Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research

Odour representations supporting ethology-relevant categorisation and discrimination in the Drosophila mushroom body

The paper shows that different Kenyon cell types in Drosophila mushroom bodies encode odours for categorisation and discrimination based on ethological relevance.

A split-GAL4 driver line resource for Drosophila neuron types

The paper describes a collection of split-GAL4 driver lines for targeting specific neuron types in Drosophila, enabling functional and molecular studies.

Bumblebee visual learning: simple solutions for complex stimuli

This study shows bumblebees can learn complex visual stimuli by prioritizing consistent elements, suggesting simple cognitive mechanisms may explain their learning abilities.

Synaptic enrichment and dynamic regulation of the two opposing dopamine receptors within the same neurons

The paper examines the expression and localization of two opposing dopamine receptors in Drosophila neurons, revealing their presynaptic enrichment and starvation-dependent regulation.

Glia control experience-dependent plasticity in an olfactory critical period

The paper shows that glia prune synapses during a critical period in Drosophila olfactory circuits, with long-term effects on circuit function.

Multilayer regulation underlies the functional precision and evolvability of the olfactory system

The paper studies the Drosophila olfactory system to show how multiple regulatory layers ensure functional precision and allow evolutionary changes in sensory neuron specification.

Reliable odorant sensing but variable associative learning in C. elegans

This paper develops a novel assay for measuring odorant responses in C. elegans without immobilization and finds variable associative learning in response to butanone.

Differential coding of fruit, leaf, and microbial odours in the brains of Drosophila suzukii and Drosophila melanogaster.

The paper investigates how Drosophila suzukii and D. melanogaster encode different odours in their antennal lobes and assesses the resulting behavioural responses.

Metabolic constraints on growth explain how developmental temperature scales synaptic connectivity relevant for behaviour.

The paper shows how temperature affects neural wiring in Drosophila by modeling metabolic constraints and demonstrates temperature-dependent changes in synaptic connectivity and behavior.

Sensory experience controls dendritic structure and behavior by distinct pathways involving degenerins

The paper shows sensory experience influences dendritic structure and behavior in C. elegans PVD neurons through degenerin channels, with structural and behavioral changes being functionally independent.

The C. elegans uv1 neuroendocrine cells provide direct mechanosensory feedback of vulval opening

This paper shows that C. elegans uv1 neuroendocrine cells directly respond to mechanical activation, using L-type Ca2+ channels, without requiring synaptic or peptidergic signals.

Multi-nodal regulation of olfactory dishabituation in Drosophila

This paper identifies a multi-node neural circuit in Drosophila that governs intramodal and cross-modal dishabituation by dynamically overriding habituation.

Temporal and Notch identity determine neuropil targeting depth and synapse location in the fly visual system

The paper links temporal and Notch identity of medulla neurons to their synaptic location and neuropil targeting depth in the adult Drosophila visual system.

Functional analysis of conserved C. elegans bHLH family members uncovers lifespan control by a peptidergic hub neuron

The paper identifies the role of C. elegans bHLH genes in specifying neuron identity and function, revealing that hlh-15/NHLH controls lifespan through neuropeptide secretion in AVK neurons.

C. elegans interprets dietary quality through context-dependent serotonergic modulation

The paper identifies E. coli metabolic mutants that affect C. elegans foraging behavior and shows how serotonin and dopamine signaling modulates responses to different diets.

Dynamics of neuropeptide release and activity post-bloodmeal in the female mosquito, Aedes aegypti

This study quantifies the release kinetics of diuretic and anti-diuretic neuropeptides in female Aedes aegypti post-bloodmeal to understand their role in regulating urine secretion.

Compromising tyrosine hydroxylase function establishes a delusion-like temporal profile of reinforcement by dopamine neurons in Drosophila

This study shows that impairing tyrosine hydroxylase in Drosophila alters dopamine neuron reinforcement timing, mimicking delusional causality attribution in different conditioning paradigms.

DANCE: An open-source analysis pipeline and low-cost hardware to quantify aggression and courtship in Drosophila

DANCE is an open-source platform with low-cost hardware and machine learning classifiers to quantify aggression and courtship in Drosophila, outperforming expensive alternatives.

Cross-modal sensory compensation increases mosquito attraction to humans

The paper identifies a sensory compensation mechanism in female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes where loss of odorant receptor co-receptor Orco leads to enhanced heat detection via upregulated Ir140 in forelegs.

Adult Drosophila aversion to caffeine requires a unique TrpA1 isoform and the PLC signaling cascade

The paper shows that caffeine aversion in Drosophila requires the TrpA1-E isoform and PLC signaling in Gr66a+ neurons.

Amino acids activate parallel chemosensory pathways in Drosophila

This study identifies taste cells and receptors in Drosophila that mediate amino acid attraction and aversion, revealing parallel pathways for AA detection.

Inferring community architectures of multisensory pathways in Drosophila via unsupervised network embedding

The paper uses a novel network embedding method to infer community structures in Drosophila multisensory pathways, revealing distinct neural groups and their roles in sensory integration.

A neurotrophin functioning with a Toll regulates structural plasticity in a dopaminergic circuit

This study shows that DNT-2 and its receptors Toll-6 and Kek-6 regulate structural plasticity in dopaminergic circuits in Drosophila, affecting behavior and connectivity.

A computational model for angular velocity integration in a locust heading circuit

The paper develops a computational model of angular velocity integration in a locust heading circuit, showing it is robust to noise and can steer a simulated locust back on course.

A modulatory attentional gate promotes recent memory expression in Drosophila

This study identifies a mechanism by which octopamine modulates memory expression in Drosophila by prioritizing recent over long-term memories through specific neural circuits.

Neuronal fatty acid oxidation fuels memory after intensive learning

This study shows that neuronal fatty acid oxidation in Drosophila mushroom bodies is essential for memory formation after intensive training.

Drosulfakinin signaling encodes early-life memory for adaptive social plasticity

This study identifies Drosulfakinin signaling as a mechanism for encoding early-life social experience and enabling adaptive social plasticity in Drosophila.

A High-Throughput Platform for Assessing Single Fly Learning and Memory: Individual Drosophila Olfactory Conditioner (iDOC)

The paper introduces iDOC, a platform for single-fly olfactory conditioning and memory assessment, showing spaced training promotes sleep while massed training induces anesthesia-resistant memory.

Centralized brain networks underlie body part coordination during grooming

The paper identifies centralized neural circuits in Drosophila that coordinate body part movements during grooming, showing synchronization without sensory feedback.

The voltage-gated potassium channel Shal (Kv4) contributes to active hearing in Drosophila

This study investigates the role of the Shal potassium channel in Drosophila hearing, finding it contributes to mechanotransduction and active antennal tuning.