Neuronal control of gear for flapping flight

• Project/Area Number: 20K21414
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 44:Biology at cellular to organismal levels, and related fields
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Namiki Shigehiro 東京大学, 先端科学技術研究センター, 准教授 (40567757)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-07-30 – 2024-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2023)
• Budget Amount: ¥6,370,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,470,000); Fiscal Year 2021: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000); Fiscal Year 2020: ¥4,680,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,080,000)
• Keywords: はばたき飛行 / ハルテア / 飛翔神経叢 / ギアボックス / 神経細胞

Outline of Research at the Start

神経系の動作に着目し，ギアを制御するニューロンを探索する．具体的には，昆虫のはばたき飛行において，ギア制御を担う「クラッチニューロン」，および「変速ニューロン」を同定する．このためには神経活動と行動出力の因果関係を明らかにすることが必要不可欠である．申請課題では，神経活動の人為的な操作を行い，その表現型から制御機構を分析するアプローチをとる．ギアシフトを任意のタイミングで誘導することで，ギア動作の体系的な観察を行い，これを制御する神経-筋肉系を分析し，ギア機構をトムアップ的に検証する．

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have explored the neuroanatomy of cells innervating the flight and the haltere neuropils which are neural circuits involved in flight control. We found new types of neurons that were not previously identified: cWIN-IA had an input area from the flight neuropil, cWIN-IB had an input area from the flight neuropil plus the haltere neuropil, and both had output regions in the anterior part of the contralateral flight neuropil. cWIN-II had an input area in the flight neuropil and, output region in the posterior part of the contralateral flight neuropil. output to the posterior part of the flight plexus. Morphological analysis suggested that both cell types had synaptic connections with motoneuron mnb1 to the indirect flight muscles (basalar muscle 1), which play an important role in flight maneuvers.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

昆虫は巧みな飛行能力を持ち、ハチをはじめとする飛行昆虫の研究は、ドローンの研究開発に大きく貢献をしてきました。本研究では、モデル昆虫のショウジョウバエを対象として、飛行を制御する神経回路の構造を分析しました。昆虫の神経系では、速い情報処理を行うために軸索の直径が拡大した神経細胞が使われていることがあります。今回の研究では、拡大した軸索をもつ神経細胞を、新しく3種類特定しました。それぞれ神経節の両側を接続するものであり、両半身の高速な情報伝達を担うことが予想され、飛行の制御において重要な役割を持つと考えられます。

Research Products

• [Int'l Joint Research] Howard Hughes Medical Institute(米国)
• [Int'l Joint Research] California Institute of Technology(米国)
• [Int'l Joint Research] University of Cambridge(英国)
• [Journal Article] A split-GAL4 driver line resource for<i>Drosophila</i>CNS cell types (2024)
  • Author(s): Meissner Geoffrey W、Vannan Allison、Jeter Jennifer、et al.
  • Journal Title: BioRxiv Volume: 2024 Pages: 1-22
  • DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.09.574419
  • Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Motor neurons generate pose-targeted movements via proprioceptive sculpting (2024)
  • Author(s): Gorko Benjamin、Siwanowicz Igor、Close Kari、Christoforou Christina、Hibbard Karen L.、Kabra Mayank、Lee Allen、Park Jin-Yong、Li Si Ying、Chen Alex B.、Namiki Shigehiro、Chen Chenghao、Tuthill John C.、Bock Davi D.、Rouault Herv?、Branson Kristin、Ihrke Gudrun、Huston Stephen J.
  • Journal Title: Nature Volume: 628 Issue: 8008 Pages: 596-603
  • DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07222-5
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Publisher Correction: Synaptic gradients transform object location to action (2023)
  • Author(s): Dombrovski Mark、Peek Martin Y.、Park Jin-Yong、Vaccari Andrea、Sumathipala Marissa、Morrow Carmen、Breads Patrick、Zhao Arthur、Kurmangaliyev Yerbol Z.、Sanfilippo Piero、Rehan Aadil、Polsky Jason、Alghailani Shada、Tenshaw Emily、Namiki Shigehiro、Zipursky S. Lawrence、Card Gwyneth M.
  • Journal Title: Nature Volume: 615 Issue: 7954 Pages: E26-E26
  • DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05930-y
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] A searchable image resource of Drosophila GAL4 driver expression patterns with single neuron resolution (2023)
  • Author(s): Meissner Geoffrey W、Nern Aljoscha、Dorman Zachary、et al.
  • Journal Title: eLife Volume: 12 Pages: 1-20
  • DOI: 10.7554/elife.80660
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Single-cell type analysis of wing premotor circuits in the ventral nerve cord of<i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> (2023)
  • Author(s): Ehrhardt Erica、Whitehead Samuel C、Namiki Shigehiro、Minegishi Ryo、Siwanowicz Igor、Feng Kai、Otsuna Hideo、Meissner Geoffrey W、Stern David、Truman Jim、Shepherd David、Dickinson Michael H.、Ito Kei、Dickson Barry J、Cohen Itai、Card Gwyneth M、Korff Wyatt、FlyLight Project Team
  • Journal Title: BioRxiv Volume: 2023 Pages: 1-126
  • DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.31.542897
  • Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Transforming descending input into behavior: The organization of premotor circuits in the<i>Drosophila</i>Male Adult Nerve Cord connectome (2023)
  • Author(s): Cheong H. S. J.、Eichler K.、St?rner T.、Asinof S. K.、Champion A. S.、Marin E. C.、Oram T. B.、Sumathipala M.、Venkatasubramanian L.、Namiki S.、Siwanowicz I.、Costa M.、Berg S.、Jefferis G. S. X. E.、Card G. M.、Janelia FlyEM Project Team
  • Journal Title: BioRxiv Volume: 2023 Pages: 1-109
  • DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.07.543976
  • Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Synaptic gradients transform object location to action (2023)
  • Author(s): Dombrovski Mark、Peek Martin Y.、Park Jin-Yong、Vaccari Andrea、Sumathipala Marissa、Morrow Carmen、Breads Patrick、Zhao Arthur、Kurmangaliyev Yerbol Z.、Sanfilippo Piero、Rehan Aadil、Polsky Jason、Alghailani Shada、Tenshaw Emily、Namiki Shigehiro、Zipursky S. Lawrence、Card Gwyneth M.
  • Journal Title: Nature Volume: 613 Issue: 7944 Pages: 534-542
  • DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05562-8
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] A population of descending neurons that regulates the flight motor of Drosophila (2022)
  • Author(s): Namiki Shigehiro、Ros Ivo G.、Morrow Carmen、Rowell William J.、Card Gwyneth M.、Korff Wyatt、Dickinson Michael H.
  • Journal Title: Current Biology Volume: 32 Issue: 5 Pages: 1189-1196.e6
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.01.008
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] A Systematic Nomenclature for the Drosophila Ventral Nerve Cord. (2020)
  • Author(s): Court R, Namiki S, Armstrong D, Borner J, Card G, Costa M, Dickinson MH, Duch C, Korff W, Mann R, Merritt D, Murphey R, Seeds A, Shirangi T, Simpson J, Truman J, Tuthill J, Williams D, Shepherd D
  • Journal Title: Neuron Volume: 107 Issue: 6 Pages: 1071-1079
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.08.005
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Neural circuit basis of aversive odour processing in Drosophila from sensory input to descending output (2020)
  • Author(s): Huoviala P, Dolan MJ, Love FM, Myers P, Frechter S, Namiki S, Pettersson L, Roberts RJV, Turnbull R, Mitrevica Z, Breads P, Schlegel P, Bates AS, Rodrigues T, Aso Y, Bock D, Rubin GM, Stensmyr M, Card G, Costa M, Jefferis GSXE
  • Journal Title: bioRxiv Volume: 394403 Pages: 1-16
  • DOI: 10.1101/394403
  • Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] An image resource of subdivided Drosophila GAL4-driver expression patterns for neuron-level searches (2020)
  • Author(s): Meissner GW, Dorman Z, Nern A, Forster K, Gibney T, Jeter J, Lohnson L, He Y, Lee K, Melton B, Yarbrough B, Clements J, Goina C, Otsuna H, Rokicki K, Svirskas RR, Aso Y, Card GM, Dickson BJ, Ehrhardt E, Goldammer J, Ito M, Korff W, Minegishi R, Namiki S, Rubin GM, Sterne G, Wolff T, Malksman O
  • Journal Title: bioRxiv Volume: 080473 Pages: 1-16
  • DOI: 10.1101/2020.05.29.080473
  • Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] ハエの飛行を司令する神経細胞の探索 (2020)
  • Author(s): 並木重宏
  • Organizer: 第42回エアロ・アクアバイオメカニズム定例講演会
  • Invited