Sensorimotor transformation underlying odor-modulated locomotion in walking Drosophila

Most real-world behaviors – such as odor-guided locomotion - are performed with incomplete information. Activity in olfactory receptor neuron (ORN) classes provides information about odor identity but not the location of its source. In this study, we investigate the sensorimotor transformation that relates ORN activation to locomotion changes in Drosophila by optogenetically activating different combinations of ORN classes and measuring the resulting changes in locomotion. Three features describe this sensorimotor transformation: First, locomotion depends on both the instantaneous firing frequency (f) and its change (df); the two together serve as a short-term memory that allows the fly to adapt its motor program to sensory context automatically. Second, the mapping between (f, df) and locomotor parameters such as speed or curvature is distinct for each pattern of activated ORNs. Finally, the sensorimotor mapping changes with time after odor exposure, allowing information integration over a longer timescale.