Polarization Vision

Heinze, Stanley

doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_334-4

Cited by 5 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 100 publications

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“…S1). We found that the activity of DmDRA1 neurons varied with the AoP presented and followed a sinusoidal response profile typical of polarization-sensitive neurons (Heinze, 2013). To quantify the extent to which the neurons were modulated by the AoP, we calculated a polarization-selectivity index (PSI) by comparing the peak response with the response at orthogonal angles (Fig.…”

Section: Polarized Light Processing In the Medulla Dorsal Rim Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In other insect species, polarization-sensitive photoreceptors in the dorsal rim are thought to provide input to transmedulla neurons (also referred to as line-tangential neurons) which project from the optic lobe to the anterior optic tubercle (AOTU) (Homberg et al, 2003;Immonen et al, 2017;el Jundi et al, 2011;Pfeiffer and Kinoshita, 2012;Zeller et al, 2015). In all species investigated, it is the small subunit of the AOTU (often called the lower-unit, LU) which is involved in processing polarized light signals (Heinze, 2013), although to our knowledge these signals have not been explored in transmedulla neurons themselves. In Drosophila , corresponding medullo-tubercular (MeTu) neurons have been described ( Fig.…”

Section: Medulla Projection Neurons Convey Polarized Light Signals Tomentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Frisch, 1949;Horváth and Varju, 2004;Mappes and Homberg, 2004;Wehner and Müller, 2006). In these non-Dipteran insects, a multimodal neural circuit transmits polarization signals from the eyes to the central complex (Heinze, 2013;Heinze and Reppert, 2011;Homberg et al, 2011;el Jundi et al, 2014el Jundi et al, , 2015Pfeiffer et al, 2005). This circuit is known as the 'sky compass' pathway for its proposed role in processing skylight polarization patterns and information about the position of the sun to bestow an animal with a sense of direction.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A visual pathway for skylight polarization processing inDrosophila

Hardcastle

Omoto

Kandimalla

et al. 2020

Preprint

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SUMMARYMany insects use patterns of polarized light in the sky to orient and navigate. Here we functionally characterize neural circuitry in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, that conveys polarized light signals from the eye to the central complex, a brain region essential for the fly’s sense of direction. Neurons tuned to the angle of polarization of ultraviolet light are found throughout the anterior visual pathway, connecting the optic lobes with the central complex via the anterior optic tubercle and bulb, in a homologous organization to the ‘sky compass’ pathways described in other insects. We detail how a consistent, map-like organization of neural tunings in the peripheral visual system is transformed into a reduced representation suited to flexible processing in the central brain. This study identifies computational motifs of the transformation, enabling mechanistic comparisons of multisensory integration and central processing for navigation in the brains of insects.

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Section: Polarized Light Processing In the Medulla Dorsal Rim Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Medulla Projection Neurons Convey Polarized Light Signals Tomentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A visual pathway for skylight polarization processing inDrosophila

Hardcastle

Omoto

Kandimalla

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Frisch, 1949;Wehner and Müller, 2006). In these non-Dipteran insects, a multimodal neural circuit transmits polarization signals from the eyes to the central complex (el Jundi et al, 2015(el Jundi et al, , 2014Heinze, 2013;Heinze and Reppert, 2011;Pfeiffer et al, 2005). This circuit is known as the 'sky compass' pathway for its proposed role in 2/57 processing skylight polarization patterns and information about the position of the sun to bestow an animal with a sense of direction.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A visual pathway for skylight polarization processing in Drosophila

Hardcastle

Omoto

Kandimalla

et al. 2021

eLife

150

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Many insects use patterns of polarized light in the sky to orient and navigate. Here we functionally characterize neural circuitry in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, that conveys polarized light signals from the eye to the central complex, a brain region essential for the fly's sense of direction. Neurons tuned to the angle of polarization of ultraviolet light are found throughout the anterior visual pathway, connecting the optic lobes with the central complex via the anterior optic tubercle and bulb, in a homologous organization to the 'sky compass' pathways described in other insects. We detail how a consistent, map-like organization of neural tunings in the peripheral visual system is transformed into a reduced representation suited to flexible processing in the central brain. This study identifies computational motifs of the transformation, enabling mechanistic comparisons of multisensory integration and central processing for navigation in the brains of insects.

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“…Their outputs are compared by so-called opponent processing that takes place in the receptor axons (53, 54) or in the interneurons (55). In order to avoid the confusion between the spectral composition of incident light and its degree or angle of linear polarization, the photoreceptors mediating polarization vision should express the same rhodopsins, as is the case in the DRA (31, 56).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Horsefly object-directed polarotaxis is mediated by a stochastically distributed ommatidial subtype in the ventral retina

Meglič

Ilić

Pirih

et al. 2019

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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The ventral compound eye of many insects contains polarization-sensitive photoreceptors, but little is known about how they are integrated into visual functions. In female horseflies, polarized reflections from animal fur are a key stimulus for host detection. To understand how polarization vision is mediated by the ventral compound eye, we investigated the band-eyed brown horsefly Tabanus bromius using anatomical, physiological, and behavioral approaches. Serial electron microscopic sectioning of the retina and single-cell recordings were used to determine the spectral and polarization sensitivity (PS) of photoreceptors. We found 2 stochastically distributed subtypes of ommatidia, analogous to pale and yellow of other flies. Importantly, the pale analog contains an orthogonal analyzer receptor pair with high PS, formed by an ultraviolet (UV)-sensitive R7 and a UV- and blue-sensitive R8, while the UV-sensitive R7 and green-sensitive R8 in the yellow analog always have low PS. We tested horsefly polarotaxis in the field, using lures with controlled spectral and polarization composition. Polarized reflections without UV and blue components rendered the lures unattractive, while reflections without the green component increased their attractiveness. This is consistent with polarotaxis being guided by a differential signal from polarization analyzers in the pale analogs, and with an inhibitory role of the yellow analogs. Our results reveal how stochastically distributed sensory units with modality-specific division of labor serve as separate and opposing input channels for visual guidance.

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Polarization Vision

Cited by 5 publications

References 100 publications

A visual pathway for skylight polarization processing inDrosophila

A visual pathway for skylight polarization processing inDrosophila

A visual pathway for skylight polarization processing in Drosophila

Horsefly object-directed polarotaxis is mediated by a stochastically distributed ommatidial subtype in the ventral retina

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