Hearing in Drosophila

Abstract

Since the fi rst analysis of the Drosophila courtship song in the early 1960s, the molecular and neural mechanisms underlying acoustic communication in fruit fl ies have attracted the interest of many researchers studying behavioral evolution, neuroethology, sensory systems, motor pattern control, acoustic information processing, and decision making in the brain. Recent studies utilizing a wide array of genetic tools have provided novel insights into the mechanisms of acoustic communication in Drosophila , from genes and cells to neural circuits and behaviors. Drosophila , in addition to the conventional model animals such as other singing insects, mammals, and birds, thus serves as an excellent model system for analyzing the neuronal and molecular mechanisms that are essential for information processing of acoustic signals. This chapter provides an overview of our current knowledge on hearing in Drosophila with an introduction to their acoustic communication, the hearing organs, and cells involved in the function and development of the auditory system and the auditory neural circuits in the brain.

Molecular Mechanisms for Frequency Specificity in aDrosophilaHearing Organ

“…It's thought that flies' hearing organs are optimally toned to sound frequency at hundreds Hz, as the courtship song and sounds from some prominent predators fall into this range (4,8).…”

“…In flies, frequencies of attractive conspecific courtship songs are distinct from those made by predators, and the auditory features can be unambiguously decoded by hearing organs (3). Like many other insect species, flies hear with non-tympanal ears (2, 4). Johnston’s Organ (JO) in the antenna, as a specialized Chordotonal organ (Cho), are their main hearing organs (5).…”

“…It’s thought that flies’ hearing organs are optimally toned to sound frequency at hundreds Hz, as the courtship song and sounds from some prominent predators fall into this range (4, 8). However, Drosophila is also reported to be a prey of other animals in the wild, such as swallow or bats (9–11).…”