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Neural representation of goal direction in the monarch butterfly brain

Author

Listed:
  • M. Jerome Beetz

    (University of Würzburg)

  • Christian Kraus

    (University of Würzburg
    Norwegian University of Science and Technology)

  • Basil el Jundi

    (University of Würzburg
    Norwegian University of Science and Technology)

Abstract

Neural processing of a desired moving direction requires the continuous comparison between the current heading and the goal direction. While the neural basis underlying the current heading is well-studied, the coding of the goal direction remains unclear in insects. Here, we used tetrode recordings in tethered flying monarch butterflies to unravel how a goal direction is represented in the insect brain. While recording, the butterflies maintained robust goal directions relative to a virtual sun. By resetting their goal directions, we found neurons whose spatial tuning was tightly linked to the goal directions. Importantly, their tuning was unaffected when the butterflies changed their heading after compass perturbations, showing that these neurons specifically encode the goal direction. Overall, we here discovered invertebrate goal-direction neurons that share functional similarities to goal-direction cells reported in mammals. Our results give insights into the evolutionarily conserved principles of goal-directed spatial orientation in animals.

Suggested Citation

  • M. Jerome Beetz & Christian Kraus & Basil el Jundi, 2023. "Neural representation of goal direction in the monarch butterfly brain," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-41526-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41526-w
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. J. P. Shine & J. P. Valdés-Herrera & C. Tempelmann & T. Wolbers, 2019. "Evidence for allocentric boundary and goal direction information in the human entorhinal cortex and subiculum," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Shuai Zhan & Wei Zhang & Kristjan Niitepõld & Jeremy Hsu & Juan Fernández Haeger & Myron P. Zalucki & Sonia Altizer & Jacobus C. de Roode & Steven M. Reppert & Marcus R. Kronforst, 2014. "The genetics of monarch butterfly migration and warning colouration," Nature, Nature, vol. 514(7522), pages 317-321, October.
    3. Jenny Lu & Amir H. Behbahani & Lydia Hamburg & Elena A. Westeinde & Paul M. Dawson & Cheng Lyu & Gaby Maimon & Michael H. Dickinson & Shaul Druckmann & Rachel I. Wilson, 2022. "Transforming representations of movement from body- to world-centric space," Nature, Nature, vol. 601(7891), pages 98-104, January.
    4. Johannes D. Seelig & Vivek Jayaraman, 2015. "Neural dynamics for landmark orientation and angular path integration," Nature, Nature, vol. 521(7551), pages 186-191, May.
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    6. Arseny Finkelstein & Dori Derdikman & Alon Rubin & Jakob N. Foerster & Liora Las & Nachum Ulanovsky, 2015. "Three-dimensional head-direction coding in the bat brain," Nature, Nature, vol. 517(7533), pages 159-164, January.
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