Feed-forward inhibition in the mushroom body
May 19, 2016
Hunger promotes the behavioural expression of food-seeking memories. A recent study from the Waddell lab in Neuron discovered the neural circuit mechanism that provides this control. Hunger-state modulation increases the activity of a pair of inhibitory interneurons of the mushroom body so that odours more strongly drive mushroom body output pathways that favour approach behaviour. Surprisingly aversive learning promotes odour avoidance behaviour by altering the activity of the same inhibitory interneurons, but in the opposite direction. The full paper can be viewed here.
Emmanuel Perisse discusses his work in a short film, entitled The Hunger Trail.