scholarly journals Choline Transporter in α/β core neurons of Drosophila mushroom body non-canonically regulates pupal eclosion and maintains neuromuscular junction integrity

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Runa Hamid ◽  
Nikhil Hajirnis ◽  
Shikha Kushwaha ◽  
Sadaf Saleem ◽  
Vimlesh Kumar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Mushroom Body ◽  
Cholinergic Neurons ◽  
Mushroom Bodies ◽  
Synaptic Connections ◽  
Choline Transporter ◽  
Higher Cognitive Functions ◽  
Dependent Learning ◽  
Flow Of Information ◽  
Intrinsic Neurons

AbstractInsect mushroom bodies (MB) have an ensemble of synaptic connections well-studied for their role in experience-dependent learning and several higher cognitive functions. MB requires neurotransmission for an efficient flow of information across synapses with the different flexibility to meet the demand of the dynamically changing environment of an insect. Neurotransmitter transporters coordinate appropriate changes for an efficient neurotransmission at the synapse. Till date, there is no transporter reported for any of the previously known neurotransmitters in the intrinsic neurons of MB. In this study, we report a highly enriched expression of Choline Transporter (ChT) in Drosophila MB. We demonstrate that knockdown of ChT in a sub-type of MB neurons called α/β core (α/βc) neurons leads to eclosion failure, peristaltic defect in larvae, and altered NMJ phenotype. These defects were neither observed on knockdown of proteins of the cholinergic locus in α/βc neurons nor by knockdown of ChT in cholinergic neurons. Thus, our study provides insights into non-canonical roles of ChT in MB.

scholarly journals Drosophila Choline transporter non-canonically regulates pupal eclosion and NMJ integrity through a neuronal subset of mushroom body

2019 ◽  
Vol 446 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Runa Hamid ◽  
Nikhil Hajirnis ◽  
Shikha Kushwaha ◽  
Sadaf Saleem ◽  
Vimlesh Kumar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mushroom Body ◽  
Choline Transporter

scholarly journals Voluntary control of illusory contour formation

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
William J Harrison ◽  
Reuben Rideaux
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Attention ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Image Features ◽  
Perceptual Decision Making ◽  
Voluntary Attention ◽  
Visual Appearance ◽  
Visual Form ◽  
Neural Computations ◽  
Novel Variant ◽  
Higher Cognitive Functions

ABSTRACTThe extent to which visual inference is shaped by attentional goals is unclear. Voluntary attention may simply modulate the priority with which information is accessed by higher cognitive functions involved in perceptual decision making. Alternatively, voluntary attention may influence fundamental visual processes, such as those involved in segmenting an incoming retinal signal into a structured scene of coherent objects, thereby determining perceptual organisation. Here we tested whether the segmentation and integration of visual form can be determined by an observer’s goals by exploiting a novel variant of the classical Kanizsa figure. We generated predictions about the influence of attention with a machine classifier, and tested these predictions with a psychophysical response classification technique. Despite seeing the same image on each trial, observers’ perception of illusory spatial structure depended on their attentional goals. These attention-contingent illusory contours directly conflicted with equally plausible visual form implied by the geometry of the stimulus, revealing that attentional selection can determine the perceived layout of a fragmented scene. Attentional goals, therefore, not only select pre-computed features or regions of space for prioritised processing, but, under certain conditions, also greatly influence perceptual organisation and thus visual appearance.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTThe extent to which higher cognitive functions can influence perceptual organisation is debated. The role of voluntary spatial attention, the ability to focus on only some parts of a scene, has been particularly controversial among neuroscientists and psychologists who aim to uncover the basic neural computations involved in grouping image features into coherent objects. To address this issue, we repeatedly presented the same novel ambiguous image to observers and changed their attentional goals by having them make fine spatial judgements about only some elements of the image. We found that observers’ attentional goals determine the perceived organisation of multiple illusory shapes. We thus reveal that voluntary spatial attention can control the fundamental processes that determine perceptual organisation.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document