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Identifying neural substrates of competitive interactions and sequence transitions during mechanosensory responses in Drosophila.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Masson, Jean-Baptiste  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5484-9056
Barré, Chloé 
Skatchkovsky, Nicolas  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9111-7479

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.

Description

Keywords

Action Potentials, Animals, Animals, Genetically Modified, Binding, Competitive, Brain, Brain Mapping, Cues, Drosophila melanogaster, Mechanotransduction, Cellular, Neural Pathways, Neurons, Phenotype, Sensory Receptor Cells, Synaptic Transmission

Journal Title

PLoS Genet

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1553-7390
1553-7404

Volume Title

16

Publisher

Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Sponsorship
Wellcome Trust (205050/Z/16/Z)
European Research Council (819650)