title: Dendro-dendritic interactions between motion-sensitive large-field neurons in the fly.
abstract: For visual course control, flies rely on a set of motion-sensitive neurons called lobula plate tangential cells (LPTCs). Among these cells, the so-called CH (centrifugal horizontal) cells shape by their inhibitory action the receptive field properties of other LPTCs called FD (figure detection) cells specialized for figure-ground discrimination based on relative motion. Studying the ipsilateral input circuitry of CH cells by means of dual-electrode and combined electrical-optical recordings, we find that CH cells receive graded input from HS (large-field horizontal system) cells via dendro-dendritic electrical synapses. This particular wiring scheme leads to a spatial blur of the motion image on the CH cell dendrite, and, after inhibiting FD cells, to an enhancement of motion contrast. This could be crucial for enabling FD cells to discriminate object from self motion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, Division of Insect Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haag
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Borst
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000502:physiology; D003712:Dendrites / Q000502:physiology; D004175:Diptera; D005260:Female; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D013569:Synapses / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology*; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes