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Updated: May 12, 2026

Labeling of Single Cells in the Central Nervous System of Drosophila melanogaster
Published on: March 4, 2013
Deep homology of arthropod central complex and vertebrate basal ganglia
Nicholas J Strausfeld1, Frank Hirth
1Department of Neuroscience, School of Mind, Brain and Behavior, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. flybrain@neurobio.arizona.edu
Abstract:
The arthropod central complex and vertebrate basal ganglia derive from embryonic basal forebrain lineages that are specified by an evolutionarily conserved genetic program leading to interconnected neuropils and nuclei that populate the midline of the forebrain-midbrain boundary region. In the substructures of both the central complex and basal ganglia, network connectivity and neuronal activity mediate control mechanisms in which inhibitory (GABAergic) and modulatory (dopaminergic) circuits facilitate the regulation and release of adaptive behaviors. Both basal ganglia and central complex dysfunction result in behavioral defects including motor abnormalities, impaired memory formation, attention deficits, affective disorders, and sleep disturbances. The observed multitude of similarities suggests deep homology of arthropod central complex and vertebrate basal ganglia circuitries underlying the selection and maintenance of behavioral actions.
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