larval VNC-innervating Hugin neuron [FBbt_00110923]

larval VNC-innervating Hugin neuron

ID: FBbt_00110923

Larval neuron that expresses Hugin (FBgn0028374) and that projects to the ventral nerve cord (Bader et al., 2007). This neuron has a long projection travelling down contralaterally along the lateral neuropil border of the ventral nerve cord. Three or four shorter fibers project on either side of the midline. Two fibers project anteriorly and pass along either side of the esophagus foramen, terminating at the medial end of the protocerebrum. There are two of these neurons per hemisphere and they form reciprocal ipsilateral connections amongst themselves (Schlegel et al., 2016). Much of their synaptic input is from sensory neurons (Schlegel et al., 2016).

A subset of the pharynx and the VNC hugin neurons expresses ChAT and this expression is required for full Hugin neuron function - i.e. some neurons of this class may be cholinergic (Schlegel et al., 2016). Synapsing identified in full L1 VNC EM volume - up to 39 percent of synaptic input is from sensory neurons (Schlegel et al., 2016).