Mechanical vibration patterns elicit behavioral transitions and habituation in crawling Drosophila larvae

How animals respond to repeatedly applied stimuli, and how animals respond to mechanical stimuli in particular, are important questions in behavioral neuroscience. We study adaptation to repeated mechanical agitation using the Drosophila larva. Vertical vibration stimuli elicit a discrete set of responses in crawling larvae: continuation, pause, turn, and reversal. Through high-throughput larva tracking, we characterize how the likelihood of each response depends on vibration intensity and on the timing of repeated vibration pulses. By examining transitions between behavioral states at the population and individual levels, we investigate how the animals habituate to the stimulus patterns. We identify time constants associated with desensitization to prolonged vibration, with re-sensitization during removal of a stimulus, and additional layers of habituation that operate in the overall response. Known memory-deficient mutants exhibit distinct behavior profiles and habituation time constants. An analogous simple electrical circuit suggests possible neural and molecular processes behind adaptive behavior.

Automated summary

We used Drosophila larvae to study animal adaptation to mechanical stimuli. The larvae showed different responses to vertical vibration stimuli, which were related to vibration intensity and time. Through high-throughput larva tracking and analysis of behavioral state transitions, we investigated the habituation process in animals and identified the associated time constants. Known memory-deficient mutants exhibited distinct behavioral characteristics and habituation time constants. The results also suggest possible neural and molecular processes underlying adaptive behavior.