Summary
Axons innervating the dorsal longitudinal flight muscle ofDrosophila were investigated with physiological, light microscopic and electron microscopic techniques. Five motor axons innervate the six muscle fibres which compose a dorsal longitudinal flight muscle. All five axons, designated 1–5, are identified physiologically and morphologically. Axons 1–4 separately innervate muscle fibres 1–4, while axon 5 innervates both muscle fibres 5 and 6, making five motor units. The branching pattern of the nerve and the organization of these axons within the nerve is very consistent from fly to fly, making identification of every axon possible in both the nerve trunk and finer branches. Morphologically, axons 1–2 and 3–4 make particular pairs with long shared pathways. Furthermore, the axons are unusually closely associated with each other within the nerve.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anderson, M. (1978) A microscopical study of the innervation of flight muscles in the tsetse fly.Journal of Morphology 155, 19–34.
Bodenstein, D. (1946) Investigation on the locus of action of DDT in flies (Drosophila).Biological Bulletin 90, 148–57.
Bodian, D. (1936) A new method for staining nerve fibers and nerve endings in mounted paraffin sections.Anatomical Record 65, 89–97.
Boettiger, E. G. (1951) Stimulation of the flight muscle of the fly.Anatomical Record 111, 443 (abstract).
Coggshall, J. C. (1978) Neurons associated with the dorsal longitudinal flight muscle ofDrosophila melanogaster.Journal of Comparative Neurology 177, 707–19.
Harcombe, E. S. &Wyman, R. J. (1977) Output pattern generation byDrosophila flight motoneurons.Journal of Neurophysiology 40, 1066–77.
Harcombe, E. S. &Wyman, R. J. (1978) The cyclically repetitive firing sequences of identifiedDrosophila flight motoneurons.Journal of Comparative Physiology A 123, 271–9.
Hertweck, H. (1931) Anatomie und Variabilität des Nervensystems und der Sinnesorgane vonDrosophila melanogaster (Meigen).Zeitschrift für wissenschaftliche Zoologie, Abteilung A,139, 559–663.
Ikeda, K. (1977) Flight motor innervation of a flesh fly. InIdentified Neurons and Behavior of Arthropods (edited byHoyle, G.), pp. 357–368. New York: Plenum.
Ikeda, K. &Kaplan, W. D. (1970) Patterned neural activity of a mutantDrosophila melanogaster.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, (U.S.A.) 66, 765–72.
Ikeda, K. &Kaplan, W. D. (1974) Neurophysiological genetics inDrosophila melanogaster.American Zoologist 14, 1055–66.
Ikeda, K., Tsuruhara, T. &Hori, N. (1975) Motor innervation of the dorsal longitudinal flight muscle ofDrosophila melanogaster.American Zoologist 15, 789 (abstract).
Ikeda, K., Hori, N. &Tsuruhara, T. (1976) Motor innervation of the dorsal longitudinal flight muscle ofSarcophaga bullata.American Zoologist 16, 179 (abstract).
Katz, B. &Schmitt, O. H. (1940) Electric interaction between two adjacent nerve fibers.Journal of Physiology 97, 471–88.
Koenig, J. H. &Ikeda, K. (1977) Analysis of the flight pattern of the dorsal longitudinal flight muscle inDrosophila.Society for Neuroscience 7th Annual Meeting Abstracts 3, 181.
Koenig, J. H. &Ikeda, K. (1978a) Characterization of the temperature-induced firing pattern of the dorsal longitudinal flight muscle in theDrosophila mutant,shibire.Federation Proceedings 87, 527 (abstract).
Koenig, J. H. &Ikeda, K. (1978b) Characterization of the concurrent interval correlation between fibers of the bilateral pair of dorsal longitudinal muscles inDrosophila.Society for Neuroscience 8th Annual Meeting Abstracts 4, 198.
Koenig, J. H. &Ikeda, K. (1980a) Neural interactions controlling timing of flight muscle activity inDrosophila. Journal of Experimental Biology (in press).
Koenig, J. H. &Ikeda, K. (1980b) Interspike interval relationship among flight muscle fibres inDrosophila. Journal of Experimental Biology (in press).
Levine, J. D. (1973) Properties of the nervous system controlling flight inDrosophila melanogaster.Journal of Comparative Physiology 84, 129–66.
Mihályi, F. (1936) Untersuchungen über Anatomie und Mechanik der Flügorgane an der Stubenfliege.Abteilung des Ungarischen Biologischen Forshunginstitutes 1, 106–19.
Miller, A. (1955) The internal anatomy and histology of the imago ofDrosophila melanogaster. InBiology of Drosophila (edited byDemerec, M.), pp. 420–534. New York, London: Hafner.
Mulloney, B. (1970) Organization of flight motoneurons of Diptera.Journal of Neurophysiology 33, 86–95.
Power, M. E. (1948) The thoracico-abdominal nervous system of an adult insect,Drosophila melanogaster.Journal of Comparative Neurology 88, 347–409.
Pringle, J. W. S. (1949) The excitation and contraction of the flight muscles of insects.Journal of Physiology 108, 226–32.
Roeder, K. D. (1951) Movements of the thorax and potential changes in the thoracic muscles of insects during flight.Biological Bulletin 100, 95–106.
Shafiq, S. A. (1964) An electron microscopical study of the innervation and sarcoplasmic reticulum of the fibrillar flight muscle ofDrosophila melanogaster.Quarterly Journal of Microscopic Science 105, 1–6.
Wilson, D. M. &Wyman, R. J. (1963) Phasically unpatterned nervous control of Dipteran flight.Journal of Insect Physiology 9, 859–65.
Wyman, R. J. (1965) Probabilistic characterization of simultaneous nerve impulse sequence controlling Dipteran flight.Biophysical Journal 5, 447–71.
Wyman, R. J. (1969a) Lateral inhibition in a motor output system. I. Reciprocal inhibition in dipteran flight motor system.Journal of Neurophysiology 32, 297–306.
Wyman, R. J. (1969b) Lateral inhibition in a motor output system. II. Diverse forms of patterning.Journal of Neurophysiology 32, 307–14.
Wyman, R. J. (1970) Patterns of frequency variation in Dipteran flight motor units.Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 35, 1–16.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
On leave of absence from the National Institute of Health, Japan.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ikeda, K., Koenig, J.H. & Tsuruhara, T. Organization of identified axons innervating the dorsal longitudinal flight muscle ofDrosophila melanogaster . J Neurocytol 9, 799–823 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01205020
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01205020