Network activity during memory consolidation and sleep in Drosophila

Across phyla, memory consolidation and sleep are closely interlinked. In the central nervous system of the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, memories are stored and consolidated at the level of a higher order neuropil called the mushroom bodies (MBs). During the first funding period, we have identified that synaptic output during the initial consolidation phase of a certain set of so-called MB output neurons is instrumental for successful memory consolidation. We also discovered physiological correlates of slow wave sleep in a separate brain region. We now aim at understanding the interplay of rhythmic oscillations in different neuropils during sleep and memory consolidation.

Image Flies in vial (l) and magenta-stained mushroom body (r).  Courtesy of Eric Reynolds

Archive – A07 (SFB1315/1)