An aorta-to-insulin producing cell sensor for internal state in Drosophila

The cellular circuits through which the internal state of an organism is sensed and relayed to the brain, and through which they bring about appropriate physiological and behavioral responses, remain largely unelucidated. Using whole-animal electron microscopy reconstruction of a Drosophila larva, we previously identified an Aorta sensory organ whose somata lie on the periphery of the brain, with dendritic arborizations in the wall of the anterior aorta, and whose axons project to the protocerebrum and synapse onto the insulin-producing cells (IPCs). Here we characterize the full anatomy and connectivity of this sensory organ. We show that the aorta sensory neurons make their strongest direct synaptic contacts onto IPCs and the neurosecretory cells producing Dromyosuppressin (DMS), with only weaker direct contacts to diuretic hormone 44 (DH44). They also make direct contacts to the enteric serotonergic neurons modulating swallowing (Se0ens), and to two single mushroom body neurons, DAN-j1 and MBON-d3, of the learning and memory center of Drosophila. Calcium imaging shows that the neurons are activated by fructose, and optogenetic manipulation reveals that their activity influences peptide content in IPCs, DH44 and DMS cells. Polysynaptic paths to the brain run through two morphologically distinct interneuron families. One, formed by the Hugin protocerebral neurons, targets the neuroendocrine system and is associated with bitter taste and pathogen induced feeding suppression. The other, formed by the BAmas projection neurons, targets dopaminergic input neurons and output neurons of the mushroom body. The Aorta sensory pathway therefore couples internal hemolymph state to two parallel central systems — endocrine state control and mushroom body-associated value updating — and provides a candidate substrate for a metabolic memory through which post-ingestive state is fed back into future feeding choice.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.