Biomechanical origins of proprioceptor feature selectivity and topographic maps in the Drosophila leg.

ABSTRACT: Our ability to sense and move our bodies relies on proprioceptors, sensory neurons that detect mechanical forces within the body. Different subtypes of proprioceptors detect different kinematic features, such as joint position, movement, and vibration, but the mechanisms that underlie proprioceptor feature selectivity remain poorly understood. Using single-nucleus RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), we found that proprioceptor subtypes in the Drosophila leg lack differential expression of mechanosensitive ion channels. However, anatomical reconstruction of the proprioceptors and connected tendons revealed major biomechanical differences between subtypes. We built a model of the proprioceptors and tendons that identified a biomechanical mechanism for joint angle selectivity and predicted the existenc

SUBMITTER: Mamiya A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10644877 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature