How to Build a Behavior

Berman, Gordon J

doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2018.12.007

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 8 publications

(20 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…So, briefly speaking, the results suggest that inhibitory neurons play a role of a central controlling regulator under external stimulation and learning processes [ 85 ]. We hope such idea about regulation of inhibitory neurons of other neurons in the complex neuronal system will also help to clarify how animal behaviors are built by considering external inputs to focusing brain regions [ 86 ]. Because our current experimental data was not bursty, simpler clustering algorithms might be also available to select effectively connected pairs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inhibitory neurons exhibit high controlling ability in the cortical microconnectome

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The brain is a network system in which excitatory and inhibitory neurons keep activity balanced in the highly non-random connectivity pattern of the microconnectome. It is well known that the relative percentage of inhibitory neurons is much smaller than excitatory neurons in the cortex. So, in general, how inhibitory neurons can keep the balance with the surrounding excitatory neurons is an important question. There is much accumulated knowledge about this fundamental question. This study quantitatively evaluated the relatively higher functional contribution of inhibitory neurons in terms of not only properties of individual neurons, such as firing rate, but also in terms of topological mechanisms and controlling ability on other excitatory neurons. We combined simultaneous electrical recording (~2.5 hours) of ~1000 neurons in vitro, and quantitative evaluation of neuronal interactions including excitatory-inhibitory categorization. This study accurately defined recording brain anatomical targets, such as brain regions and cortical layers, by inter-referring MRI and immunostaining recordings. The interaction networks enabled us to quantify topological influence of individual neurons, in terms of controlling ability to other neurons. Especially, the result indicated that highly influential inhibitory neurons show higher controlling ability of other neurons than excitatory neurons, and are relatively often distributed in deeper layers of the cortex. Furthermore, the neurons having high controlling ability are more effectively limited in number than central nodes of k-cores, and these neurons also participate in more clustered motifs. In summary, this study suggested that the high controlling ability of inhibitory neurons is a key mechanism to keep balance with a large number of other excitatory neurons beyond simple higher firing rate. Application of the selection method of limited important neurons would be also applicable for the ability to effectively and selectively stimulate E/I imbalanced disease states.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inhibitory neurons exhibit high controlling ability in the cortical microconnectome

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Signals including pheromone sensing, food presence, and visual cues, each operating through different pathways to elicit a behavioral response. 103,104,[240][241][242] The responses most often include male-male aggression behaviors, but can occasionally include femalefemale aggression, and even in rare occasions male-female aggression, which can also manifest as forced copulation. Therefore, individuals must identify potential competitors based on behavioral cues and chemical cues, such as cuticular hydrocarbons.…”

Section: Aggressionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social behavior and aging: A fly model

Brenman-Suttner

Yost

Frame

et al. 2019

Genes Brain and Behavior

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The field of behavioral genetics has recently begun to explore the effect of age on social behaviors. Such studies are particularly important, as certain neuropsychiatric disorders with abnormal social interactions, like autism and schizophrenia, have been linked to older parents. Appropriate social interaction can also have a positive impact on longevity, and is associated with successful aging in humans. Currently, there are few genetic models for understanding the effect of aging on social behavior and its potential transgenerational inheritance. The fly is emerging as a powerful model for identifying the basic molecular mechanisms underlying neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. In this review, we discuss these recent advancements, with a focus on how studies in Drosophila melanogaster have provided insight into the effect of aging on aspects of social behavior, including across generations.

show abstract

“…However, the behaviour is as difficult to define as the brain and is considered as a kind of nebula [ 111 , 112 , 113 ] whose complexity often escapes the analytical methods of modern science. According to modern neuroscience, a behaviour is dictated by the central nervous system of animals and relies on the activity of neural networks.…”

Section: The Psychic Life Of Microorganismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards the Idea of Molecular Brains

Timsit

Sergeant-Perthuis

2021

IJMS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

How can single cells without nervous systems perform complex behaviours such as habituation, associative learning and decision making, which are considered the hallmark of animals with a brain? Are there molecular systems that underlie cognitive properties equivalent to those of the brain? This review follows the development of the idea of molecular brains from Darwin’s “root brain hypothesis”, through bacterial chemotaxis, to the recent discovery of neuron-like r-protein networks in the ribosome. By combining a structural biology view with a Bayesian brain approach, this review explores the evolutionary labyrinth of information processing systems across scales. Ribosomal protein networks open a window into what were probably the earliest signalling systems to emerge before the radiation of the three kingdoms. While ribosomal networks are characterised by long-lasting interactions between their protein nodes, cell signalling networks are essentially based on transient interactions. As a corollary, while signals propagated in persistent networks may be ephemeral, networks whose interactions are transient constrain signals diffusing into the cytoplasm to be durable in time, such as post-translational modifications of proteins or second messenger synthesis. The duration and nature of the signals, in turn, implies different mechanisms for the integration of multiple signals and decision making. Evolution then reinvented networks with persistent interactions with the development of nervous systems in metazoans. Ribosomal protein networks and simple nervous systems display architectural and functional analogies whose comparison could suggest scale invariance in information processing. At the molecular level, the significant complexification of eukaryotic ribosomal protein networks is associated with a burst in the acquisition of new conserved aromatic amino acids. Knowing that aromatic residues play a critical role in allosteric receptors and channels, this observation suggests a general role of π systems and their interactions with charged amino acids in multiple signal integration and information processing. We think that these findings may provide the molecular basis for designing future computers with organic processors.

show abstract

How to Build a Behavior

Abstract: How are complicated behavioral sequences executed? In this issue of Neuron, Duistermars et al. (2018) deconstruct neural control schemes underlying threats in flies, finding a small collection of neurons in which varying levels of activation lead to the performance of different movements.

Cited by 4 publications

References 8 publications

Inhibitory neurons exhibit high controlling ability in the cortical microconnectome

Inhibitory neurons exhibit high controlling ability in the cortical microconnectome

Social behavior and aging: A fly model

Towards the Idea of Molecular Brains

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About