TY - JOUR

T1 - Current techniques for high-resolution mapping of behavioral circuits in Drosophila

AU - Sivanantharajah, Lovesha

AU - Zhang, Bing

PY - 2015/9

Y1 - 2015/9

N2 - Understanding behavior requires unraveling the mysteries of neurons, glia, and their extensive connectivity. Drosophila has emerged as an excellent organism for studying the neural basis of behavior. This can be largely attributed to the extensive effort of the fly community to develop numerous sophisticated genetic tools for visualizing, mapping, and manipulating behavioral circuits. Here, we attempt to highlight some of the new reagents, techniques and approaches available for dissecting behavioral circuits in Drosophila. We focus on detailing intersectional strategies such as the Flippase-induced intersectional Gal80/Gal4 repression (FINGR), because of the tremendous potential they possess for mapping the minimal number of cells required for a particular behavior. The logic and strategies outlined in this review should have broad applications for other genetic model organisms.

AB - Understanding behavior requires unraveling the mysteries of neurons, glia, and their extensive connectivity. Drosophila has emerged as an excellent organism for studying the neural basis of behavior. This can be largely attributed to the extensive effort of the fly community to develop numerous sophisticated genetic tools for visualizing, mapping, and manipulating behavioral circuits. Here, we attempt to highlight some of the new reagents, techniques and approaches available for dissecting behavioral circuits in Drosophila. We focus on detailing intersectional strategies such as the Flippase-induced intersectional Gal80/Gal4 repression (FINGR), because of the tremendous potential they possess for mapping the minimal number of cells required for a particular behavior. The logic and strategies outlined in this review should have broad applications for other genetic model organisms.

KW - Animals

KW - Behavior, Animal/physiology

KW - Drosophila/anatomy & histology

KW - Genetic Techniques

KW - Neural Pathways/anatomy & histology

U2 - 10.1007/s00359-015-1010-y

DO - 10.1007/s00359-015-1010-y

M3 - Review article

C2 - 25925433

VL - 201

SP - 895

EP - 909

JO - Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology

JF - Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology

SN - 0340-7594

IS - 9

ER -