Neural Mechanisms of Limb Proprioception and Motor Control in Drosophila

Explore the neural mechanisms of limb proprioception and motor control in Drosophila through this 57-minute seminar by Dr. John Tuthill from the University of Washington. Delve into the fruit fly's femoral chordotonal organ (FeCO) as a tractable system for investigating principles of limb proprioception. Learn about genetic driver lines defining proprioceptor subtypes and how distinct subtypes encode femur-tibia joint position and movement. Examine the modulation of proprioceptive reflexes during locomotion using calcium imaging and movement tracking in behaving flies. Discover computational models predicting leg proprioceptor activity during walking and explore the activity of claw and hook axons. Gain insights from the connectomic reconstruction of the Drosophila Female Adult Nerve Cord (FANC), including leg proprioceptor axons, presynaptic inputs, and postsynaptic targets. Uncover signatures of state-dependent modulation in second-order proprioceptive neurons and their implications for understanding motor control.