Diverse Community Structures in the Neuronal-Level Connectome of the Drosophila Brain.

Drosophila melanogaster is one of the most important model animals in neurobiology owing to its manageable brain size, complex behaviour, and extensive genetic tools. However, without a comprehensive map of the brain-wide neural network, our ability to investigate brain functions at the systems level is seriously limited. In this study, we constructed a neuron-to-neuron network of the Drosophila brain based on the 28,573 fluorescence images of single neurons in the newly released FlyCircuit v1.

A Single-Cell Level and Connectome-Derived Computational Model of the Brain.

Computer simulations play an important role in testing hypotheses, integrating knowledge, and providing predictions of neural circuit functions. While considerable effort has been dedicated into simulating primate or rodent brains, the fruit fly () is becoming a promising model animal in computational neuroscience for its small brain size, complex cognitive behavior, and abundancy of data available from genes to circuits. Moreover, several connectome projects have generated a large number of neuronal images that account for a significant portion of the brain, making a systematic investigation of the whole brain circuit possible.

Coupled symmetric and asymmetric circuits underlying spatial orientation in fruit flies.

Maintaining spatial orientation when carrying out goal-directed movements requires an animal to perform angular path integration. Such functionality has been recently demonstrated in the ellipsoid body (EB) of fruit flies, though the precise circuitry and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We analyze recently published cellular-level connectomic data and identify the unique characteristics of the EB circuitry, which features coupled symmetric and asymmetric rings.

The Topographical Mapping in Drosophila Central Complex Network and Its Signal Routing.

Neural networks regulate brain functions by routing signals. Therefore, investigating the detailed organization of a neural circuit at the cellular levels is a crucial step toward understanding the neural mechanisms of brain functions. To study how a complicated neural circuit is organized, we analyzed recently published data on the neural circuit of the central complex, a brain structure associated with a variety of functions including sensory integration and coordination of locomotion.

Connectomics-based analysis of information flow in the Drosophila brain.

Understanding the overall patterns of information flow within the brain has become a major goal of neuroscience. In the current study, we produced a first draft of the Drosophila connectome at the mesoscopic scale, reconstructed from 12,995 images of neuron projections collected in FlyCircuit (version 1.1).