Which sensory organs are present on the body surface of the Drosophila larva for detecting flavors like sugar, salts, and bitter substances in its surroundings? In this project, we are reconstructing the entire sensory nerve cell network of the larva, encompassing from individual sensory cells to intricate sensory organs.
Project
The sense of taste allows animals to perceive chemical substances in their environment, initiating appropriate behaviors such as foraging, mate selection, and avoiding dangerous environments and predators.
The Drosophila larva has emerged as a promising model organism for analyzing the sense of taste. Its simple peripheral nervous system controls various stereotypical behaviors, and the neural and molecular encoding of taste perception can be analyzed at the level of individual cells using genetic tools.
Approach
In this project, we are analyzing how taste information is processed in the peripheral and pharyngeal sensory organs. Through several behavioral genetic experiments, we aim to determine the cellular and molecular mechanisms required to detect sugar, salt, and bitter substances. For instance, we optogenetically deactivate individual sensory cells in the larva and investigate whether the larva can still taste or smell a specific substance.
Aim
We aim to catalog all nerve cells involved in chemosensory perception. The larva is simple enough to achieve this. However, it is simultaneously complex enough to derive general insights from the results, revealing which sensory information is crucial for an organism to navigate its environment purposefully and interact with it appropriately.
Publications
A map of sensilla and neurons in the taste system of drosophila larvae.
Rist A, Thum AS.
J Comp Neurol. 2017 Dec 15;525(18):3865-3889.
DOI: 10.1002/cne.24308
Taste processing in Drosophila larvae
Apostolopoulou AA, Rist A, Thum AS.
Front Integr Neurosci. 2015 Oct 13;9:50.
DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2015.00050
Caffeine Taste Signaling in Drosophila Larvae
Apostolopoulou AA, Köhn S, Stehle B, Lutz M, Wüst A, Mazija L, Rist A, Galizia CG, Lüdke A, Thum AS.
Front Cell Neurosci. 2016 Aug 9;10:193.
DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2016.00193