The mushroom body has been studied intensely for years, because it offers a really well defined and dynamic model system for researchers to play and test theoretical models. In Ahmed et al., 2023, they experimentally test the expansion layer coding model, originally proposed by Marr and Albus about cerebellar function (Albus, 1971; Marr, 1969). Expansion layers are structures that receive various sensory information and combine them. Structures that have been previously discussed to do this are the cerebellum, the hippocampus, and now the insect mushroom body.
Ahmed et al confirm the model proposed by Albus and Marr experimentally for the first time by showing that decreasing kenyon cell input density makes their odor responses more refined, and increasing the density makes them more generalized.
references
- Ahmed, M., Rajagopalan, A. E., Pan, Y., Li, Y., Williams, D. L., Pedersen, E. A., Thakral, M., Previero, A., Close, K. C., Christoforou, C. P., Cai, D., Turner, G. C., & Clowney, E. J. (2023). Input density tunes Kenyon cell sensory responses in the Drosophila mushroom body. Current Biology, 33(13), 2742-2760.e12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.05.064
- Albus, J. S. (1971). A theory of cerebellar function. Mathematical Biosciences, 10(1–2), 25–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/0025-5564(71)90051-4
- Marr, D. (1969). A theory of cerebellar cortex. The Journal of Physiology, 202(2), 437–470. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.1969.sp008820