Fruit flies brake for science: A leap in brain research

Researchers in Florida have unraveled the specific neuronal mechanisms involved in stopping. Their findings demonstrate how the brain engages different neuronal pathways depending on the environmental context.

According to the Spider's Web portal, this discovery is fascinating on its own, but the real breakthrough lies in what was observed happening in the brains of these small creatures.

The Florida researchers genetically modified fruit flies to respond to red light. Imagine they behave like a driver stopping a car at a red light. When a beam of light hit their eyes, the insects immediately stopped.

Stopping is essential for almost all animal behaviors; it's a "critical" action. When an animal detects food while foraging, it must stop, or, for example, when it needs to clean itself, stopping is necessary. The ability to stop seems simple. However, until now, scientists have not fully understood this mechanism because it involves complex interactions with competing behaviors such as walking.

“Purposeful movement through the world relies on halting at the correct time as much as walking. It is central to important behaviors like eating, mating, and avoiding harm. We were interested in understanding how the brain controls halting and where halting signals override signals for walking,” says Dr. Salil Bidaye from the Institute.

They leveraged the fruit fly's nervous system's simplicity and short lifespan. Bidaye and his team identified the neurons responsible for initiating stopping.

Using optogenetics, they activated specific neurons by shining red light. This allowed them to test which neurons caused the freely walking flies to stop.

The scientists discovered three unique types of neurons, Foxglove, Bluebell, and Brake, induced stopping when activated.

The first two neurons were responsible for what they termed "Walk-OFF," while the third neuron controlled the "Brake" action, disabling walking and initiating a braking effect.

The "Walk-OFF" mechanism works by disabling the neurons that promote walking, much like taking your foot off the gas pedal in a car.

The "brake" mechanism actively prevents stepping by increasing knee joint resistance and providing postural stability. It also inhibits neurons that facilitate walking, thereby preventing steps altogether.

This discovery by Florida scientists could potentially aid in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease by precisely manipulating specific neuron activities.

Critics fear that with such breakthroughs, a time may come when we will not only observe but also influence how we think and act.