A Plastic Visual Pathway Regulates Cooperative Behavior in Drosophila Larvae.

ABSTRACT: Cooperative behavior emerges in biological systems through coordinated actions among individuals [1, 2]. Although widely observed across animal species, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the establishment and maintenance of cooperative behaviors remain largely unknown [3]. To characterize the circuit mechanisms serving the needs of independent individuals and social groups, we investigated cooperative digging behavior in Drosophila larvae [4-6]. Although chemical and mechanical sensations are important for larval aggregation at specific sites [7-9], an individual larva's ability to participate in a cooperative burrowing cluster relies on direct visual input as well as visual and social experience during development. In addition, vision modulates cluster dynamics by promoting

SUBMITTER: Dombrovski M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6615885 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature