Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research

Mapping the Neural Dynamics of Locomotion across the Drosophila Brain

The paper maps neural activity associated with walking across the entire Drosophila brain, identifying global and clustered signals linked to locomotion and future movement anticipation.

Molecular basis of chemosensing by internal sensory neurons in Drosophila larvae

The paper identifies molecular mechanisms in Drosophila larval neurons that detect changes in oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, using genetic and behavioral analyses.

Failure to mate enhances investment in behaviors that may promote mating reward and impairs the ability to cope with stressors via a subpopulation of Neuropeptide F receptor neurons

The paper shows that repeated mating failure in Drosophila leads to stress-like states and impaired coping, mediated by specific neurons.

Descending control and regulation of spontaneous flight turns in Drosophila

This paper identifies a neural network in Drosophila that generates spontaneous flight turns and a neuron that inhibits these turns to promote straight flight.

Intricate response dynamics enhances stimulus discrimination in the resource-limited C. elegans chemosensory system

The paper shows how C. elegans uses dynamic neuron interactions to enhance discrimination of similar chemical stimuli despite having a limited number of sensory neurons.

Recurrent connections enable point attractor dynamics and dimensionality reduction in a connectome-constrained model of the insect learning center

The paper investigates the computational role of recurrent connections in the insect mushroom body using a connectome-constrained model, finding they enable point attractor dynamics and dimensionality reduction.

Minimal circuit motifs for second-order conditioning in the insect mushroom body

The paper identifies minimal circuit motifs in the insect mushroom body that support second-order conditioning by analyzing how dopaminergic neurons are activated through different pathways.

Memory consolidation in honey bees is enhanced by down-regulation of Down Syndrome Cell Adhesion Molecule and changes its alternative splicing

This study shows that reducing Dscam expression enhances memory retention in honey bees and alters its alternative splicing during memory consolidation.

Pathogen infection induces sickness behaviors by recruiting neuromodulatory systems linked to stress and satiety in C. elegans

This study identifies neuromodulatory systems involved in sickness behaviors in C. elegans infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, showing distinct roles of neuropeptides in regulating feeding, quiescence, and survival.

Characterization of genetic and molecular tools for studying the endogenous expression of Lactate dehydrogenase in Drosophila melanogaster

The paper characterizes genetic and molecular tools for studying Ldh expression in Drosophila melanogaster and finds they reveal complex tissue-specific expression patterns.

The motor apparatus of head movements in the Oleander hawkmoth (Daphnis nerii, Lepidoptera)

The paper investigates the motor apparatus for head movements in the Oleander hawkmoth, focusing on anatomical structures and proposing hypotheses about their function in gaze stabilization.

Ephaptic coupling between olfactory receptor neurons is sensitive to relative stimulus timing: Implications for odour source discrimination

The paper investigates how ephaptic coupling between olfactory receptor neurons in fruit flies responds to the timing of odorant arrival, showing that asynchronous odorant arrival reduces ephaptic inhibition, supporting its role in odor source discrimination.

Prediction error drives associative olfactory learning and conditioned behavior in a spiking model of Drosophila larva

The paper develops a spiking neural network model of Drosophila larva olfactory learning that uses prediction error to drive associative learning and behavior.

Neural circuits underlying context-dependent competition between defensive actions in Drosophila larva

The paper identifies neural circuits in Drosophila larvae that mediate context-dependent competition between defensive actions like startle and escape behaviors.

The seminal odorant binding protein Obp56g is required for mating plug formation and male fertility in Drosophila melanogaster

This study identifies Obp56g as essential for mating plug formation and male fertility in Drosophila melanogaster through functional and evolutionary analyses.

Expanding the Drosophila toolkit for dual control of gene expression

This paper develops a toolkit for dual control of gene expression in Drosophila using GAL4/UAS and LexA/QF systems, providing new vectors and fly lines for orthogonal gene regulation.

Conditional Chemoconnectomics (cCCTomics): Conditional Targeting of Chemical Transmission Efficiently

The paper introduces conditional CCTomics tools to study chemical transmission in Drosophila, demonstrating their effectiveness by analyzing CCT gene expression in clock neurons and revealing an antagonistic relationship between CNMa-CNMaR and PDF-PDFR signaling.

Neuromuscular Basis of Drosophila larval rolling escape behavior

This study identifies the neuromuscular mechanisms underlying Drosophila larval rolling escape behavior, revealing circumferential muscle contractions and premotor circuitry involved in generating rolling motion.

Neurofibromin 1 mediates sleep depth in Drosophila

This study investigates the role of Neurofibromin 1 (Nf1) in regulating sleep depth and metabolic rate in Drosophila, finding that Nf1 deficiency disrupts sleep consolidation and gut homeostasis.

The AMsh glia of C. elegans modulates the duration of touch-induced escape responses

This study identifies the role of AMsh glia in modulating the duration of nose-touch escape responses in C. elegans by mechanosensory transduction and GABAergic signaling.

Neuronal control of suppression, initiation and completion of egg deposition in Drosophila melanogaster

The paper identifies neuronal populations in Drosophila that control different stages of egg deposition behavior.

Transcriptional complexity in the insect central complex: single nuclei RNA sequencing of adult brain neurons derived from type 2 neuroblasts

The paper uses single nuclei RNA sequencing to analyze transcriptional diversity of T2 neuroblast-derived neurons and glia in Drosophila, identifying clusters and transcription factor codes for neuron subtypes in the central complex.

A temporal allocation of amino acid resources ensures fitness and body allometry

The paper identifies a two-step mechanism for amino acid storage in Drosophila and shows its impact on organ growth and adult fitness.

Hybrid Neural Networks of the Olfactory Learning Center in the Drosophila Brain

The paper analyzes the connectivity and function of the Drosophila mushroom body network, revealing a hybrid structure that enhances odor detection and discrimination.

Astrocyte-dependent local neurite pruning and Hox gene-mediated cell death in Beat-Va neurons

The paper identifies two neuronal subtypes in Drosophila that undergo distinct remodeling processes during metamorphosis, highlighting astrocyte-dependent pruning and Hox gene-mediated cell death.

Serotonergic amplification of odor-evoked neural responses maps flexibly onto behavioral outcomes

This study shows serotonin modulates odor-evoked neural responses and behavioral outcomes in locusts, with neural amplification not fully explaining stimulus-specific behavior.

Molecular and neuronal mechanisms governing sexually dimorphic prioritization of innate behaviors

The paper identifies molecular mechanisms in Drosophila that govern sex-specific prioritization of innate behaviors through pC1 neurons and their co-transmitters.

Developmental remodeling repurposes larval neurons for sexual behaviors in adult Drosophila

This study identifies two larval neurons in Drosophila that are repurposed during metamorphosis for adult sexual behaviors, showing sexual differentiation and remodeling in females.

The function of juvenile-adult transition axis in female sexual receptivity of Drosophila melanogaster

This study identifies the role of the PTTH hormone and its receptor in regulating female sexual receptivity in Drosophila melanogaster during neurodevelopment.

Synergy of color and motion vision for detecting approaching objects in Drosophila

This study shows that color enhances motion vision in Drosophila by improving detection of approaching UV discs through synergistic pathways between UV-sensitive photoreceptors and motion-sensitive neurons.