Cargando…
The Role of Central Complex Neurons in Prey Detection and Tracking in the Freely Moving Praying Mantis (Tenodera sinensis)
Complex tasks like hunting moving prey in an unpredictable environment require high levels of motor and sensory integration. An animal needs to detect and track suitable prey objects, measure their distance and orientation relative to its own position, and finally produce the correct motor output to...
Autores principales: | , , , , |
---|---|
Formato: | Online Artículo Texto |
Lenguaje: | English |
Publicado: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2022
|
Materias: | |
Acceso en línea: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9234402/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35769200 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fncir.2022.893004 |
_version_ | 1784736064025395200 |
---|---|
author | Wosnitza, Anne Martin, Joshua P. Pollack, Alan J. Svenson, Gavin J. Ritzmann, Roy E. |
author_facet | Wosnitza, Anne Martin, Joshua P. Pollack, Alan J. Svenson, Gavin J. Ritzmann, Roy E. |
author_sort | Wosnitza, Anne |
collection | PubMed |
description | Complex tasks like hunting moving prey in an unpredictable environment require high levels of motor and sensory integration. An animal needs to detect and track suitable prey objects, measure their distance and orientation relative to its own position, and finally produce the correct motor output to approach and capture the prey. In the insect brain, the central complex (CX) is one target area where integration is likely to take place. In this study, we performed extracellular multi-unit recordings on the CX of freely hunting praying mantises (Tenodera sinensis). Initially, we recorded the neural activity of freely moving mantises as they hunted live prey. The recordings showed activity in cells that either reflected the mantis's own movements or the actions of a prey individual, which the mantises focused on. In the latter case, the activity increased as the prey moved and decreased when it stopped. Interestingly, cells ignored the movement of the other prey than the one to which the mantis attended. To obtain quantitative data, we generated simulated prey targets presented on an LCD screen positioned below the clear floor of the arena. The simulated target oscillated back and forth at various angles and distances. We identified populations of cells whose activity patterns were strongly linked to the appearance, movement, and relative position of the virtual prey. We refer to these as sensory responses. We also found cells whose activity preceded orientation movement toward the prey. We call these motor responses. Some cells showed both sensory and motor properties. Stimulation through tetrodes in some of the preparations could also generate similar movements. These results suggest the crucial importance of the CX to prey-capture behavior in predatory insects like the praying mantis and, hence, further emphasize its role in behaviorally and ecologically relevant contexts. |
format | Online Article Text |
id | pubmed-9234402 |
institution | National Center for Biotechnology Information |
language | English |
publishDate | 2022 |
publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
record_format | MEDLINE/PubMed |
spelling | pubmed-92344022022-06-28 The Role of Central Complex Neurons in Prey Detection and Tracking in the Freely Moving Praying Mantis (Tenodera sinensis) Wosnitza, Anne Martin, Joshua P. Pollack, Alan J. Svenson, Gavin J. Ritzmann, Roy E. Front Neural Circuits Neuroscience Complex tasks like hunting moving prey in an unpredictable environment require high levels of motor and sensory integration. An animal needs to detect and track suitable prey objects, measure their distance and orientation relative to its own position, and finally produce the correct motor output to approach and capture the prey. In the insect brain, the central complex (CX) is one target area where integration is likely to take place. In this study, we performed extracellular multi-unit recordings on the CX of freely hunting praying mantises (Tenodera sinensis). Initially, we recorded the neural activity of freely moving mantises as they hunted live prey. The recordings showed activity in cells that either reflected the mantis's own movements or the actions of a prey individual, which the mantises focused on. In the latter case, the activity increased as the prey moved and decreased when it stopped. Interestingly, cells ignored the movement of the other prey than the one to which the mantis attended. To obtain quantitative data, we generated simulated prey targets presented on an LCD screen positioned below the clear floor of the arena. The simulated target oscillated back and forth at various angles and distances. We identified populations of cells whose activity patterns were strongly linked to the appearance, movement, and relative position of the virtual prey. We refer to these as sensory responses. We also found cells whose activity preceded orientation movement toward the prey. We call these motor responses. Some cells showed both sensory and motor properties. Stimulation through tetrodes in some of the preparations could also generate similar movements. These results suggest the crucial importance of the CX to prey-capture behavior in predatory insects like the praying mantis and, hence, further emphasize its role in behaviorally and ecologically relevant contexts. Frontiers Media S.A. 2022-06-13 /pmc/articles/PMC9234402/ /pubmed/35769200 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fncir.2022.893004 Text en Copyright © 2022 Wosnitza, Martin, Pollack, Svenson and Ritzmann. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. |
spellingShingle | Neuroscience Wosnitza, Anne Martin, Joshua P. Pollack, Alan J. Svenson, Gavin J. Ritzmann, Roy E. The Role of Central Complex Neurons in Prey Detection and Tracking in the Freely Moving Praying Mantis (Tenodera sinensis) |
title | The Role of Central Complex Neurons in Prey Detection and Tracking in the Freely Moving Praying Mantis (Tenodera sinensis) |
title_full | The Role of Central Complex Neurons in Prey Detection and Tracking in the Freely Moving Praying Mantis (Tenodera sinensis) |
title_fullStr | The Role of Central Complex Neurons in Prey Detection and Tracking in the Freely Moving Praying Mantis (Tenodera sinensis) |
title_full_unstemmed | The Role of Central Complex Neurons in Prey Detection and Tracking in the Freely Moving Praying Mantis (Tenodera sinensis) |
title_short | The Role of Central Complex Neurons in Prey Detection and Tracking in the Freely Moving Praying Mantis (Tenodera sinensis) |
title_sort | role of central complex neurons in prey detection and tracking in the freely moving praying mantis (tenodera sinensis) |
topic | Neuroscience |
url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9234402/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35769200 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fncir.2022.893004 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT wosnitzaanne theroleofcentralcomplexneuronsinpreydetectionandtrackinginthefreelymovingprayingmantistenoderasinensis AT martinjoshuap theroleofcentralcomplexneuronsinpreydetectionandtrackinginthefreelymovingprayingmantistenoderasinensis AT pollackalanj theroleofcentralcomplexneuronsinpreydetectionandtrackinginthefreelymovingprayingmantistenoderasinensis AT svensongavinj theroleofcentralcomplexneuronsinpreydetectionandtrackinginthefreelymovingprayingmantistenoderasinensis AT ritzmannroye theroleofcentralcomplexneuronsinpreydetectionandtrackinginthefreelymovingprayingmantistenoderasinensis AT wosnitzaanne roleofcentralcomplexneuronsinpreydetectionandtrackinginthefreelymovingprayingmantistenoderasinensis AT martinjoshuap roleofcentralcomplexneuronsinpreydetectionandtrackinginthefreelymovingprayingmantistenoderasinensis AT pollackalanj roleofcentralcomplexneuronsinpreydetectionandtrackinginthefreelymovingprayingmantistenoderasinensis AT svensongavinj roleofcentralcomplexneuronsinpreydetectionandtrackinginthefreelymovingprayingmantistenoderasinensis AT ritzmannroye roleofcentralcomplexneuronsinpreydetectionandtrackinginthefreelymovingprayingmantistenoderasinensis |