Systematic annotation of a complete adult male Drosophila nerve cord connectome reveals principles of functional organisation

• DOI: 10.7554/elife.97766
• Publication Date: 2024-07-22T10:33:52Z
• Authors: Elizabeth C Marin; Billy J Morris; Tomke Stürner; Andrew S Champion; Dominik Krzeminski; Griffin Badalamente; Marina Gkantia; Christopher R Dunne; Katharina Eichler; Shin-ya Takemura; Imaan FM Tamimi; Siqi Fang; Sung Soo Moon; Han SJ Cheong; Feng Li; Philipp Schlegel; Sebastian E Ahnert; Stuart Berg; ; Gwyneth M Card; Marta Costa; David Shepherd; Gregory SXE Jefferis
• Keywords: Ventral nerve cord; Connectomics

Nervous systems function as ensembles of neurons communicating via synaptic connections, and a functional understanding nervous requires extensive knowledge their connectomes. In companion paper (Takemura et al., 2023), we describe the acquisition complete fruit fly nerve cord connectome, first for an animal that can walk or fly. Here, to efficiently navigate appreciate biological significance this categorise name nearly all systematically link them experimental literature. We employ system hierarchical coarse annotations group similar across midline segments, then define systematic cell types sensory neurons, intrinsic ascending non-motor efferent neurons. Stereotyped arrays neuroblasts generate related neuron populations called hemilineages repeat segments cord. confirm larval-born from given hemilineage generally express same neurotransmitter but find earlier born often different one. match over 35% intrinsic, ascending, defining serial sets which were crucial typing motor assign modality 5000 cluster by connectivity, identify serially homologous layered organisation likely corresponding peripheral topography. Finally, present selected examples circuits predicated on programmatic analysis VNC connectome. Our are critical analysing structure descending input output, both described in third (Cheong 2023). These being released part neuprint.janelia.org clio.janelia.org web applications also serve basis connectome through dedicated tools paper.