Yichen Luo
Research
Publications
2026
Distributed control circuits across a brain-and-cord connectome
Bates A, Phelps J, Kim M, Yang H, Matsliah A, Ajabi Z, Perlman E, Delgado K, Osman M, Salmon C, Gager J, Silverman B, Renauld S, Salman F, Patel J, Collie M, Fan J, Pacheco D, Zhao Y, Zhang W, Capdevila L, Roberts R, Munnelly E, Griggs N, Langley H, Moya-Llamas B, Zhang Z, Maloney R, Yu S, Sterling A, Sorek M, Kruk K, Serafetinidis N, Dhawan S, Klemm F, Brooks P, Lesser E, Jones J, Pierce-Lundgren S, Lee S, Luo Y, Cook A, McKim T, Giakoumas D, Gorko B, Ellis-Joyce J, Zhang J, Kophs E, Falt T, Negron-Morales A, Burke A, Hebditch J, Willie K, Willie R, Popovych S, Kemnitz N, Ih D, Lee K, Lu R, Halageri A, Bae J, Jourdan B, Schwartzman G, Demarest D, Behnke E, Bland D, Kristiansen A, Skelton J, Stocks T, Garner D, Hernandez A, Kumar S, Daly K, Dorkenwald S, Collman F, Suver M, Fenk L, Pankratz M, Yao Z, Wang F, Huston S, Stürner T, Jefferis G, Eichler K, Seeds A, Hampel S, Agrawal S, Okubo T, Zandawala M, Macrina T, Adjavon D, Funke J, Tuthill J, Azevedo A, Seung H, de Bivort B, Murthy M, Drugowitsch J, Wilson R, Lee W. Distributed control circuits across a brain-and-cord connectome. Nature 2026, 1-4. PMID: 42259917, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10735-w.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2025
Selective presynaptic inhibition of leg proprioception in behaving Drosophila
Dallmann C, Luo Y, Agrawal S, Mamiya A, Chou G, Cook A, Sustar A, Brunton B, Tuthill J. Selective presynaptic inhibition of leg proprioception in behaving Drosophila. Nature 2025, 647: 445-453. PMID: 40963018, PMCID: PMC13070307, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09554-2.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPresynaptic inhibitionCalcium imagingInhibitory descending pathwaysClasses of interneuronsProprioceptive sensory neuronsSensory neuronsPassive leg movementGABAergic presynaptic inhibitionInterneuronsControl armDescending pathwaysCircuit mechanismsDescending inputsNeural circuitsDrosophilaAxonsLeg movementsProprioceptorsCalciumLeg proprioceptors
2024
Function and evolution of Ir52 receptors in mate detection in Drosophila
Luo Y, Talross G, Carlson J. Function and evolution of Ir52 receptors in mate detection in Drosophila. Current Biology 2024, 34: 5395-5408.e6. PMID: 39471807, PMCID: PMC11614688, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.10.001.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMating partnersCluster of genesPotential mating partnersSexually dimorphic neuronsCourtship behaviorEvolutionary timeMate detectionExpression systemFly legFruit flyFly speciesSpeciesBiological problemsTaste neuronsMatingPheromone extractsFliesReceptorsDrosophilaCourtshipGenesNeuronsPheromoneCircuit mappingExpression
2022
Ir56b is an atypical ionotropic receptor that underlies appetitive salt response in Drosophila
Dweck HKM, Talross GJS, Luo Y, Ebrahim SAM, Carlson JR. Ir56b is an atypical ionotropic receptor that underlies appetitive salt response in Drosophila. Current Biology 2022, 32: 1776-1787.e4. PMID: 35294865, PMCID: PMC9050924, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.02.063.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSalt tasteBitter-sensing neuronsStop codonLoss of functionNumber of speciesIonotropic receptorsIonotropic receptor familyN-terminal regionReceptor familyNeuronsDrosophila speciesPremature stop codonTaste modalitiesAncient functionGR familySalt responseSense codonsMolecular basisAtypical memberSalt detectionModalitiesCodonSensory modalitiesDrosophilaBehavioral responses
2019
Chemosensory sensilla of the Drosophila wing express a candidate ionotropic pheromone receptor
He Z, Luo Y, Shang X, Sun JS, Carlson JR. Chemosensory sensilla of the Drosophila wing express a candidate ionotropic pheromone receptor. PLOS Biology 2019, 17: e2006619. PMID: 31112532, PMCID: PMC6528970, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2006619.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMale-female interactionsDrosophila wingSubesophageal zoneWing marginChemosensory sensillaRNA-seq analysisDifferential RNA-seq analysisAnterior wing marginMale-male interactionsPheromone receptorsTaste organsOptogenetic activationMolecular descriptionGenesIonotropic receptorsChemical perceptionSensillaSecond-order projectionsSexual behaviorFliesPheromoneMale sexual behaviorPheromonal inputHydrophobic moleculesActivation
2018
Sensory Biology: Structure of an Insect Chemoreceptor
Luo Y, Carlson JR. Sensory Biology: Structure of an Insect Chemoreceptor. Current Biology 2018, 28: r1202-r1205. PMID: 30352191, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.09.002.Commentaries, Editorials and LettersA Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Sensor Enables Rapid and Specific Detection of Dopamine in Flies, Fish, and Mice
Sun F, Zeng J, Jing M, Zhou J, Feng J, Owen S, Luo Y, Li F, Wang H, Yamaguchi T, Yong Z, Gao Y, Peng W, Wang L, Zhang S, Du J, Lin D, Xu M, Kreitzer A, Cui G, Li Y. A Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Sensor Enables Rapid and Specific Detection of Dopamine in Flies, Fish, and Mice. Cell 2018, 174: 481-496.e19. PMID: 30007419, PMCID: PMC6092020, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.06.042.Peer-Reviewed Original Research