Functional divisions for visual processing in the central brain of flying Drosophila.

ABSTRACT: Although anatomy is often the first step in assigning functions to neural structures, it is not always clear whether architecturally distinct regions of the brain correspond to operational units. Whereas neuroarchitecture remains relatively static, functional connectivity may change almost instantaneously according to behavioral context. We imaged panneuronal responses to visual stimuli in a highly conserved central brain region in the fruit fly, Drosophila, during flight. In one substructure, the fan-shaped body, automated analysis revealed three layers that were unresponsive in quiescent flies but became responsive to visual stimuli when the animal was flying. The responses of these regions to a broad suite of visual stimuli suggest that they are involved in the regulation of flight head

SUBMITTER: Weir PT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4603480 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature