Strutz_et_al._-_2014_-_Decoding_odor_quality_and_intensity_in_the_Drosophila_brain.pdf (4.29 MB)
Decoding odor quality and intensity in the Drosophila brain
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 20:55 authored by Antonia Strutz, Jan Soelter, Amelie Baschwitz, Abu Farhan, Veit Grabe, Jürgen Rybak, Markus Knaden, Michael SchmukerMichael Schmuker, Bill S Hansson, Silke SachseTo internally reflect the sensory environment, animals create neural maps encoding the external stimulus space. From that primary neural code relevant information has to be extracted for accurate navigation. We analyzed how different odor features such as hedonic valence and intensity are functionally integrated in the lateral horn (LH) of the vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster. We characterized an olfactory-processing pathway, comprised of inhibitory projection neurons (iPNs) that target the LH exclusively, at morphological, functional and behavioral levels. We demonstrate that iPNs are subdivided into two morphological groups encoding positive hedonic valence or intensity information and conveying these features into separate domains in the LH. Silencing iPNs severely diminished flies' attraction behavior. Moreover, functional imaging disclosed a LH region tuned to repulsive odors comprised exclusively of third-order neurons. We provide evidence for a feature-based map in the LH, and elucidate its role as the center for integrating behaviorally relevant olfactory information.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Journal
eLifeISSN
2050-084xPublisher
eLife Sciences PublicationsExternal DOI
Volume
3Page range
1-21Article number
e04147Department affiliated with
- Informatics Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes