1
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Davidson AM, Hige T. Roles of feedback and feed-forward networks of dopamine subsystems: insights from Drosophila studies. Learn Mem 2024; 31:a053807. [PMID: 38862171 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053807.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Across animal species, dopamine-operated memory systems comprise anatomically segregated, functionally diverse subsystems. Although individual subsystems could operate independently to support distinct types of memory, the logical interplay between subsystems is expected to enable more complex memory processing by allowing existing memory to influence future learning. Recent comprehensive ultrastructural analysis of the Drosophila mushroom body revealed intricate networks interconnecting the dopamine subsystems-the mushroom body compartments. Here, we review the functions of some of these connections that are beginning to be understood. Memory consolidation is mediated by two different forms of network: A recurrent feedback loop within a compartment maintains sustained dopamine activity required for consolidation, whereas feed-forward connections across compartments allow short-term memory formation in one compartment to open the gate for long-term memory formation in another compartment. Extinction and reversal of aversive memory rely on a similar feed-forward circuit motif that signals omission of punishment as a reward, which triggers plasticity that counteracts the original aversive memory trace. Finally, indirect feed-forward connections from a long-term memory compartment to short-term memory compartments mediate higher-order conditioning. Collectively, these emerging studies indicate that feedback control and hierarchical connectivity allow the dopamine subsystems to work cooperatively to support diverse and complex forms of learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Davidson
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Toshihide Hige
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
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2
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Wan X, Shen P, Shi K, Li J, Wu F, Zhou C. A Neural Circuit Controlling Virgin Female Aggression Induced by Mating-related Cues in Drosophila. Neurosci Bull 2023; 39:1396-1410. [PMID: 36941515 PMCID: PMC10465459 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01050-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Females increase aggression for mating opportunities and for acquiring reproductive resources. Although the close relationship between female aggression and mating status is widely appreciated, whether and how female aggression is regulated by mating-related cues remains poorly understood. Here we report an interesting observation that Drosophila virgin females initiate high-frequency attacks toward mated females. We identify 11-cis-vaccenyl acetate (cVA), a male-derived pheromone transferred to females during mating, which promotes virgin female aggression. We subsequently reveal a cVA-responsive neural circuit consisting of four orders of neurons, including Or67d, DA1, aSP-g, and pC1 neurons, that mediate cVA-induced virgin female aggression. We also determine that aSP-g neurons release acetylcholine (ACh) to excite pC1 neurons via the nicotinic ACh receptor nAChRα7. Together, beyond revealing cVA as a mating-related inducer of virgin female aggression, our results identify a neural circuit linking the chemosensory perception of mating-related cues to aggressive behavior in Drosophila females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolu Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Peng Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Kai Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jing Li
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518132, China
| | - Fengming Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Chuan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518132, China
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3
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Taisz I, Donà E, Münch D, Bailey SN, Morris BJ, Meechan KI, Stevens KM, Varela-Martínez I, Gkantia M, Schlegel P, Ribeiro C, Jefferis GSXE, Galili DS. Generating parallel representations of position and identity in the olfactory system. Cell 2023; 186:2556-2573.e22. [PMID: 37236194 PMCID: PMC10403364 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.04.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
In Drosophila, a dedicated olfactory channel senses a male pheromone, cis-vaccenyl acetate (cVA), promoting female courtship while repelling males. Here, we show that separate cVA-processing streams extract qualitative and positional information. cVA sensory neurons respond to concentration differences in a 5-mm range around a male. Second-order projection neurons encode the angular position of a male by detecting inter-antennal differences in cVA concentration, which are amplified through contralateral inhibition. At the third circuit layer, we identify 47 cell types with diverse input-output connectivity. One population responds tonically to male flies, a second is tuned to olfactory looming, while a third integrates cVA and taste to coincidentally promote female mating. The separation of olfactory features resembles the mammalian what and where visual streams; together with multisensory integration, this enables behavioral responses appropriate to specific ethological contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- István Taisz
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Erika Donà
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | - Billy J Morris
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Katie M Stevens
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Marina Gkantia
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Philipp Schlegel
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK; Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Gregory S X E Jefferis
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK; Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Dana S Galili
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
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4
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Verschut TA, Ng R, Doubovetzky NP, Le Calvez G, Sneep JL, Minnaard AJ, Su CY, Carlsson MA, Wertheim B, Billeter JC. Aggregation pheromones have a non-linear effect on oviposition behavior in Drosophila melanogaster. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1544. [PMID: 36941252 PMCID: PMC10027874 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37046-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Female fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) oviposit at communal sites where the larvae may cooperate or compete for resources depending on group size. This offers a model system to determine how females assess quantitative social information. We show that the concentration of pheromones found on a substrate increases linearly with the number of adult flies that have visited that site. Females prefer oviposition sites with pheromone concentrations corresponding to an intermediate number of previous visitors, whereas sites with low or high concentrations are unattractive. This dose-dependent decision is based on a blend of 11-cis-Vaccenyl Acetate (cVA) indicating the number of previous visitors and heptanal (a novel pheromone deriving from the oxidation of 7-Tricosene), which acts as a dose-independent co-factor. This response is mediated by detection of cVA by odorant receptor neurons Or67d and Or65a, and at least five different odorant receptor neurons for heptanal. Our results identify a mechanism allowing individuals to transform a linear increase of pheromones into a non-linear behavioral response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Verschut
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Renny Ng
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Nicolas P Doubovetzky
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Guillaume Le Calvez
- Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan L Sneep
- Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Adriaan J Minnaard
- Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Chih-Ying Su
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Mikael A Carlsson
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Bregje Wertheim
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jean-Christophe Billeter
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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5
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Tolassy V, Cazalé-Debat L, Houot B, Reynaud R, Heydel JM, Ferveur JF, Everaerts C. Drosophila Free-Flight Odor Tracking is Altered in a Sex-Specific Manner By Preimaginal Sensory Exposure. J Chem Ecol 2023; 49:179-194. [PMID: 36881326 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-023-01416-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
In insects such as Drosophila melanogaster, flight guidance is based on converging sensory information provided by several modalities, including chemoperception. Drosophila flies are particularly attracted by complex odors constituting volatile molecules from yeast, pheromones and microbe-metabolized food. Based on a recent study revealing that adult male courtship behavior can be affected by early preimaginal exposure to maternally transmitted egg factors, we wondered whether a similar exposure could affect free-flight odor tracking in flies of both sexes. Our main experiment consisted of testing flies differently conditioned during preimaginal development in a wind tunnel. Each fly was presented with a dual choice of food labeled by groups of each sex of D. melanogaster or D. simulans flies. The combined effect of food with the cis-vaccenyl acetate pheromone (cVA), which is involved in aggregation behavior, was also measured. Moreover, we used the headspace method to determine the "odorant" identity of the different labeled foods tested. We also measured the antennal electrophysiological response to cVA in females and males resulting from the different preimaginal conditioning procedures. Our data indicate that flies differentially modulated their flight response (take off, flight duration, food landing and preference) according to sex, conditioning and food choice. Our headspace analysis revealed that many food-derived volatile molecules diverged between sexes and species. Antennal responses to cVA showed clear sex-specific variation for conditioned flies but not for control flies. In summary, our study indicates that preimaginal conditioning can affect Drosophila free flight behavior in a sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Tolassy
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS UMR6265, INRAE, UMR1324, Université de Bourgogne, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Laurie Cazalé-Debat
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS UMR6265, INRAE, UMR1324, Université de Bourgogne, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France.,School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston Park Road, B15 2TT, Birmingham, UK
| | - Benjamin Houot
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS UMR6265, INRAE, UMR1324, Université de Bourgogne, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France.,Institut Gustave Roussel, 114, rue Edouard Vaillant, 94805, Villejuif Cedex, France
| | - Rémy Reynaud
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS UMR6265, INRAE, UMR1324, Université de Bourgogne, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Jean-Marie Heydel
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS UMR6265, INRAE, UMR1324, Université de Bourgogne, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Jean-François Ferveur
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS UMR6265, INRAE, UMR1324, Université de Bourgogne, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Claude Everaerts
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS UMR6265, INRAE, UMR1324, Université de Bourgogne, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France.
