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Laurent F, Blanc A, May L, Gándara L, Cocanougher BT, Jones BMW, Hague P, Barré C, Vestergaard CL, Crocker J, Zlatic M, Jovanic T, Masson JB. LarvaTagger: manual and automatic tagging of Drosophila larval behaviour. Bioinformatics 2024; 40:btae441. [PMID: 38970365 PMCID: PMC11262801 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btae441] [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: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION As more behavioural assays are carried out in large-scale experiments on Drosophila larvae, the definitions of the archetypal actions of a larva are regularly refined. In addition, video recording and tracking technologies constantly evolve. Consequently, automatic tagging tools for Drosophila larval behaviour must be retrained to learn new representations from new data. However, existing tools cannot transfer knowledge from large amounts of previously accumulated data. We introduce LarvaTagger, a piece of software that combines a pre-trained deep neural network, providing a continuous latent representation of larva actions for stereotypical behaviour identification, with a graphical user interface to manually tag the behaviour and train new automatic taggers with the updated ground truth. RESULTS We reproduced results from an automatic tagger with high accuracy, and we demonstrated that pre-training on large databases accelerates the training of a new tagger, achieving similar prediction accuracy using less data. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION All the code is free and open source. Docker images are also available. See gitlab.pasteur.fr/nyx/LarvaTagger.jl.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Laurent
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3571, Decision and Bayesian Computation, 75015 Paris, France
- Épiméthée, INRIA, 75015 Paris, France
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Alexandre Blanc
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3571, Decision and Bayesian Computation, 75015 Paris, France
- Épiméthée, INRIA, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Lilly May
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3571, Decision and Bayesian Computation, 75015 Paris, France
- TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Lautaro Gándara
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Developmental Biology, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Benjamin T Cocanougher
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, United States
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin M W Jones
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, United States
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Hague
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, United States
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom
| | - Chloé Barré
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3571, Decision and Bayesian Computation, 75015 Paris, France
- Épiméthée, INRIA, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Christian L Vestergaard
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3571, Decision and Bayesian Computation, 75015 Paris, France
- Épiméthée, INRIA, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Justin Crocker
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Developmental Biology, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marta Zlatic
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, United States
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom
| | - Tihana Jovanic
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 9197, 91400 Saclay, France
| | - Jean-Baptiste Masson
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3571, Decision and Bayesian Computation, 75015 Paris, France
- Épiméthée, INRIA, 75015 Paris, France
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2
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Evans A, Ferrer AJ, Fradkov E, Shomar JW, Forer J, Klein M. Temperature sensitivity and temperature response across development in the Drosophila larva. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1275469. [PMID: 37965044 PMCID: PMC10641456 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1275469] [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: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The surrounding thermal environment is highly important for the survival and fitness of animals, and as a result most exhibit behavioral and neural responses to temperature changes. We study signals generated by thermosensory neurons in Drosophila larvae and also the physical and sensory effects of temperature variation on locomotion and navigation. In particular we characterize how sensory neuronal and behavioral responses to temperature variation both change across the development of the larva. Looking at a wide range of non-nociceptive isotropic thermal environments, we characterize the dependence of speed, turning rate, and other behavioral components on temperature, distinguishing the physical effects of temperature from behavior changes based on sensory processing. We also characterize the strategies larvae use to modulate individual behavioral components to produce directed navigation along thermal gradients, and how these strategies change during physical development. Simulations based on modified random walks show where thermotaxis in each developmental stage fits into the larger context of possible navigation strategies. We also investigate cool sensing neurons in the larva's dorsal organ ganglion, characterizing neural response to sine-wave modulation of temperature while performing single-cell-resolution 3D imaging. We determine the sensitivity of these neurons, which produce signals in response to extremely small temperature changes. Combining thermotaxis results with neurophysiology data, we observe, across development, sensitivity to temperature change as low as a few thousandths of a °C per second, or a few hundredths of a °C in absolute temperature change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasiia Evans
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
| | - Anggie J. Ferrer
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
| | - Erica Fradkov
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
| | - Joseph W. Shomar
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
| | - Josh Forer
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
| | - Mason Klein
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
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3
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Berne A, Zhang T, Shomar J, Ferrer AJ, Valdes A, Ohyama T, Klein M. Mechanical vibration patterns elicit behavioral transitions and habituation in crawling Drosophila larvae. eLife 2023; 12:e69205. [PMID: 37855833 PMCID: PMC10586805 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69205] [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: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
How animals respond to repeatedly applied stimuli, and how animals respond to mechanical stimuli in particular, are important questions in behavioral neuroscience. We study adaptation to repeated mechanical agitation using the Drosophila larva. Vertical vibration stimuli elicit a discrete set of responses in crawling larvae: continuation, pause, turn, and reversal. Through high-throughput larva tracking, we characterize how the likelihood of each response depends on vibration intensity and on the timing of repeated vibration pulses. By examining transitions between behavioral states at the population and individual levels, we investigate how the animals habituate to the stimulus patterns. We identify time constants associated with desensitization to prolonged vibration, with re-sensitization during removal of a stimulus, and additional layers of habituation that operate in the overall response. Known memory-deficient mutants exhibit distinct behavior profiles and habituation time constants. An analogous simple electrical circuit suggests possible neural and molecular processes behind adaptive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Berne
- Department of Physics, Department of Biology, University of MiamiCoral GablesUnited States
| | - Tom Zhang
- Department of Physics, Department of Biology, University of MiamiCoral GablesUnited States
| | - Joseph Shomar
- Department of Physics, Department of Biology, University of MiamiCoral GablesUnited States
| | - Anggie J Ferrer
- Department of Physics, Department of Biology, University of MiamiCoral GablesUnited States
| | - Aaron Valdes
- Department of Physics, Department of Biology, University of MiamiCoral GablesUnited States
| | - Tomoko Ohyama
- Department of Biology, McGill UniversityMontrealCanada
| | - Mason Klein
- Department of Physics, Department of Biology, University of MiamiCoral GablesUnited States
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4
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Kohsaka H. Linking neural circuits to the mechanics of animal behavior in Drosophila larval locomotion. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1175899. [PMID: 37711343 PMCID: PMC10499525 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1175899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The motions that make up animal behavior arise from the interplay between neural circuits and the mechanical parts of the body. Therefore, in order to comprehend the operational mechanisms governing behavior, it is essential to examine not only the underlying neural network but also the mechanical characteristics of the animal's body. The locomotor system of fly larvae serves as an ideal model for pursuing this integrative approach. By virtue of diverse investigation methods encompassing connectomics analysis and quantification of locomotion kinematics, research on larval locomotion has shed light on the underlying mechanisms of animal behavior. These studies have elucidated the roles of interneurons in coordinating muscle activities within and between segments, as well as the neural circuits responsible for exploration. This review aims to provide an overview of recent research on the neuromechanics of animal locomotion in fly larvae. We also briefly review interspecific diversity in fly larval locomotion and explore the latest advancements in soft robots inspired by larval locomotion. The integrative analysis of animal behavior using fly larvae could establish a practical framework for scrutinizing the behavior of other animal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Kohsaka
- Graduate School of Informatics and Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, Chofu, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Frontier Science, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
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5
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Zhu J, Boivin JC, Pang S, Xu CS, Lu Z, Saalfeld S, Hess HF, Ohyama T. Comparative connectomics and escape behavior in larvae of closely related Drosophila species. Curr Biol 2023:S0960-9822(23)00675-9. [PMID: 37285846 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.05.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Evolution has generated an enormous variety of morphological, physiological, and behavioral traits in animals. How do behaviors evolve in different directions in species equipped with similar neurons and molecular components? Here we adopted a comparative approach to investigate the similarities and differences of escape behaviors in response to noxious stimuli and their underlying neural circuits between closely related drosophilid species. Drosophilids show a wide range of escape behaviors in response to noxious cues, including escape crawling, stopping, head casting, and rolling. Here we find that D. santomea, compared with its close relative D. melanogaster, shows a higher probability of rolling in response to noxious stimulation. To assess whether this behavioral difference could be attributed to differences in neural circuitry, we generated focused ion beam-scanning electron microscope volumes of the ventral nerve cord of D. santomea to reconstruct the downstream partners of mdIV, a nociceptive sensory neuron in D. melanogaster. Along with partner interneurons of mdVI (including Basin-2, a multisensory integration neuron necessary for rolling) previously identified in D. melanogaster, we identified two additional partners of mdVI in D. santomea. Finally, we showed that joint activation of one of the partners (Basin-1) and a common partner (Basin-2) in D. melanogaster increased rolling probability, suggesting that the high rolling probability in D. santomea is mediated by the additional activation of Basin-1 by mdIV. These results provide a plausible mechanistic explanation for how closely related species exhibit quantitative differences in the likelihood of expressing the same behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayi Zhu
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Docteur Penfield, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada; Integrated Program of Neuroscience, McGill University, Pine Avenue W., Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Jean-Christophe Boivin
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Docteur Penfield, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada; Integrated Program of Neuroscience, McGill University, Pine Avenue W., Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Song Pang
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - C Shan Xu
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Zhiyuan Lu
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Stephan Saalfeld
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Harald F Hess
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Tomoko Ohyama
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Docteur Penfield, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada; Alan Edwards Center for Research on Pain, McGill University, University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.
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6
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Boivin JC, Zhu J, Ohyama T. Nociception in fruit fly larvae. FRONTIERS IN PAIN RESEARCH 2023; 4:1076017. [PMID: 37006412 PMCID: PMC10063880 DOI: 10.3389/fpain.2023.1076017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Nociception, the process of encoding and processing noxious or painful stimuli, allows animals to detect and avoid or escape from potentially life-threatening stimuli. Here, we provide a brief overview of recent technical developments and studies that have advanced our understanding of the Drosophila larval nociceptive circuit and demonstrated its potential as a model system to elucidate the mechanistic basis of nociception. The nervous system of a Drosophila larva contains roughly 15,000 neurons, which allows for reconstructing the connectivity among them directly by transmission electron microscopy. In addition, the availability of genetic tools for manipulating the activity of individual neurons and recent advances in computational and high-throughput behavior analysis methods have facilitated the identification of a neural circuit underlying a characteristic nocifensive behavior. We also discuss how neuromodulators may play a key role in modulating the nociceptive circuit and behavioral output. A detailed understanding of the structure and function of Drosophila larval nociceptive neural circuit could provide insights into the organization and operation of pain circuits in mammals and generate new knowledge to advance the development of treatment options for pain in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Christophe Boivin
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jiayi Zhu
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Tomoko Ohyama
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Correspondence: Tomoko Ohyama
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7
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Winding M, Pedigo BD, Barnes CL, Patsolic HG, Park Y, Kazimiers T, Fushiki A, Andrade IV, Khandelwal A, Valdes-Aleman J, Li F, Randel N, Barsotti E, Correia A, Fetter RD, Hartenstein V, Priebe CE, Vogelstein JT, Cardona A, Zlatic M. The connectome of an insect brain. Science 2023; 379:eadd9330. [PMID: 36893230 PMCID: PMC7614541 DOI: 10.1126/science.add9330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 82.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Brains contain networks of interconnected neurons and so knowing the network architecture is essential for understanding brain function. We therefore mapped the synaptic-resolution connectome of an entire insect brain (Drosophila larva) with rich behavior, including learning, value computation, and action selection, comprising 3016 neurons and 548,000 synapses. We characterized neuron types, hubs, feedforward and feedback pathways, as well as cross-hemisphere and brain-nerve cord interactions. We found pervasive multisensory and interhemispheric integration, highly recurrent architecture, abundant feedback from descending neurons, and multiple novel circuit motifs. The brain's most recurrent circuits comprised the input and output neurons of the learning center. Some structural features, including multilayer shortcuts and nested recurrent loops, resembled state-of-the-art deep learning architectures. The identified brain architecture provides a basis for future experimental and theoretical studies of neural circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Winding
- University of Cambridge, Department of Zoology, Cambridge, UK
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Neurobiology Division, Cambridge, UK
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Benjamin D. Pedigo
- Johns Hopkins University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Christopher L. Barnes
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Neurobiology Division, Cambridge, UK
- University of Cambridge, Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, Cambridge, UK
| | - Heather G. Patsolic
- Johns Hopkins University, Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Accenture, Arlington, VA, USA
| | - Youngser Park
- Johns Hopkins University, Center for Imaging Science, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tom Kazimiers
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
- kazmos GmbH, Dresden, Germany
| | - Akira Fushiki
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ingrid V. Andrade
- University of California Los Angeles, Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Avinash Khandelwal
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Javier Valdes-Aleman
- University of Cambridge, Department of Zoology, Cambridge, UK
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Feng Li
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Nadine Randel
- University of Cambridge, Department of Zoology, Cambridge, UK
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Neurobiology Division, Cambridge, UK
| | - Elizabeth Barsotti
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Neurobiology Division, Cambridge, UK
- University of Cambridge, Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ana Correia
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Neurobiology Division, Cambridge, UK
- University of Cambridge, Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, Cambridge, UK
| | - Richard D. Fetter
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Volker Hartenstein
- University of California Los Angeles, Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carey E. Priebe
- Johns Hopkins University, Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Johns Hopkins University, Center for Imaging Science, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Joshua T. Vogelstein
- Johns Hopkins University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Johns Hopkins University, Center for Imaging Science, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Albert Cardona
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Neurobiology Division, Cambridge, UK
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
- University of Cambridge, Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, Cambridge, UK
| | - Marta Zlatic
- University of Cambridge, Department of Zoology, Cambridge, UK
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Neurobiology Division, Cambridge, UK
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
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8
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Yu J, Dancausse S, Paz M, Faderin T, Gaviria M, Shomar J, Zucker D, Venkatachalam V, Klein M. Continuous, long-term crawling behavior characterized by a robotic transport system. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.27.530235. [PMID: 36909608 PMCID: PMC10002653 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.27.530235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Detailed descriptions of behavior provide critical insight into the structure and function of nervous systems. In Drosophila larvae and many other systems, short behavioral experiments have been successful in characterizing rapid responses to a range of stimuli at the population level. However, the lack of long-term continuous observation makes it difficult to dissect comprehensive behavioral dynamics of individual animals and how behavior (and therefore the nervous system) develops over time. To allow for long-term continuous observations in individual fly larvae, we have engineered a robotic instrument that automatically tracks and transports larvae throughout an arena. The flexibility and reliability of its design enables controlled stimulus delivery and continuous measurement over developmental time scales, yielding an unprecedented level of detailed locomotion data. We utilize the new system’s capabilities to perform continuous observation of exploratory behavior over a duration of six hours with and without a thermal gradient present, and in a single larva for over 30 hours. Long-term free-roaming behavior and analogous short-term experiments show similar dynamics that take place at the beginning of each experiment. Finally, characterization of larval thermotaxis in individuals reveals a bimodal distribution in navigation efficiency, identifying distinct phenotypes that are obfuscated when only analyzing population averages.
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9
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Kerr RA, Roux AE, Goudeau J, Kenyon C. The C. elegans Observatory: High-throughput exploration of behavioral aging. FRONTIERS IN AGING 2022; 3:932656. [PMID: 36105851 PMCID: PMC9466599 DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2022.932656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Organisms undergo a variety of characteristic changes as they age, suggesting a substantial commonality in the mechanistic basis of aging. Experiments in model organisms have revealed a variety of cellular systems that impact lifespan, but technical challenges have prevented a comprehensive evaluation of how these components impact the trajectory of aging, and many components likely remain undiscovered. To facilitate the deeper exploration of aging trajectories at a sufficient scale to enable primary screening, we have created the Caenorhabditis elegans Observatory, an automated system for monitoring the behavior of group-housed C. elegans throughout their lifespans. One Observatory consists of a set of computers running custom software to control an incubator containing custom imaging and motion-control hardware. In its standard configuration, the Observatory cycles through trays of standard 6 cm plates, running four assays per day on up to 576 plates per incubator. High-speed image processing captures a range of behavioral metrics, including movement speed and stimulus-induced turning, and a data processing pipeline continuously computes summary statistics. The Observatory software includes a web interface that allows the user to input metadata and view graphs of the trajectory of behavioral aging as the experiment unfolds. Compared to the manual use of a plate-based C. elegans tracker, the Observatory reduces the effort required by close to two orders of magnitude. Within the Observatory, reducing the function of known lifespan genes with RNA interference (RNAi) gives the expected phenotypic changes, including extended motility in daf-2(RNAi) and progeria in hsf-1(RNAi). Lifespans scored manually from worms raised in conventional conditions match those scored from images captured by the Observatory. We have used the Observatory for a small candidate-gene screen and identified an extended youthful vigor phenotype for tank-1(RNAi) and a progeric phenotype for cdc-42(RNAi). By utilizing the Observatory, it is now feasible to conduct whole-genome screens for an aging-trajectory phenotype, thus greatly increasing our ability to discover and analyze new components of the aging program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rex A. Kerr
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, CA, United States
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10
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Satterfield LK, De J, Wu M, Qiu T, Joiner WJ. Inputs to the Sleep Homeostat Originate Outside the Brain. J Neurosci 2022; 42:5695-5704. [PMID: 35680412 PMCID: PMC9302467 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2113-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The need to sleep is sensed and discharged in a poorly understood process that is homeostatically controlled over time. In flies, different contributions to this process have been attributed to peripheral ppk and central brain neurons, with the former serving as hypothetical inputs to the sleep homeostat and the latter reportedly serving as the homeostat itself. Here we re-evaluate these distinctions in light of new findings using female flies. First, activating neurons targeted by published ppk and brain drivers elicits similar phenotypes, namely, sleep deprivation followed by rebound sleep. Second, inhibiting activity or synaptic output with one type of driver suppresses sleep homeostasis induced using the other type of driver. Third, drivers previously used to implicate central neurons in sleep homeostasis unexpectedly also label ppk neurons. Fourth, activating only this subset of colabeled neurons is sufficient to elicit sleep homeostasis. Thus, many published contributions of central neurons to sleep homeostasis can be explained by previously unrecognized expression of brain drivers in peripheral ppk neurons, most likely those in the legs, which promote walking. Last, we show that activation of certain non-ppk neurons can also induce sleep homeostasis. Notably, axons of these as well as ppk neurons terminate in the same ventral brain region, suggesting that a previously undefined neural circuit element of a sleep homeostat may lie nearby.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The biological needs that sleep fulfills are unknown, but they are reflected by the ability of an animal to compensate for prior sleep loss in a process called sleep homeostasis. Researchers have searched for the neural circuitry that comprises the sleep homeostat so that the information it conveys can shed light on the nature of sleep need. Here we demonstrate that neurons originating outside of the brain are responsible for phenotypes previously attributed to the proposed central brain sleep homeostat in flies. Our results support a revised neural circuit model for sensing and discharging sleep need in which peripheral inputs connect to a sleep homeostat through previously unrecognized neural circuit elements in the ventral brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence K Satterfield
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
| | - Joydeep De
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
| | - Meilin Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
| | - Tianhao Qiu
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
| | - William J Joiner
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
- Center for Circadian Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
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11
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Honda T. Optogenetic and thermogenetic manipulation of defined neural circuits and behaviors in Drosophila. Learn Mem 2022; 29:100-109. [PMID: 35332066 PMCID: PMC8973390 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053556.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Neural network dynamics underlying flexible animal behaviors remain elusive. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is considered an excellent model in behavioral neuroscience because of its simple neuroanatomical architecture and the availability of various genetic methods. Moreover, Drosophila larvae's transparent body allows investigators to use optical methods on freely moving animals, broadening research directions. Activating or inhibiting well-defined events in excitable cells with a fine temporal resolution using optogenetics and thermogenetics led to the association of functions of defined neural populations with specific behavioral outputs such as the induction of associative memory. Furthermore, combining optogenetics and thermogenetics with state-of-the-art approaches, including connectome mapping and machine learning-based behavioral quantification, might provide a complete view of the experience- and time-dependent variations of behavioral responses. These methodologies allow further understanding of the functional connections between neural circuits and behaviors such as chemosensory, motivational, courtship, and feeding behaviors and sleep, learning, and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takato Honda
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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12
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He J, Li B, Han S, Zhang Y, Liu K, Yi S, Liu Y, Xiu M. Drosophila as a Model to Study the Mechanism of Nociception. Front Physiol 2022; 13:854124. [PMID: 35418874 PMCID: PMC8996152 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.854124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Nociception refers to the process of encoding and processing noxious stimuli, which allow animals to detect and avoid potentially harmful stimuli. Several types of stimuli can trigger nociceptive sensory transduction, including thermal, noxious chemicals, and harsh mechanical stimulation that depend on the corresponding nociceptors. In view of the high evolutionary conservation of the mechanisms that govern nociception from Drosophila melanogaster to mammals, investigation in the fruit fly Drosophila help us understand how the sensory nervous system works and what happen in nociception. Here, we present an overview of currently identified conserved genetics of nociception, the nociceptive sensory neurons responsible for detecting noxious stimuli, and various assays for evaluating different nociception. Finally, we cover development of anti-pain drug using fly model. These comparisons illustrate the value of using Drosophila as model for uncovering nociception mechanisms, which are essential for identifying new treatment goals and developing novel analgesics that are applicable to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianzheng He
- Provincial-Level Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine of Major Diseases and the Prevention and Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine Research in Gansu Colleges and University, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- College of Basic Medicine, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- Key Laboratory for Transfer of Dunhuang Medicine at the Provincial and Ministerial Level, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
| | - Botong Li
- Provincial-Level Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine of Major Diseases and the Prevention and Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine Research in Gansu Colleges and University, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- College of Basic Medicine, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
| | - Shuzhen Han
- Provincial-Level Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine of Major Diseases and the Prevention and Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine Research in Gansu Colleges and University, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- College of Basic Medicine, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yuan Zhang
- Provincial-Level Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine of Major Diseases and the Prevention and Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine Research in Gansu Colleges and University, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- College of Basic Medicine, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
| | - Kai Liu
- College of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
| | - Simeng Yi
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yongqi Liu
- Provincial-Level Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine of Major Diseases and the Prevention and Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine Research in Gansu Colleges and University, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- Key Laboratory for Transfer of Dunhuang Medicine at the Provincial and Ministerial Level, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Yongqi Liu,
| | - Minghui Xiu
- Provincial-Level Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine of Major Diseases and the Prevention and Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine Research in Gansu Colleges and University, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- Key Laboratory for Transfer of Dunhuang Medicine at the Provincial and Ministerial Level, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- College of Public Health, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- Minghui Xiu,
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13
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Wu Q, Akhter A, Pant S, Cho E, Zhu JX, Garner AR, Ohyama T, Tajkhorshid E, van Meyel DJ, Ryan RM. Ataxia-linked SLC1A3 mutations alter EAAT1 chloride channel activity and glial regulation of CNS function. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:154891. [PMID: 35167492 PMCID: PMC8970671 DOI: 10.1172/jci154891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutamate is the predominant excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). Excitatory Amino Acid Transporters (EAATs) regulate extracellular glutamate by transporting it into cells, mostly glia, to terminate neurotransmission and to avoid neurotoxicity. EAATs are also chloride (Cl-) channels, but the physiological role of Cl- conductance through EAATs is poorly understood. Mutations of human EAAT1 (hEAAT1) have been identified in patients with episodic ataxia type 6 (EA6). One mutation showed increased Cl- channel activity and decreased glutamate transport, but the relative contributions of each function of hEAAT1 to mechanisms underlying the pathology of EA6 remain unclear. Here we investigated the effects of five additional EA6-related mutations on hEAAT1 function in Xenopus laevis oocytes, and on CNS function in a Drosophila melanogaster model of locomotor behavior. Our results indicate that mutations resulting in decreased hEAAT1 Cl- channel activity but with functional glutamate transport can also contribute to the pathology of EA6, highlighting the importance of Cl- homeostasis in glial cells for proper CNS function. We also identified a novel mechanism involving an ectopic sodium (Na+) leak conductance in glial cells. Together, these results strongly support the idea that EA6 is primarily an ion channelopathy of CNS glia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianyi Wu
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Azman Akhter
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Shashank Pant
- Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
| | - Eunjoo Cho
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Jin Xin Zhu
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Tomoko Ohyama
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Emad Tajkhorshid
- Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States of America
| | - Donald J van Meyel
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Renae M Ryan
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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14
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Wang YW, Wreden CC, Levy M, Meng JL, Marshall ZD, MacLean J, Heckscher E. Sequential addition of neuronal stem cell temporal cohorts generates a feed-forward circuit in the Drosophila larval nerve cord. eLife 2022; 11:79276. [PMID: 35723253 PMCID: PMC9333992 DOI: 10.7554/elife.79276] [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: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
How circuits self-assemble starting from neuronal stem cells is a fundamental question in developmental neurobiology. Here, we addressed how neurons from different stem cell lineages wire with each other to form a specific circuit motif. In Drosophila larvae, we combined developmental genetics (twin-spot mosaic analysis with a repressible cell marker, multi-color flip out, permanent labeling) with circuit analysis (calcium imaging, connectomics, network science). For many lineages, neuronal progeny are organized into subunits called temporal cohorts. Temporal cohorts are subsets of neurons born within a tight time window that have shared circuit-level function. We find sharp transitions in patterns of input connectivity at temporal cohort boundaries. In addition, we identify a feed-forward circuit that encodes the onset of vibration stimuli. This feed-forward circuit is assembled by preferential connectivity between temporal cohorts from different lineages. Connectivity does not follow the often-cited early-to-early, late-to-late model. Instead, the circuit is formed by sequential addition of temporal cohorts from different lineages, with circuit output neurons born before circuit input neurons. Further, we generate new tools for the fly community. Our data raise the possibility that sequential addition of neurons (with outputs oldest and inputs youngest) could be one fundamental strategy for assembling feed-forward circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-wen Wang
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States
| | - Chris C Wreden
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States
| | - Maayan Levy
- Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States
| | - Julia L Meng
- Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States
| | - Zarion D Marshall
- Committee on Neurobiology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States
| | - Jason MacLean
- Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States,Committee on Neurobiology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States,Department of Neurobiology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States,University of Chicago Neuroscience InstituteChicagoUnited States
| | - Ellie Heckscher
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States,Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States,Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States,Department of Neurobiology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States,University of Chicago Neuroscience InstituteChicagoUnited States
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15
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Croteau-Chonka EC, Clayton MS, Venkatasubramanian L, Harris SN, Jones BMW, Narayan L, Winding M, Masson JB, Zlatic M, Klein KT. High-throughput automated methods for classical and operant conditioning of Drosophila larvae. eLife 2022; 11:70015. [PMID: 36305588 PMCID: PMC9678368 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70015] [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: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Learning which stimuli (classical conditioning) or which actions (operant conditioning) predict rewards or punishments can improve chances of survival. However, the circuit mechanisms that underlie distinct types of associative learning are still not fully understood. Automated, high-throughput paradigms for studying different types of associative learning, combined with manipulation of specific neurons in freely behaving animals, can help advance this field. The Drosophila melanogaster larva is a tractable model system for studying the circuit basis of behaviour, but many forms of associative learning have not yet been demonstrated in this animal. Here, we developed a high-throughput (i.e. multi-larva) training system that combines real-time behaviour detection of freely moving larvae with targeted opto- and thermogenetic stimulation of tracked animals. Both stimuli are controlled in either open- or closed-loop, and delivered with high temporal and spatial precision. Using this tracker, we show for the first time that Drosophila larvae can perform classical conditioning with no overlap between sensory stimuli (i.e. trace conditioning). We also demonstrate that larvae are capable of operant conditioning by inducing a bend direction preference through optogenetic activation of reward-encoding serotonergic neurons. Our results extend the known associative learning capacities of Drosophila larvae. Our automated training rig will facilitate the study of many different forms of associative learning and the identification of the neural circuits that underpin them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise C Croteau-Chonka
- Department of Zoology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom,Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
| | | | | | | | | | - Lakshmi Narayan
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
| | - Michael Winding
- Department of Zoology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom,Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
| | - Jean-Baptiste Masson
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States,Decision and Bayesian Computation, Neuroscience Department & Computational Biology Department, Institut PasteurParisFrance
| | - Marta Zlatic
- Department of Zoology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom,Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States,MRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Kristina T Klein
- Department of Zoology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom,Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
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16
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Patel AA, Sakurai A, Himmel NJ, Cox DN. Modality specific roles for metabotropic GABAergic signaling and calcium induced calcium release mechanisms in regulating cold nociception. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:942548. [PMID: 36157080 PMCID: PMC9502035 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.942548] [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: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcium (Ca2+) plays a pivotal role in modulating neuronal-mediated responses to modality-specific sensory stimuli. Recent studies in Drosophila reveal class III (CIII) multidendritic (md) sensory neurons function as multimodal sensors regulating distinct behavioral responses to innocuous mechanical and nociceptive thermal stimuli. Functional analyses revealed CIII-mediated multimodal behavioral output is dependent upon activation levels with stimulus-evoked Ca2+ displaying relatively low vs. high intracellular levels in response to gentle touch vs. noxious cold, respectively. However, the mechanistic bases underlying modality-specific differential Ca2+ responses in CIII neurons remain incompletely understood. We hypothesized that noxious cold-evoked high intracellular Ca2+ responses in CIII neurons may rely upon Ca2+ induced Ca2+ release (CICR) mechanisms involving transient receptor potential (TRP) channels and/or metabotropic G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) activation to promote cold nociceptive behaviors. Mutant and/or CIII-specific knockdown of GPCR and CICR signaling molecules [GABA B -R2, Gαq, phospholipase C, ryanodine receptor (RyR) and Inositol trisphosphate receptor (IP3R)] led to impaired cold-evoked nociceptive behavior. GPCR mediated signaling, through GABA B -R2 and IP3R, is not required in CIII neurons for innocuous touch evoked behaviors. However, CICR via RyR is required for innocuous touch-evoked behaviors. Disruptions in GABA B -R2, IP3R, and RyR in CIII neurons leads to significantly lower levels of cold-evoked Ca2+ responses indicating GPCR and CICR signaling mechanisms function in regulating Ca2+ release. CIII neurons exhibit bipartite cold-evoked firing patterns, where CIII neurons burst during rapid temperature change and tonically fire during steady state cold temperatures. GABA B -R2 knockdown in CIII neurons resulted in disorganized firing patterns during cold exposure. We further demonstrate that application of GABA or the GABA B specific agonist baclofen potentiates cold-evoked CIII neuron activity. Upon ryanodine application, CIII neurons exhibit increased bursting activity and with CIII-specific RyR knockdown, there is an increase in cold-evoked tonic firing and decrease in bursting. Lastly, our previous studies implicated the TRPP channel Pkd2 in cold nociception, and here, we show that Pkd2 and IP3R genetically interact to specifically regulate cold-evoked behavior, but not innocuous mechanosensation. Collectively, these analyses support novel, modality-specific roles for metabotropic GABAergic signaling and CICR mechanisms in regulating intracellular Ca2+ levels and cold-evoked behavioral output from multimodal CIII neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atit A Patel
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Akira Sakurai
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Nathaniel J Himmel
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Daniel N Cox
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
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17
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Eschbach C, Fushiki A, Winding M, Afonso B, Andrade IV, Cocanougher BT, Eichler K, Gepner R, Si G, Valdes-Aleman J, Fetter RD, Gershow M, Jefferis GS, Samuel AD, Truman JW, Cardona A, Zlatic M. Circuits for integrating learned and innate valences in the insect brain. eLife 2021; 10:62567. [PMID: 34755599 PMCID: PMC8616581 DOI: 10.7554/elife.62567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal behavior is shaped both by evolution and by individual experience. Parallel brain pathways encode innate and learned valences of cues, but the way in which they are integrated during action-selection is not well understood. We used electron microscopy to comprehensively map with synaptic resolution all neurons downstream of all mushroom body (MB) output neurons (encoding learned valences) and characterized their patterns of interaction with lateral horn (LH) neurons (encoding innate valences) in Drosophila larva. The connectome revealed multiple convergence neuron types that receive convergent MB and LH inputs. A subset of these receives excitatory input from positive-valence MB and LH pathways and inhibitory input from negative-valence MB pathways. We confirmed functional connectivity from LH and MB pathways and behavioral roles of two of these neurons. These neurons encode integrated odor value and bidirectionally regulate turning. Based on this, we speculate that learning could potentially skew the balance of excitation and inhibition onto these neurons and thereby modulate turning. Together, our study provides insights into the circuits that integrate learned and innate valences to modify behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Eschbach
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Richmond, United Kingdom.,Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Akira Fushiki
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Richmond, United Kingdom.,Department of Neuroscience & Neurology, & Zuckerman Mind Brain Institute, Columbia University, New York, United States
| | - Michael Winding
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Richmond, United Kingdom.,Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Bruno Afonso
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Richmond, United Kingdom
| | - Ingrid V Andrade
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Richmond, United Kingdom.,Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Benjamin T Cocanougher
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Richmond, United Kingdom.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Katharina Eichler
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Richmond, United Kingdom.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ruben Gepner
- Department of Physics, New York University, New York, United States
| | - Guangwei Si
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Javier Valdes-Aleman
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Richmond, United Kingdom.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | | | - Marc Gershow
- Department of Physics, New York University, New York, United States.,Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, United States.,Neuroscience Institute, New York University, New York, United States
| | - Gregory Sxe Jefferis
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Aravinthan Dt Samuel
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - James W Truman
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Richmond, United Kingdom.,Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Albert Cardona
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Richmond, United Kingdom.,Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Physiology, Development & Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Marta Zlatic
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Richmond, United Kingdom.,Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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18
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Matsuo Y, Nose A, Kohsaka H. Interspecies variation of larval locomotion kinematics in the genus Drosophila and its relation to habitat temperature. BMC Biol 2021; 19:176. [PMID: 34470643 PMCID: PMC8411537 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01110-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Speed and trajectory of locomotion are the characteristic traits of individual species. Locomotion kinematics may have been shaped during evolution towards increased survival in the habitats of each species. Although kinematics of locomotion is thought to be influenced by habitats, the quantitative relation between the kinematics and environmental factors has not been fully revealed. Here, we performed comparative analyses of larval locomotion in 11 Drosophila species. RESULTS We found that larval locomotion kinematics are divergent among the species. The diversity is not correlated to the body length but is correlated instead to the habitat temperature of the species. Phylogenetic analyses using Bayesian inference suggest that the evolutionary rate of the kinematics is diverse among phylogenetic tree branches. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study imply that the kinematics of larval locomotion has diverged in the evolutionary history of the genus Drosophila and evolved under the effects of the ambient temperature of habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuji Matsuo
- Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Frontier Science, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8561, Japan
| | - Akinao Nose
- Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Frontier Science, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8561, Japan
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 133-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kohsaka
- Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Frontier Science, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8561, Japan.
- School of Informatics and Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, 1-5-1, Chofugaoka, Chofu-shi, Tokyo, 182-8585, Japan.
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19
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Van Timmeren S, Davis AR, Isaacs R. Optimization of a Larval Sampling Method for Monitoring Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in Blueberries. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 114:1690-1700. [PMID: 34077529 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toab096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Managing spotted-wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), in fruit crops is complicated by the unreliability of currently available traps for monitoring adult flies, combined with the difficulty of detecting larval infestation before fruit damage is apparent. A simple method to extract larvae from fruit in liquid, strain the solution, then count them in a coffee filter was developed recently for use in integrated pest management programs. Here, we present a series of experiments conducted to improve fruit sampling by making it faster, less expensive, and more accurate. The volume of blueberries sampled (59-473 ml) did not significantly affect the detection of second and third instars, but we found that 118-ml samples were best for detecting the smallest larvae. These small instars were more detectable when berries were lightly squeezed before immersion, whereas larger instars were similarly detectable without using this step. We also found that immersing fruit for 30 min was sufficient before counting larvae, and similar numbers of larvae were found in the filter using room temperature water rather than a salt solution. The process of filtering, detection, and counting larvae took only 2-4 min per sample to process, depending on larval density. Using a microscope to count the larvae was consistently the best approach for detecting D. suzukii larvae. Based on these results, we discuss how fruit sampling can be streamlined within IPM programs, so growers and their advisors can improve control and reduce the cost of monitoring this invasive pest.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amelia R Davis
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Rufus Isaacs
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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20
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Galbraith A, Leone S, Stuart K, Emery J, Renkemeyer MK, Pritchett N, Galbraith L, Stuckmeyer H, Berke B. Reducing the expression of the Numb adaptor protein in neurons increases the searching behavior of Drosophila larvae. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2021; 2021:10.17912/micropub.biology.000426. [PMID: 34327314 PMCID: PMC8314082 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Drosophila larval crawling is easily-observable and relatively stereotyped. Crawling consists of linear locomotion interrupted by periods when the larvae pause, swing their heads, and change direction (a 'search'). Here we identify Numb, a peripheral membrane adaptor protein, as an important regulator of searching behavior. When Numb RNAi transgenes were expressed in all neurons, searching frequency increased while linear movement appeared normal. Numb's role in suppressing searching behavior was verified by rescuing this phenotype with a Numb homologue from mice. Such behavioral specificity suggests that further analysis of searching might help identify additional, evolutionarily-conserved interactors of the Numb protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Galbraith
- Department of Biology, Truman State University, Kirksville, MO USA
| | - Samuel Leone
- Department of Biology, Truman State University, Kirksville, MO USA
| | - Katherine Stuart
- Department of Biology, Truman State University, Kirksville, MO USA
| | - Josie Emery
- Department of Biology, Truman State University, Kirksville, MO USA
| | | | | | - Lauren Galbraith
- Department of Biology, Truman State University, Kirksville, MO USA
| | - Haley Stuckmeyer
- Department of Biology, Truman State University, Kirksville, MO USA
| | - Brett Berke
- Department of Biology, Truman State University, Kirksville, MO USA,
Correspondence to: Brett Berke ()
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21
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Mongeau JM, Schweikert LE, Davis AL, Reichert MS, Kanwal JK. Multimodal integration across spatiotemporal scales to guide invertebrate locomotion. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:842-853. [PMID: 34009312 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Locomotion is a hallmark of organisms that has enabled adaptive radiation to an extraordinarily diverse class of ecological niches, and allows animals to move across vast distances. Sampling from multiple sensory modalities enables animals to acquire rich information to guide locomotion. Locomotion without sensory feedback is haphazard, therefore sensory and motor systems have evolved complex interactions to generate adaptive behavior. Notably, sensory-guided locomotion acts over broad spatial and temporal scales to permit goal-seeking behavior, whether to localize food by tracking an attractive odor plume or to search for a potential mate. How does the brain integrate multimodal stimuli over different temporal and spatial scales to effectively control behavior? In this review, we classify locomotion into three ordinally ranked hierarchical layers that act over distinct spatiotemporal scales: stabilization, motor primitives, and higher-order tasks, respectively. We discuss how these layers present unique challenges and opportunities for sensorimotor integration. We focus on recent advances in invertebrate locomotion due to their accessible neural and mechanical signals from the whole brain, limbs and sensors. Throughout, we emphasize neural-level description of computations for multimodal integration in genetic model systems, including the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, and the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. We identify that summation (e.g. gating) and weighting-which are inherent computations of spiking neurons-underlie multimodal integration across spatial and temporal scales, therefore suggesting collective strategies to guide locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Michel Mongeau
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Lorian E Schweikert
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL 33181. University of North Carolina Wilmington, Department of Biology and Marine Biology, Wilmington, NC, U.S.A
| | | | - Michael S Reichert
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA
| | - Jessleen K Kanwal
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
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22
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Integrins protect sensory neurons in models of paclitaxel-induced peripheral sensory neuropathy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2006050118. [PMID: 33876743 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2006050118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a major side effect from cancer treatment with no known method for prevention or cure in clinics. CIPN often affects unmyelinated nociceptive sensory terminals. Despite the high prevalence, molecular and cellular mechanisms that lead to CIPN are still poorly understood. Here, we used a genetically tractable Drosophila model and primary sensory neurons isolated from adult mouse to examine the mechanisms underlying CIPN and identify protective pathways. We found that chronic treatment of Drosophila larvae with paclitaxel caused degeneration and altered the branching pattern of nociceptive neurons, and reduced thermal nociceptive responses. We further found that nociceptive neuron-specific overexpression of integrins, which are known to support neuronal maintenance in several systems, conferred protection from paclitaxel-induced cellular and behavioral phenotypes. Live imaging and superresolution approaches provide evidence that paclitaxel treatment causes cellular changes that are consistent with alterations in endosome-mediated trafficking of integrins. Paclitaxel-induced changes in recycling endosomes precede morphological degeneration of nociceptive neuron arbors, which could be prevented by integrin overexpression. We used primary dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neuron cultures to test conservation of integrin-mediated protection. We show that transduction of a human integrin β-subunit 1 also prevented degeneration following paclitaxel treatment. Furthermore, endogenous levels of surface integrins were decreased in paclitaxel-treated mouse DRG neurons, suggesting that paclitaxel disrupts recycling in vertebrate sensory neurons. Altogether, our study supports conserved mechanisms of paclitaxel-induced perturbation of integrin trafficking and a therapeutic potential of restoring neuronal interactions with the extracellular environment to antagonize paclitaxel-induced toxicity in sensory neurons.
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Banerjee S, Alvey L, Brown P, Yue S, Li L, Scheirer WJ. An assistive computer vision tool to automatically detect changes in fish behavior in response to ambient odor. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1002. [PMID: 33441714 PMCID: PMC7806584 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79772-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The analysis of fish behavior in response to odor stimulation is a crucial component of the general study of cross-modal sensory integration in vertebrates. In zebrafish, the centrifugal pathway runs between the olfactory bulb and the neural retina, originating at the terminalis neuron in the olfactory bulb. Any changes in the ambient odor of a fish's environment warrant a change in visual sensitivity and can trigger mating-like behavior in males due to increased GnRH signaling in the terminalis neuron. Behavioral experiments to study this phenomenon are commonly conducted in a controlled environment where a video of the fish is recorded over time before and after the application of chemicals to the water. Given the subtleties of behavioral change, trained biologists are currently required to annotate such videos as part of a study. This process of manually analyzing the videos is time-consuming, requires multiple experts to avoid human error/bias and cannot be easily crowdsourced on the Internet. Machine learning algorithms from computer vision, on the other hand, have proven to be effective for video annotation tasks because they are fast, accurate, and, if designed properly, can be less biased than humans. In this work, we propose to automate the entire process of analyzing videos of behavior changes in zebrafish by using tools from computer vision, relying on minimal expert supervision. The overall objective of this work is to create a generalized tool to predict animal behaviors from videos using state-of-the-art deep learning models, with the dual goal of advancing understanding in biology and engineering a more robust and powerful artificial information processing system for biologists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sreya Banerjee
- grid.131063.60000 0001 2168 0066Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA
| | - Lauren Alvey
- grid.131063.60000 0001 2168 0066Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA
| | - Paula Brown
- grid.131063.60000 0001 2168 0066Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA
| | - Sophie Yue
- grid.131063.60000 0001 2168 0066Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA
| | - Lei Li
- grid.131063.60000 0001 2168 0066Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA
| | - Walter J. Scheirer
- grid.131063.60000 0001 2168 0066Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA
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24
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Loss of Pseudouridine Synthases in the RluA Family Causes Hypersensitive Nociception in Drosophila. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2020; 10:4425-4438. [PMID: 33028630 PMCID: PMC7718762 DOI: 10.1534/g3.120.401767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Nociceptive neurons of Drosophila melanogaster larvae are characterized by highly branched dendritic processes whose proper morphogenesis relies on a large number of RNA-binding proteins. Post-transcriptional regulation of RNA in these dendrites has been found to play an important role in their function. Here, we investigate the neuronal functions of two putative RNA modification genes, RluA-1 and RluA-2, which are predicted to encode pseudouridine synthases. RluA-1 is specifically expressed in larval sensory neurons while RluA-2 expression is ubiquitous. Nociceptor-specific RNAi knockdown of RluA-1 caused hypersensitive nociception phenotypes, which were recapitulated with genetic null alleles. These were rescued with genomic duplication and nociceptor-specific expression of UAS- RluA-1 -cDNA As with RluA-1, RluA-2 loss of function mutants also displayed hyperalgesia. Interestingly, nociceptor neuron dendrites showed a hyperbranched morphology in the RluA-1 mutants. The latter may be a cause or a consequence of heightened sensitivity in mutant nociception behaviors.
