Project description
Neuronal mechanisms of selecting an appropriate action
Neuronal mechanisms of action selection, or how the brain evaluates sensory conflicting options and selects an appropriate action, remains unknown. The EU-funded CourtEscape project aims to study neural mechanisms that govern the selection between competing options. Researchers will develop a novel assay where Drosophila fruit fly males will be confronted with visual threats during mating creating a conflict between survival and reproduction. The objective is to identify neurons whose involvement prevents males from blocking courtship in response to the threat, using optogenetic tools in combination with a behavioural screen. The ultimate goal of the project is to build a map of the neural network of action selection.
Objective
Prioritising the most urgent goal according to the context and physiological needs is crucial for the success of any organism. Action-selection processes are often disrupted in neuropathologies, such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and addiction; however, the underlying neuronal mechanisms are not well understood. Crucially, how the brain evaluates sensory conflicting options and selects an appropriate action remains unknown. I will tackle this question using a novel assay in which Drosophila fruit fly males are confronted with visual threats during courtship, which creates a conflict between survival and reproduction. Capitalising on refined genetic tools, I aim to unravel neural mechanisms that govern the selection between competing options. I will carry out a behavioural screen to identify neurons that allow the fly to choose between courting a mate and escaping a threat. From an in silico screen of Gal4 fly lines targeting defined cells, I will select lines based on their potential connectivity with courtship-command neurons. Using optogenetic tools, I will identify neurons that, when activated or inhibited, prevent males from blocking courtship in response to the threat. Next, I will ask if these cells respond to the threat in live Ca2+ imaging studies, and test if they are linked with the courtship circuitry using pre and post-synaptic markers and GRASP (to test potential synaptic connections). To probe if candidate neurons are functionally linked, I will manipulate the activity of upstream cells, and test the responses in downstream cells with Ca2+ imaging. This will allow me to build a map of the neural network of action-selection. Finally, I will test how external and internal state variables modulate action-selection. This study will provide insights into fundamental brain processes that may work in other animals, including humans.
Fields of science
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicineneurologydementiaalzheimer
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturehorticulturefruit growing
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicineneurologyparkinson
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesartificial intelligencecomputational intelligence
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EFCoordinator
B15 2TT Birmingham
United Kingdom