Neural representation of goal direction in the monarch butterfly brain
Abstract Neural processing of a desired moving direction requires the continuous comparison between the current heading and the goal direction. While the neural basis underlying the current heading is well-studied, the coding of the goal direction remains unclear in insects. Here, we used tetrode re...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41526-w |
| _version_ | 1797558271359320064 |
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| author | M. Jerome Beetz Christian Kraus Basil el Jundi |
| author_facet | M. Jerome Beetz Christian Kraus Basil el Jundi |
| author_sort | M. Jerome Beetz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Neural processing of a desired moving direction requires the continuous comparison between the current heading and the goal direction. While the neural basis underlying the current heading is well-studied, the coding of the goal direction remains unclear in insects. Here, we used tetrode recordings in tethered flying monarch butterflies to unravel how a goal direction is represented in the insect brain. While recording, the butterflies maintained robust goal directions relative to a virtual sun. By resetting their goal directions, we found neurons whose spatial tuning was tightly linked to the goal directions. Importantly, their tuning was unaffected when the butterflies changed their heading after compass perturbations, showing that these neurons specifically encode the goal direction. Overall, we here discovered invertebrate goal-direction neurons that share functional similarities to goal-direction cells reported in mammals. Our results give insights into the evolutionarily conserved principles of goal-directed spatial orientation in animals. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:27:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e8b5191ffba84351aa63a8498f646c5e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:27:52Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-e8b5191ffba84351aa63a8498f646c5e2023-11-20T10:07:37ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232023-09-0114111310.1038/s41467-023-41526-wNeural representation of goal direction in the monarch butterfly brainM. Jerome Beetz0Christian Kraus1Basil el Jundi2Zoology II, Biocenter, University of WürzburgZoology II, Biocenter, University of WürzburgZoology II, Biocenter, University of WürzburgAbstract Neural processing of a desired moving direction requires the continuous comparison between the current heading and the goal direction. While the neural basis underlying the current heading is well-studied, the coding of the goal direction remains unclear in insects. Here, we used tetrode recordings in tethered flying monarch butterflies to unravel how a goal direction is represented in the insect brain. While recording, the butterflies maintained robust goal directions relative to a virtual sun. By resetting their goal directions, we found neurons whose spatial tuning was tightly linked to the goal directions. Importantly, their tuning was unaffected when the butterflies changed their heading after compass perturbations, showing that these neurons specifically encode the goal direction. Overall, we here discovered invertebrate goal-direction neurons that share functional similarities to goal-direction cells reported in mammals. Our results give insights into the evolutionarily conserved principles of goal-directed spatial orientation in animals.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41526-w |
| spellingShingle | M. Jerome Beetz Christian Kraus Basil el Jundi Neural representation of goal direction in the monarch butterfly brain Nature Communications |
| title | Neural representation of goal direction in the monarch butterfly brain |
| title_full | Neural representation of goal direction in the monarch butterfly brain |
| title_fullStr | Neural representation of goal direction in the monarch butterfly brain |
| title_full_unstemmed | Neural representation of goal direction in the monarch butterfly brain |
| title_short | Neural representation of goal direction in the monarch butterfly brain |
| title_sort | neural representation of goal direction in the monarch butterfly brain |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41526-w |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mjeromebeetz neuralrepresentationofgoaldirectioninthemonarchbutterflybrain AT christiankraus neuralrepresentationofgoaldirectioninthemonarchbutterflybrain AT basileljundi neuralrepresentationofgoaldirectioninthemonarchbutterflybrain |