New map of a male fly central nervous system includes all 166,000 neurons — and enables direct comparisons to female fly brain
A new map of the adult male fruit fly brain and nerve cord includes over 166,000 neurons and the millions of connections between them.
A new map of the male fruit fly brain has been completed, charting all 166,000 neurons and the associated spinal cord. This connectome joins a map of the female fruit fly brain, containing about 140,000 neurons, published in 2024. Together, these wiring diagrams can be directly compared to understand sex-specific behavioral differences.
The map will enable researchers to pinpoint neurons responsible for differences in mating and aggression behaviors. The study's lead author, Gerry Rubin, emphasized that this is the first time a comparison of brains from sexes with complex social behavior has been possible. The map was published alongside three other papers, each exploring specific aspects of fruit fly neurobiology.
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