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Journal article
Shorter-duration escapes driven by Drosophila giant interneurons promote survival during predation
Proceedings of the Royal Society. B, Biological sciences, v 292(2047), 20241724
May 2025
PMID: 40425165
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Large axon-diameter descending neurons are metabolically costly but transmit information rapidly from sensory neurons in the brain to motor neurons in the nerve cord. They have thus endured as a common feature of escape circuits in many animal species where speed is paramount. Though often considered isolated command neurons triggering fast-reaction-time, all-or-none escape responses, giant neurons are one of multiple parallel pathways enabling selection between behavioural alternatives. Such degeneracy among escape circuits makes it unclear if and how giant neurons benefit prey fitness. Here we competed
Drosophila melanogaster flies with genetically silenced giant fibres (GFs) against flies with functional GFs in an arena with wild-caught damselfly predators and found that GF silencing decreases prey survival. Kinematic analysis of damselfly attack trajectories shows that decreased prey survival results from predator capture of GF-silenced flies during some attack speeds and approach distances that would normally elicit successful escapes. In previous studies with a virtual looming stimulus, we proposed a model in which GFs enforce the selection of a short-duration take-off sequence as opposed to reducing reaction time. Our findings here demonstrate that, during real predation scenarios, the GFs indeed promote prey survival by influencing action selection as a means to increase escape probability.
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Details
- Title
- Shorter-duration escapes driven by Drosophila giant interneurons promote survival during predation
- Creators
- Cynthia M. Chai - Janelia Research CampusCarmen M. Morrow - Janelia Research CampusDhyey D. Parikh - Janelia Research CampusCatherine R. Von Reyn - Drexel University, School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health SystemsAnthony Leonardo - Howard Hughes Medical InstituteGwyneth M. Card (Corresponding Author) - Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Publication Details
- Proceedings of the Royal Society. B, Biological sciences, v 292(2047), 20241724
- Publisher
- The Royal Society
- Number of pages
- 11
- Grant note
- ;
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001497532300008
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105007052863
- Other Identifier
- 991022054401504721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Biology
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology