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duerr_cellreports_2025_0
Journal article

Olfactory projection neuron rewiring in the brain of an ecological specialist

DOKPE

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  • 2025
Published in:
  • Cell Reports. - Elsevier BV. - 2025, vol. 44, no. 5, p. 115615
olfaction
neural circuits
circuit tracing
Drosophila
Drosophila sechellia
genetic tools
evolution
English Animal behaviors can differ greatly between closely related species. These behavioral changes are frequently linked to sensory system modifications, but central brain cell-type alterations might also be involved. Here, we develop advanced genetic tools to compare homologous central neurons in Drosophila sechellia, an ecological specialist, with the generalist Drosophila melanogaster. Through systematic morphological analysis of olfactory projection neurons (PNs), we reveal that the global anatomy of these second-order neurons is conserved. However, high-resolution, quantitative comparisons identify a striking case of convergent rewiring of PNs in two olfactory pathways critical for D. sechellia’s host location. Calcium imaging and labeling of pre-synaptic sites in these evolved D. sechellia PNs indicate that species-specific connections with third-order
partners are formed. This work demonstrates that peripheral sensory evolution is accompanied by selective wiring changes in the central brain to facilitate ecological specialization and paves the way to compare other cell types throughout the nervous system.
Faculty
Faculté des sciences et de médecine
Department
Département de Biologie
Language
  • English
Classification
Biology, life sciences
License
CC BY
Open access status
green
Identifiers
Persistent URL
https://folia.unifr.ch/unifr/documents/331735
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