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6
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Park A, Tran T, Scheuermann EA, Smith DP, Atkinson NS. Alcohol potentiates a pheromone signal in flies. eLife 2020; 9:59853. [PMID: 33141025 PMCID: PMC7671682 DOI: 10.7554/elife.59853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
For decades, numerous researchers have documented the presence of the fruit fly or Drosophila melanogaster on alcohol-containing food sources. Although fruit flies are a common laboratory model organism of choice, there is relatively little understood about the ethological relationship between flies and ethanol. In this study, we find that when male flies inhabit ethanol-containing food substrates they become more aggressive. We identify a possible mechanism for this behavior. The odor of ethanol potentiates the activity of sensory neurons in response to an aggression-promoting pheromone. Finally, we observed that the odor of ethanol also promotes attraction to a food-related citrus odor. Understanding how flies interact with the complex natural environment they inhabit can provide valuable insight into how different natural stimuli are integrated to promote fundamental behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie Park
- Department of Neuroscience and Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, United States
| | - Tracy Tran
- Department of Neuroscience and Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, United States
| | - Elizabeth A Scheuermann
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - Dean P Smith
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - Nigel S Atkinson
- Department of Neuroscience and Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, United States
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7
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Sun Y, Qiu R, Li X, Cheng Y, Gao S, Kong F, Liu L, Zhu Y. Social attraction in Drosophila is regulated by the mushroom body and serotonergic system. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5350. [PMID: 33093442 PMCID: PMC7582864 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19102-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Sociality is among the most important motivators of human behaviour. However, the neural mechanisms determining levels of sociality are largely unknown, primarily due to a lack of suitable animal models. Here, we report the presence of a surprising degree of general sociality in Drosophila. A newly-developed paradigm to study social approach behaviour in flies reveal that social cues perceive through both vision and olfaction converged in a central brain region, the γ lobe of the mushroom body, which exhibite activation in response to social experience. The activity of these γ neurons control the motivational drive for social interaction. At the molecular level, the serotonergic system is critical for social affinity. These results demonstrate that Drosophila are highly sociable, providing a suitable model system for elucidating the mechanisms underlying the motivation for sociality. Robust social attraction in fruit flies relies on two prominent senses, vision and olfaction, which converge to central brain neurons. The neurons of the γ lobe of the mushroom bodies integrate sensory information and modulate social affinity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanjie Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Beijing, 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Rong Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Beijing, 100101, China.,New England Biolabs (Beijing) LTD., No.1 Wang Zhuang Road, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaonan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Beijing, 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yaxin Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Beijing, 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.,Shenzhen Science Museum, Shangbu Road, 1003, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Beijing, 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Fanchen Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Beijing, 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Li Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Beijing, 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Beijing, 100101, China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China. .,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
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8
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Khallaf MA, Auer TO, Grabe V, Depetris-Chauvin A, Ammagarahalli B, Zhang DD, Lavista-Llanos S, Kaftan F, Weißflog J, Matzkin LM, Rollmann SM, Löfstedt C, Svatoš A, Dweck HKM, Sachse S, Benton R, Hansson BS, Knaden M. Mate discrimination among subspecies through a conserved olfactory pathway. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaba5279. [PMID: 32704542 PMCID: PMC7360436 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba5279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Communication mechanisms underlying the sexual isolation of species are poorly understood. Using four subspecies of Drosophila mojavensis as a model, we identify two behaviorally active, male-specific pheromones. One functions as a conserved male antiaphrodisiac in all subspecies and acts via gustation. The second induces female receptivity via olfaction exclusively in the two subspecies that produce it. Genetic analysis of the cognate receptor for the olfactory pheromone indicates an important role for this sensory pathway in promoting sexual isolation of subspecies, in combination with auditory signals. Unexpectedly, the peripheral sensory pathway detecting this pheromone is conserved molecularly, physiologically, and anatomically across subspecies. These observations imply that subspecies-specific behaviors arise from differential interpretation of the same peripheral cue, reminiscent of sexually conserved detection but dimorphic interpretation of male pheromones in Drosophila melanogaster. Our results reveal that, during incipient speciation, pheromone production, detection, and interpretation do not necessarily evolve in a coordinated manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed A. Khallaf
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, D-07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Thomas O. Auer
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Veit Grabe
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, D-07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Ana Depetris-Chauvin
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, D-07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Byrappa Ammagarahalli
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Dan-Dan Zhang
- Department of Biology, Lund University, SE-22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Sofía Lavista-Llanos
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, D-07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Filip Kaftan
- Group of Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, D-07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Jerrit Weißflog
- Group of Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, D-07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Luciano M. Matzkin
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, 1140 E. South Campus Drive, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Stephanie M. Rollmann
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | | | - Aleš Svatoš
- Group of Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, D-07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Hany K. M. Dweck
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, D-07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Silke Sachse
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, D-07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Richard Benton
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bill S. Hansson
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, D-07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Markus Knaden
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, D-07745 Jena, Germany
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9
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Flying Drosophila show sex-specific attraction to fly-labelled food. Sci Rep 2019; 9:14947. [PMID: 31628403 PMCID: PMC6802089 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51351-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals searching for food and sexual partners often use odourant mixtures combining food-derived molecules and pheromones. For orientation, the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster uses three types of chemical cues: (i) the male volatile pheromone 11-cis-vaccenyl acetate (cVA), (ii) sex-specific cuticular hydrocarbons (CHs; and CH-derived compounds), and (iii) food-derived molecules resulting from microbiota activity. To evaluate the effects of these chemicals on odour-tracking behaviour, we tested Drosophila individuals in a wind tunnel. Upwind flight and food preference were measured in individual control males and females presented with a choice of two food sources labelled by fly lines producing varying amounts of CHs and/or cVA. The flies originated from different species or strains, or their microbiota was manipulated. We found that (i) fly-labelled food could attract—but never repel—flies; (ii) the landing frequency on fly-labelled food was positively correlated with an increased flight duration; (iii) male—but not female or non-sex-specific—CHs tended to increase the landing frequency on fly-labelled food; (iv) cVA increased female—but not male—preference for cVA-rich food; and (v) microbiota-derived compounds only affected male upwind flight latency. Therefore, sex pheromones interact with food volatile chemicals to induce sex-specific flight responses in Drosophila.
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10
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Rings A, Goodwin SF. To court or not to court - a multimodal sensory decision in Drosophila males. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 35:48-53. [PMID: 31336357 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2019.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Revised: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
When Drosophila males encounter another fly, they have to make a rapid assessment to ensure the appropriate response: should they court, fight or pursue a different action entirely? Previous work has focused on the significance of sensory cues detected by the male during these encounters; however, recent evidence highlights the importance of the male's own internal state in shaping his responses. Additionally, once triggered, courtship is not a rigid sequence of motor actions, but rather a finely tuned behavioural display that must continually update in response to sensory feedback. Here, we review recent findings highlighting how sensory information and internal states are integrated ensuring appropriate action selection, and how they sustain and fine-tune motor output. We further discuss recent advances in our understanding of species differences in sensory processing that may contribute to reproductive isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Rings
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SR, UK.
| | - Stephen F Goodwin
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SR, UK
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11
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Sehdev A, Mohammed YG, Tafrali C, Szyszka P. Social foraging extends associative odor-food memory expression in an automated learning assay for Drosophila. J Exp Biol 2019; 222:jeb.207241. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.207241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Animals socially interact during foraging and share information about the quality and location of food sources. The mechanisms of social information transfer during foraging have been mostly studied at the behavioral level, and its underlying neural mechanisms are largely unknown. Fruit flies have become a model for studying the neural bases of social information transfer, because they provide a large genetic toolbox to monitor and manipulate neuronal activity, and they show a rich repertoire of social behaviors. Fruit flies aggregate, they use social information for choosing a suitable mating partner and oviposition site, and they show better aversive learning when in groups. However, the effects of social interactions on associative odor-food learning have not yet been investigated. Here we present an automated learning and memory assay for walking flies that allows studying the effect of group size on social interactions and on the formation and expression of associative odor-food memories. We found that both inter-fly attraction and the duration of odor-food memory expression increase with group size. We discuss possible behavioral and neural mechanisms of this social effect on odor-food memory expression. This study opens up opportunities to investigate how social interactions during foraging are relayed in the neural circuitry of learning and memory expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aarti Sehdev
- University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, Neurobiology, Konstanz 78457, Germany
| | - Yunusa G. Mohammed
- University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, Neurobiology, Konstanz 78457, Germany
| | - Cansu Tafrali
- University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, Neurobiology, Konstanz 78457, Germany
| | - Paul Szyszka
- University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, Neurobiology, Konstanz 78457, Germany
- University of Otago, Department of Zoology, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
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