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Mota T, Paffhausen B, Menzel R. Chromatic processing and receptive-field structure in neurons of the anterior optic tract of the honeybee brain. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0310282. [PMID: 39264932 PMCID: PMC11392409 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0310282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Color vision in honeybees is a well-documented perceptual phenomenon including multiple behavioral tests of trichromaticity and color opponency. Data on the combined color/space properties of high order visual neurons in the bee brain is however limited. Here we fill this gap by analyzing the activity of neurons in the anterior optic tract (AOT), a high order brain region suggested to be involved in chromatic processing. The spectral response properties of 72 units were measured using UV, blue and green light stimuli presented in 266 positions of the visual field. The majority of these units comprise combined chromatic-spatial processing properties. We found eight different neuron categories in terms of their spectral, spatial and temporal response properties. Color-opponent neurons, the most abundant neural category in the AOT, present large receptive fields and activity patterns that were typically opponent between UV and blue or green, particularly during the on-tonic response phase. Receptive field shapes and activity patterns of these color processing neurons are more similar between blue and green, than between UV and blue or green. We also identified intricate spatial antagonism and double spectral opponency in some receptive fields of color-opponent units. Stimulation protocols with different color combinations applied to 21 AOT units allowed us to uncover additional levels of spectral antagonism and hidden inhibitory inputs, even in some units that were initially classified as broad-band neurons based in their responses to single spectral lights. The results are discussed in the context of floral color discrimination and celestial spectral gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theo Mota
- Institute of Biology, Neurobiology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Benjamin Paffhausen
- Institute of Biology, Neurobiology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Randolf Menzel
- Institute of Biology, Neurobiology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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2
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Ai H, Farina WM. In search of behavioral and brain processes involved in honey bee dance communication. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1140657. [PMID: 37456809 PMCID: PMC10342208 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1140657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Honey bees represent an iconic model animal for studying the underlying mechanisms affecting advanced sensory and cognitive abilities during communication among colony mates. After von Frisch discovered the functional value of the waggle dance, this complex motor pattern led ethologists and neuroscientists to study its neural mechanism, behavioral significance, and implications for a collective organization. Recent studies have revealed some of the mechanisms involved in this symbolic form of communication by using conventional behavioral and pharmacological assays, neurobiological studies, comprehensive molecular and connectome analyses, and computational models. This review summarizes several critical behavioral and brain processes and mechanisms involved in waggle dance communication. We focus on the role of neuromodulators in the dancer and the recruited follower, the interneurons and their related processing in the first mechano-processing, and the computational navigation centers of insect brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Ai
- Department of Earth System Science, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Walter M. Farina
- Laboratorio de Insectos Sociales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias, CONICET-UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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3
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Rössler W, Grob R, Fleischmann PN. The role of learning-walk related multisensory experience in rewiring visual circuits in the desert ant brain. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2022:10.1007/s00359-022-01600-y. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-022-01600-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
AbstractEfficient spatial orientation in the natural environment is crucial for the survival of most animal species. Cataglyphis desert ants possess excellent navigational skills. After far-ranging foraging excursions, the ants return to their inconspicuous nest entrance using celestial and panoramic cues. This review focuses on the question about how naïve ants acquire the necessary spatial information and adjust their visual compass systems. Naïve ants perform structured learning walks during their transition from the dark nest interior to foraging under bright sunlight. During initial learning walks, the ants perform rotational movements with nest-directed views using the earth’s magnetic field as an earthbound compass reference. Experimental manipulations demonstrate that specific sky compass cues trigger structural neuronal plasticity in visual circuits to integration centers in the central complex and mushroom bodies. During learning walks, rotation of the sky-polarization pattern is required for an increase in volume and synaptic complexes in both integration centers. In contrast, passive light exposure triggers light-spectrum (especially UV light) dependent changes in synaptic complexes upstream of the central complex. We discuss a multisensory circuit model in the ant brain for pathways mediating structural neuroplasticity at different levels following passive light exposure and multisensory experience during the performance of learning walks.
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4
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Ding H, Yan S. Physiological Signatures of Changes in Honeybee's Central Complex During Wing Flapping. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2022; 22:10. [PMID: 36222481 PMCID: PMC9554949 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieac060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Many kinds of locomotion abilities of insects-including flight control, spatial orientation memory, position memory, angle information integration, and polarized light guidance are considered to be related to the central complex. However, evidence was still not sufficient to support those conclusions from the aspect of neural basis. For the locomotion form of wing flapping, little is known about the patterns of changes in brain activity of the central complex during movement. Here, we analyze the changes in honeybees' neuronal population firing activity of central complex and optic lobes with the perspectives of energy and nonlinear changes. Although the specific function of the central complex remains unknown, evidence suggests that its neural activities change remarkably during wing flapping and its delta rhythm is dominative. Together, our data reveal that the firing activity of some of the neuronal populations of the optic lobe shows reduction in complexity during wing flapping. Elucidating the brain activity changes during a flapping period of insects promotes our understanding of the neuro-mechanisms of insect locomotor control, thus can inspire the fine control of insect cyborgs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haojia Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Tribology in Advanced Equipment (SKLT), Division of Intelligent and Biomechanical Systems, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
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5
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Althaus V, Jahn S, Massah A, Stengl M, Homberg U. 3D-atlas of the brain of the cockroach Rhyparobia maderae. J Comp Neurol 2022; 530:3126-3156. [PMID: 36036660 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The Madeira cockroach Rhyparobia maderae is a nocturnal insect and a prominent model organism for the study of circadian rhythms. Its master circadian clock, controlling circadian locomotor activity and sleep-wake cycles, is located in the accessory medulla of the optic lobe. For a better understanding of brain regions controlled by the circadian clock and brain organization of this insect in general, we created a three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of all neuropils of the cerebral ganglia based on anti-synapsin and anti-γ-aminobutyric acid immunolabeling of whole mount brains. Forty-nine major neuropils were identified and three-dimensionally reconstructed. Single-cell dye fills complement the data and provide evidence for distinct subdivisions of certain brain areas. Most neuropils defined in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster could be distinguished in the cockroach as well. However, some neuropils identified in the fruit fly do not exist as distinct entities in the cockroach while others are lacking in the fruit fly. In addition to neuropils, major fiber systems, tracts, and commissures were reconstructed and served as important landmarks separating brain areas. Being a nocturnal insect, R. maderae is an important new species to the growing collection of 3D insect brain atlases and only the second hemimetabolous insect, for which a detailed 3D brain atlas is available. This atlas will be highly valuable for an evolutionary comparison of insect brain organization and will greatly facilitate addressing brain areas that are supervised by the circadian clock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Althaus
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Jahn
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Azar Massah
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institute of Biology, Animal Physiology, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany
| | - Monika Stengl
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institute of Biology, Animal Physiology, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany
| | - Uwe Homberg
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Marburg, Germany
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6
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Kaiser A, Hensgen R, Tschirner K, Beetz E, Wüstenberg H, Pfaff M, Mota T, Pfeiffer K. A three-dimensional atlas of the honeybee central complex, associated neuropils and peptidergic layers of the central body. J Comp Neurol 2022; 530:2416-2438. [PMID: 35593178 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The central complex (CX) in the brain of insects is a highly conserved group of midline-spanning neuropils consisting of the upper and lower division of the central body, the protocerebral bridge, and the paired noduli. These neuropils are the substrate for a number of behaviors, most prominently goal-oriented locomotion. Honeybees have been a model organism for sky-compass orientation for more than 70 years, but there is still very limited knowledge about the structure and function of their CX. To advance and facilitate research on this brain area, we created a high-resolution three-dimensional atlas of the honeybee's CX and associated neuropils, including the posterior optic tubercles, the bulbs, and the anterior optic tubercles. To this end, we developed a modified version of the iterative shape averaging technique, which allowed us to achieve high volumetric accuracy of the neuropil models. For a finer definition of spatial locations within the central body, we defined layers based on immunostaining against the neuropeptides locustatachykinin, FMRFamide, gastrin/cholecystokinin, and allatostatin and included them into the atlas by elastic registration. Our honeybee CX atlas provides a platform for future neuroanatomical work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Kaiser
- Department of Biology/Animal Physiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Ronja Hensgen
- Department of Biology/Animal Physiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Katja Tschirner
- Behavioural Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Evelyn Beetz
- Behavioural Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Hauke Wüstenberg
- Department of Biology/Animal Physiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Marcel Pfaff
- Behavioural Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Theo Mota
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Keram Pfeiffer
- Department of Biology/Animal Physiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Behavioural Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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7
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Beer K, Härtel S, Helfrich-Förster C. The pigment-dispersing factor neuronal network systematically grows in developing honey bees. J Comp Neurol 2021; 530:1321-1340. [PMID: 34802154 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptide pigment-dispersing factor (PDF) plays a prominent role in the circadian clock of many insects including honey bees. In the honey bee brain, PDF is expressed in about 15 clock neurons per hemisphere that lie between the central brain and the optic lobes. As in other insects, the bee PDF neurons form wide arborizations in the brain, but certain differences are evident. For example, they arborize only sparsely in the accessory medulla (AME), which serves as important communication center of the circadian clock in cockroaches and flies. Furthermore, all bee PDF neurons cluster together, which makes it impossible to distinguish individual projections. Here, we investigated the developing bee PDF network and found that the first three PDF neurons arise in the third larval instar and form a dense network of varicose fibers at the base of the developing medulla that strongly resembles the AME of hemimetabolous insects. In addition, they send faint fibers toward the lateral superior protocerebrum. In last larval instar, PDF cells with larger somata appear and send fibers toward the distal medulla and the medial protocerebrum. In the dorsal part of the medulla serpentine layer, a small PDF knot evolves from which PDF fibers extend ventrally. This knot disappears during metamorphosis and the varicose arborizations in the putative AME become fainter. Instead, a new strongly stained PDF fiber hub appears in front of the lobula. Simultaneously, the number of PDF neurons increases and the PDF neuronal network in the brain gets continuously more complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Beer
- Department of Neurobiology and Genetics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Stephan Härtel
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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8
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Chatterjee A, Bais D, Brockmann A, Ramesh D. Search Behavior of Individual Foragers Involves Neurotransmitter Systems Characteristic for Social Scouting. FRONTIERS IN INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 1:664978. [PMID: 38468879 PMCID: PMC10926421 DOI: 10.3389/finsc.2021.664978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
In honey bees search behavior occurs as social and solitary behavior. In the context of foraging, searching for food sources is performed by behavioral specialized foragers, the scouts. When the scouts have found a new food source, they recruit other foragers (recruits). These recruits never search for a new food source on their own. However, when the food source is experimentally removed, they start searching for that food source. Our study provides a detailed description of this solitary search behavior and the variation of this behavior among individual foragers. Furthermore, mass spectrometric measurement showed that the initiation and performance of this solitary search behavior is associated with changes in glutamate, GABA, histamine, aspartate, and the catecholaminergic system in the optic lobes and central brain area. These findings strikingly correspond with the results of an earlier study that showed that scouts and recruits differ in the expression of glutamate and GABA receptors. Together, the results of both studies provide first clear support for the hypothesis that behavioral specialization in honey bees is based on adjusting modulatory systems involved in solitary behavior to increase the probability or frequency of that behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arumoy Chatterjee
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India
- School of Chemical and Biotechnology, SASTRA University, Thanjavur, India
| | - Deepika Bais
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India
| | - Axel Brockmann
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India
| | - Divya Ramesh
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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9
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Hardcastle BJ, Omoto JJ, Kandimalla P, Nguyen BCM, Keleş MF, Boyd NK, Hartenstein V, Frye MA. A visual pathway for skylight polarization processing in Drosophila. eLife 2021; 10:e63225. [PMID: 33755020 PMCID: PMC8051946 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many insects use patterns of polarized light in the sky to orient and navigate. Here, we functionally characterize neural circuitry in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, that conveys polarized light signals from the eye to the central complex, a brain region essential for the fly's sense of direction. Neurons tuned to the angle of polarization of ultraviolet light are found throughout the anterior visual pathway, connecting the optic lobes with the central complex via the anterior optic tubercle and bulb, in a homologous organization to the 'sky compass' pathways described in other insects. We detail how a consistent, map-like organization of neural tunings in the peripheral visual system is transformed into a reduced representation suited to flexible processing in the central brain. This study identifies computational motifs of the transformation, enabling mechanistic comparisons of multisensory integration and central processing for navigation in the brains of insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben J Hardcastle
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Jaison J Omoto
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Pratyush Kandimalla
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Bao-Chau M Nguyen
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Mehmet F Keleş
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Natalie K Boyd
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Volker Hartenstein
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Mark A Frye
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
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10
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Tai CY, Chin AL, Chiang AS. Comprehensive map of visual projection neurons for processing ultraviolet information in the Drosophila brain. J Comp Neurol 2020; 529:1988-2013. [PMID: 33174208 PMCID: PMC8049075 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The brain perceives visual information and controls behavior depending on its underlying neural circuits. How UV information is represented and processed in the brain remains poorly understood. In Drosophila melanogaster, UV light is detected by the R7 photoreceptor that projects exclusively into the medulla layer 6 (M6 ). Herein, we imaged 28,768 single neurons and identified 238 visual projection neurons linking M6 to the central brain. Based on morphology and connectivity, these visual projection neurons were systematically classified into 94 cell types belonging to 12 families. Three tracts connected M6 in each optic lobe to the central brain: One dorsal tract linking to the ipsilateral lateral anterior optic tubercle (L-AOTU) and two medial tracts linking to the ipsilateral ventral medial protocerebrum (VMP) and the contralateral VMP. The M6 information was primarily represented in the L-AOTU. Each L-AOTU consisted of four columns that each contained three glomeruli. Each L-AOTU glomerulus received inputs from M6 subdomains and gave outputs to a glomerulus within the ellipsoid body dendritic region, suggesting specific processing of spatial information through the dorsal pathway. Furthermore, the middle columns of the L-AOTUs of both hemispheres were connected via the intertubercle tract, suggesting information integration between the two eyes. In contrast, an ascending neuron linked each VMP to all glomeruli in the bulb and the L-AOTU, bilaterally, suggesting general processing of information through the ventral pathway. Altogether, these diverse morphologies of the visual projection neurons suggested multi-dimensional processing of UV information through parallel and bilateral circuits in the Drosophila brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chu-Yi Tai
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - An-Lun Chin
- Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Ann-Shyn Chiang
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.,Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.,Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Institute of Molecular and Genomic Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County, Taiwan.,Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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11
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Beer K, Helfrich-Förster C. Model and Non-model Insects in Chronobiology. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:601676. [PMID: 33328925 PMCID: PMC7732648 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.601676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is an established model organism in chronobiology, because genetic manipulation and breeding in the laboratory are easy. The circadian clock neuroanatomy in D. melanogaster is one of the best-known clock networks in insects and basic circadian behavior has been characterized in detail in this insect. Another model in chronobiology is the honey bee Apis mellifera, of which diurnal foraging behavior has been described already in the early twentieth century. A. mellifera hallmarks the research on the interplay between the clock and sociality and complex behaviors like sun compass navigation and time-place-learning. Nevertheless, there are aspects of clock structure and function, like for example the role of the clock in photoperiodism and diapause, which can be only insufficiently investigated in these two models. Unlike high-latitude flies such as Chymomyza costata or D. ezoana, cosmopolitan D. melanogaster flies do not display a photoperiodic diapause. Similarly, A. mellifera bees do not go into "real" diapause, but most solitary bee species exhibit an obligatory diapause. Furthermore, sociality evolved in different Hymenoptera independently, wherefore it might be misleading to study the social clock only in one social insect. Consequently, additional research on non-model insects is required to understand the circadian clock in Diptera and Hymenoptera. In this review, we introduce the two chronobiology model insects D. melanogaster and A. mellifera, compare them with other insects and show their advantages and limitations as general models for insect circadian clocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Beer
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri Institute, Biocentre, Am Hubland, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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12
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Held M, Le K, Pegel U, Dersch F, Beetz MJ, Pfeiffer K, Homberg U. Anatomical and ultrastructural analysis of the posterior optic tubercle in the locust Schistocerca gregaria. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2020; 58:100971. [PMID: 32755758 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2020.100971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Locusts, like other insects, partly rely on a sun compass mechanism for spatial orientation during seasonal migrations. To serve as a useful guiding cue throughout the day, however, the sun's apparent movement has to be accounted for. In locusts, a neural pathway from the accessory medulla, the circadian pacemaker, via the posterior optic tubercle, to the protocerebral bridge, part of the internal sky compass, has been proposed to mediate the required time compensation. Toward a better understanding of neural connectivities within the posterior optic tubercle, we investigated this neuropil using light and electron microscopy. Based on vesicle content, four types of synaptic profile were distinguished within the posterior optic tubercle. Immunogold labeling showed that pigment-dispersing hormone immunoreactive neurons from the accessory medulla, containing large dense-core vesicles, have presynaptic terminals in the posterior optic tubercle. Ultrastructural examination of two Neurobiotin-injected tangential neurons of the protocerebral bridge revealed that these neurons are postsynaptic in the posterior optic tubercle. Our data, therefore, support a role of the posterior optic tubercles in mediating circadian input to the insect sky compass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Held
- Animal Physiology, Department of Biology & Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany.
| | - Kim Le
- Animal Physiology, Department of Biology & Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - Uta Pegel
- Animal Physiology, Department of Biology & Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - Florian Dersch
- Animal Physiology, Department of Biology & Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - M Jerome Beetz
- Animal Physiology, Department of Biology & Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - Keram Pfeiffer
- Animal Physiology, Department of Biology & Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - Uwe Homberg
- Animal Physiology, Department of Biology & Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
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13
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Habenstein J, Amini E, Grübel K, el Jundi B, Rössler W. The brain of
Cataglyphis
ants: Neuronal organization and visual projections. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:3479-3506. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.24934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jens Habenstein
- Biocenter, Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II) University of Würzburg Würzburg Germany
| | - Emad Amini
- Biocenter, Neurobiology and Genetics University of Würzburg Würzburg Germany
| | - Kornelia Grübel
- Biocenter, Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II) University of Würzburg Würzburg Germany
| | - Basil el Jundi
- Biocenter, Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II) University of Würzburg Würzburg Germany
| | - Wolfgang Rössler
- Biocenter, Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II) University of Würzburg Würzburg Germany
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14
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Hensgen R, England L, Homberg U, Pfeiffer K. Neuroarchitecture of the central complex in the brain of the honeybee: Neuronal cell types. J Comp Neurol 2020; 529:159-186. [PMID: 32374034 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The central complex (CX) in the insect brain is a higher order integration center that controls a number of behaviors, most prominently goal directed locomotion. The CX comprises the protocerebral bridge (PB), the upper division of the central body (CBU), the lower division of the central body (CBL), and the paired noduli (NO). Although spatial orientation has been extensively studied in honeybees at the behavioral level, most electrophysiological and anatomical analyses have been carried out in other insect species, leaving the morphology and physiology of neurons that constitute the CX in the honeybee mostly enigmatic. The goal of this study was to morphologically identify neuronal cell types of the CX in the honeybee Apis mellifera. By performing iontophoretic dye injections into the CX, we traced 16 subtypes of neuron that connect a subdivision of the CX with other regions in the bee's central brain, and eight subtypes that mainly interconnect different subdivisions of the CX. They establish extensive connections between the CX and the lateral complex, the superior protocerebrum and the posterior protocerebrum. Characterized neuron classes and subtypes are morphologically similar to those described in other insects, suggesting considerable conservation in the neural network relevant for orientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronja Hensgen
- Animal Physiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Laura England
- Animal Physiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Uwe Homberg
- Animal Physiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Keram Pfeiffer
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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Adden A, Wibrand S, Pfeiffer K, Warrant E, Heinze S. The brain of a nocturnal migratory insect, the Australian Bogong moth. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:1942-1963. [PMID: 31994724 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Every year, millions of Australian Bogong moths (Agrotis infusa) complete an astonishing journey: In Spring, they migrate over 1,000 km from their breeding grounds to the alpine regions of the Snowy Mountains, where they endure the hot summer in the cool climate of alpine caves. In autumn, the moths return to their breeding grounds, where they mate, lay eggs and die. These moths can use visual cues in combination with the geomagnetic field to guide their flight, but how these cues are processed and integrated into the brain to drive migratory behavior is unknown. To generate an access point for functional studies, we provide a detailed description of the Bogong moth's brain. Based on immunohistochemical stainings against synapsin and serotonin (5HT), we describe the overall layout as well as the fine structure of all major neuropils, including the regions that have previously been implicated in compass-based navigation. The resulting average brain atlas consists of 3D reconstructions of 25 separate neuropils, comprising the most detailed account of a moth brain to date. Our results show that the Bogong moth brain follows the typical lepidopteran ground pattern, with no major specializations that can be attributed to their spectacular migratory lifestyle. These findings suggest that migratory behavior does not require widespread modifications of brain structure, but might be achievable via small adjustments of neural circuitry in key brain areas. Locating these subtle changes will be a challenging task for the future, for which our study provides an essential anatomical framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Adden
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Sara Wibrand
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Eric Warrant
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Stanley Heinze
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.,NanoLund, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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16
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Arnold T, Korek S, Massah A, Eschstruth D, Stengl M. Candidates for photic entrainment pathways to the circadian clock via optic lobe neuropils in the Madeira cockroach. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:1754-1774. [PMID: 31860126 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The compound eye of cockroaches is obligatory for entrainment of the Madeira cockroach's circadian clock, but the cellular nature of its entrainment pathways is enigmatic. Employing multiple-label immunocytochemistry, histochemistry, and backfills, we searched for photic entrainment pathways to the accessory medulla (AME), the circadian clock of the Madeira cockroach. We wanted to know whether photoreceptor terminals could directly contact pigment-dispersing factor-immunoreactive (PDF-ir) circadian pacemaker neurons with somata in the lamina (PDFLAs) or somata next to the AME (PDFMEs). Short green-sensitive photoreceptor neurons of the compound eye terminated in lamina layers LA1 and LA2, adjacent to PDFLAs and PDFMEs that branched in LA3. Long UV-sensitive compound eye photoreceptor neurons terminated in medulla layer ME2 without direct contact to ipsilateral PDFMEs that arborized in ME4. Multiple neuropeptide-ir interneurons branched in ME4, connecting the AME to ME2. Before, extraocular photoreceptors of the lamina organ were suggested to send terminals to accessory laminae. There, they overlapped with PDFLAs that mostly colocalized PDF, FMRFamide, and 5-HT immunoreactivities, and with terminals of ipsi- and contralateral PDFMEs. We hypothesize that during the day cholinergic activation of the largest PDFME via lamina organ photoreceptors maintains PDF release orchestrating phases of sleep-wake cycles. As ipsilateral PDFMEs express excitatory and contralateral PDFMEs inhibitory PDF autoreceptors, diurnal PDF release keeps both PDF-dependent clock circuits in antiphase. Future experiments will test whether ipsilateral PDFMEs are sleep-promoting morning cells, while contralateral PDFMEs are activity-promoting evening cells, maintaining stable antiphase via the largest PDFME entrained by extraocular photoreceptors of the lamina organ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thordis Arnold
- FB 10, Biology, Animal Physiology/Neuroethology, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany
| | - Sebastian Korek
- FB 10, Biology, Animal Physiology/Neuroethology, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany
| | - Azar Massah
- FB 10, Biology, Animal Physiology/Neuroethology, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany
| | - David Eschstruth
- FB 10, Biology, Animal Physiology/Neuroethology, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany
| | - Monika Stengl
- FB 10, Biology, Animal Physiology/Neuroethology, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany
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17
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Neuroethology of the Waggle Dance: How Followers Interact with the Waggle Dancer and Detect Spatial Information. INSECTS 2019; 10:insects10100336. [PMID: 31614450 PMCID: PMC6835826 DOI: 10.3390/insects10100336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2019] [Revised: 09/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Since the honeybee possesses eusociality, advanced learning, memory ability, and information sharing through the use of various pheromones and sophisticated symbol communication (i.e., the "waggle dance"), this remarkable social animal has been one of the model symbolic animals for biological studies, animal ecology, ethology, and neuroethology. Karl von Frisch discovered the meanings of the waggle dance and called the communication a "dance language." Subsequent to this discovery, it has been extensively studied how effectively recruits translate the code in the dance to reach the advertised destination and how the waggle dance information conflicts with the information based on their own foraging experience. The dance followers, mostly foragers, detect and interact with the waggle dancer, and are finally recruited to the food source. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge on the neural processing underlying this fascinating behavior.
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18
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Sancer G, Kind E, Plazaola-Sasieta H, Balke J, Pham T, Hasan A, Münch LO, Courgeon M, Mathejczyk TF, Wernet MF. Modality-Specific Circuits for Skylight Orientation in the Fly Visual System. Curr Biol 2019; 29:2812-2825.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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19
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Groothuis J, Pfeiffer K, El Jundi B, Smid HM. The Jewel Wasp Standard Brain: Average shape atlas and morphology of the female Nasonia vitripennis brain. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2019; 51:41-51. [PMID: 31357033 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2019.100878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Nasonia, a genus of parasitoid wasps, is a promising model system in the study of developmental and evolutionary genetics, as well as complex traits such as learning. Of these "jewel wasps", the species Nasonia vitripennis is widely spread and widely studied. To accelerate neuroscientific research in this model species, fundamental knowledge of its nervous system is needed. To this end, we present an average standard brain of recently eclosed naïve female N. vitripennis wasps obtained by the iterative shape averaging method. This "Jewel Wasp Standard Brain" includes the optic lobe (excluding the lamina), the anterior optic tubercle, the antennal lobe, the lateral horn, the mushroom body, the central complex, and the remaining unclassified neuropils in the central brain. Furthermore, we briefly describe these well-defined neuropils and their subregions in the N. vitripennis brain. A volumetric analysis of these neuropils is discussed in the context of brains of other insect species. The Jewel Wasp Standard Brain will provide a framework to integrate and consolidate the results of future neurobiological studies in N. vitripennis. In addition, the volumetric analysis provides a baseline for future work on age- and experience-dependent brain plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jitte Groothuis
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Keram Pfeiffer
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), University of Würzburg, Biocenter, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Basil El Jundi
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), University of Würzburg, Biocenter, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Hans M Smid
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
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20
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Zhou J, Sun L, Chen L, Liu S, Zhong L, Cui M. Comprehensive metabolomic and proteomic analyses reveal candidate biomarkers and related metabolic networks in atrial fibrillation. Metabolomics 2019; 15:96. [PMID: 31227919 DOI: 10.1007/s11306-019-1557-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 06/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an abnormal heart rhythm characterized by an irregular beating of the atria and is associated with an increased risk of heart failure, dementia, and stroke. Currently, the perturbation of plasma content due to AF disease onset is not well known. OBJECTIVES To investigate dysregulated molecules in blood plasma of untreated AF patients, with the goal of identifying biomarkers for disease screening and pathological studies. METHODS LC-MS based untargeted metabolomics, lipidomics and proteomics analyses were performed to find candidate biomarkers. A targeted quantification assay and an ELISA were performed to validate the results of the omics analyses. RESULTS We found that 24 metabolites, 16 lipids and 16 proteins were significantly dysregulated in AF patients. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that the purine metabolic pathway and fatty acid metabolism were perturbed by AF onset. FA 20:2 and FA 22:4 show great linear correlational relationship with the left atrial area and could be considered for AF disease stage monitoring or prognosis evaluation. CONCLUSION we used a comprehensive multiple-omics strategy to systematically investigate the dysregulated molecules in the plasma of AF patients, thereby revealing potential biomarkers for diagnosis and providing information for pathological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juntuo Zhou
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Lijie Sun
- Department of Cardiology and Institute of Vascular Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital; Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Molecular Biology and Regulatory Peptides, Ministry of Health; Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Ministry of Education; Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Receptors Research, No. 49, Hua Yuan North Rd, Hai Dian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Liwen Chen
- Department of Cardiology and Institute of Vascular Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital; Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Molecular Biology and Regulatory Peptides, Ministry of Health; Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Ministry of Education; Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Receptors Research, No. 49, Hua Yuan North Rd, Hai Dian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Shuwang Liu
- Department of Cardiology and Institute of Vascular Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital; Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Molecular Biology and Regulatory Peptides, Ministry of Health; Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Ministry of Education; Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Receptors Research, No. 49, Hua Yuan North Rd, Hai Dian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Lijun Zhong
- Center of Medical and Health Analysis, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Ming Cui
- Department of Cardiology and Institute of Vascular Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital; Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Molecular Biology and Regulatory Peptides, Ministry of Health; Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Ministry of Education; Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Receptors Research, No. 49, Hua Yuan North Rd, Hai Dian District, Beijing, 100191, China.
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21
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Beer K, Kolbe E, Kahana NB, Yayon N, Weiss R, Menegazzi P, Bloch G, Helfrich-Förster C. Pigment-Dispersing Factor-expressing neurons convey circadian information in the honey bee brain. Open Biol 2019; 8:rsob.170224. [PMID: 29321240 PMCID: PMC5795053 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.170224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pigment-Dispersing Factor (PDF) is an important neuropeptide in the brain circadian network of Drosophila and other insects, but its role in bees in which the circadian clock influences complex behaviour is not well understood. We combined high-resolution neuroanatomical characterizations, quantification of PDF levels over the day and brain injections of synthetic PDF peptide to study the role of PDF in the honey bee Apis mellifera We show that PDF co-localizes with the clock protein Period (PER) in a cluster of laterally located neurons and that the widespread arborizations of these PER/PDF neurons are in close vicinity to other PER-positive cells (neurons and glia). PDF-immunostaining intensity oscillates in a diurnal and circadian manner with possible influences for age or worker task on synchrony of oscillations in different brain areas. Finally, PDF injection into the area between optic lobes and the central brain at the end of the subjective day produced a consistent trend of phase-delayed circadian rhythms in locomotor activity. Altogether, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that PDF is a neuromodulator that conveys circadian information from pacemaker cells to brain centres involved in diverse functions including locomotion, time memory and sun-compass orientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Beer
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Esther Kolbe
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Noa B Kahana
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behaviour, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Nadav Yayon
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behaviour, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Ron Weiss
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behaviour, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Pamela Menegazzi
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Guy Bloch
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behaviour, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Charlotte Helfrich-Förster
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
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22
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Honkanen A, Adden A, da Silva Freitas J, Heinze S. The insect central complex and the neural basis of navigational strategies. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:222/Suppl_1/jeb188854. [PMID: 30728235 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.188854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Oriented behaviour is present in almost all animals, indicating that it is an ancient feature that has emerged from animal brains hundreds of millions of years ago. Although many complex navigation strategies have been described, each strategy can be broken down into a series of elementary navigational decisions. In each moment in time, an animal has to compare its current heading with its desired direction and compensate for any mismatch by producing a steering response either to the right or to the left. Different from reflex-driven movements, target-directed navigation is not only initiated in response to sensory input, but also takes into account previous experience and motivational state. Once a series of elementary decisions are chained together to form one of many coherent navigation strategies, the animal can pursue a navigational target, e.g. a food source, a nest entrance or a constant flight direction during migrations. Insects show a great variety of complex navigation behaviours and, owing to their small brains, the pursuit of the neural circuits controlling navigation has made substantial progress over the last years. A brain region as ancient as insects themselves, called the central complex, has emerged as the likely navigation centre of the brain. Research across many species has shown that the central complex contains the circuitry that might comprise the neural substrate of elementary navigational decisions. Although this region is also involved in a wide range of other functions, we hypothesize in this Review that its role in mediating the animal's next move during target-directed behaviour is its ancestral function, around which other functions have been layered over the course of evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Honkanen
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Andrea Adden
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Stanley Heinze
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden
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23
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El Jundi B, Baird E, Byrne MJ, Dacke M. The brain behind straight-line orientation in dung beetles. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:222/Suppl_1/jeb192450. [PMID: 30728239 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.192450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
For many insects, celestial compass cues play an important role in keeping track of their directional headings. One well-investigated group of celestial orientating insects are the African ball-rolling dung beetles. After finding a dung pile, these insects detach a piece, form it into a ball and roll it away along a straight path while facing backwards. A brain region, termed the central complex, acts as an internal compass that constantly updates the ball-rolling dung beetle about its heading. In this review, we give insights into the compass network behind straight-line orientation in dung beetles and place it in the context of the orientation mechanisms and neural networks of other insects. We find that the neuronal network behind straight-line orientation in dung beetles has strong similarities to the ones described in path-integrating and migrating insects, with the central complex being the key control point for this behavior. We conclude that, despite substantial differences in behavior and navigational challenges, dung beetles encode compass information in a similar way to other insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basil El Jundi
- University of Wuerzburg, Biocenter, Zoology II, Emmy-Noether Group, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Emily Baird
- Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Division of Functional Morphology, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marcus J Byrne
- University of the Witwatersrand, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, Wits 2050, South Africa
| | - Marie Dacke
- University of the Witwatersrand, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, Wits 2050, South Africa.,Lund University, Department of Biology, Lund Vision Group, 22362 Lund, Sweden
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24
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El Jundi B, Warrant EJ, Pfeiffer K, Dacke M. Neuroarchitecture of the dung beetle central complex. J Comp Neurol 2018; 526:2612-2630. [PMID: 30136721 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Revised: 08/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Despite their tiny brains, insects show impressive abilities when navigating over short distances during path integration or during migration over thousands of kilometers across entire continents. Celestial compass cues often play an important role as references during navigation. In contrast to many other insects, South African dung beetles rely exclusively on celestial cues for visual reference during orientation. After finding a dung pile, these animals cut off a piece of dung from the pat, shape it into a ball and roll it away along a straight path until a suitable place for underground consumption is found. To maintain a constant bearing, a brain region in the beetle's brain, called the central complex, is crucially involved in the processing of skylight cues, similar to what has already been shown for path-integrating and migrating insects. In this study, we characterized the neuroanatomy of the sky-compass network and the central complex in the dung beetle brain in detail. Using tracer injections, combined with imaging and 3D modeling, we describe the anatomy of the possible sky-compass network in the central brain. We used a quantitative approach to study the central-complex network and found that several types of neuron exhibit a highly organized connectivity pattern. The architecture of the sky-compass network and central complex is similar to that described in insects that perform path integration or are migratory. This suggests that, despite their different orientation behaviors, this neural circuitry for compass orientation is highly conserved among the insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basil El Jundi
- Biocenter, Zoology II, Emmy Noether Animal Navigation Group, University of Würzburg, Germany
| | - Eric J Warrant
- Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Marie Dacke
- Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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25
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Kay J, Menegazzi P, Mildner S, Roces F, Helfrich-Förster C. The Circadian Clock of the Ant Camponotus floridanus Is Localized in Dorsal and Lateral Neurons of the Brain. J Biol Rhythms 2018; 33:255-271. [PMID: 29589522 DOI: 10.1177/0748730418764738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The circadian clock of social insects has become a focal point of interest for research, as social insects show complex forms of timed behavior and organization within their colonies. These behaviors include brood care, nest maintenance, foraging, swarming, defense, and many other tasks, of which several require social synchronization and accurate timing. Ants of the genus Camponotus have been shown to display a variety of daily timed behaviors such as the emergence of males from the nest, foraging, and relocation of brood. Nevertheless, circadian rhythms of isolated individuals have been studied in few ant species, and the circadian clock network in the brain that governs such behaviors remains completely uncharacterized. Here we show that isolated minor workers of Camponotus floridanus exhibit temperature overcompensated free-running locomotor activity rhythms under constant darkness. Under light-dark cycles, most animals are active during day and night, with a slight preference for the night. On the neurobiological level, we show that distinct cell groups in the lateral and dorsal brain of minor workers of C. floridanus are immunostained with an antibody against the clock protein Period (PER) and a lateral group additionally with an antibody against the neuropeptide pigment-dispersing factor (PDF). PER abundance oscillates in a daily manner, and PDF-positive neurites invade most parts of the brain, suggesting that the PER/PDF-positive neurons are bona fide clock neurons that transfer rhythmic signals into the relevant brain areas controlling rhythmic behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janina Kay
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Pamela Menegazzi
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Stephanie Mildner
- Department of Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Flavio Roces
- Department of Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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26
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Barron AB, Plath JA. The evolution of honey bee dance communication: a mechanistic perspective. J Exp Biol 2017; 220:4339-4346. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.142778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Honey bee dance has been intensively studied as a communication system, and yet we still know very little about the neurobiological mechanisms supporting how dances are produced and interpreted. Here, we discuss how new information on the functions of the central complex (CX) of the insect brain might shed some light on possible neural mechanisms of dance behaviour. We summarise the features of dance communication across the species of the genus Apis. We then propose that neural mechanisms of orientation and spatial processing found to be supported by the CX may function in dance communication also, and that this mechanistic link could explain some specific features of the dance form. This is purely a hypothesis, but in proposing this hypothesis, and how it might be investigated, we hope to stimulate new mechanistic analyses of dance communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew B. Barron
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Jenny Aino Plath
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
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27
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de Vries L, Pfeiffer K, Trebels B, Adden AK, Green K, Warrant E, Heinze S. Comparison of Navigation-Related Brain Regions in Migratory versus Non-Migratory Noctuid Moths. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:158. [PMID: 28928641 PMCID: PMC5591330 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain structure and function are tightly correlated across all animals. While these relations are ultimately manifestations of differently wired neurons, many changes in neural circuit architecture lead to larger-scale alterations visible already at the level of brain regions. Locating such differences has served as a beacon for identifying brain areas that are strongly associated with the ecological needs of a species-thus guiding the way towards more detailed investigations of how brains underlie species-specific behaviors. Particularly in relation to sensory requirements, volume-differences in neural tissue between closely related species reflect evolutionary investments that correspond to sensory abilities. Likewise, memory-demands imposed by lifestyle have revealed similar adaptations in regions associated with learning. Whether this is also the case for species that differ in their navigational strategy is currently unknown. While the brain regions associated with navigational control in insects have been identified (central complex (CX), lateral complex (LX) and anterior optic tubercles (AOTU)), it remains unknown in what way evolutionary investments have been made to accommodate particularly demanding navigational strategies. We have thus generated average-shape atlases of navigation-related brain regions of a migratory and a non-migratory noctuid moth and used volumetric analysis to identify differences. We further compared the results to identical data from Monarch butterflies. Whereas we found differences in the size of the nodular unit of the AOTU, the LX and the protocerebral bridge (PB) between the two moths, these did not unambiguously reflect migratory behavior across all three species. We conclude that navigational strategy, at least in the case of long-distance migration in lepidopteran insects, is not easily deductible from overall neuropil anatomy. This suggests that the adaptations needed to ensure successful migratory behavior are found in the detailed wiring characteristics of the neural circuits underlying navigation-differences that are only accessible through detailed physiological and ultrastructural investigations. The presented results aid this task in two ways. First, the identified differences in neuropil volumes serve as promising initial targets for electrophysiology. Second, the new standard atlases provide an anatomical reference frame for embedding all functional data obtained from the brains of the Bogong and the Turnip moth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liv de Vries
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund UniversityLund, Sweden
| | - Keram Pfeiffer
- Department of Biology, Marburg UniversityMarburg, Germany
| | - Björn Trebels
- Department of Biology, Marburg UniversityMarburg, Germany
| | - Andrea K Adden
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund UniversityLund, Sweden
| | - Ken Green
- New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife ServiceJindabyne, NSW, Australia
| | - Eric Warrant
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund UniversityLund, Sweden
| | - Stanley Heinze
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund UniversityLund, Sweden
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Thamm M, Scholl C, Reim T, Grübel K, Möller K, Rössler W, Scheiner R. Neuronal distribution of tyramine and the tyramine receptor AmTAR1 in the honeybee brain. J Comp Neurol 2017; 525:2615-2631. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.24228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Revised: 04/19/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Markus Thamm
- Behavioral Physiology & SociobiologyBiocenter, University of WürzburgAm Hubland Würzburg Germany
| | - Christina Scholl
- Behavioral Physiology & SociobiologyBiocenter, University of WürzburgAm Hubland Würzburg Germany
| | - Tina Reim
- Animal Physiology, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of PotsdamPotsdam Germany
| | - Kornelia Grübel
- Behavioral Physiology & SociobiologyBiocenter, University of WürzburgAm Hubland Würzburg Germany
| | - Karin Möller
- Behavioral Physiology & SociobiologyBiocenter, University of WürzburgAm Hubland Würzburg Germany
| | - Wolfgang Rössler
- Behavioral Physiology & SociobiologyBiocenter, University of WürzburgAm Hubland Würzburg Germany
| | - Ricarda Scheiner
- Behavioral Physiology & SociobiologyBiocenter, University of WürzburgAm Hubland Würzburg Germany
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29
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Omoto JJ, Keleş MF, Nguyen BCM, Bolanos C, Lovick JK, Frye MA, Hartenstein V. Visual Input to the Drosophila Central Complex by Developmentally and Functionally Distinct Neuronal Populations. Curr Biol 2017; 27:1098-1110. [PMID: 28366740 PMCID: PMC5446208 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.02.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Revised: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The Drosophila central brain consists of stereotyped neural lineages, developmental-structural units of macrocircuitry formed by the sibling neurons of single progenitors called neuroblasts. We demonstrate that the lineage principle guides the connectivity and function of neurons, providing input to the central complex, a collection of neuropil compartments important for visually guided behaviors. One of these compartments is the ellipsoid body (EB), a structure formed largely by the axons of ring (R) neurons, all of which are generated by a single lineage, DALv2. Two further lineages, DALcl1 and DALcl2, produce neurons that connect the anterior optic tubercle, a central brain visual center, with R neurons. Finally, DALcl1/2 receive input from visual projection neurons of the optic lobe medulla, completing a three-legged circuit that we call the anterior visual pathway (AVP). The AVP bears a fundamental resemblance to the sky-compass pathway, a visual navigation circuit described in other insects. Neuroanatomical analysis and two-photon calcium imaging demonstrate that DALcl1 and DALcl2 form two parallel channels, establishing connections with R neurons located in the peripheral and central domains of the EB, respectively. Although neurons of both lineages preferentially respond to bright objects, DALcl1 neurons have small ipsilateral, retinotopically ordered receptive fields, whereas DALcl2 neurons share a large excitatory receptive field in the contralateral hemifield. DALcl2 neurons become inhibited when the object enters the ipsilateral hemifield and display an additional excitation after the object leaves the field of view. Thus, the spatial position of a bright feature, such as a celestial body, may be encoded within this pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaison Jiro Omoto
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Mehmet Fatih Keleş
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Bao-Chau Minh Nguyen
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Cheyenne Bolanos
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jennifer Kelly Lovick
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Mark Arthur Frye
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Volker Hartenstein
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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30
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Immonen EV, Dacke M, Heinze S, El Jundi B. Anatomical organization of the brain of a diurnal and a nocturnal dung beetle. J Comp Neurol 2017; 525:1879-1908. [PMID: 28074466 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Revised: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
To avoid the fierce competition for food, South African ball-rolling dung beetles carve a piece of dung off a dung-pile, shape it into a ball and roll it away along a straight line path. For this unidirectional exit from the busy dung pile, at night and day, the beetles use a wide repertoire of celestial compass cues. This robust and relatively easily measurable orientation behavior has made ball-rolling dung beetles an attractive model organism for the study of the neuroethology behind insect orientation and sensory ecology. Although there is already some knowledge emerging concerning how celestial cues are processed in the dung beetle brain, little is known about its general neural layout. Mapping the neuropils of the dung beetle brain is thus a prerequisite to understand the neuronal network that underlies celestial compass orientation. Here, we describe and compare the brains of a day-active and a night-active dung beetle species based on immunostainings against synapsin and serotonin. We also provide 3D reconstructions for all brain areas and many of the fiber bundles in the brain of the day-active dung beetle. Comparison of neuropil structures between the two dung beetle species revealed differences that reflect adaptations to different light conditions. Altogether, our results provide a reference framework for future studies on the neuroethology of insects in general and dung beetles in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esa-Ville Immonen
- Nano and Molecular Systems Research Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.,Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Marie Dacke
- Nano and Molecular Systems Research Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Stanley Heinze
- Nano and Molecular Systems Research Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Basil El Jundi
- Nano and Molecular Systems Research Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
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31
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Klein S, Cabirol A, Devaud JM, Barron AB, Lihoreau M. Why Bees Are So Vulnerable to Environmental Stressors. Trends Ecol Evol 2017; 32:268-278. [PMID: 28111032 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2016.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Revised: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Bee populations are declining in the industrialized world, raising concerns for the sustainable pollination of crops. Pesticides, pollutants, parasites, diseases, and malnutrition have all been linked to this problem. We consider here neurobiological, ecological, and evolutionary reasons why bees are particularly vulnerable to these environmental stressors. Central-place foraging on flowers demands advanced capacities of learning, memory, and navigation. However, even at low intensity levels, many stressors damage the bee brain, disrupting key cognitive functions needed for effective foraging, with dramatic consequences for brood development and colony survival. We discuss how understanding the relationships between the actions of stressors on the nervous system, individual cognitive impairments, and colony decline can inform constructive interventions to sustain bee populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Klein
- Research Center on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, National Center for Scientific Research(CNRS), University Paul Sabatier(UPS), Toulouse, France; Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Amélie Cabirol
- Research Center on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, National Center for Scientific Research(CNRS), University Paul Sabatier(UPS), Toulouse, France; Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jean-Marc Devaud
- Research Center on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, National Center for Scientific Research(CNRS), University Paul Sabatier(UPS), Toulouse, France
| | - Andrew B Barron
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Mathieu Lihoreau
- Research Center on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, National Center for Scientific Research(CNRS), University Paul Sabatier(UPS), Toulouse, France.
