Transforming a head direction signal into a goal-oriented steering command.

ABSTRACT: To navigate, we must continuously estimate the direction we are headed in, and we must correct deviations from our goal¹. Direction estimation is accomplished by ring attractor networks in the head direction system^2,3. However, we do not fully understand how the sense of direction is used to guide action. Drosophila connectome analyses^4,5 reveal three cell populations (PFL3R, PFL3L and PFL2) that connect the head direction system to the locomotor system. Here we use imaging, electrophysiology and chemogenetic stimulation during navigation to show how these populations function. Each population receives a shifted copy of the head direction vector, such that their three reference frames are shifted approximately 120° relative to each other. Each cell type the

SUBMITTER: Westeinde EA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10881397 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature