Neuromuscular Basis of Drosophila Larval Rolling Escape Behavior

Authors

Patricia C Cooney
Yuhan Huang
Wenze Li
Dulanjana M Perera
Richard Hormigo
Tanya Tabachnik
Isuru S Godage
Elizabeth M C Hillman
Wesley B Grueber
Aref A Zarin

Publication Date

12-19-2023

Journal

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Abstract

To escape from dangerous stimuli, animals execute escape behaviors that are fundamentally different from normal locomotion. The rolling escape behavior of Drosophila larvae consists of C-shaped bending and rolling. However, the muscle contraction patterns that lead to rolling are poorly understood. We find that following the initial body bending, muscles contract in a circumferential wave around the larva as they enter the bend, maintaining unidirectional rolling that resembles a cylinder rolling on a surface. We study the structure of motor circuits for rolling, inhibit different motor neurons to determine which muscles are essential for rolling, and propose circuit and biomechanical models for roll generation. Our findings provide insights into how motor circuits produce diverse motor behaviors.

Keywords

rolling escape behavior, premotor–motor–muscle connectome, motor circuits, nociception, Drosophila larvae

Comments

Supplementary Materials

PMID: 38096410