggressor engaged with the same female. The behavioral sequences were also associated with substantially fewer physical altercations. Furthermore, the male's behavioral state and the interacting partners could be predicted by distinct features of the behavioral sequence, such as kinematics and the latency to and duration of male-female interactions. More broadly, our work revealed an ethologically relevant escape strategy influenced by the presence of females that may serve as a mechanism for de-escalating social conflict and preventing consequential reductions in fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel S. Clein
- University of Delaware, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Newark, DE 19713
| | - Megan R. Warren
- University of Delaware, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Newark, DE 19713
- Emory University, Department of Biology, Atlanta, GA 30322
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory National Primate Center, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Joshua P. Neunuebel
- University of Delaware, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Newark, DE 19713
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7
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Büschges A, Gorostiza EA. Neurons with names: Descending control and sensorimotor processing in insect motor control. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 83:102766. [PMID: 37865029 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102766] [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: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Technical and methodological advances in recent years have brought new ways to tackle major classical questions in insect motor control. Particularly, significant advancements were achieved in comprehending brain descending control by characterizing descending neurons, their targets in the ventral nerve cord (VNC), and how local networks there integrate sensory information. While physiological experiments in larger insects brought us a better understanding of how sensory modalities are processed locally in the VNC, the development and improvement of genetic tools, principally in Drosophila, opened the door to individually characterize actors at these three levels of information flow in behavioral control. This brief review brings together the names and roles of some of those actors, by highlighting the most significant findings from our perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ansgar Büschges
- Institute of Zoology, Biocenter Cologne, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 47b, 50674 Cologne, Germany.
| | - E Axel Gorostiza
- Institute of Zoology, Biocenter Cologne, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 47b, 50674 Cologne, Germany
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8
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Jouandet GC, Alpert MH, Simões JM, Suhendra R, Frank DD, Levy JI, Para A, Kath WL, Gallio M. Rapid threat assessment in the Drosophila thermosensory system. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7067. [PMID: 37923719 PMCID: PMC10624821 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42864-5] [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: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurons that participate in sensory processing often display "ON" responses, i.e., fire transiently at the onset of a stimulus. ON transients are widespread, perhaps universal to sensory coding, yet their function is not always well-understood. Here, we show that ON responses in the Drosophila thermosensory system extrapolate the trajectory of temperature change, priming escape behavior if unsafe thermal conditions are imminent. First, we show that second-order thermosensory projection neurons (TPN-IIIs) and their Lateral Horn targets (TLHONs), display ON responses to thermal stimuli, independent of direction of change (heating or cooling) and of absolute temperature. Instead, they track the rate of temperature change, with TLHONs firing exclusively to rapid changes (>0.2 °C/s). Next, we use connectomics to track TLHONs' output to descending neurons that control walking and escape, and modeling and genetic silencing to demonstrate how ON transients can flexibly amplify aversive responses to small thermal change. Our results suggest that, across sensory systems, ON transients may represent a general mechanism to systematically anticipate and respond to salient or dangerous conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael H Alpert
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | | | - Richard Suhendra
- Department of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Dominic D Frank
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joshua I Levy
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Alessia Para
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - William L Kath
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Department of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- National Institute for Theory and Mathematics in Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Marco Gallio
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
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9
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Yang HH, Brezovec LE, Capdevila LS, Vanderbeck QX, Adachi A, Mann RS, Wilson RI. Fine-grained descending control of steering in walking Drosophila. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.15.562426. [PMID: 37904997 PMCID: PMC10614758 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.15.562426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Locomotion involves rhythmic limb movement patterns that originate in circuits outside the brain. Purposeful locomotion requires descending commands from the brain, but we do not understand how these commands are structured. Here we investigate this issue, focusing on the control of steering in walking Drosophila. First, we describe different limb "gestures" associated with different steering maneuvers. Next, we identify a set of descending neurons whose activity predicts steering. Focusing on two descending cell types downstream from distinct brain networks, we show that they evoke specific limb gestures: one lengthens strides on the outside of a turn, while the other attenuates strides on the inside of a turn. Notably, a single descending neuron can have opposite effects during different locomotor rhythm phases, and we identify networks positioned to implement this phase-specific gating. Together, our results show how purposeful locomotion emerges from brain cells that drive specific, coordinated modulations of low-level patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen H. Yang
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 USA
| | - Luke E. Brezovec
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | | | | | - Atsuko Adachi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Department of Neuroscience, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 USA
| | - Richard S. Mann
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Department of Neuroscience, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 USA
| | - Rachel I. Wilson
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 USA
- Lead contact
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10
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Kiuchi K, Shidara H, Iwatani Y, Ogawa H. Motor state changes escape behavior of crickets. iScience 2023; 26:107345. [PMID: 37554465 PMCID: PMC10405261 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals change their behavior depending on external circumstances, internal factors, and their interactions. Locomotion state is a crucial internal factor that profoundly affects sensory perception and behavior. However, studying the behavioral impacts of locomotion state in free-moving animals has been challenging due to difficulty in reproducing quantitatively identical stimuli in freely moving animals. We utilized a closed-loop controlled servosphere treadmill system, enabling unrestricted confinement and orientation of small animals, and investigated wind-induced escape behavior in freely moving crickets. When stimulated during locomotion, the crickets quickly stopped before initiating escape behavior. Moving crickets exhibited a higher probability of escape response compared to stationary crickets. The threshold for pausing response in moving crickets was also much lower than the escape response threshold. Moving crickets had delayed reaction times for escape and greater variance in movement direction compared to stationary crickets. The locomotion-related response delay may be compensated by an elevated sensitivity to airflow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhide Kiuchi
- Biosystems Science Course, Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
| | - Hisashi Shidara
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Japan
| | - Yasushi Iwatani
- Department of Science and Technology, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki 036-8561, Japan
| | - Hiroto Ogawa
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
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11
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Jin L, Wang S, Chen C, Qiu X, Wang CC. ZIF-8 Nanoparticles Induce Behavior Abnormality and Brain Oxidative Stress in Adult Zebrafish ( Danio rerio). Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:1345. [PMID: 37507885 PMCID: PMC10376529 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12071345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 nanoparticles (ZIF-8 NPs) are typical metal-organic framework (MOF) materials and have been intensively studied for their potential application in drug delivery and environmental remediation. However, knowledge of their potential risks to health and the environment is still limited. Therefore, this study exposed female and male zebrafish to ZIF-8 NPs (0, 9.0, and 90 mg L-1) for four days. Subsequently, variations in their behavioral traits and brain oxidative stress levels were investigated. The behavioral assay showed that ZIF-8 NPs at 90 mg/L could significantly decrease the locomotor activity (i.e., hypoactivity) of both genders. After a ball falling stimulation, zebrafish exposed to ZIF-8 NPs (9.0 and 90 mg L-1) exhibited more freezing states (i.e., temporary cessations of movement), and males were more sensitive than females. Regardless of gender, ZIF-8 NPs exposure significantly reduced the SOD, CAT, and GST activities in the brain of zebrafish. Correlation analysis revealed that the brain oxidative stress induced by ZIF-8 NPs exposure might play an important role in their behavioral toxicity to zebrafish. These findings highlight the necessity for further assessment of the potential risks of MOF nanoparticles to aquatic species and the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Jin
- Key Laboratory of Estuarine Ecological Security and Environmental Health, Xiamen University Tan Kah Kee College, Zhangzhou 363105, China
| | - Sijing Wang
- Institute of Environmental Health and Ecological Security, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Chen Chen
- Institute of Environmental Health and Ecological Security, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Xuchun Qiu
- Institute of Environmental Health and Ecological Security, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Technology and Material of Water Treatment, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Chong-Chen Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Building Structure and Environment Remediation, School of Environment and Energy Engineering, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China
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12
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Wu Q, Zhang Y. Neural Circuit Mechanisms Involved in Animals' Detection of and Response to Visual Threats. Neurosci Bull 2023; 39:994-1008. [PMID: 36694085 PMCID: PMC10264346 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01021-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Evading or escaping from predators is one of the most crucial issues for survival across the animal kingdom. The timely detection of predators and the initiation of appropriate fight-or-flight responses are innate capabilities of the nervous system. Here we review recent progress in our understanding of innate visually-triggered defensive behaviors and the underlying neural circuit mechanisms, and a comparison among vinegar flies, zebrafish, and mice is included. This overview covers the anatomical and functional aspects of the neural circuits involved in this process, including visual threat processing and identification, the selection of appropriate behavioral responses, and the initiation of these innate defensive behaviors. The emphasis of this review is on the early stages of this pathway, namely, threat identification from complex visual inputs and how behavioral choices are influenced by differences in visual threats. We also briefly cover how the innate defensive response is processed centrally. Based on these summaries, we discuss coding strategies for visual threats and propose a common prototypical pathway for rapid innate defensive responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiwen Wu
- Institute of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yifeng Zhang
- Institute of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China.
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13
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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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14
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Chen CL, Aymanns F, Minegishi R, Matsuda VDV, Talabot N, Günel S, Dickson BJ, Ramdya P. Ascending neurons convey behavioral state to integrative sensory and action selection brain regions. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:682-695. [PMID: 36959417 PMCID: PMC10076225 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01281-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
Knowing one's own behavioral state has long been theorized as critical for contextualizing dynamic sensory cues and identifying appropriate future behaviors. Ascending neurons (ANs) in the motor system that project to the brain are well positioned to provide such behavioral state signals. However, what ANs encode and where they convey these signals remains largely unknown. Here, through large-scale functional imaging in behaving animals and morphological quantification, we report the behavioral encoding and brain targeting of hundreds of genetically identifiable ANs in the adult fly, Drosophila melanogaster. We reveal that ANs encode behavioral states, specifically conveying self-motion to the anterior ventrolateral protocerebrum, an integrative sensory hub, as well as discrete actions to the gnathal ganglia, a locus for action selection. Additionally, AN projection patterns within the motor system are predictive of their encoding. Thus, ascending populations are well poised to inform distinct brain hubs of self-motion and ongoing behaviors and may provide an important substrate for computations that are required for adaptive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chin-Lin Chen
- Neuroengineering Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute & Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Florian Aymanns
- Neuroengineering Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute & Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ryo Minegishi
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Victor D V Matsuda
- Neuroengineering Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute & Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Talabot
- Neuroengineering Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute & Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Computer Vision Laboratory, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Semih Günel
- Neuroengineering Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute & Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Computer Vision Laboratory, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Barry J Dickson
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Pavan Ramdya
- Neuroengineering Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute & Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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15
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Dombrovski M, Peek MY, Park JY, Vaccari A, Sumathipala M, Morrow C, Breads P, Zhao A, Kurmangaliyev YZ, Sanfilippo P, Rehan A, Polsky J, Alghailani S, Tenshaw E, Namiki S, Zipursky SL, Card GM. Synaptic gradients transform object location to action. Nature 2023; 613:534-542. [PMID: 36599984 PMCID: PMC9849133 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05562-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
To survive, animals must convert sensory information into appropriate behaviours1,2. Vision is a common sense for locating ethologically relevant stimuli and guiding motor responses3-5. How circuitry converts object location in retinal coordinates to movement direction in body coordinates remains largely unknown. Here we show through behaviour, physiology, anatomy and connectomics in Drosophila that visuomotor transformation occurs by conversion of topographic maps formed by the dendrites of feature-detecting visual projection neurons (VPNs)6,7 into synaptic weight gradients of VPN outputs onto central brain neurons. We demonstrate how this gradient motif transforms the anteroposterior location of a visual looming stimulus into the fly's directional escape. Specifically, we discover that two neurons postsynaptic to a looming-responsive VPN type promote opposite takeoff directions. Opposite synaptic weight gradients onto these neurons from looming VPNs in different visual field regions convert localized looming threats into correctly oriented escapes. For a second looming-responsive VPN type, we demonstrate graded responses along the dorsoventral axis. We show that this synaptic gradient motif generalizes across all 20 primary VPN cell types and most often arises without VPN axon topography. Synaptic gradients may thus be a general mechanism for conveying spatial features of sensory information into directed motor outputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Dombrovski
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Martin Y Peek
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Jin-Yong Park
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Andrea Vaccari
- Department of Computer Science, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, USA
| | | | - Carmen Morrow
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Patrick Breads
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Arthur Zhao
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Yerbol Z Kurmangaliyev
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Piero Sanfilippo
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Aadil Rehan
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jason Polsky
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Shada Alghailani
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Emily Tenshaw
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Shigehiro Namiki
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA.,Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - S Lawrence Zipursky
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Gwyneth M Card
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA. .,Department of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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16
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Gowda SB, Banu A, Salim S, Peker KA, Mohammad F. Serotonin distinctly controls behavioral states in restrained and freely moving Drosophila. iScience 2022; 26:105886. [PMID: 36654863 PMCID: PMC9840979 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
When trapped in a physical restraint, animals must select an escape strategy to increase their chances of survival. After falling into an inescapable trap, they react with stereotypical behaviors that differ from those displayed in escapable situations. Such behaviors involve either a wriggling response to unlock the trap or feigning death to fend off a predator attack. The neural mechanisms that regulate animal behaviors have been well characterized for escapable situations but not for inescapable traps. We report that restrained vinegar flies exhibit alternating flailing and immobility to free themselves from the trap. We used optogenetics and intersectional genetic approaches to show that, while broader serotonin activation promotes immobility, serotonergic cells in the ventral nerve cord (VNC) regulate immobility states majorly via 5-HT7 receptors. Restrained and freely moving locomotor states are controlled by distinct mechanisms. Taken together, our study has identified serotonergic switches of the VNC that promote environment-specific adaptive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swetha B.M. Gowda
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS), College of Health & Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha 34110, Qatar
| | - Ayesha Banu
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS), College of Health & Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha 34110, Qatar
| | - Safa Salim
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS), College of Health & Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha 34110, Qatar
| | | | - Farhan Mohammad
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS), College of Health & Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha 34110, Qatar,Corresponding author
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17
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Moulin TC, Dey S, Dashi G, Li L, Sridhar V, Safa T, Berkins S, Williams MJ, Schiöth HB. A simple high-throughput method for automated detection of Drosophila melanogaster light-dependent behaviours. BMC Biol 2022; 20:283. [PMID: 36527001 PMCID: PMC9758938 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01476-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Like most living organisms, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster exhibits strong and diverse behavioural reactions to light. Drosophila is a diurnal animal that displays both short- and long-term responses to light, important for, instance, in avoidance and light wavelength preference, regulation of eclosion, courtship, and activity, and provides an important model organism for understanding the regulation of circadian rhythms both at molecular and circuit levels. However, the assessment and comparison of light-based behaviours is still a challenge, mainly due to the lack of a standardised platform to measure behaviour and different protocols created across studies. Here, we describe the Drosophila Interactive System for Controlled Optical manipulations (DISCO), a low-cost, automated, high-throughput device that records the flies' activity using infrared beams while performing LED light manipulations. RESULTS To demonstrate the effectiveness of this tool and validate its potential as a standard platform, we developed a number of distinct assays, including measuring the locomotor response of flies exposed to sudden darkness (lights-off) stimuli. Both white-eyed and red-eyed wild-type flies exhibit increased activity after the application of stimuli, while no changes can be observed in Fmr1 null allele flies, a model of fragile X syndrome. Next, to demonstrate the use of DISCO in long-term protocols, we monitored the circadian rhythm of the flies for 48 h while performing an alcohol preference test. We show that increased alcohol consumption happens intermittently throughout the day, especially in the dark phases. Finally, we developed a feedback-loop algorithm to implement a place preference test based on the flies' innate aversion to blue light and preference for green light. We show that both white-eyed and red-eyed wild-type flies were able to learn to avoid the blue-illuminated zones. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate the versatility of DISCO for a range of protocols, indicating that this platform can be used in a variety of ways to study light-dependent behaviours in flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago C. Moulin
- grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden ,grid.4514.40000 0001 0930 2361 Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Sovik Dey
- grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Giovanna Dashi
- grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lei Li
- grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Vaasudevan Sridhar
- grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tania Safa
- grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Samuel Berkins
- grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Michael J. Williams
- grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Helgi B. Schiöth
- grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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18
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Devineni AV. Sensory biology: Olfactory crosstalk reshapes odor coding. Curr Biol 2022; 32:R1002-R1005. [PMID: 36220084 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.08.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
New research uncovers a novel form of crosstalk between olfactory pathways in the antennal lobe, the first olfactory center of the fly brain. This crosstalk reshapes odor coding and may explain how carbon dioxide can elicit either attraction or aversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita V Devineni
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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19
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Bhandiwad AA, Chu NC, Semenova SA, Holmes GA, Burgess HA. A cerebellar-prepontine circuit for tonic immobility triggered by an inescapable threat. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo0549. [PMID: 36170356 PMCID: PMC9519051 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo0549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Sudden changes in the environment are frequently perceived as threats and provoke defensive behavioral states. One such state is tonic immobility, a conserved defensive strategy characterized by powerful suppression of movement and motor reflexes. Tonic immobility has been associated with multiple brainstem regions, but the underlying circuit is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that a strong vibratory stimulus evokes tonic immobility in larval zebrafish defined by suppressed locomotion and sensorimotor responses. Using a circuit-breaking screen and targeted neuron ablations, we show that cerebellar granule cells and a cluster of glutamatergic ventral prepontine neurons (vPPNs) that express key stress-associated neuropeptides are critical components of the circuit that suppresses movement. The complete sensorimotor circuit transmits information from sensory ganglia through the cerebellum to vPPNs to regulate reticulospinal premotor neurons. These results show that cerebellar regulation of a neuropeptide-rich prepontine structure governs a conserved and ancestral defensive behavior that is triggered by an inescapable threat.
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20
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Leconstant C, Spitz E. Integrative Model of Human-Animal Interactions: A One Health-One Welfare Systemic Approach to Studying HAI. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:656833. [PMID: 35968006 PMCID: PMC9372562 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.656833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The Integrative Model of Human-Animal Interactions (IMHAI) described herewith provides a conceptual framework for the study of interspecies interactions and aims to model the primary emotional processes involved in human-animal interactions. This model was developed from theoretical inputs from three fundamental disciplines for understanding interspecies interactions: neuroscience, psychology and ethology, with the objective of providing a transdisciplinary approach on which field professionals and researchers can build and collaborate. Seminal works in affective neuroscience offer a common basis between humans and animals and, as such, can be applied to the study of interspecies interactions from a One Health-One Welfare perspective. On the one hand, Jaak Panksepp's research revealed that primary/basic emotions originate in the deep subcortical regions of the brain and are shared by all mammals, including humans. On the other hand, several works in the field of neuroscience show that the basic physiological state is largely determined by the perception of safety. Thus, emotional expression reflects the state of an individual's permanent adaptation to ever-changing environmental demands. Based on this evidence and over 5 years of action research using grounded theory, alternating between research and practice, the IMHAI proposes a systemic approach to the study of primary-process emotional affects during interspecies social interactions, through the processes of emotional transfer, embodied communication and interactive emotional regulation. IMHAI aims to generate new hypotheses and predictions on affective behavior and interspecies communication. Application of such a model should promote risk prevention and the establishment of positive links between humans and animals thereby contributing to their respective wellbeing.
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21
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Ferreira CH, Heinemans M, Farias M, Gonçalves R, Moita MA. Social Cues of Safety Can Override Differences in Threat Level. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.885795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals in groups integrate social with directly gathered information about the environment to guide decisions regarding reproduction, foraging, and defence against predatory threats. In the context of predation, usage of social information has acute fitness benefits, aiding the detection of predators, the mounting of concerted defensive responses, or allowing the inference of safety, permitting other beneficial behaviors, such as foraging for food. We previously showed that Drosophila melanogaster exposed to an inescapable visual threat use freezing by surrounding flies as a cue of danger and movement resumption as a cue of safety. Moreover, group responses were primarily guided by the safety cues, resulting in a net social buffering effect, i.e., a graded decrease in freezing behavior with increasing group sizes, similar to other animals. Whether and how different threat levels affect the use of social cues to guide defense responses remains elusive. Here, we investigated this issue by exposing flies individually and in groups to two threat imminences using looms of different speeds. We showed that freezing responses are stronger to the faster looms regardless of social condition. However, social buffering was stronger for groups exposed to the fast looms, such that the increase in freezing caused by the higher threat was less prominent in flies tested in groups than those tested individually. Through artificial control of movement, we created groups composed of moving and freezing flies and by varying group composition, we titrated the motion cues that surrounding flies produce, which were held constant across threat levels. We found that the same level of safety motion cues had a bigger weight on the flies’ decisions when these were exposed to the higher threat, thus overriding differences in perceived threat levels. These findings shed light on the “safety in numbers” effect, revealing the modulation of the saliency of social safety cues across threat intensities, a possible mechanism to regulate costly defensive responses.
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22
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von Reyn CR. Feature encoding: How back-to-front motion guides the polite fly. Curr Biol 2022; 32:R513-R515. [PMID: 35671722 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.04.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Motion of a visual image from back-to-front across a visual field can provide an early-stage cue for impending collisions. A new study reveals visual feature encoding neurons that drive behavioral responses to back-to-front motion in the fly Drosophila melanogaster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine R von Reyn
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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23
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Luo L, Hina BW, McFarland BW, Saunders JC, Smolin N, von Reyn CR. An optogenetics device with smartphone video capture to introduce neurotechnology and systems neuroscience to high school students. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0267834. [PMID: 35522662 PMCID: PMC9075642 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0267834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Although neurotechnology careers are on the rise, and neuroscience curriculums have significantly grown at the undergraduate and graduate levels, increasing neuroscience and neurotechnology exposure in high school curricula has been an ongoing challenge. This is due, in part, to difficulties in converting cutting-edge neuroscience research into hands-on activities that are accessible for high school students and affordable for high school educators. Here, we describe and characterize a low-cost, easy-to-construct device to enable students to record rapid Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) behaviors during optogenetics experiments. The device is generated from inexpensive Arduino kits and utilizes a smartphone for video capture, making it easy to adopt in a standard biology laboratory. We validate this device is capable of replicating optogenetics experiments performed with more sophisticated setups at leading universities and institutes. We incorporate the device into a high school neuroengineering summer workshop. We find student participation in the workshop significantly enhances their understanding of key neuroscience and neurotechnology concepts, demonstrating how this device can be utilized in high school settings and undergraduate research laboratories seeking low-cost alternatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liudi Luo
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Bryce W. Hina
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Brennan W. McFarland
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jillian C. Saunders
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Natalie Smolin
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Catherine R. von Reyn
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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24
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Nande A, Dubinkina V, Ravasio R, Zhang GH, Berman GJ. Bottlenecks, Modularity, and the Neural Control of Behavior. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:835753. [PMID: 35464140 PMCID: PMC9020368 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.835753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In almost all animals, the transfer of information from the brain to the motor circuitry is facilitated by a relatively small number of neurons, leading to a constraint on the amount of information that can be transmitted. Our knowledge of how animals encode information through this pathway, and the consequences of this encoding, however, is limited. In this study, we use a simple feed-forward neural network to investigate the consequences of having such a bottleneck and identify aspects of the network architecture that enable robust information transfer. We are able to explain some recently observed properties of descending neurons—that they exhibit a modular pattern of connectivity and that their excitation leads to consistent alterations in behavior that are often dependent upon the desired behavioral state of the animal. Our model predicts that in the presence of an information bottleneck, such a modular structure is needed to increase the efficiency of the network and to make it more robust to perturbations. However, it does so at the cost of an increase in state-dependent effects. Despite its simplicity, our model is able to provide intuition for the trade-offs faced by the nervous system in the presence of an information processing constraint and makes predictions for future experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjalika Nande
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Institute for Computational Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Veronika Dubinkina
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Riccardo Ravasio
- Institute of Physics, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- The James Franck Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Grace H. Zhang
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Gordon J. Berman
- Departments of Biology and Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- *Correspondence: Gordon J. Berman
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25
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Context-dependent control of behavior in Drosophila. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 73:102523. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2022.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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26
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Parallel locomotor control strategies in mice and flies. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 73:102516. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2022.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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27
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A functionally ordered visual feature map in the Drosophila brain. Neuron 2022; 110:1700-1711.e6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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28
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Devineni AV, Scaplen KM. Neural Circuits Underlying Behavioral Flexibility: Insights From Drosophila. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 15:821680. [PMID: 35069145 PMCID: PMC8770416 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.821680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral flexibility is critical to survival. Animals must adapt their behavioral responses based on changes in the environmental context, internal state, or experience. Studies in Drosophila melanogaster have provided insight into the neural circuit mechanisms underlying behavioral flexibility. Here we discuss how Drosophila behavior is modulated by internal and behavioral state, environmental context, and learning. We describe general principles of neural circuit organization and modulation that underlie behavioral flexibility, principles that are likely to extend to other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita V. Devineni
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Kristin M. Scaplen
- Department of Psychology, Bryant University, Smithfield, RI, United States
- Center for Health and Behavioral Studies, Bryant University, Smithfield, RI, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
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29
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Aymanns F, Chen CL, Ramdya P. Descending neuron population dynamics during odor-evoked and spontaneous limb-dependent behaviors. eLife 2022; 11:81527. [PMID: 36286408 PMCID: PMC9605690 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Deciphering how the brain regulates motor circuits to control complex behaviors is an important, long-standing challenge in neuroscience. In the fly, Drosophila melanogaster, this is coordinated by a population of ~ 1100 descending neurons (DNs). Activating only a few DNs is known to be sufficient to drive complex behaviors like walking and grooming. However, what additional role the larger population of DNs plays during natural behaviors remains largely unknown. For example, they may modulate core behavioral commands or comprise parallel pathways that are engaged depending on sensory context. We evaluated these possibilities by recording populations of nearly 100 DNs in individual tethered flies while they generated limb-dependent behaviors, including walking and grooming. We found that the largest fraction of recorded DNs encode walking while fewer are active during head grooming and resting. A large fraction of walk-encoding DNs encode turning and far fewer weakly encode speed. Although odor context does not determine which behavior-encoding DNs are recruited, a few DNs encode odors rather than behaviors. Lastly, we illustrate how one can identify individual neurons from DN population recordings by using their spatial, functional, and morphological properties. These results set the stage for a comprehensive, population-level understanding of how the brain’s descending signals regulate complex motor actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Aymanns
- Neuroengineering Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute & Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering, EPFLLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Chin-Lin Chen
- Neuroengineering Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute & Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering, EPFLLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Pavan Ramdya
- Neuroengineering Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute & Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering, EPFLLausanneSwitzerland
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30
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Threat induces cardiac and metabolic changes that negatively impact survival in flies. Curr Biol 2021; 31:5462-5472.e4. [PMID: 34710349 PMCID: PMC8699741 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Adjusting to a dynamic environment involves fast changes in the body’s internal state, characterized by coordinated alterations in brain activity and physiological and motor responses. Threat-induced defensive states are a classic case of coordinated adjustment of bodily responses, cardiac regulation being one of the best characterized examples in vertebrates. A great deal is known regarding the neural basis of invertebrate defensive behaviors, mainly in Drosophila melanogaster. However, whether physiological changes accompany these remains unknown. Here, we set out to describe the internal bodily state of fruit flies upon an inescapable threat and found cardiac acceleration during running and deceleration during freezing. In addition, we found that freezing leads to increased cardiac pumping from the abdomen toward the head-thorax, suggesting mobilization of energy resources. Concordantly, threat-triggered freezing reduces sugar levels in the hemolymph and renders flies less resistant to starvation. The cardiac responses observed during freezing were absent during spontaneous immobility, underscoring the active nature of freezing response. Finally, we show that baseline cardiac activity predicts the amount of freezing upon threat. This work reveals a remarkable similarity with the cardiac responses of vertebrates, suggesting an evolutionarily convergent defensive state in flies. Our findings are at odds with the widespread view that cardiac deceleration while freezing has first evolved in vertebrates and that it is energy sparing. Investigating the physiological changes coupled to defensive behaviors in the fruit fly has revealed that freezing is costly yet accompanied by cardiac deceleration and points to heart activity as a key modulator of defensive behaviors. Flies show tight coupling between defensive behaviors and cardiac activity Flies bias cardiac pumping toward the head and thorax during defensive behaviors After prolonged freezing, sugar levels and resistance to starvation are decreased Cardiac reversal rate and rate variability are predictive of freezing intensity
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31
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Salay LD, Huberman AD. Divergent outputs of the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus mediate visually evoked defensive behaviors. Cell Rep 2021; 37:109792. [PMID: 34610302 PMCID: PMC10954303 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid alternations between exploration and defensive reactions require ongoing risk assessment. How visual cues and internal states flexibly modulate the selection of behaviors remains incompletely understood. Here, we show that the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (vLGN)-a major retinorecipient structure-is a critical node in the network controlling defensive behaviors to visual threats. We find that vLGNGABA neuron activity scales with the intensity of environmental illumination and is modulated by behavioral state. Chemogenetic activation of vLGNGABA neurons reduces freezing, whereas inactivation dramatically extends the duration of freezing to visual threats. Perturbations of vLGN activity disrupt exploration in brightly illuminated environments. We describe both a vLGN→nucleus reuniens (Re) circuit and a vLGN→superior colliculus (SC) circuit, which exert opposite influences on defensive responses. These findings reveal roles for genetic- and projection-defined vLGN subpopulations in modulating the expression of behavioral threat responses according to internal state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey D Salay
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Andrew D Huberman
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; BioX, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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32
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Abstract
Time is largely a hidden variable in vision. It is the condition for seeing interesting things such as spatial forms and patterns, colours and movements in the external world, and yet is not meant to be noticed in itself. Temporal aspects of visual processing have received comparatively little attention in research. Temporal properties have been made explicit mainly in measurements of resolution and integration in simple tasks such as detection of spatially homogeneous flicker or light pulses of varying duration. Only through a mechanistic understanding of their basis in retinal photoreceptors and circuits can such measures guide modelling of natural vision in different species and illuminate functional and evolutionary trade-offs. Temporal vision research would benefit from bridging traditions that speak different languages. Towards that goal, I here review studies from the fields of human psychophysics, retinal physiology and neuroethology, with a focus on fundamental constraints set by early vision. Summary: Simple measures of temporal vision such as the critical flicker frequency can be useful for modelling natural vision only if their relationship to photoreceptor responses and retinal processing is understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristian Donner
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
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33
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Zych AD, Gogolla N. Expressions of emotions across species. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 68:57-66. [PMID: 33548631 PMCID: PMC8259711 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
What are emotions and how should we study them? These questions give rise to ongoing controversy amongst scientists in the fields of neuroscience, psychology and philosophy, and have resulted in different views on emotions [1-6]. In this review, we define emotions as functional states that bear essential roles in promoting survival and thus have emerged through evolution. Emotions trigger behavioral, somatic, hormonal, and neurochemical reactions, referred to as expressions of emotion. We discuss recent studies on emotion expression across species and highlight emerging common principles. We argue that detailed and multidimensional analyses of emotion expressions are key to develop biology-based definitions of emotions and to reveal their neuronal underpinnings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna D Zych
- Circuits for Emotion Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany; International Max-Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Nadine Gogolla
- Circuits for Emotion Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany.
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34
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Male courtship song drives escape responses that are suppressed for successful mating. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9227. [PMID: 33927291 PMCID: PMC8084941 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88691-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Persuasion is a crucial component of the courtship ritual needed to overcome contact aversion. In fruit flies, it is well established that the male courtship song prompts receptivity in female flies, in part by causing sexually mature females to slow down and pause, allowing copulation. Whether the above receptivity behaviours require the suppression of contact avoidance or escape remains unknown. Here we show, through genetic manipulation of neurons we identified as required for female receptivity, that male song induces avoidance/escape responses that are suppressed in wild type flies. First, we show that silencing 70A09 neurons leads to an increase in escape, as females increase their walking speed during courtship together with an increase in jumping and a reduction in pausing. The increase in escape response is specific to courtship, as escape to a looming threat is not intensified. Activation of 70A09 neurons leads to pausing, confirming the role of these neurons in escape modulation. Finally, we show that the escape displays by the female result from the presence of a courting male and more specifically from the song produced by a courting male. Our results suggest that courtship song has a dual role, promoting both escape and pause in females and that escape is suppressed by the activity of 70A09 neurons, allowing mating to occur.
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35
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Lopes G, Farrell K, Horrocks EAB, Lee CY, Morimoto MM, Muzzu T, Papanikolaou A, Rodrigues FR, Wheatcroft T, Zucca S, Solomon SG, Saleem AB. Creating and controlling visual environments using BonVision. eLife 2021; 10:e65541. [PMID: 33880991 PMCID: PMC8104957 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Real-time rendering of closed-loop visual environments is important for next-generation understanding of brain function and behaviour, but is often prohibitively difficult for non-experts to implement and is limited to few laboratories worldwide. We developed BonVision as an easy-to-use open-source software for the display of virtual or augmented reality, as well as standard visual stimuli. BonVision has been tested on humans and mice, and is capable of supporting new experimental designs in other animal models of vision. As the architecture is based on the open-source Bonsai graphical programming language, BonVision benefits from native integration with experimental hardware. BonVision therefore enables easy implementation of closed-loop experiments, including real-time interaction with deep neural networks, and communication with behavioural and physiological measurement and manipulation devices.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karolina Farrell
- UCL Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Edward AB Horrocks
- UCL Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Chi-Yu Lee
- UCL Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Mai M Morimoto
- UCL Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Tomaso Muzzu
- UCL Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Amalia Papanikolaou
- UCL Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Fabio R Rodrigues
- UCL Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Thomas Wheatcroft
- UCL Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Stefano Zucca
- UCL Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Samuel G Solomon
- UCL Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Aman B Saleem
- UCL Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
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36
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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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37
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Bentzur A, Ben-Shaanan S, Benichou JIC, Costi E, Levi M, Ilany A, Shohat-Ophir G. Early Life Experience Shapes Male Behavior and Social Networks in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2020; 31:486-501.e3. [PMID: 33186552 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.10.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Living in a group creates a complex and dynamic environment in which behavior of individuals is influenced by and affects the behavior of others. Although social interaction and group living are fundamental adaptations exhibited by many organisms, little is known about how prior social experience, internal states, and group composition shape behavior in groups. Here, we present an analytical framework for studying the interplay between social experience and group interaction in Drosophila melanogaster. We simplified the complexity of interactions in a group using a series of experiments in which we controlled the social experience and motivational states of individuals to compare behavioral patterns and social networks of groups under different conditions. We show that social enrichment promotes the formation of distinct group structure that is characterized by high network modularity, high inter-individual and inter-group variance, high inter-individual coordination, and stable social clusters. Using environmental and genetic manipulations, we show that visual cues and cVA-sensing neurons are necessary for the expression of social interaction and network structure in groups. Finally, we explored the formation of group behavior and structure in heterogenous groups composed of flies with distinct internal states and documented emergent structures that are beyond the sum of the individuals that constitute it. Our results demonstrate that fruit flies exhibit complex and dynamic social structures that are modulated by the experience and composition of different individuals within the group. This paves the path for using simple model organisms to dissect the neurobiology of behavior in complex social environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assa Bentzur
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Shir Ben-Shaanan
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Jennifer I C Benichou
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Eliezer Costi
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Mali Levi
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Amiyaal Ilany
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel.
| | - Galit Shohat-Ophir
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel; The Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel.
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38
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Behavioral and neuronal underpinnings of safety in numbers in fruit flies. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4182. [PMID: 32826882 PMCID: PMC7442810 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17856-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Living in a group allows individuals to decrease their defenses, enabling other beneficial behaviors such as foraging. The detection of a threat through social cues is widely reported, however, the safety cues that guide animals to break away from a defensive behavior and resume alternate activities remain elusive. Here we show that fruit flies display a graded decrease in freezing behavior, triggered by an inescapable threat, with increasing group sizes. Furthermore, flies use the cessation of movement of other flies as a cue of threat and its resumption as a cue of safety. Finally, we find that lobula columnar neurons, LC11, mediate the propensity for freezing flies to resume moving in response to the movement of others. By identifying visual motion cues, and the neurons involved in their processing, as the basis of a social safety cue this study brings new insights into the neuronal basis of safety in numbers.
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39
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Bidaye SS, Laturney M, Chang AK, Liu Y, Bockemühl T, Büschges A, Scott K. Two Brain Pathways Initiate Distinct Forward Walking Programs in Drosophila. Neuron 2020; 108:469-485.e8. [PMID: 32822613 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
An animal at rest or engaged in stationary behaviors can instantaneously initiate goal-directed walking. How descending brain inputs trigger rapid transitions from a non-walking state to an appropriate walking state is unclear. Here, we identify two neuronal types, P9 and BPN, in the Drosophila brain that, upon activation, initiate and maintain two distinct coordinated walking patterns. P9 drives forward walking with ipsilateral turning, receives inputs from central courtship-promoting neurons and visual projection neurons, and is necessary for a male to pursue a female during courtship. In contrast, BPN drives straight, forward walking and is not required during courtship. BPN is instead recruited during and required for fast, straight, forward walking bouts. Thus, this study reveals separate brain pathways for object-directed walking and fast, straight, forward walking, providing insight into how the brain initiates context-appropriate walking programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salil S Bidaye
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| | - Meghan Laturney
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Amy K Chang
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Yuejiang Liu
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Till Bockemühl
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Ansgar Büschges
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Kristin Scott
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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40
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Tanaka R, Clark DA. Object-Displacement-Sensitive Visual Neurons Drive Freezing in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2020; 30:2532-2550.e8. [PMID: 32442466 PMCID: PMC8716191 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Visual systems are often equipped with neurons that detect small moving objects, which may represent prey, predators, or conspecifics. Although the processing properties of those neurons have been studied in diverse organisms, links between the proposed algorithms and animal behaviors or circuit mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we have investigated behavioral function, computational algorithm, and neurochemical mechanisms of an object-selective neuron, LC11, in Drosophila. With genetic silencing and optogenetic activation, we show that LC11 is necessary for a visual object-induced stopping behavior in walking flies, a form of short-term freezing, and its activity can promote stopping. We propose a new quantitative model for small object selectivity based on the physiology and anatomy of LC11 and its inputs. The model accurately reproduces LC11 responses by pooling fast-adapting, tightly size-tuned inputs. Direct visualization of neurotransmitter inputs to LC11 confirmed the model conjectures about upstream processing. Our results demonstrate how adaptation can enhance selectivity for behaviorally relevant, dynamic visual features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryosuke Tanaka
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Damon A Clark
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Department of Physics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
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41
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Emanuel S, Kaiser M, Pflueger HJ, Libersat F. On the Role of the Head Ganglia in Posture and Walking in Insects. Front Physiol 2020; 11:135. [PMID: 32153430 PMCID: PMC7047666 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00135] [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: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
In insects, locomotion is the result of rhythm generating thoracic circuits and their modulation by sensory reflexes and by inputs from the two head ganglia, the cerebral and the gnathal ganglia (GNG), which act as higher order neuronal centers playing different functions in the initiation, goal-direction, and maintenance of movement. Current knowledge on the various roles of major neuropiles of the cerebral ganglia (CRG), such as mushroom bodies (MB) and the central complex (CX), in particular, are discussed as well as the role of the GNG. Thoracic and head ganglia circuitries are connected by ascending and descending neurons. While less is known about the ascending neurons, recent studies in large insects and Drosophila have begun to unravel the identity of descending neurons and their appropriate roles in posture and locomotion. Descending inputs from the head ganglia are most important in initiating and modulating thoracic central pattern generating circuitries to achieve goal directed locomotion. In addition, the review will also deal with some known monoaminergic descending neurons which affect the motor circuits involved in posture and locomotion. In conclusion, we will present a few issues that have, until today, been little explored. For example, how and which descending neurons are selected to engage a specific motor behavior and how feedback from thoracic circuitry modulate the head ganglia circuitries. The review will discuss results from large insects, mainly locusts, crickets, and stick insects but will mostly focus on cockroaches and the fruit fly, Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stav Emanuel
- Department of Life Sciences and Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Maayan Kaiser
- Department of Life Sciences and Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Hans-Joachim Pflueger
- Fachbereich Biologie Chemie Pharmazie, Institut für Biologie, Neurobiologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Frederic Libersat
- Department of Life Sciences and Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
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42
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Nicholas S, Leibbrandt R, Nordström K. Visual motion sensitivity in descending neurons in the hoverfly. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2020; 206:149-163. [PMID: 31989217 PMCID: PMC7069906 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-020-01402-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Many animals use motion vision information to control dynamic behaviors. For example, flying insects must decide whether to pursue a prey or not, to avoid a predator, to maintain their current flight trajectory, or to land. The neural mechanisms underlying the computation of visual motion have been particularly well investigated in the fly optic lobes. However, the descending neurons, which connect the optic lobes with the motor command centers of the ventral nerve cord, remain less studied. To address this deficiency, we describe motion vision sensitive descending neurons in the hoverfly Eristalis tenax. We describe how the neurons can be identified based on their receptive field properties, and how they respond to moving targets, looming stimuli and to widefield optic flow. We discuss their similarities with previously published visual neurons, in the optic lobes and ventral nerve cord, and suggest that they can be classified as target-selective, looming sensitive and optic flow sensitive, based on these similarities. Our results highlight the importance of using several visual stimuli as the neurons can rarely be identified based on only one response characteristic. In addition, they provide an understanding of the neurophysiology of visual neurons that are likely to affect behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Nicholas
- Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia
| | - Richard Leibbrandt
- Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia
| | - Karin Nordström
- Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia. .,Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Box 593, 751 24 , Uppsala, Sweden.
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43
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Howard CE, Chen CL, Tabachnik T, Hormigo R, Ramdya P, Mann RS. Serotonergic Modulation of Walking in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2019; 29:4218-4230.e8. [PMID: 31786064 PMCID: PMC6935052 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.10.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Revised: 09/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
To navigate complex environments, animals must generate highly robust, yet flexible, locomotor behaviors. For example, walking speed must be tailored to the needs of a particular environment. Not only must animals choose the correct speed and gait, they must also adapt to changing conditions and quickly respond to sudden and surprising new stimuli. Neuromodulators, particularly the small biogenic amine neurotransmitters, have the ability to rapidly alter the functional outputs of motor circuits. Here, we show that the serotonergic system in the vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster, can modulate walking speed in a variety of contexts and also change how flies respond to sudden changes in the environment. These multifaceted roles of serotonin in locomotion are differentially mediated by a family of serotonergic receptors with distinct activities and expression patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare E Howard
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Chin-Lin Chen
- Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tanya Tabachnik
- Advanced Instrumentation Group, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Rick Hormigo
- Advanced Instrumentation Group, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Pavan Ramdya
- Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Richard S Mann
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
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44
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de Andres-Bragado L, Sprecher SG. Mechanisms of vision in the fruit fly. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 36:25-32. [PMID: 31325739 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2019.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Vision is essential to maximize the efficiency of daily tasks such as feeding, avoiding predators or finding mating partners. An advantageous model is Drosophila melanogaster, since it offers tools that allow genetic and neuronal manipulation with high spatial and temporal resolution, which can be combined with behavioral, anatomical and physiological assays. Recent advances have expanded our knowledge on the neural circuitry underlying such important behaviors as color vision (role of reciprocal inhibition to enhance color signal at the level of the ommatidia); motion vision (motion-detection neurones receive both excitatory and inhibitory input), and sensory processing (role of the central complex in spatial navigation, and in orchestrating the information from other senses and the inner state). Research on synergies between pathways is shaping the field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Simon G Sprecher
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland.
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45
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Chen J, Mandel HB, Fitzgerald JE, Clark DA. Asymmetric ON-OFF processing of visual motion cancels variability induced by the structure of natural scenes. eLife 2019; 8:e47579. [PMID: 31613221 PMCID: PMC6884396 DOI: 10.7554/elife.47579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals detect motion using a variety of visual cues that reflect regularities in the natural world. Experiments in animals across phyla have shown that motion percepts incorporate both pairwise and triplet spatiotemporal correlations that could theoretically benefit motion computation. However, it remains unclear how visual systems assemble these cues to build accurate motion estimates. Here, we used systematic behavioral measurements of fruit fly motion perception to show how flies combine local pairwise and triplet correlations to reduce variability in motion estimates across natural scenes. By generating synthetic images with statistics controlled by maximum entropy distributions, we show that the triplet correlations are useful only when images have light-dark asymmetries that mimic natural ones. This suggests that asymmetric ON-OFF processing is tuned to the particular statistics of natural scenes. Since all animals encounter the world's light-dark asymmetries, many visual systems are likely to use asymmetric ON-OFF processing to improve motion estimation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juyue Chen
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience ProgramYale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
| | - Holly B Mandel
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental BiologyYale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
| | - James E Fitzgerald
- Janelia Research CampusHoward Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
| | - Damon A Clark
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience ProgramYale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental BiologyYale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
- Department of PhysicsYale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
- Department of NeuroscienceYale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
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46
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Domenici P, Hale ME. Escape responses of fish: a review of the diversity in motor control, kinematics and behaviour. J Exp Biol 2019; 222:222/18/jeb166009. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.166009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The study of fish escape responses has provided important insights into the accelerative motions and fast response times of these animals. In addition, the accessibility of the underlying neural circuits has made the escape response a fundamental model in neurobiology. Fish escape responses were originally viewed as highly stereotypic all-or-none behaviours. However, research on a wide variety of species has shown considerable taxon-specific and context-dependent variability in the kinematics and neural control of escape. In addition, escape-like motions have been reported: these resemble escape responses kinematically, but occur in situations that do not involve a response to a threatening stimulus. This Review focuses on the diversity of escape responses in fish by discussing recent work on: (1) the types of escape responses as defined by kinematic analysis (these include C- and S-starts, and single- versus double-bend responses); (2) the diversity of neuromuscular control; (3) the variability of escape responses in terms of behaviour and kinematics within the context of predator−prey interactions; and (4) the main escape-like motions observed in various species. Here, we aim to integrate recent knowledge on escape responses and highlight rich areas for research. Rapidly developing approaches for studying the kinematics of swimming motion both in the lab and within the natural environment provide new avenues for research on these critical and common behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Domenici
- Organismal Biology Laboratory, IAS-CNR Località Sa Mardini, Torregrande, Oristano 09170, Italy
| | - Melina E. Hale
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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47
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Evans DA, Stempel AV, Vale R, Branco T. Cognitive Control of Escape Behaviour. Trends Cogn Sci 2019; 23:334-348. [PMID: 30852123 PMCID: PMC6438863 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2019.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
When faced with potential predators, animals instinctively decide whether there is a threat they should escape from, and also when, how, and where to take evasive action. While escape is often viewed in classical ethology as an action that is released upon presentation of specific stimuli, successful and adaptive escape behaviour relies on integrating information from sensory systems, stored knowledge, and internal states. From a neuroscience perspective, escape is an incredibly rich model that provides opportunities for investigating processes such as perceptual and value-based decision-making, or action selection, in an ethological setting. We review recent research from laboratory and field studies that explore, at the behavioural and mechanistic levels, how elements from multiple information streams are integrated to generate flexible escape behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic A Evans
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, UCL, London, UK; These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - A Vanessa Stempel
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, UCL, London, UK; These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Ruben Vale
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, UCL, London, UK; These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Tiago Branco
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, UCL, London, UK.
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48
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Venkatasubramanian L, Mann RS. The development and assembly of the Drosophila adult ventral nerve cord. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2019; 56:135-143. [PMID: 30826502 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2019.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
In order to generate complex motor outputs, the nervous system integrates multiple sources of sensory information that ultimately controls motor neurons to generate coordinated movements. The neural circuits that integrate higher order commands from the brain and generate motor outputs are located in the nerve cord of the central nervous system. Recently, genetic access to distinct functional subtypes that make up the Drosophila adult ventral nerve cord has significantly begun to advance our understanding of the structural organization and functions of the neural circuits coordinating motor outputs. Moreover, lineage-tracing and genetic intersection tools have been instrumental in deciphering the developmental mechanisms that generate and assemble the functional units of the adult nerve cord. Together, the Drosophila adult ventral nerve cord is emerging as a powerful system to understand the development and function of neural circuits that are responsible for coordinating complex motor outputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lalanti Venkatasubramanian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Department of Neuroscience, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Richard S Mann
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Department of Neuroscience, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, United States.
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49
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Structural, functional, and behavioral insights of dopamine dysfunction revealed by a deletion in SLC6A3. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:3853-3862. [PMID: 30755521 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1816247116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The human dopamine (DA) transporter (hDAT) mediates clearance of DA. Genetic variants in hDAT have been associated with DA dysfunction, a complication associated with several brain disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here, we investigated the structural and behavioral bases of an ASD-associated in-frame deletion in hDAT at N336 (∆N336). We uncovered that the deletion promoted a previously unobserved conformation of the intracellular gate of the transporter, likely representing the rate-limiting step of the transport process. It is defined by a "half-open and inward-facing" state (HOIF) of the intracellular gate that is stabilized by a network of interactions conserved phylogenetically, as we demonstrated in hDAT by Rosetta molecular modeling and fine-grained simulations, as well as in its bacterial homolog leucine transporter by electron paramagnetic resonance analysis and X-ray crystallography. The stabilization of the HOIF state is associated both with DA dysfunctions demonstrated in isolated brains of Drosophila melanogaster expressing hDAT ∆N336 and with abnormal behaviors observed at high-time resolution. These flies display increased fear, impaired social interactions, and locomotion traits we associate with DA dysfunction and the HOIF state. Together, our results describe how a genetic variation causes DA dysfunction and abnormal behaviors by stabilizing a HOIF state of the transporter.
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50
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Cande J, Namiki S, Qiu J, Korff W, Card GM, Shaevitz JW, Stern DL, Berman GJ. Optogenetic dissection of descending behavioral control in Drosophila. eLife 2018; 7:34275. [PMID: 29943729 PMCID: PMC6031430 DOI: 10.7554/elife.34275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 06/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In most animals, the brain makes behavioral decisions that are transmitted by descending neurons to the nerve cord circuitry that produces behaviors. In insects, only a few descending neurons have been associated with specific behaviors. To explore how descending neurons control an insect’s movements, we developed a novel method to systematically assay the behavioral effects of activating individual neurons on freely behaving terrestrial D. melanogaster. We calculated a two-dimensional representation of the entire behavior space explored by these flies, and we associated descending neurons with specific behaviors by identifying regions of this space that were visited with increased frequency during optogenetic activation. Applying this approach across a large collection of descending neurons, we found that (1) activation of most of the descending neurons drove stereotyped behaviors, (2) in many cases multiple descending neurons activated similar behaviors, and (3) optogenetically activated behaviors were often dependent on the behavioral state prior to activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Cande
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Shigehiro Namiki
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States.,Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jirui Qiu
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Wyatt Korff
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Gwyneth M Card
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Joshua W Shaevitz
- The Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, United States.,Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
| | - David L Stern
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Gordon J Berman
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.,Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
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