Inhibitory circuits control leg movements during Drosophila grooming.

ABSTRACT: Limbs execute diverse actions coordinated by the nervous system through multiple motor programs. The basic architecture of motor neurons that activate muscles which articulate joints for antagonistic flexion and extension movements is conserved from flies to vertebrates. While excitatory premotor circuits are expected to establish sets of leg motor neurons that work together, our study uncovered an instructive role for inhibitory circuits - including their ability to generate rhythmic leg movements. Using electron microscopy data in the Drosophila nerve cord, we categorized ~120 GABAergic inhibitory neurons from the 13 A and 13B hemilineages into classes based on similarities in morphology and connectivity. By mapping their connections, we uncovered pathways for inhibiting specific

SUBMITTER: Syed DS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12844901 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature