TY - JOUR
T1 - Multiple spectral inputs improve motion discrimination in the drosophila visual system
AU - Wardill, Trevor J.
AU - List, Olivier
AU - Li, Xiaofeng
AU - Dongre, Sidhartha
AU - McCulloch, Marie
AU - Ting, Chun Yuan
AU - O'Kane, Cahir J.
AU - Tang, Shiming
AU - Lee, Chi Hon
AU - Hardie, Roger C.
AU - Juusola, Mikko
PY - 2012/5/18
Y1 - 2012/5/18
N2 - Color and motion information are thought to be channeled through separate neural pathways, but it remains unclear whether and how these pathways interact to improve motion perception. In insects, such as Drosophila, it has long been believed that motion information is fed exclusively by one spectral class of photoreceptor, so-called R1 to R6 cells; whereas R7 and R8 photoreceptors, which exist in multiple spectral classes, subserve color vision. Here, we report that R7 and R8 also contribute to the motion pathway. By using electrophysiological, optical, and behavioral assays, we found that R7/R8 information converge with and shape the motion pathway output, explaining flies' broadly tuned optomotor behavior by its composite responses. Our results demonstrate that inputs from photoreceptors of different spectral sensitivities improve motion discrimination, increasing robustness of perception.
AB - Color and motion information are thought to be channeled through separate neural pathways, but it remains unclear whether and how these pathways interact to improve motion perception. In insects, such as Drosophila, it has long been believed that motion information is fed exclusively by one spectral class of photoreceptor, so-called R1 to R6 cells; whereas R7 and R8 photoreceptors, which exist in multiple spectral classes, subserve color vision. Here, we report that R7 and R8 also contribute to the motion pathway. By using electrophysiological, optical, and behavioral assays, we found that R7/R8 information converge with and shape the motion pathway output, explaining flies' broadly tuned optomotor behavior by its composite responses. Our results demonstrate that inputs from photoreceptors of different spectral sensitivities improve motion discrimination, increasing robustness of perception.
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U2 - 10.1126/science.1215317
DO - 10.1126/science.1215317
M3 - Article
C2 - 22605779
AN - SCOPUS:84861206948
SN - 0036-8075
VL - 336
SP - 925
EP - 931
JO - Science
JF - Science
IS - 6083
ER -