Drosophila Food-Associated Pheromones: Effect of Experience, Genotype and Antibiotics on Larval Behavior

Self Cite

Experimental studies show that early sensory experience often affects subsequent sensory preference, suggesting that the heterogeneity of sensory cues in nature could induce significant inter-individual behavioral variation, potentially contributing to maintain intraspecific diversity. To test this hypothesis, we explored the behavioral effect induced by variation in the levels of a self-produced chemical, acetoin, and its link with intraspecific diversity. Acetoin is a pheromone-like substance produced by gut-associated microorganisms in Drosophila. Using wild-type Drosophila melanogaster populations producing variable acetoin levels, we (i) characterized factors involved in this variation and (ii) manipulated some of these factors to affect acetoin responses in larvae. We found that increased and decreased variations in acetoin levels were caused by microorganisms associated with the outside and inside of the egg, respectively. Wild-type larvae preferred acetoin-rich food only when they both produced and were exposed to substantial amounts of acetoin. The removal of the outside of the egg or the genetic alteration of olfaction abolished this preference. In contrast, larvae exposed to high doses of synthetic acetoin were repulsed by acetoin. The similar effects obtained with freshly caught wild-type lines suggest that this acetoin “production-preference” link underlies the diversity of acetoin-producing microorganisms among natural D. melanogaster populations.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maternally-transmitted microbiota affects odor emission and preference in Drosophila larva

Farine

Habbachi

Cortot

et al. 2017

Self Cite

“…At a distance, insects are not only attracted by microbes on food sources, but by the metabolites resulting from the activity of gut-associated microbes 27,28 . These metabolites are mostly released through feces outside the larval digestive tract and some of them can change larval olfactory preference and induce life-long changes in egg-laying and olfactory behaviours in insects “conditioned” with such metabolites 12,29–31 . Such conditioning to specific food components and/or microbial metabolites can induce, through epigenetic modification, a persistent change in food preference across generations 32,33 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Live yeast in juvenile diet induces species-specific effects on Drosophila adult behaviour and fitness

Murgier

Everaerts

Farine

et al. 2019

Self Cite

The presence and the amount of specific yeasts in the diet of saprophagous insects such as Drosophila can affect their development and fitness. However, the impact of different yeast species in the juvenile diet has rarely been investigated. Here, we measured the behavioural and fitness effects of three live yeasts ( Saccharomyces cerevisiae = SC; Hanseniaspora uvarum = HU; Metschnikowia pulcherrima = MP) added to the diet of Drosophila melanogaster larvae. Beside these live yeast species naturally found in natural Drosophila populations or in their food sources, we tested the inactivated “drySC” yeast widely used in Drosophila research laboratories. All flies were transferred to drySC medium immediately after adult emergence, and several life traits and behaviours were measured. These four yeast diets had different effects on pre-imaginal development: HU-rich diet tended to shorten the “egg-to-pupa” period of development while MP-rich diet induced higher larval lethality compared to other diets. Pre- and postzygotic reproduction-related characters (copulatory ability, fecundity, cuticular pheromones) varied according to juvenile diet and sex. Juvenile diet also changed adult food choice preference and longevity. These results indicate that specific yeast species present in natural food sources and ingested by larvae can affect their adult characters crucial for fitness.

“…pseudoobscura ) are attracted to food sources containing yeast, and each species shows a marked preference for different yeast species 14 . While larval food preference can vary according to their earlier experience and the presence of maternally transmitted microbes 15 , 16 , the relationship between yeast in the larval diet and adult life traits has rarely been investigated 13 . Here, we measured the influence of pre-adult fungal diet quality on various adult life traits.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Yeast quality in juvenile diet affects Drosophila melanogaster adult life traits

Grangeteau

Yahou

Everaerts

et al. 2018

Self Cite

Diet quality is critical for animal development and survival. Fungi can provide nutrients that are essential to organisms that are unable to synthetize them, such as ergosterol in Drosophila melanogaster. Drosophila studies examining the influence of yeast quality in the diet have generally either provided the diet over the whole life span (larva to adult) or during the adult stage and have rarely focussed on the juvenile diet. Here, we tested the effect of yeast quality in the larval diet on pre-adult development and adult weight, survival, reproduction and food preference. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was added in three forms in three treatments—live, heated or dried—to food used as the juvenile diet or was not added (empty treatment). Adults resulting from the larvae raised on these four juvenile diets were all maintained on a similar standard laboratory food diet. Our data indicate that yeast quality in the juvenile diet affects larva-to-pupa—but not pupa-to-adult—development. Importantly, adult survival, food preference, mating behaviour and cuticular pheromones strongly varied with the juvenile diet. Therefore, the variation of yeast quality in the pre-adult Drosophila diet affects key adult life traits involved in food search, reproduction and survival.