A split attractor design for rapidly writing a navigational goal.

Disinhibition enables rapid switching of persistent activity in a fly navigation circuit, with h∆K activity controlled by inhibitory inputs during turns and runs.

• Why it matters: Understanding how recurrent attractor networks can be quickly turned on and off is crucial for elucidating working memory mechanisms and flexible navigation behaviors in animals.
• What they did: The study combined whole-cell recordings and computational modeling of the fly navigation center, focusing on h∆K and PFG neurons, revealing that inhibitory inputs modulate persistent activity and switching.
• The result: Findings show that inhibitory inputs onto h∆K increase during turns and decrease during odour and goal-directed runs, suggesting disinhibition acts as a gate for rapid activity state changes.