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25
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Eschbach C, Zlatic M. Useful road maps: studying Drosophila larva's central nervous system with the help of connectomics. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2020; 65:129-137. [PMID: 33242722 PMCID: PMC7773133 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2020.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The larva of Drosophila melanogaster is emerging as a powerful model system for comprehensive brain-wide understanding of the circuit implementation of neural computations. With an unprecedented amount of tools in hand, including synaptic-resolution connectomics, whole-brain imaging, and genetic tools for selective targeting of single neuron types, it is possible to dissect which circuits and computations are at work behind behaviors that have an interesting level of complexity. Here we present some of the recent advances regarding multisensory integration, learning, and action selection in Drosophila larva.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Eschbach
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| | - Marta Zlatic
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom; MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, United Kingdom.
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26
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Valdes-Aleman J, Fetter RD, Sales EC, Heckman EL, Venkatasubramanian L, Doe CQ, Landgraf M, Cardona A, Zlatic M. Comparative Connectomics Reveals How Partner Identity, Location, and Activity Specify Synaptic Connectivity in Drosophila. Neuron 2020; 109:105-122.e7. [PMID: 33120017 PMCID: PMC7837116 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The mechanisms by which synaptic partners recognize each other and establish appropriate numbers of connections during embryonic development to form functional neural circuits are poorly understood. We combined electron microscopy reconstruction, functional imaging of neural activity, and behavioral experiments to elucidate the roles of (1) partner identity, (2) location, and (3) activity in circuit assembly in the embryonic nerve cord of Drosophila. We found that postsynaptic partners are able to find and connect to their presynaptic partners even when these have been shifted to ectopic locations or silenced. However, orderly positioning of axon terminals by positional cues and synaptic activity is required for appropriate numbers of connections between specific partners, for appropriate balance between excitatory and inhibitory connections, and for appropriate functional connectivity and behavior. Our study reveals with unprecedented resolution the fine connectivity effects of multiple factors that work together to control the assembly of neural circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Valdes-Aleman
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Richard D Fetter
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Emily C Sales
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Emily L Heckman
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | | | - Chris Q Doe
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Matthias Landgraf
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Albert Cardona
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Marta Zlatic
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK; MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK.
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27
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Eschbach C, Fushiki A, Winding M, Schneider-Mizell CM, Shao M, Arruda R, Eichler K, Valdes-Aleman J, Ohyama T, Thum AS, Gerber B, Fetter RD, Truman JW, Litwin-Kumar A, Cardona A, Zlatic M. Recurrent architecture for adaptive regulation of learning in the insect brain. Nat Neurosci 2020; 23:544-555. [PMID: 32203499 PMCID: PMC7145459 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-020-0607-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Dopaminergic neurons (DANs) drive learning across the animal kingdom, but the upstream circuits that regulate their activity and thereby learning remain poorly understood. We provide a synaptic-resolution connectome of the circuitry upstream of all DANs in a learning center, the mushroom body of Drosophila larva. We discover afferent sensory pathways and a large population of neurons that provide feedback from mushroom body output neurons and link distinct memory systems (aversive and appetitive). We combine this with functional studies of DANs and their presynaptic partners and with comprehensive circuit modeling. We find that DANs compare convergent feedback from aversive and appetitive systems, which enables the computation of integrated predictions that may improve future learning. Computational modeling reveals that the discovered feedback motifs increase model flexibility and performance on learning tasks. Our study provides the most detailed view to date of biological circuit motifs that support associative learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Eschbach
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Akira Fushiki
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Departments of Neuroscience and Neurology, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael Winding
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Casey M Schneider-Mizell
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mei Shao
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | | | - Katharina Eichler
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico Medical Science Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
| | | | - Tomoko Ohyama
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Andreas S Thum
- Department of Genetics, Institute for Biology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Bertram Gerber
- Abteilung Genetik von Lernen & Gedächtnis, Leibniz Institut für Neurobiologie, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Institut für Biologie, Verhaltensgenetik, & Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| | | | - James W Truman
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ashok Litwin-Kumar
- Department of Neuroscience, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Albert Cardona
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA.
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
- Department of Physiology, Development & Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Marta Zlatic
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA.
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
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28
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Jovanic T. Studying neural circuits of decision-making in Drosophila larva. J Neurogenet 2020; 34:162-170. [PMID: 32054384 DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2020.1719407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
To study neural circuits underlying decisions, the model organism used for that purpose has to be simple enough to be able to dissect the circuitry neuron by neuron across the nervous system and in the same time complex enough to be able to perform different types of decisions. Here, I lay out the case: (1) that Drosophila larva is an advantageous model system that balances well these two requirements and (2) the insights gained from this model, assuming that circuit principles may be shared across species, can be used to advance our knowledge of neural circuit implementation of decision-making in general, including in more complex brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tihana Jovanic
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.,Decision and Bayesian Computation, UMR 3571 Neuroscience Department & USR 3756 (C3BI/DBC), Institut Pasteur & CNRS, Paris, France
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29
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Masson JB, Laurent F, Cardona A, Barré C, Skatchkovsky N, Zlatic M, Jovanic T. Identifying neural substrates of competitive interactions and sequence transitions during mechanosensory responses in Drosophila. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008589. [PMID: 32059010 PMCID: PMC7173939 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Nervous systems have the ability to select appropriate actions and action sequences in response to sensory cues. The circuit mechanisms by which nervous systems achieve choice, stability and transitions between behaviors are still incompletely understood. To identify neurons and brain areas involved in controlling these processes, we combined a large-scale neuronal inactivation screen with automated action detection in response to a mechanosensory cue in Drosophila larva. We analyzed behaviors from 2.9x105 larvae and identified 66 candidate lines for mechanosensory responses out of which 25 for competitive interactions between actions. We further characterize in detail the neurons in these lines and analyzed their connectivity using electron microscopy. We found the neurons in the mechanosensory network are located in different regions of the nervous system consistent with a distributed model of sensorimotor decision-making. These findings provide the basis for understanding how selection and transition between behaviors are controlled by the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Baptiste Masson
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, Virginia, United States of America
- Decision and Bayesian Computation, USR 3756 (C3BI/DBC) & Neuroscience Department, Institut Pasteur & CNRS, Paris, France
| | - François Laurent
- Decision and Bayesian Computation, USR 3756 (C3BI/DBC) & Neuroscience Department, Institut Pasteur & CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Albert Cardona
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, Virginia, United States of America
- Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, Cambridge University, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Trumpington, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Chloé Barré
- Decision and Bayesian Computation, USR 3756 (C3BI/DBC) & Neuroscience Department, Institut Pasteur & CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Skatchkovsky
- Decision and Bayesian Computation, USR 3756 (C3BI/DBC) & Neuroscience Department, Institut Pasteur & CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Marta Zlatic
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, Virginia, United States of America
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Trumpington, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Tihana Jovanic
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, Virginia, United States of America
- Decision and Bayesian Computation, USR 3756 (C3BI/DBC) & Neuroscience Department, Institut Pasteur & CNRS, Paris, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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30
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Sims DW, Humphries NE, Hu N, Medan V, Berni J. Optimal searching behaviour generated intrinsically by the central pattern generator for locomotion. eLife 2019; 8:e50316. [PMID: 31674911 PMCID: PMC6879304 DOI: 10.7554/elife.50316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Efficient searching for resources such as food by animals is key to their survival. It has been proposed that diverse animals from insects to sharks and humans adopt searching patterns that resemble a simple Lévy random walk, which is theoretically optimal for 'blind foragers' to locate sparse, patchy resources. To test if such patterns are generated intrinsically, or arise via environmental interactions, we tracked free-moving Drosophila larvae with (and without) blocked synaptic activity in the brain, suboesophageal ganglion (SOG) and sensory neurons. In brain-blocked larvae, we found that extended substrate exploration emerges as multi-scale movement paths similar to truncated Lévy walks. Strikingly, power-law exponents of brain/SOG/sensory-blocked larvae averaged 1.96, close to a theoretical optimum (µ ≅ 2.0) for locating sparse resources. Thus, efficient spatial exploration can emerge from autonomous patterns in neural activity. Our results provide the strongest evidence so far for the intrinsic generation of Lévy-like movement patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Sims
- The Marine Biological Association of the United KingdomPlymouthUnited Kingdom
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre SouthamptonUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonUnited Kingdom
- Centre for Biological SciencesUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonUnited Kingdom
| | - Nicolas E Humphries
- The Marine Biological Association of the United KingdomPlymouthUnited Kingdom
| | - Nan Hu
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Violeta Medan
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y CelularFacultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad UniversitariaBuenos AiresArgentina
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-UBA-CONICET)Buenos AiresArgentina
| | - Jimena Berni
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
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31
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A GABAergic Maf-expressing interneuron subset regulates the speed of locomotion in Drosophila. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4796. [PMID: 31641138 PMCID: PMC6805931 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12693-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Interneurons (INs) coordinate motoneuron activity to generate appropriate patterns of muscle contractions, providing animals with the ability to adjust their body posture and to move over a range of speeds. In Drosophila larvae several IN subtypes have been morphologically described and their function well documented. However, the general lack of molecular characterization of those INs prevents the identification of evolutionary counterparts in other animals, limiting our understanding of the principles underlying neuronal circuit organization and function. Here we characterize a restricted subset of neurons in the nerve cord expressing the Maf transcription factor Traffic Jam (TJ). We found that TJ+ neurons are highly diverse and selective activation of these different subtypes disrupts larval body posture and induces specific locomotor behaviors. Finally, we show that a small subset of TJ+ GABAergic INs, singled out by the expression of a unique transcription factors code, controls larval crawling speed. Spinal interneurons (IN) coordinate motoneuron activity to modulate locomotion behavior. Here, the authors characterize a subset of IN subtypes expressing the Maf transcription factor Traffic Jam (TJ) and report the distinct effects of their activation on body posture and locomotion in Drosophila larvae.
