An Array of Descending Visual Interneurons Encoding Self-Motion in Drosophila

Overview

Journal J Neurosci

Specialty Neurology

Date 2016 Nov 18

PMID 27852783

Citations 55

Authors

Marie P Suver

Ainul Huda

Nicole Iwasaki

Steve Safarik

Michael H Dickinson

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Significance Statement: Most animals possess specialized sensory systems for encoding body rotation, which they use for stabilizing posture and regulating motor actions. In flies and other insects, the visual system contains an array of specialized neurons that integrate local optic flow to estimate body rotation during locomotion. However, the manner in which the output of these cells is transformed by the downstream neurons that innervate motor centers is poorly understood. We have identified a set of three visual descending neurons that integrate the output of nine large-field visual interneurons and project directly to flight motor centers. Our results provide new insight into how the sensory information that encodes body motion is transformed into a code that is appropriate for motor actions.

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