Linking the Input to the Output: New Sets of Neurons Complement the Polarization Vision Network in the Locust Central Complex

Heinze, Stanley; Homberg, Uwe

doi:10.1523/jneurosci.0332-09.2009

Cited by 109 publications

(163 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…n.t., not tested. Nomenclature of cell types from Homberg (1994), Müller et al (1997), Homberg et al (1999), and Heinze and Homberg (2009). In two cases it was unclear whether we recorded from a GFS or a colabeled intrinsic neuron of the CBU (PoU1 neuron, respectively, PoU2 neuron; Heinze and Homberg, 2008).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…All of these cell types have previously been shown to be sensitive to zenithal polarized light (Vitzthum et al, 2002;Heinze et al, 2009). All but one tested cell was looming sensitive (Table 1).…”

Section: Looming Sensitivity In Neurons Of the Cbl And Pbmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…CPU1 neurons have ramifications in single columns of the PB, a pair of columns in layer I and II of the CBU, and send axonal fibers to large arborizations in the ventral shell of the contralateral accessory lobe. Heinze and Homberg (2007) and Heinze et al (2009) showed that CPU1 neurons are sensitive to zenithal polarized light. We tested four CPU neurons for their sensitivity to expanding discs (Table 1, Fig.…”

Section: Looming Sensitivity In Neurons Of the Cbl And Pbmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast, polarization sensitivity is conspicuously absent in neurons of the CBU. Instead, CBU neurons were speculated to modify the response properties of polarization-sensitive neurons depending on the behavioral state of the insect (Homberg, 1994;Heinze and Homberg, 2009). Additionally, CBU neurons in flies (Liu et al, 2006;Phillips-Portillo, 2012) and locusts (Homberg, 1994) process unpolarized visual information.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Widespread Sensitivity to Looming Stimuli and Small Moving Objects in the Central Complex of an Insect Brain

Rosner

Homberg

2013

J. Neurosci.

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In many situations animals are confronted with approaching objects. Depending on whether the approach represents a potential threat or is intended during a goal-oriented approach, the adequate behavioral strategies differ. In all of these cases the visual system experiences an expanding or looming shape. The neuronal machinery mediating looming elicited behavioral responses has been studied most comprehensively in insects but is still far from being fully understood. It is particularly unknown how insects adjust their behavior to objects approaching from different directions. A brain structure that is thought to play an important role in spatial orientation in insects is the central complex (CC). We investigated whether CC neurons process information about approaching objects on a collision course. We recorded intracellularly from CC neurons in the locust Schistocerca gregaria during visual stimulation via lateral LCD screens. Many neurons in the locust CC, including columnar and tangential neurons, were sensitive to looming stimuli. Some of the neurons also responded to small moving targets. Several cell types showed binocular responses to looming objects, and some neurons were excited or inhibited depending on which eye was stimulated. These neurons may, therefore, detect the gross azimuthal direction of approaching objects and may mediate directional components of escape or steering movements.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Looming Sensitivity In Neurons Of the Cbl And Pbmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Looming Sensitivity In Neurons Of the Cbl And Pbmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Widespread Sensitivity to Looming Stimuli and Small Moving Objects in the Central Complex of an Insect Brain

Rosner

Homberg

2013

J. Neurosci.

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“…In the central complex, POLneurons show a rather uniform synaptic activity for all polarization directions from 0 • to 360 • [11], [12]. A winner takes all mechanism can be used to understand how the heading direction is retrieved in the central complex of an insect [8], [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A novel insect-inspired optical compass sensor for a hexapod walking robot

Dupeyroux¹,

Diperi²,

Boyron³

et al. 2017

2017 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)

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Abstract-In an outdoor autonomous navigational context, classic compass sensors such as magnetometers have to deal with unpredictable magnetic disturbances. In this paper, we propose to get inspiration from the insect navigational abilities to design a celestial compass based on linear polarization of ultraviolet (UV) skylight. To compute the solar meridian relative orientation, our 3D-printed celestial compass uses only two pixels created by two UV-light photo-sensors topped with linear polarizers arranged orthogonally to each other, in the same manner that was observed in insects' Dorsal Rim Area ommatidia. The compass was then embedded on our hexapod walking robot called Hexabot. We first tested the UV-polarized light compass to compensate for yaw random disturbances. We then used the compass to maintain Hexabot's heading direction constant in a straight-forward task, knowing the robot has important yaw drifts. Experiments under various meteorological conditions provided steady state heading direction errors from 0.3 • under clear sky conditions to 1.9 • under overcast sky, which suggests interesting precision and reliability to make this optical compass suitable for robotics.

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Structure of the adult central complex in Drosophila: Organization of distinct neuronal subsets

Young

Armstrong

2010

J of Comparative Neurology

143

190

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The central complex (CX) is a defined set of neuropils located on the midline of the protocerebrum in several arthropods and has been implicated in a number of behaviors. To investigate the function of the CX further it is imperative to know the neuroarchitecture of this structure and to ensure all known neuron types conform to a common nomenclature system. Several types of CX neuron have been identified but it is not known if these exist singly or as components of isomorphic sets. We used an enhancer trap approach to study the adult structure, connectivity, and polarity of CX neurons in Drosophila. We observed several isomorphic sets of small-field neurons including pontine and fb-eb neurons, and also isomorphic sets of large-field neurons including R neurons and F neurons. We found that several types of large-field F neurons existed in isomorphic sets of approximately eight (four per hemisphere) and found evidence for small-field neuron types existing as isomorphic sets of 16. Small-field neurons were observed in clearly organized layers. This study provides a novel insight into CX structure and connectivity and provides a set of characterized enhancer trap lines that will be valuable for future study.

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Linking the Input to the Output: New Sets of Neurons Complement the Polarization Vision Network in the Locust Central Complex

Cited by 109 publications

References 35 publications

Widespread Sensitivity to Looming Stimuli and Small Moving Objects in the Central Complex of an Insect Brain

Widespread Sensitivity to Looming Stimuli and Small Moving Objects in the Central Complex of an Insect Brain

A novel insect-inspired optical compass sensor for a hexapod walking robot

Structure of the adult central complex in Drosophila: Organization of distinct neuronal subsets

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