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32
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Datta SR, Anderson DJ, Branson K, Perona P, Leifer A. Computational Neuroethology: A Call to Action. Neuron 2019; 104:11-24. [PMID: 31600508 PMCID: PMC6981239 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.09.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 191] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2019] [Revised: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The brain is worthy of study because it is in charge of behavior. A flurry of recent technical advances in measuring and quantifying naturalistic behaviors provide an important opportunity for advancing brain science. However, the problem of understanding unrestrained behavior in the context of neural recordings and manipulations remains unsolved, and developing approaches to addressing this challenge is critical. Here we discuss considerations in computational neuroethology-the science of quantifying naturalistic behaviors for understanding the brain-and propose strategies to evaluate progress. We point to open questions that require resolution and call upon the broader systems neuroscience community to further develop and leverage measures of naturalistic, unrestrained behavior, which will enable us to more effectively probe the richness and complexity of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David J Anderson
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA; Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Kristin Branson
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Pietro Perona
- Division of Engineering & Applied Sciences 136-93, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Andrew Leifer
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
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33
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Tenedini FM, Sáez González M, Hu C, Pedersen LH, Petruzzi MM, Spitzweck B, Wang D, Richter M, Petersen M, Szpotowicz E, Schweizer M, Sigrist SJ, Calderon de Anda F, Soba P. Maintenance of cell type-specific connectivity and circuit function requires Tao kinase. Nat Commun 2019; 10:3506. [PMID: 31383864 PMCID: PMC6683158 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11408-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory circuits are typically established during early development, yet how circuit specificity and function are maintained during organismal growth has not been elucidated. To gain insight we quantitatively investigated synaptic growth and connectivity in the Drosophila nociceptive network during larval development. We show that connectivity between primary nociceptors and their downstream neurons scales with animal size. We further identified the conserved Ste20-like kinase Tao as a negative regulator of synaptic growth required for maintenance of circuit specificity and connectivity. Loss of Tao kinase resulted in exuberant postsynaptic specializations and aberrant connectivity during larval growth. Using functional imaging and behavioral analysis we show that loss of Tao-induced ectopic synapses with inappropriate partner neurons are functional and alter behavioral responses in a connection-specific manner. Our data show that fine-tuning of synaptic growth by Tao kinase is required for maintaining specificity and behavioral output of the neuronal network during animal growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Marcello Tenedini
- Neuronal Patterning and Connectivity laboratory, Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Falkenried 94, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maria Sáez González
- Neuronal Patterning and Connectivity laboratory, Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Falkenried 94, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Chun Hu
- Neuronal Patterning and Connectivity laboratory, Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Falkenried 94, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lisa Hedegaard Pedersen
- Neuronal Patterning and Connectivity laboratory, Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Falkenried 94, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mabel Matamala Petruzzi
- Neuronal Patterning and Connectivity laboratory, Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Falkenried 94, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bettina Spitzweck
- Neuronal Patterning and Connectivity laboratory, Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Falkenried 94, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Denan Wang
- Neuronal Patterning and Connectivity laboratory, Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Falkenried 94, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Melanie Richter
- Neuronal Development laboratory, Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Falkenried 94, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Meike Petersen
- Neuronal Patterning and Connectivity laboratory, Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Falkenried 94, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Emanuela Szpotowicz
- Electron microscopy unit, Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Falkenried 94, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Michaela Schweizer
- Electron microscopy unit, Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Falkenried 94, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stephan J Sigrist
- Institute of Biology, Free University Berlin, Takustr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Froylan Calderon de Anda
- Neuronal Development laboratory, Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Falkenried 94, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Peter Soba
- Neuronal Patterning and Connectivity laboratory, Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Falkenried 94, 20251, Hamburg, Germany.
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34
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Loveless J, Lagogiannis K, Webb B. Modelling the mechanics of exploration in larval Drosophila. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1006635. [PMID: 31276489 PMCID: PMC6636753 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Revised: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The Drosophila larva executes a stereotypical exploratory routine that appears to consist of stochastic alternation between straight peristaltic crawling and reorientation events through lateral bending. We present a model of larval mechanics for axial and transverse motion over a planar substrate, and use it to develop a simple, reflexive neuromuscular model from physical principles. The mechanical model represents the midline of the larva as a set of point masses which interact with each other via damped translational and torsional springs, and with the environment via sliding friction forces. The neuromuscular model consists of: 1. segmentally localised reflexes that amplify axial compression in order to counteract frictive energy losses, and 2. long-range mutual inhibition between reflexes in distant segments, enabling overall motion of the model larva relative to its substrate. In the absence of damping and driving, the mechanical model produces axial travelling waves, lateral oscillations, and unpredictable, chaotic deformations. The neuromuscular model counteracts friction to recover these motion patterns, giving rise to forward and backward peristalsis in addition to turning. Our model produces spontaneous exploration, even though the nervous system has no intrinsic pattern generating or decision making ability, and neither senses nor drives bending motions. Ultimately, our model suggests a novel view of larval exploration as a deterministic superdiffusion process which is mechanistically grounded in the chaotic mechanics of the body. We discuss how this may provide new interpretations for existing observations at the level of tissue-scale activity patterns and neural circuitry, and provide some experimental predictions that would test the extent to which the mechanisms we present translate to the real larva. We investigate the relationship between brain, body and environment in the exploratory behaviour of fruitfly larva. A larva crawls forward by propagating a wave of compression through its segmented body, and changes its crawling direction by bending to one side or the other. We show first that a purely mechanical model of the larva’s body can produce travelling compression waves, sideways bending, and unpredictable, chaotic motions. For this body to locomote through its environment, it is necessary to add a neuromuscular system to counteract the loss of energy due to friction, and to limit the simultaneous compression of segments. These simple additions allow our model larva to generate life-like forward and backward crawling as well as spontaneous turns, which occur without any direct sensing or control of reorientation. The unpredictability inherent in the larva’s physics causes the model to explore its environment, despite the lack of any neural mechanism for rhythm generation or for deciding when to switch from crawling to turning. Our model thus demonstrates how understanding body mechanics can generate and simplify neurobiological hypotheses as to how behaviour arises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Loveless
- Institute for Perception, Action, and Behaviour, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Konstantinos Lagogiannis
- Institute for Perception, Action, and Behaviour, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, New Hunt’s House, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Barbara Webb
- Institute for Perception, Action, and Behaviour, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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35
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Shorr AZ, Sönmez UM, Minden JS, LeDuc PR. High-throughput mechanotransduction in Drosophila embryos with mesofluidics. LAB ON A CHIP 2019; 19:1141-1152. [PMID: 30778467 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc01055b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Developing embryos create complexity by expressing genes to coordinate movement which generates mechanical force. An emerging theory is that mechanical force can also serve as an input signal to regulate developmental gene expression. Experimental methods to apply mechanical stimulation to whole embryos have been limited, mainly to aspiration, indentation, or moving a coverslip; these approaches stimulate only a few embryos at a time and require manual alignment. A powerful approach for automation is microfluidic devices, which can precisely manipulate hundreds of samples. However, using microfluidics to apply mechanical stimulation has been limited to small cellular systems, with fewer applications for larger scale whole embryos. We developed a mesofluidic device that applies the precision and automation of microfluidics to the Drosophila embryo: high-throughput automatic alignment, immobilization, compression, real-time imaging, and recovery of hundreds of live embryos. We then use twist:eGFP embryos to show that the mechanical induction of twist depends on the dose and duration of compression. This device allows us to quantify responses to compression, map the distribution of ectopic twist, and measure embryo stiffness. For building mesofluidic devices, we describe modifications on ultra-thick photolithography, derive an analytical model that predicts the deflection of sidewalls, and discuss parametric calibration. This "mesomechanics" approach combines the high-throughput automation and precision of microfluidics with the biological relevance of live embryos to examine mechanotransduction. These analytical models facilitate the design of future devices to process multicellular organisms such as larvae, organoids, and mesoscale tissue samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ardon Z Shorr
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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36
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Jovanic T, Winding M, Cardona A, Truman JW, Gershow M, Zlatic M. Neural Substrates of Drosophila Larval Anemotaxis. Curr Biol 2019; 29:554-566.e4. [PMID: 30744969 PMCID: PMC6380933 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Revised: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Animals use sensory information to move toward more favorable conditions. Drosophila larvae can move up or down gradients of odors (chemotax), light (phototax), and temperature (thermotax) by modulating the probability, direction, and size of turns based on sensory input. Whether larvae can anemotax in gradients of mechanosensory cues is unknown. Further, although many of the sensory neurons that mediate taxis have been described, the central circuits are not well understood. Here, we used high-throughput, quantitative behavioral assays to demonstrate Drosophila larvae anemotax in gradients of wind speeds and to characterize the behavioral strategies involved. We found that larvae modulate the probability, direction, and size of turns to move away from higher wind speeds. This suggests that similar central decision-making mechanisms underlie taxis in somatosensory and other sensory modalities. By silencing the activity of single or very few neuron types in a behavioral screen, we found two sensory (chordotonal and multidendritic class III) and six nerve cord neuron types involved in anemotaxis. We reconstructed the identified neurons in an electron microscopy volume that spans the entire larval nervous system and found they received direct input from the mechanosensory neurons or from each other. In this way, we identified local interneurons and first- and second-order subesophageal zone (SEZ) and brain projection neurons. Finally, silencing a dopaminergic brain neuron type impairs anemotaxis. These findings suggest that anemotaxis involves both nerve cord and brain circuits. The candidate neurons and circuitry identified in our study provide a basis for future detailed mechanistic understanding of the circuit principles of anemotaxis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tihana Jovanic
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA.
| | - Michael Winding
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Albert Cardona
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
| | - James W Truman
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA
| | - Marc Gershow
- Department of Physics, New York University, New York, NY, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA; Neuroscience Institute, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Marta Zlatic
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK.
