Motor neurons organize Drosophila feeding sequences via a disinhibitory cascade.

Motor neurons in Drosophila orchestrate feeding sequences through a precise disinhibitory cascade involving at least four neurons.

• Why it matters: Understanding how motor neurons actively pattern behavior challenges traditional views of them as mere command relays, revealing a more dynamic role in behavior control.
• What they did: The study used quadruple-electrode recordings during feeding, combined with behavior analysis and computational modeling, to uncover a feedforward disinhibition mechanism with millisecond precision.
• The result: This disinhibitory circuit enables robust, ordered motor activity independent of the feeding rate, expanding the functional scope of motor neurons in behavior patterning.