In a groundbreaking achievement, scientists have successfully mapped the entire brain of an adult fruit fly, marking a significant milestone in neurobiological research. The feat unveils more than 50 million connections between over 139,000 neurons, providing profound insights into brain functions that could extend across the animal kingdom, including humans.
The research, detailed in a series of studies in the journal Nature, sought to decipher the complex wiring of the brain and the signals that underlie healthy brain functions. This comprehensive mapping, known as a connectome, offers a detailed wiring diagram of the fruit fly’s brain, a species scientifically known as Drosophila melanogaster, which is frequently used in neurobiological studies.
“You might be asking why we should care about the brain of a fruit fly. My simple answer is that if we can truly understand how any brain functions, it’s bound to tell us something about all brains,” said Sebastian Seung, a professor of neuroscience and computer science at Princeton University and one of the co-leaders of the research.
The adult fruit fly presented more intricate behaviors to study compared to simpler organisms previously mapped, such as the worm Caenorhabditis elegans and the fruit fly’s larval stage. The researchers believe that understanding the fly’s brain wiring can shed light on how neurons and connections give rise to animal behavior.
“Flies are an important model system for neurosciences. Their brains solve many of the same problems we do. They’re capable of sophisticated behaviors like walking, flying, learning and memory, navigation, feeding, and even social interactions,” explained Mala Murthy, a neuroscientist at Princeton University and another co-leader of the research.
Some of the studies analyzed specific brain circuits underlying behaviors such as walking, halting, taste, grooming, and visual processing. One study discovered how flies halt during walking, while another examined the circuits behind grooming behaviors, such as using a leg to remove dirt from antennae. The visual system was also explored, including how the fly’s eyes process motion and color information.
The research also uncovered a large assemblage of “hub neurons” that may accelerate information flow throughout the brain. By identifying different varieties of neurons and the chemical connections between them, the scientists have fashioned a comprehensive map that tracks the organization of the hemispheres and behavioral circuits inside the fly’s brain.
The work was conducted by the FlyWire Consortium, a large international collaboration of scientists. Gregory Jefferis, a neuroscientist at the University of Cambridge and research co-leader, expressed aesthetic appreciation for the fruit fly brain, stating, “It’s beautiful.”
This monumental achievement not only advances our understanding of the fruit fly but also sets the stage for future brain mapping endeavors in other species, potentially unlocking mysteries of the human brain.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
