Browsing by Author "Tuthill, John C."

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Functional architecture of neural circuits for leg proprioception in Drosophila
    Chen, Chenghao; Agrawal, Sweta; Mark, Brandon; Mamiya, Akira; Sustar, Anne; Phelps, Jasper S.; Lee, Wei-Chung Allen; Dickson, Barry J.; Card, Gwyneth M.; Tuthill, John C. (Cell Press, 2021-10-11)
    To effectively control their bodies, animals rely on feedback from proprioceptive mechanosensory neurons. In the Drosophila leg, different proprioceptor subtypes monitor joint position, movement direction, and vibration. Here, we investigate how these diverse sensory signals are integrated by central proprioceptive circuits. We find that signals for leg joint position and directional movement converge in second-order neurons, revealing pathways for local feedback control of leg posture. Distinct populations of second-order neurons integrate tibia vibration signals across pairs of legs, suggesting a role in detecting external substrate vibration. In each pathway, the flow of sensory information is dynamically gated and sculpted by inhibition. Overall, our results reveal parallel pathways for processing of internal and external mechanosensory signals, which we propose mediate feedback control of leg movement and vibration sensing, respectively. The existence of a functional connectivity map also provides a resource for interpreting connectomic reconstruction of neural circuits for leg proprioception.
  • Thumbnail Image
    The two-body problem: Proprioception and motor control across the metamorphic divide
    Agrawal, Sweta; Tuthill, John C. (Elsevier, 2022-05-02)
    Like a rocket being propelled into space, evolution has engineered flies to launch into adulthood via multiple stages. Flies develop and deploy two distinct bodies, linked by the transformative process of metamorphosis. The fly larva is a soft hydraulic tube that can crawl to find food and avoid predators. The adult fly has a stiff exoskeleton with articulated limbs that enable long-distance navigation and rich social interactions. Because the larval and adult forms are so distinct in structure, they require distinct strategies for sensing and moving the body. The metamorphic divide thus presents an opportunity for comparative analysis of neural circuits. Here, we review recent progress toward understanding the neural mechanisms of proprioception and motor control in larval and adult Drosophila. We highlight commonalities that point toward general principles of sensorimotor control and differences that may reflect unique constraints imposed by biomechanics. Finally, we discuss emerging opportunities for comparative analysis of neural circuit architecture in the fly and other animal species.