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37
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Wolfstetter G, Dahlitz I, Pfeifer K, Töpfer U, Alt JA, Pfeifer DC, Lakes-Harlan R, Baumgartner S, Palmer RH, Holz A. Characterization of Drosophila Nidogen/ entactin reveals roles in basement membrane stability, barrier function and nervous system patterning. Development 2019; 146:dev.168948. [PMID: 30567930 DOI: 10.1242/dev.168948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Basement membranes (BMs) are specialized layers of extracellular matrix (ECM) mainly composed of Laminin, type IV Collagen, Perlecan and Nidogen/entactin (NDG). Recent in vivo studies challenged the initially proposed role of NDG as a major ECM linker molecule by revealing dispensability for viability and BM formation. Here, we report the characterization of the single Ndg gene in Drosophila. Embryonic Ndg expression was primarily observed in mesodermal tissues and the chordotonal organs, whereas NDG protein localized to all BMs. Although loss of Laminin strongly affected BM localization of NDG, Ndg-null mutants exhibited no overt changes in the distribution of BM components. Although Drosophila Ndg mutants were viable, loss of NDG led to ultrastructural BM defects that compromised barrier function and stability in vivo Moreover, loss of NDG impaired larval crawling behavior and reduced responses to vibrational stimuli. Further morphological analysis revealed accompanying defects in the larval peripheral nervous system, especially in the chordotonal organs and the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Taken together, our analysis suggests that NDG is not essential for BM assembly but mediates BM stability and ECM-dependent neural plasticity during Drosophila development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg Wolfstetter
- Justus-Liebig-Universitaet Giessen, Institut für Allgemeine und Spezielle Zoologie, Allgemeine Zoologie und Entwicklungsbiologie, Stephanstraße 24, 35390 Gießen, Germany.,The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Medicinaregatan 9A, 41390 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ina Dahlitz
- Justus-Liebig-Universitaet Giessen, Institut für Allgemeine und Spezielle Zoologie, Allgemeine Zoologie und Entwicklungsbiologie, Stephanstraße 24, 35390 Gießen, Germany
| | - Kathrin Pfeifer
- The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Medicinaregatan 9A, 41390 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Uwe Töpfer
- Justus-Liebig-Universitaet Giessen, Institut für Allgemeine und Spezielle Zoologie, Allgemeine Zoologie und Entwicklungsbiologie, Stephanstraße 24, 35390 Gießen, Germany
| | - Joscha Arne Alt
- Justus-Liebig-Universitaet Giessen, Institut für Tierphysiologie, Integrative Sinnesphysiologie, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, 35392 Gießen, Germany
| | - Daniel Christoph Pfeifer
- Justus-Liebig-Universitaet Giessen, Institut für Allgemeine und Spezielle Zoologie, Allgemeine Zoologie und Entwicklungsbiologie, Stephanstraße 24, 35390 Gießen, Germany
| | - Reinhard Lakes-Harlan
- Justus-Liebig-Universitaet Giessen, Institut für Tierphysiologie, Integrative Sinnesphysiologie, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, 35392 Gießen, Germany
| | - Stefan Baumgartner
- Lund University, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, BMC D10, 22184 Lund, Sweden
| | - Ruth H Palmer
- The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Medicinaregatan 9A, 41390 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anne Holz
- Justus-Liebig-Universitaet Giessen, Institut für Allgemeine und Spezielle Zoologie, Allgemeine Zoologie und Entwicklungsbiologie, Stephanstraße 24, 35390 Gießen, Germany
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38
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Widmann A, Eichler K, Selcho M, Thum AS, Pauls D. Odor-taste learning in Drosophila larvae. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 106:47-54. [PMID: 28823531 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2017.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Revised: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The Drosophila larva is an attractive model system to study fundamental questions in the field of neuroscience. Like the adult fly, the larva offers a seemingly unlimited genetic toolbox, which allows one to visualize, silence or activate neurons down to the single cell level. This, combined with its simplicity in terms of cell numbers, offers a useful system to study the neuronal correlates of complex processes including associative odor-taste learning and memory formation. Here, we summarize the current knowledge about odor-taste learning and memory at the behavioral level and integrate the recent progress on the larval connectome to shed light on the sub-circuits that allow Drosophila larvae to integrate present sensory input in the context of past experience and to elicit an appropriate behavioral response.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Katharina Eichler
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, D-78464 Konstanz, Germany; HHMI Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Mareike Selcho
- Department of Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri-Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Andreas S Thum
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, D-78464 Konstanz, Germany; Department of Genetics, University of Leipzig, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Dennis Pauls
- Department of Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri-Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany.
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39
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Humberg TH, Bruegger P, Afonso B, Zlatic M, Truman JW, Gershow M, Samuel A, Sprecher SG. Dedicated photoreceptor pathways in Drosophila larvae mediate navigation by processing either spatial or temporal cues. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1260. [PMID: 29593252 PMCID: PMC5871836 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03520-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
To integrate changing environmental cues with high spatial and temporal resolution is critical for animals to orient themselves. Drosophila larvae show an effective motor program to navigate away from light sources. How the larval visual circuit processes light stimuli to control navigational decision remains unknown. The larval visual system is composed of two sensory input channels, Rhodopsin5 (Rh5) and Rhodopsin6 (Rh6) expressing photoreceptors (PRs). We here characterize how spatial and temporal information are used to control navigation. Rh6-PRs are required to perceive temporal changes of light intensity during head casts, while Rh5-PRs are required to control behaviors that allow navigation in response to spatial cues. We characterize how distinct behaviors are modulated and identify parallel acting and converging features of the visual circuit. Functional features of the larval visual circuit highlight the principle of how early in a sensory circuit distinct behaviors may be computed by partly overlapping sensory pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pascal Bruegger
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Bruno Afonso
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, 20147, VA, USA
| | - Marta Zlatic
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, 20147, VA, USA.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, Cambridge, UK
| | - James W Truman
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, 20147, VA, USA
| | - Marc Gershow
- Department of Physics and Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, 10003, NY, USA
| | - Aravinthan Samuel
- Department of Physics and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, 02138, MA, USA
| | - Simon G Sprecher
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland.
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40
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Burgos A, Honjo K, Ohyama T, Qian CS, Shin GJE, Gohl DM, Silies M, Tracey WD, Zlatic M, Cardona A, Grueber WB. Nociceptive interneurons control modular motor pathways to promote escape behavior in Drosophila. eLife 2018. [PMID: 29528286 PMCID: PMC5869015 DOI: 10.7554/elife.26016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid and efficient escape behaviors in response to noxious sensory stimuli are essential for protection and survival. Yet, how noxious stimuli are transformed to coordinated escape behaviors remains poorly understood. In Drosophila larvae, noxious stimuli trigger sequential body bending and corkscrew-like rolling behavior. We identified a population of interneurons in the nerve cord of Drosophila, termed Down-and-Back (DnB) neurons, that are activated by noxious heat, promote nociceptive behavior, and are required for robust escape responses to noxious stimuli. Electron microscopic circuit reconstruction shows that DnBs are targets of nociceptive and mechanosensory neurons, are directly presynaptic to pre-motor circuits, and link indirectly to Goro rolling command-like neurons. DnB activation promotes activity in Goro neurons, and coincident inactivation of Goro neurons prevents the rolling sequence but leaves intact body bending motor responses. Thus, activity from nociceptors to DnB interneurons coordinates modular elements of nociceptive escape behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Burgos
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Ken Honjo
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Tomoko Ohyama
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Cheng Sam Qian
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Grace Ji-Eun Shin
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Daryl M Gohl
- University of Minnesota Genomics Center, Minneapolis, United States
| | - Marion Silies
- European Neuroscience Institute Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - W Daniel Tracey
- The Linda and Jack Gill Center for Biomolecular Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, United States.,Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, United States
| | - Marta Zlatic
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Albert Cardona
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Wesley B Grueber
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, United States.,Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, United States.,Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, United States
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41
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Takagi S, Cocanougher BT, Niki S, Miyamoto D, Kohsaka H, Kazama H, Fetter RD, Truman JW, Zlatic M, Cardona A, Nose A. Divergent Connectivity of Homologous Command-like Neurons Mediates Segment-Specific Touch Responses in Drosophila. Neuron 2017; 96:1373-1387.e6. [PMID: 29198754 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.10.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Revised: 09/23/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Animals adaptively respond to a tactile stimulus by choosing an ethologically relevant behavior depending on the location of the stimuli. Here, we investigate how somatosensory inputs on different body segments are linked to distinct motor outputs in Drosophila larvae. Larvae escape by backward locomotion when touched on the head, while they crawl forward when touched on the tail. We identify a class of segmentally repeated second-order somatosensory interneurons, that we named Wave, whose activation in anterior and posterior segments elicit backward and forward locomotion, respectively. Anterior and posterior Wave neurons extend their dendrites in opposite directions to receive somatosensory inputs from the head and tail, respectively. Downstream of anterior Wave neurons, we identify premotor circuits including the neuron A03a5, which together with Wave, is necessary for the backward locomotion touch response. Thus, Wave neurons match their receptive field to appropriate motor programs by participating in different circuits in different segments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suguru Takagi
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | | | - Sawako Niki
- Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8561, Japan
| | - Dohjin Miyamoto
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kohsaka
- Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8561, Japan
| | - Hokto Kazama
- RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Richard Doty Fetter
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - James William Truman
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Marta Zlatic
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Albert Cardona
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Akinao Nose
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8561, Japan.
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42
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Howard LJ, Brown HE, Wadsworth BC, Evans TA. Midline axon guidance in the Drosophila embryonic central nervous system. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2017; 85:13-25. [PMID: 29174915 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Studies in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster have provided many fundamental insights into the genetic regulation of neural development, including the identification and characterization of evolutionarily conserved axon guidance pathways and their roles in important guidance decisions. Due to its highly organized and fast-developing embryonic nervous system, relatively small number of neurons, and molecular and genetic tools for identifying, labeling, and manipulating individual neurons or small neuronal subsets, studies of axon guidance in the Drosophila embryonic CNS have allowed researchers to dissect these genetic mechanisms with a high degree of precision. In this review, we discuss the major axon guidance pathways that regulate midline crossing of axons and the formation and guidance of longitudinal axon tracts, two processes that contribute to the development of the precise three-dimensional structure of the insect nerve cord. We focus particularly on recent insights into the roles and regulation of canonical midline axon guidance pathways, and on additional factors and pathways that have recently been shown to contribute to axon guidance decisions at and near the midline.
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Affiliation(s)
- LaFreda J Howard
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville AR 72701, USA
| | - Haley E Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville AR 72701, USA
| | - Benjamin C Wadsworth
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville AR 72701, USA
| | - Timothy A Evans
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville AR 72701, USA.
