The study investigates the mechanisms underlying the sensorimotor control of swallowing behavior in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. The key findings are:
Mutation of mechanotransduction channel genes nompC, Tmc, or piezo impairs the regular pumping rhythm of the cibarium during feeding. These channels are expressed in a group of multi-dendritic mechanosensory neurons (md-C neurons) that wrap around the cibarium.
Inhibition of md-C neurons causes difficulty in cibarium emptying and lower ingestion efficiency, while activation of them leads to higher pump frequency and sometimes difficulty in cibarium filling.
md-C neurons form synaptic and functional connections with the motor neurons (MN11 and MN12) that control the muscles driving swallowing. Activation of md-C neurons can stimulate the activity of these motor neurons.
The mechanosensory feedback from md-C neurons likely modulates the activity of the central pattern generators (CPGs) that control the rhythmic swallowing behavior, depending on the physical properties of the food.
Overall, the study elucidates the role of pharyngeal mechanosensation in regulating the swallowing process and provides insights into the neural circuits underlying this essential feeding behavior in Drosophila.
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by Qin,J., Yang... في www.biorxiv.org 04-21-2023
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.21.537850v2استفسارات أعمق