A system for measuring a range of visually guided behaviors in freely flying Drosophila
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1
Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, United States
Insect flight has been extensively studied as an inspiring example of the neural control of a very challenging behavior. In the present study, we aim to elucidate the behavioral strategies employed by freely flying fruit flies under a large number of visual conditions. With the goal of assaying a range of behaviors in a compact apparatus, we developed a largely-automated free flight assay with an active display. The flies are enclosed within a transparent acrylic cylinder (17.78 cm diameter, 22.86 cm height) that is surrounded by a cylindrical display of green LED panels (192 pixels circumference, 40 pixels height), and is positioned above an infrared backlight. In our standard protocol, we use the display to present either static or dynamic visual stimuli designed to test specific aspects of free flight behavior in Drosophila melanogaster. Tracking the positions of flies in three dimensions requires multiple-camera views. We implemented an image acquisition system that consists of four calibrated and synchronized infrared cameras. Videos are acquired at 60 frames/sec and flies are tracked offline using a method based on an Extended Kalman Filter. Our standard experiments use groups of 5-10 flies, which can be tracked reliably within the implemented system. To maximize the prevalence of flight, walls are coated with a slippery surface and the cylinder is frequently vibrated by an array of small motors. We will present summary statistics of the free flight behavior for several visual conditions--static panoramas composed of multiple objects, gratings of different spatial frequency and orientation, horizon cues, and dynamic stimuli such as rotating gratings and shifting horizons.
With the assay in place, we have begun an investigation of the free flight behavioral repertoire of flies with modifications of function in neuronal classes that are likely involved in flight control. We make use of the GAL4 collection developed within the lab of Gerry Rubin and imaged by Janelia’s Fly Light project team, to select driver lines based on neuronal expression. As proof of principle, we targeted our investigation to the haltere mediated sensory-motor feedback circuit. We found that flies with expression in the haltere nerve (presumed to be various sensory afferents) or the contralateral haltere interneurons show significant abnormalities in turning ability, altitude control, flight speed and saccadic behavior. The optimized assay, in combination with modern molecular-genetic tools, allows for efficient functional characterization of neuronal classes not previously possible.
Keywords:
3d tracking,
Drosophila,
free flight,
genetic inactivation,
haltere,
led display,
Saccades,
Vision
Conference:
Tenth International Congress of Neuroethology, College Park. Maryland USA, United States, 5 Aug - 10 Aug, 2012.
Presentation Type:
Poster (but consider for participant symposium and student poster award)
Topic:
Sensory: Vision
Citation:
Grover
D,
Holtz
S,
Kladt
N and
Reiser
MB
(2012). A system for measuring a range of visually guided behaviors in freely flying Drosophila.
Conference Abstract:
Tenth International Congress of Neuroethology.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnbeh.2012.27.00335
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Received:
30 Apr 2012;
Published Online:
07 Jul 2012.
*
Correspondence:
Dr. Dhruv Grover, Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, 20147, United States, groverd@janelia.hhmi.org