A circuit mechanism for the propagation of waves of muscle contraction in Drosophila.
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Authors
Fushiki, Akira
Zwart, Maarten F
Kohsaka, Hiroshi
Fetter, Richard D
Nose, Akinao
Publication Date
2016-02-15Journal Title
Elife
ISSN
2050-084X
Publisher
eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd
Volume
5
Number
e13253
Language
English
Type
Article
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Fushiki, A., Zwart, M. F., Kohsaka, H., Fetter, R. D., Cardona, A., & Nose, A. (2016). A circuit mechanism for the propagation of waves of muscle contraction in Drosophila.. Elife, 5 (e13253) https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.13253
Abstract
Animals move by adaptively coordinating the sequential activation of muscles. The circuit mechanisms underlying coordinated locomotion are poorly understood. Here, we report on a novel circuit for the propagation of waves of muscle contraction, using the peristaltic locomotion of Drosophila larvae as a model system. We found an intersegmental chain of synaptically connected neurons, alternating excitatory and inhibitory, necessary for wave propagation and active in phase with the wave. The excitatory neurons (A27h) are premotor and necessary only for forward locomotion, and are modulated by stretch receptors and descending inputs. The inhibitory neurons (GDL) are necessary for both forward and backward locomotion, suggestive of different yet coupled central pattern generators, and its inhibition is necessary for wave propagation. The circuit structure and functional imaging indicated that the commands to contract one segment promote the relaxation of the next segment, revealing a mechanism for wave propagation in peristaltic locomotion.
Sponsorship
We thank the Fly EM Project Team at HHMI Janelia for the gift of the EM volume, the HHMI visa office, and HHMI Janelia for funding.
Identifiers
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.13253
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/254840
Rights
Attribution 2.0 UK: England & Wales
Licence URL: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/uk/
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