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Even-Skipped(+) interneurons are core components of a sensorimotor circuit that maintains left-right symmetric muscle contraction amplitude.

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Neuron. 2015 Oct 21;88(2):314-29. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.09.009
Even-Skipped(+) interneurons are core components of a sensorimotor circuit that maintains left-right symmetric muscle contraction amplitude. Cardona LabTruman LabFetter Lab
Heckscher ES, Zarin AA, Faumont S, Clark MQ, Manning L, Fushiki A, Schneider-Mizell CM, Fetter RD, Truman JW, Zwart MF, Landgraf M, Cardona A, Lockery SR, Doe CQ
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Abstract

Bilaterally symmetric motor patterns-those in which left-right pairs of muscles contract synchronously and with equal amplitude (such as breathing, smiling, whisking, and locomotion)-are widespread throughout the animal kingdom. Yet, surprisingly little is known about the underlying neural circuits. We performed a thermogenetic screen to identify neurons required for bilaterally symmetric locomotion in Drosophila larvae and identified the evolutionarily conserved Even-skipped(+) interneurons (Eve/Evx). Activation or ablation of Eve(+) interneurons disrupted bilaterally symmetric muscle contraction amplitude, without affecting the timing of motor output. Eve(+) interneurons are not rhythmically active and thus function independently of the locomotor CPG. GCaMP6 calcium imaging of Eve(+) interneurons in freely moving larvae showed left-right asymmetric activation that correlated with larval behavior. TEM reconstruction of Eve(+) interneuron inputs and outputs showed that the Eve(+) interneurons are at the core of a sensorimotor circuit capable of detecting and modifying body wall muscle contraction.

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Janelia Authors

Jim Truman
Albert Cardona
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