A Neural Basis for Categorizing Sensory Stimuli to Enhance Decision Accuracy

A neuropeptidergic circuit gates selective escape behavior of Drosophila larvae

“…Of note, ABLK neurons have been proposed to gate binary escape decisions in response to optogenetic activation of C4da neurons using a blue light-activated channelrhodopsin. 65 Our connectomic, functional, and behavioral data show that ABLK neurons are actually part of a UV and blue light-sensing circuit promoting acute and sustained noxious light-avoidance behavior. While ABLK neurons have known additional functions in stress response pathways 66,67 and blue light-induced rearing behavior, 68 the lack of major connectivity and functional activation of ABLK by C4da neurons as shown in our work will require further investigation of their role in computing binary escape decisions.…”

Descending Control of Nociception in Insects?

“…This suggests that serotonin may also be able to inhibit nociceptive processing via leucokinin neuron signalling. Another mechanism of inhibition of nociception that has been uncovered is GABAergic neurons, which inhibit the activity of these abdominal ganglion leucokinin neurons (Hu et al, 2020). These findings demonstrate that inhibition of nociception in insects is possible via molecular pathways (see Figure 2b).…”

“…The mechanisms behind inhibition of nociceptive responses are poorly understood in most insects. In fruit flies, there are second-order interneurons in the ventral nerve cord that are activated by nociceptors and integrate different sensory stimuli (Lopez-Bellido et al, 2019), as well as triggering nocifensive rolling behaviour in fruit fly larvae (Hu et al, 2020;Kaneko et al, 2017;Ohyama et al, 2015). Two types of these interneurons, Basin-4 and A08n, are involved in the inhibition of nociceptive signalling in fruit fly larvae, via an inhibitory feedback loop with serotoninergic neurons (Figure 2b) (Kaneko et al, 2017).…”

“…Two types of these interneurons, Basin-4 and A08n, are involved in the inhibition of nociceptive signalling in fruit fly larvae, via an inhibitory feedback loop with serotoninergic neurons (Figure 2b) (Kaneko et al, 2017). Basin-4 and A08n also activate leucokinin neurons in the abdominal ganglion of the fruit fly larva, which are required for escape behaviour from noxious stimuli (Hu et al, 2020), and these neurons express the serotonin receptor 5-HT1B (Okusawa et al, 2014). This suggests that serotonin may also be able to inhibit nociceptive processing via leucokinin neuron signalling.…”

isoTarget: A Genetic Method for Analyzing the Functional Diversity of Splicing Isoforms In Vivo

“…The pCFD3-dU63 gRNA plasmid was used to produce gRNA in fly embryos (Ran et al, 2013). Iso-tagging of total Rdl proteins tagged at the C terminus with the V5-tag is reported in a separate paper (Hu et al, 2020). Briefly, the isoTarget cassette followed by the V5-epitope tag was inserted right before the Rdl stop codon.…”