title: A multilevel multimodal circuit enhances action selection in Drosophila.
abstract: Natural events present multiple types of sensory cues, each detected by a specialized sensory modality. Combining information from several modalities is essential for the selection of appropriate actions. Key to understanding multimodal computations is determining the structural patterns of multimodal convergence and how these patterns contribute to behaviour. Modalities could converge early, late or at multiple levels in the sensory processing hierarchy. Here we show that combining mechanosensory and nociceptive cues synergistically enhances the selection of the fastest mode of escape locomotion in Drosophila larvae. In an electron microscopy volume that spans the entire insect nervous system, we reconstructed the multisensory circuit supporting the synergy, spanning multiple levels of the sensory processing hierarchy. The wiring diagram revealed a complex multilevel multimodal convergence architecture. Using behavioural and physiological studies, we identified functionally connected circuit nodes that trigger the fastest locomotor mode, and others that facilitate it, and we provide evidence that multiple levels of multimodal integration contribute to escape mode selection. We propose that the multilevel multimodal convergence architecture may be a general feature of multisensory circuits enabling complex input-output functions and selective tuning to ecologically relevant combinations of cues.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, Virginia 20147, USA.
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohyama
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, Virginia 20147, USA.
authors.forename: Casey M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Schneider-Mizell
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, Virginia 20147, USA.
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Fetter
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, Virginia 20147, USA.
authors.forename: Javier Valdes
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Aleman
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, Virginia 20147, USA.
authors.forename: Romain
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Franconville
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, Virginia 20147, USA.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rivera-Alba
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, Virginia 20147, USA.
authors.forename: Brett D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Mensh
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, Virginia 20147, USA.
authors.forename: Kristin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Branson
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, Virginia 20147, USA.
authors.forename: Julie H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, Virginia 20147, USA.
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Truman
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, Virginia 20147, USA.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cardona
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, Virginia 20147, USA.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zlatic
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D003463:Cues; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007395:Interneurons / Q000378:metabolism; D007814:Larva / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D008124:Locomotion; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism