Abstract
Some animals are attracted by sun light, others are highly repulsed by it. Especially for slowly moving animals, such as Drosophila larvae, direct sunlight may be perceived as noxious stimulus as it increases the risk of desiccation, DNA-damaging by UV-light and exposure to predators. For several reasons, model organisms like Drosophila larvae are well-suited for investigating how light cues are translated into an appropriate behavioral output. First, many of the genetic tools, which were created for use in adult fruit flies, work also in larvae. Second, the lower number of cells in Drosophila larvae compared to adults makes this system adequate for reconstructing neural circuits. Third, the relatively simple behavioral repertoire of larvae facilitates the study of basic functions like navigation with regards to light. Larvae navigate robustly away from a light source by the use of several sophisticated behavioral strategies which are based on temporal or spatial information processing. Two central brain neurons, the NP394-neurons, are highly important for larval light avoidance. It was even reported that these cells seem to play a functional role in a putative larval light preference switch right before pupation. However, the exact function of the NP394-neurons in light navigation remains unknown. We here show that the functional role of NP394-neurons in larval light navigation is restricted to behaviors based on temporal information processing, but not for spatial navigation.
Highlights
By combining a tracking system with temporal or spatial light stimulation as well as with genetically interference of NP394-neurons cellular activity, we show that NP394-neurons seem to play a role in navigational strategies based on temporal light information processing, but seem to be dispensable for strategies based on spatial light information processing
We investigated if NP394-neurons possess a functional role in mediating navigational strategies based on temporal information processing
Previous studies showed that NP394-neurons are absolutely essential for larval light avoidance by using light-dark choice tests (Gong et al, 2010; Yamanaka et al, 2013)
Summary
Drosophila larvae are highly photophobic and navigate robustly away from a light exposure by using sophisticated behavioral strategies either based on temporal or spatial information processing (Kane et al, 2013; Humberg and Sprecher, 2017; Humberg et al, 2018). One navigational strategy based on temporal information integration is biasing the head sweep acceptance rate (Kane et al, 2013; Humberg et al, 2018). Larvae terminate their runs to probe their environment via head sweeping. Light-dark choice tests revealed that these NP394-neurons are highly essential for larval light avoidance and serve as a neuronal substrate of behavioral plasticity by mediating a switch in larval light preference (Gong et al, 2010; Yamanaka et al, 2013) These preference tests lack detailed information about which behavioral strategy are affected in case NP394-neurons are not properly functioning. By combining a tracking system with temporal or spatial light stimulation as well as with genetically interference of NP394-neurons cellular activity, we show that NP394-neurons seem to play a role in navigational strategies based on temporal light information processing, but seem to be dispensable for strategies based on spatial light information processing
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