Comparative connectomics of Drosophila descending and ascending neurons

Tomke Stürner, Paul Brooks, Laia Serratosa Capdevila, Billy J. Morris, Alexandre Javier, Siqi Fang, Marina Gkantia, Sebastian Cachero, Isabella R. Beckett, Elizabeth C. Marin, Philipp Schlegel, Andrew S. Champion, Ilina Moitra, Alana Richards, Finja Klemm, Leonie Kugel, Shigehiro Namiki, Han S. J. Cheong, Julie Kovalyak, Emily Tenshaw, Ruchi Parekh, Jasper S. Phelps, Brandon Mark, Sven Dorkenwald, Alexander S. Bates, Arie Matsliah, Szi-chieh Yu, Claire E. McKellar, Amy Sterling, H. Sebastian Seung, Mala Murthy, John C. Tuthill, Wei-Chung Allen Lee, Gwyneth M. Card, Marta Costa, Gregory S. X. E. Jefferis () and Katharina Eichler ()
Additional contact information
Tomke Stürner: MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
Paul Brooks: University of Cambridge
Laia Serratosa Capdevila: University of Cambridge
Billy J. Morris: University of Cambridge
Alexandre Javier: University of Cambridge
Siqi Fang: University of Cambridge
Marina Gkantia: University of Cambridge
Sebastian Cachero: MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
Isabella R. Beckett: MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
Elizabeth C. Marin: University of Cambridge
Philipp Schlegel: MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
Andrew S. Champion: University of Cambridge
Ilina Moitra: University of Cambridge
Alana Richards: University of Cambridge
Finja Klemm: Leipzig University
Leonie Kugel: Leipzig University
Shigehiro Namiki: University of Tokyo
Han S. J. Cheong: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Julie Kovalyak: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Emily Tenshaw: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Ruchi Parekh: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Jasper S. Phelps: Harvard Medical School
Brandon Mark: University of Washington
Sven Dorkenwald: Princeton University
Alexander S. Bates: MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
Arie Matsliah: Princeton University
Szi-chieh Yu: Princeton University
Claire E. McKellar: Princeton University
Amy Sterling: Princeton University
H. Sebastian Seung: Princeton University
Mala Murthy: Princeton University
John C. Tuthill: University of Washington
Wei-Chung Allen Lee: Harvard Medical School
Gwyneth M. Card: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Marta Costa: University of Cambridge
Gregory S. X. E. Jefferis: MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
Katharina Eichler: University of Cambridge

Nature, 2025, vol. 643, issue 8070, 158-172

Abstract: Abstract In most complex nervous systems there is a clear anatomical separation between the nerve cord, which contains most of the final motor outputs necessary for behaviour, and the brain. In insects, the neck connective is both a physical and an information bottleneck connecting the brain and the ventral nerve cord (an analogue of the spinal cord) and comprises diverse populations of descending neurons (DNs), ascending neurons (ANs) and sensory ascending neurons, which are crucial for sensorimotor signalling and control. Here, by integrating three separate electron microscopy (EM) datasets1–4, we provide a complete connectomic description of the ANs and DNs of the Drosophila female nervous system and compare them with neurons of the male nerve cord. Proofread neuronal reconstructions are matched across hemispheres, datasets and sexes. Crucially, we also match 51% of DN cell types to light-level data5 defining specific driver lines, as well as classifying all ascending populations. We use these results to reveal the anatomical and circuit logic of neck connective neurons. We observe connected chains of DNs and ANs spanning the neck, which may subserve motor sequences. We provide a complete description of sexually dimorphic DN and AN populations, with detailed analyses of selected circuits for reproductive behaviours, including male courtship6 (DNa12; also known as aSP22) and song production7 (AN neurons from hemilineage 08B) and female ovipositor extrusion8 (DNp13). Our work provides EM-level circuit analyses that span the entire central nervous system of an adult animal.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08925-z

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