Temporal novelty detection and multiple timescale integration drive Drosophila orientation dynamics in temporally diverse olfactory environments.

ABSTRACT: To survive, insects must effectively navigate odor plumes to their source. In natural plumes, turbulent winds break up smooth odor regions into disconnected patches, so navigators encounter brief bursts of odor interrupted by bouts of clean air. The timing of these encounters plays a critical role in navigation, determining the direction, rate, and magnitude of insects' orientation and speed dynamics. Disambiguating the specific role of odor timing from other cues, such as spatial structure, is challenging due to natural correlations between plumes' temporal and spatial features. Here, we use optogenetics to isolate temporal features of odor signals, examining how the frequency and duration of odor encounters shape the navigational decisions of freely-walking Drosophila. We find that fly a

SUBMITTER: Jayaram V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10205008 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature