Sensorimotor pathway controlling stopping behavior during chemotaxis in the Drosophila melanogaster larva

Sensory navigation results from coordinated transitions between distinct behavioral programs. During chemotaxis in the Drosophila melanogaster larva, the detection of positive odor gradients extends runs while negative gradients promote stops and turns. This algorithm represents a foundation for the...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Tastekin, Ibrahim, 1986-, Khandelwal, Avinash, 1987-, Tadres, David, Fessner, Nico D., Truman, James W., Zlatic, Marta, Cardona, Albert, Louis, Matthieu
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2018
País:España
Institución:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:10230/42838
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10230/42838
http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.38740
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Chemotaxis
D. melanogaster
Behavioral quantification
Descending neuron
Motor control
Neuroscience
Olfaction
Sensorimotor transformation
Descripción
Sumario:Sensory navigation results from coordinated transitions between distinct behavioral programs. During chemotaxis in the Drosophila melanogaster larva, the detection of positive odor gradients extends runs while negative gradients promote stops and turns. This algorithm represents a foundation for the control of sensory navigation across phyla. In the present work, we identified an olfactory descending neuron, PDM-DN, which plays a pivotal role in the organization of stops and turns in response to the detection of graded changes in odor concentrations. Artificial activation of this descending neuron induces deterministic stops followed by the initiation of turning maneuvers through head casts. Using electron microscopy, we reconstructed the main pathway that connects the PDM-DN neuron to the peripheral olfactory system and to the pre-motor circuit responsible for the actuation of forward peristalsis. Our results set the stage for a detailed mechanistic analysis of the sensorimotor conversion of graded olfactory inputs into action selection to perform goal-oriented navigation.