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43
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Huser A, Eschment M, Güllü N, Collins KAN, Böpple K, Pankevych L, Rolsing E, Thum AS. Anatomy and behavioral function of serotonin receptors in Drosophila melanogaster larvae. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0181865. [PMID: 28777821 PMCID: PMC5544185 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The biogenic amine serotonin (5-HT) is an important neuroactive molecule in the central nervous system of the majority of animal phyla. 5-HT binds to specific G protein-coupled and ligand-gated ion receptors to regulate particular aspects of animal behavior. In Drosophila, as in many other insects this includes the regulation of locomotion and feeding. Due to its genetic amenability and neuronal simplicity the Drosophila larva has turned into a useful model for studying the anatomical and molecular basis of chemosensory behaviors. This is particularly true for the olfactory system, which is mostly described down to the synaptic level over the first three orders of neuronal information processing. Here we focus on the 5-HT receptor system of the Drosophila larva. In a bipartite approach consisting of anatomical and behavioral experiments we describe the distribution and the implications of individual 5-HT receptors on naïve and acquired chemosensory behaviors. Our data suggest that 5-HT1A, 5-HT1B, and 5-HT7 are dispensable for larval naïve olfactory and gustatory choice behaviors as well as for appetitive and aversive associative olfactory learning and memory. In contrast, we show that 5-HT/5-HT2A signaling throughout development, but not as an acute neuronal function, affects associative olfactory learning and memory using high salt concentration as a negative unconditioned stimulus. These findings describe for the first time an involvement of 5-HT signaling in learning and memory in Drosophila larvae. In the longer run these results may uncover developmental, 5-HT dependent principles related to reinforcement processing possibly shared with adult Drosophila and other insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annina Huser
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Melanie Eschment
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Nazli Güllü
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | | | - Kathrin Böpple
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Lyubov Pankevych
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Emilia Rolsing
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Andreas S. Thum
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Zukunftskolleg, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Genetics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- * E-mail:
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44
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Almeida-Carvalho MJ, Berh D, Braun A, Chen YC, Eichler K, Eschbach C, Fritsch PMJ, Gerber B, Hoyer N, Jiang X, Kleber J, Klämbt C, König C, Louis M, Michels B, Miroschnikow A, Mirth C, Miura D, Niewalda T, Otto N, Paisios E, Pankratz MJ, Petersen M, Ramsperger N, Randel N, Risse B, Saumweber T, Schlegel P, Schleyer M, Soba P, Sprecher SG, Tanimura T, Thum AS, Toshima N, Truman JW, Yarali A, Zlatic M. The Ol1mpiad: concordance of behavioural faculties of stage 1 and stage 3 Drosophila larvae. J Exp Biol 2017; 220:2452-2475. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.156646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Mapping brain function to brain structure is a fundamental task for neuroscience. For such an endeavour, the Drosophila larva is simple enough to be tractable, yet complex enough to be interesting. It features about 10,000 neurons and is capable of various taxes, kineses and Pavlovian conditioning. All its neurons are currently being mapped into a light-microscopical atlas, and Gal4 strains are being generated to experimentally access neurons one at a time. In addition, an electron microscopic reconstruction of its nervous system seems within reach. Notably, this electron microscope-based connectome is being drafted for a stage 1 larva – because stage 1 larvae are much smaller than stage 3 larvae. However, most behaviour analyses have been performed for stage 3 larvae because their larger size makes them easier to handle and observe. It is therefore warranted to either redo the electron microscopic reconstruction for a stage 3 larva or to survey the behavioural faculties of stage 1 larvae. We provide the latter. In a community-based approach we called the Ol1mpiad, we probed stage 1 Drosophila larvae for free locomotion, feeding, responsiveness to substrate vibration, gentle and nociceptive touch, burrowing, olfactory preference and thermotaxis, light avoidance, gustatory choice of various tastants plus odour–taste associative learning, as well as light/dark–electric shock associative learning. Quantitatively, stage 1 larvae show lower scores in most tasks, arguably because of their smaller size and lower speed. Qualitatively, however, stage 1 larvae perform strikingly similar to stage 3 larvae in almost all cases. These results bolster confidence in mapping brain structure and behaviour across developmental stages.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dimitri Berh
- Institute of Neurobiology and Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Andreas Braun
- EMBL/CRG Systems Biology Unit, Centre for Genomic Regulation, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08002 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yi-chun Chen
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (Genetics), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Eichler
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Claire Eschbach
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | | | - Bertram Gerber
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (Genetics), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Nina Hoyer
- Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University of Hamburg, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Xiaoyi Jiang
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Jörg Kleber
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (Genetics), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Christian Klämbt
- Institute of Neurobiology and Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Christian König
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (Molecular Systems Biology), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Matthieu Louis
- EMBL/CRG Systems Biology Unit, Centre for Genomic Regulation, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08002 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93117, USA
| | - Birgit Michels
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (Genetics), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | | | - Christen Mirth
- Gulbenkian Institute of Science, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Daisuke Miura
- Department of Biology, Kyushu University, 819-0395 Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Thomas Niewalda
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (Genetics), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Nils Otto
- Institute of Neurobiology and Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Emmanouil Paisios
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (Genetics), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | | | - Meike Petersen
- Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University of Hamburg, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Noel Ramsperger
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Nadine Randel
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Benjamin Risse
- Institute of Neurobiology and Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Timo Saumweber
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (Genetics), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | | | - Michael Schleyer
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (Genetics), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Peter Soba
- Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University of Hamburg, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Simon G. Sprecher
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Teiichi Tanimura
- Department of Biology, Kyushu University, 819-0395 Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Andreas S. Thum
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Naoko Toshima
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (Genetics), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
- Department of Biology, Kyushu University, 819-0395 Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Jim W. Truman
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA
| | - Ayse Yarali
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (Molecular Systems Biology), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Marta Zlatic
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
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Sánchez-Alcañiz JA, Benton R. Multisensory neural integration of chemical and mechanical signals. Bioessays 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/bies.201700060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Antonio Sánchez-Alcañiz
- Faculty of Biology and Medicine; Center for Integrative Genomics; Génopode Building; University of Lausanne; Lausanne CH-1015 Switzerland
| | - Richard Benton
- Faculty of Biology and Medicine; Center for Integrative Genomics; Génopode Building; University of Lausanne; Lausanne CH-1015 Switzerland
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Aleman-Meza B, Loeza-Cabrera M, Peña-Ramos O, Stern M, Zhong W. High-content behavioral profiling reveals neuronal genetic network modulating Drosophila larval locomotor program. BMC Genet 2017; 18:40. [PMID: 28499390 PMCID: PMC5429570 DOI: 10.1186/s12863-017-0513-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Two key questions in understanding the genetic control of behaviors are: what genes are involved and how these genes interact. To answer these questions at a systems level, we conducted high-content profiling of Drosophila larval locomotor behaviors for over 100 genotypes. Results We studied 69 genes whose C. elegans orthologs were neuronal signalling genes with significant locomotor phenotypes, and conducted RNAi with ubiquitous, pan-neuronal, or motor-neuronal Gal4 drivers. Inactivation of 42 genes, including the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors nAChRα1 and nAChRα3, in the neurons caused significant movement defects. Bioinformatic analysis suggested 81 interactions among these genes based on phenotypic pattern similarities. Comparing the worm and fly data sets, we found that these genes were highly conserved in having neuronal expressions and locomotor phenotypes. However, the genetic interactions were not conserved for ubiquitous profiles, and may be mildly conserved for the neuronal profiles. Unexpectedly, our data also revealed a possible motor-neuronal control of body size, because inactivation of Rdl and Gαo in the motor neurons reduced the larval body size. Overall, these data established a framework for further exploring the genetic control of Drosophila larval locomotion. Conclusions High content, quantitative phenotyping of larval locomotor behaviours provides a framework for system-level understanding of the gene networks underlying such behaviours. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12863-017-0513-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Omar Peña-Ramos
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Michael Stern
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Weiwei Zhong
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA.
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Wreden CC, Meng JL, Feng W, Chi W, Marshall ZD, Heckscher ES. Temporal Cohorts of Lineage-Related Neurons Perform Analogous Functions in Distinct Sensorimotor Circuits. Curr Biol 2017; 27:1521-1528.e4. [PMID: 28502656 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2017] [Revised: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Neuronal stem cell lineages are the fundamental developmental units of the brain, and neuronal circuits are the fundamental functional units of the brain. Determining lineage-circuitry relationships is essential for deciphering the developmental logic of circuit assembly. While the spatial distribution of lineage-related neurons has been investigated in a few brain regions [1-9], an important, but unaddressed question is whether temporal information that diversifies neuronal progeny within a single lineage also impacts circuit assembly. Circuits in the sensorimotor system (e.g., spinal cord) are thought to be assembled sequentially [10-14], making this an ideal brain region for investigating the circuit-level impact of temporal patterning within a lineage. Here, we use intersectional genetics, optogenetics, high-throughput behavioral analysis, single-neuron labeling, connectomics, and calcium imaging to determine how a set of bona fide lineage-related interneurons contribute to sensorimotor circuitry in the Drosophila larva. We show that Even-skipped lateral interneurons (ELs) are sensory processing interneurons. Late-born ELs contribute to a proprioceptive body posture circuit, whereas early-born ELs contribute to a mechanosensitive escape circuit. These data support a model in which a single neuronal stem cell can produce a large number of interneurons with similar functional capacity that are distributed into different circuits based on birth timing. In summary, these data establish a link between temporal specification of neuronal identity and circuit assembly at the single-cell level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher C Wreden
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, 920 East 58(th) Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Julia L Meng
- Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, 920 East 58(th) Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Weidong Feng
- Committee on Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cell Biology, University of Chicago, 920 East 58(th) Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Wanhao Chi
- Committee on Genetics, Genomics, and Systems Biology, University of Chicago, 920 East 58(th) Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Zarion D Marshall
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, 920 East 58(th) Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Ellie S Heckscher
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, 920 East 58(th) Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, 920 East 58(th) Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Committee on Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cell Biology, University of Chicago, 920 East 58(th) Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Committee on Genetics, Genomics, and Systems Biology, University of Chicago, 920 East 58(th) Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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Abstract
How Drosophila larvae select one behavior or a sequence of behaviors, and then persist in the final one, has been addressed by a powerful combination of electron-microscopy reconstruction of neuronal connections, genetic manipulations, electrophysiology, and neuronal modeling. Surprisingly, reciprocal inhibitory synaptic connections are major players in choosing, sequencing and maintaining behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- William B Kristan
- Neurobiology Section, Department of Biological Sciences, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0357, USA.
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Luo J, Shen WL, Montell C. TRPA1 mediates sensation of the rate of temperature change in Drosophila larvae. Nat Neurosci 2017; 20:34-41. [PMID: 27749829 PMCID: PMC5191986 DOI: 10.1038/nn.4416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Accepted: 09/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Avoidance of noxious ambient heat is crucial for survival. A well-known phenomenon is that animals are sensitive to the rate of temperature change. However, the cellular and molecular underpinnings through which animals sense and respond much more vigorously to fast temperature changes are unknown. Using Drosophila larvae, we found that nociceptive rolling behavior was triggered at lower temperatures and at higher frequencies when the temperature increased rapidly. We identified neurons in the brain that were sensitive to the speed of the temperature increase rather than just to the absolute temperature. These cellular and behavioral responses depended on the TRPA1 channel, whose activity responded to the rate of temperature increase. We propose that larvae use low-threshold sensors in the brain to monitor rapid temperature increases as a protective alert signal to trigger rolling behaviors, allowing fast escape before the temperature of the brain rises to dangerous levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjie Luo
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Wei L. Shen
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Craig Montell
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
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Kohsaka H, Guertin PA, Nose A. Neural Circuits Underlying Fly Larval Locomotion. Curr Pharm Des 2017; 23:1722-1733. [PMID: 27928962 PMCID: PMC5470056 DOI: 10.2174/1381612822666161208120835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Locomotion is a complex motor behavior that may be expressed in different ways using a variety of strategies depending upon species and pathological or environmental conditions. Quadrupedal or bipedal walking, running, swimming, flying and gliding constitute some of the locomotor modes enabling the body, in all cases, to move from one place to another. Despite these apparent differences in modes of locomotion, both vertebrate and invertebrate species share, at least in part, comparable neural control mechanisms for locomotor rhythm and pattern generation and modulation. Significant advances have been made in recent years in studies of the genetic aspects of these control systems. Findings made specifically using Drosophila (fruit fly) models and preparations have contributed to further understanding of the key role of genes in locomotion. This review focuses on some of the main findings made in larval fruit flies while briefly summarizing the basic advantages of using this powerful animal model for studying the neural locomotor system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Kohsaka
- Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, University of Tokyo, Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8561, Japan
| | - Pierre A. Guertin
- Department of Psychiatry & Neurosciences, Laval University, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Akinao Nose
- Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, University of Tokyo, Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8561, Japan
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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