Flying the Fly: Long-range Flight Behavior of Drosophila melanogaster to Attractive Odors

Becher, Paul G.; Bengtsson, Marie; Hansson, Bill S.; Witzgall, Peter

doi:10.1007/s10886-010-9794-2

Cited by 154 publications

(184 citation statements)

References 39 publications

(33 reference statements)

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“…It is well established that fruit flies are highly attracted to volatiles associated with fermenting fruit (Barrows, 1907;Sturtevant, 1921;Hutner et al, 1937;Spencer, 1950;Ruebenbauer et al, 2008;Becher et al, 2010), and recent data indeed indicate strong olfactory receptor activity in response to volatiles associated with yeast volatiles (Stökl et al, 2010;Becher et al, 2012). Such findings are expected given that D. melanogaster feed on yeast that grows on fruit (Begon, 1982).…”

Section: P=01mentioning

confidence: 92%

Social attraction mediated by fruit flies' microbiome

Venu

Durisko

et al. 2014

Journal of Experimental Biology

103

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Larval and adult fruit flies are attracted to volatiles emanating from food substrates that have been occupied by larvae. We tested whether such volatiles are emitted by the larval gut bacteria by conducting tests under bacteria-free (axenic) conditions. We also tested attraction to two bacteria species, Lactobacillus brevis, which we cultured from larvae in our lab, and L. plantarum, a common constituent of fruit flies' microbiome in other laboratory populations and in wild fruit flies. Neither larvae nor adults showed attraction to axenic food that had been occupied by axenic larvae, but both showed the previously reported attraction to standard food that had been occupied by larvae with an intact microbiome. Larvae also showed significant attraction to volatiles from axenic food and larvae to which we added only either L. brevis or L. plantarum, and volatiles from L. brevis reared on its optimal growth medium. Controlled learning experiments indicated that larvae experienced with both standard and axenic used food do not perceive either as superior, while focal larvae experienced with simulated used food, which contains burrows, perceive it as superior to unused food. Our results suggest that flies rely on microbiome-derived volatiles for longdistance attraction to suitable food patches. Under natural settings, fruits often contain harmful fungi and bacteria, and both L. brevis and L. plantarum produce compounds that suppress the growth of some antagonistic fungi and bacteria. The larval microbiome volatiles may therefore lead prospective fruit flies towards substrates with a hospitable microbial environment.

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Section: P=01mentioning

confidence: 92%

Social attraction mediated by fruit flies' microbiome

Venu

Durisko

et al. 2014

Journal of Experimental Biology

103

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“…Thus, knowledge of ligands for the IR olfactory subsystem has allowed us to uncover significant olfactory capacity of animals that are devoid of OR sensory input. We note that the valence and magnitude of behavioral responses observed are very likely to depend on the olfactory assay and the animal's internal state; acids, for example, can be attractive in other experimental contexts (Becher et al, 2010;Ibba et al, 2010).…”

Section: Behavioral Integration Of Odor Stimuli By or And Ir Sensory mentioning

confidence: 99%

Complementary Function and Integrated Wiring of the Evolutionarily DistinctDrosophilaOlfactory Subsystems

Silbering¹,

Rytz²,

Grosjean³

et al. 2011

J. Neurosci.

456

749

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To sense myriad environmental odors, animals have evolved multiple, large families of divergent olfactory receptors. How and why distinct receptor repertoires and their associated circuits are functionally and anatomically integrated is essentially unknown. We have addressed these questions through comprehensive comparative analysis of the Drosophila olfactory subsystems that express the ionotropic receptors (IRs) and odorant receptors (ORs). We identify ligands for most IR neuron classes, revealing their specificity for select amines and acids, which complements the broader tuning of ORs for esters and alcohols. IR and OR sensory neurons exhibit glomerular convergence in segregated, although interconnected, zones of the primary olfactory center, but these circuits are extensively interdigitated in higher brain regions. Consistently, behavioral responses to odors arise from an interplay between IR-and OR-dependent pathways. We integrate knowledge on the different phylogenetic and developmental properties of these receptors and circuits to propose models for the functional contributions and evolution of these distinct olfactory subsystems.

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“…At long distances, the presence of vinegar, or even acetic acid alone, is sufficient to trigger upwind flight attraction in starved flies (Becher et al, 2010;Lebreton et al, 2012). At short distances, fly odors together with food odors elicit attraction (Ruebenbauer et al, 2008;Lebreton et al, 2012).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemicals and chemoreceptors: ecologically relevant signals driving behavior in Drosophila

2015

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Insects encounter a vast repertoire of chemicals in their natural environment, which can signal positive stimuli like the presence of a food source, a potential mate, or a suitable oviposition site as well as negative stimuli such as competitors, predators, or toxic substances reflecting danger. The presence of specialized chemoreceptors like taste and olfactory receptors allows animals to detect chemicals at short and long distances and accordingly, trigger proper behaviors toward these stimuli. Since the first description of olfactory and taste receptors in Drosophila melanogaster 15 years ago, our knowledge on the identity, properties, and function of specific chemoreceptors has increased exponentially. In the last years, multidisciplinary approaches combining genetic tools with electrophysiological techniques, behavioral recording, evolutionary analysis, and chemical ecology studies are shedding light on our understanding on the ecological relevance of specific chemoreceptors for the survival of Drosophila in their natural environment. In this review we discuss the current knowledge on chemoreceptors of both the olfactory and taste systems of the fruitfly. We focus on the relevance of particular receptors for the detection of ecologically relevant cues such as pheromones, food sources, and toxic compounds, and we comment on the behavioral changes that the detection of these chemicals induce in the fly. In particular, we give an updated outlook of the chemical communication displayed during one of the most important behaviors for fly survival, the courtship behavior. Finally, the ecological relevance of specific chemicals can vary depending on the niche occupied by the individual. In that regard, in this review we also highlight the contrast between adult and larval systems and we propose that these differences could reflect distinctive requirements depending on the change of ecological niche occupied by Drosophila along its life cycle.

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Flying the Fly: Long-range Flight Behavior of Drosophila melanogaster to Attractive Odors

Cited by 154 publications

References 39 publications

Social attraction mediated by fruit flies' microbiome

Social attraction mediated by fruit flies' microbiome

Complementary Function and Integrated Wiring of the Evolutionarily DistinctDrosophilaOlfactory Subsystems

Chemicals and chemoreceptors: ecologically relevant signals driving behavior in Drosophila

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