On the role of photoreceptor identity in controlling accurate wiring of the Drosophila visual circuit

Abstract

During development, neurons extend in search of synaptic partners. Precise control of axon extension velocity can therefore be crucial to ensuring proper circuit formation. How velocity is regulated - particularly by the extending axons themselves - remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate this question in the Drosophila visual system, where photoreceptors make precise connections with a specific set of synaptic partners that together create a circuit underpinning neural superposition (NSP). We used a combination of genetic perturbations and quantitative image analysis to investigate the influence of cell identity on growth cone velocity and subsequent spatial-temporal coincidence of presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons. Our study provides a case study of how cell autonomous properties of presynaptic axons play a pivotal role in controlling the dynamics of growing axons and determining the formation of a precise neuronal circuit.