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32
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Mota T, Kreissl S, Carrasco Durán A, Lefer D, Galizia G, Giurfa M. Synaptic Organization of Microglomerular Clusters in the Lateral and Medial Bulbs of the Honeybee Brain. Front Neuroanat 2016; 10:103. [PMID: 27847468 PMCID: PMC5088189 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2016.00103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Accepted: 10/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The honeybee Apis mellifera is an established model for the study of visual orientation. Yet, research on this topic has focused on behavioral aspects and has neglected the investigation of the underlying neural architectures in the bee brain. In other insects, the anterior optic tubercle (AOTU), the lateral (LX) and the central complex (CX) are important brain regions for visuospatial performances. In the central brain of the honeybee, a prominent group of neurons connecting the AOTU with conspicuous microglomerular synaptic structures in the LX has been recently identified, but their neural organization and ultrastructure have not been investigated. Here we characterized these microglomerular structures by means of immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analyses, in order to evaluate neurotransmission and synaptic organization. Three-dimensional reconstructions of the pre-synaptic and post-synaptic microglomerular regions were performed based on confocal microscopy. Each pre-synaptic region appears as a large cup-shaped profile that embraces numerous post-synaptic profiles of GABAergic tangential neurons connecting the LX to the CX. We also identified serotonergic broad field neurons that probably provide modulatory input from the CX to the synaptic microglomeruli in the LX. Two distinct clusters of microglomerular structures were identified in the lateral bulb (LBU) and medial bulb (MBU) of the LX. Although the ultrastructure of both clusters is very similar, we found differences in the number of microglomeruli and in the volume of the pre-synaptic profiles of each cluster. We discuss the possible role of these microglomerular clusters in the visuospatial behavior of honeybees and propose research avenues for studying their neural plasticity and synaptic function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theo Mota
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Federal University of Minas GeraisBelo Horizonte, Brazil
- Research Center on Animal Cognition, Université de ToulouseToulouse, France
- Research Center on Animal Cognition, Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueToulouse, France
| | - Sabine Kreissl
- Department of Neurobiology, University of KonstanzKonstanz, Germany
| | - Ana Carrasco Durán
- Research Center on Animal Cognition, Université de ToulouseToulouse, France
- Research Center on Animal Cognition, Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueToulouse, France
| | - Damien Lefer
- Research Center on Animal Cognition, Université de ToulouseToulouse, France
- Research Center on Animal Cognition, Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueToulouse, France
| | - Giovanni Galizia
- Department of Neurobiology, University of KonstanzKonstanz, Germany
| | - Martin Giurfa
- Research Center on Animal Cognition, Université de ToulouseToulouse, France
- Research Center on Animal Cognition, Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueToulouse, France
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33
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Held M, Berz A, Hensgen R, Muenz TS, Scholl C, Rössler W, Homberg U, Pfeiffer K. Microglomerular Synaptic Complexes in the Sky-Compass Network of the Honeybee Connect Parallel Pathways from the Anterior Optic Tubercle to the Central Complex. Front Behav Neurosci 2016; 10:186. [PMID: 27774056 PMCID: PMC5053983 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
While the ability of honeybees to navigate relying on sky-compass information has been investigated in a large number of behavioral studies, the underlying neuronal system has so far received less attention. The sky-compass pathway has recently been described from its input region, the dorsal rim area (DRA) of the compound eye, to the anterior optic tubercle (AOTU). The aim of this study is to reveal the connection from the AOTU to the central complex (CX). For this purpose, we investigated the anatomy of large microglomerular synaptic complexes in the medial and lateral bulbs (MBUs/LBUs) of the lateral complex (LX). The synaptic complexes are formed by tubercle-lateral accessory lobe neuron 1 (TuLAL1) neurons of the AOTU and GABAergic tangential neurons of the central body’s (CB) lower division (TL neurons). Both TuLAL1 and TL neurons strongly resemble neurons forming these complexes in other insect species. We further investigated the ultrastructure of these synaptic complexes using transmission electron microscopy. We found that single large presynaptic terminals of TuLAL1 neurons enclose many small profiles (SPs) of TL neurons. The synaptic connections between these neurons are established by two types of synapses: divergent dyads and divergent tetrads. Our data support the assumption that these complexes are a highly conserved feature in the insect brain and play an important role in reliable signal transmission within the sky-compass pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Held
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-University Marburg Marburg, Germany
| | - Annuska Berz
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-University Marburg Marburg, Germany
| | - Ronja Hensgen
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-University Marburg Marburg, Germany
| | - Thomas S Muenz
- Biozentrum, Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), University of Würzburg Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christina Scholl
- Biozentrum, Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), University of Würzburg Würzburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Rössler
- Biozentrum, Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), University of Würzburg Würzburg, Germany
| | - Uwe Homberg
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-University Marburg Marburg, Germany
| | - Keram Pfeiffer
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-University Marburg Marburg, Germany
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34
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Schmitt F, Vanselow JT, Schlosser A, Wegener C, Rössler W. Neuropeptides in the desert antCataglyphis fortis: Mass spectrometric analysis, localization, and age-related changes. J Comp Neurol 2016; 525:901-918. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.24109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Revised: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Schmitt
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology, Theodor-Boveri-Institute, Biocenter; University of Würzburg; D-97074 Würzburg Germany
| | - Jens T. Vanselow
- Rudolf Virchow Center for Experimental Biomedicine; University of Würzburg; D-97080 Würzburg Germany
| | - Andreas Schlosser
- Rudolf Virchow Center for Experimental Biomedicine; University of Würzburg; D-97080 Würzburg Germany
| | - Christian Wegener
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri-Institute, Biocenter; University of Würzburg; D-97074 Würzburg Germany
| | - Wolfgang Rössler
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology, Theodor-Boveri-Institute, Biocenter; University of Würzburg; D-97074 Würzburg Germany
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