Exploratory behaviour in NO-dependent cyclase mutants of Drosophila shows defects in coincident neuronal signalling.
BACKGROUND
Drosophila flies explore the environment very efficiently in order to colonize it. They explore collectively, not individually, so that when a few land on a food spot, they attract the others by signs. This behaviour leads to aggregation of individuals and optimizes the screening of mates and egg-laying on the most favourable food spots.


RESULTS
Flies perform cycles of exploration/aggregation depending on the resources of the environment. This behavioural ecology constitutes an excellent model for analyzing simultaneous processing of neurosensory information. We reasoned that the decision of flies to land somewhere in order to achieve aggregation is based on simultaneous integration of signals (visual, olfactory, acoustic) during their flight. On the basis of what flies do in nature, we designed laboratory tests to analyze the phenomenon of neuronal coincidence. We screened many mutants of genes involved in neuronal metabolism and the synaptic machinery.


CONCLUSIONS
Mutants of NO-dependent cyclase show a specifically-marked behaviour phenotype, but on the other hand they are associated with moderate biochemical defects. We show that these mutants present errors in integrative and/or coincident processing of signals, which are not reducible to the functions of the peripheral sensory cells.
Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France. tinette@cesg.cnrs.fr <tinette@cesg.cnrs.fr>
Sylvette
S
Tinette
Lixing
L
Zhang
Amélie
A
Garnier
Gilbert
G
Engler
Sophie
S
Tares
Alain
A
Robichon
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002628:Chemoreceptor Cells / Q000201:enzymology; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000235:genetics; D006162:Guanylate Cyclase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000201:enzymology; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009420:Nervous System / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology*; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000201:enzymology; D017933:Peripheral Nervous System / Q000201:enzymology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010641:Phenotype; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics*; D012903:Smell / Q000235:genetics; D000071756:Soluble Guanylyl Cyclase; D013649:Taste / Q000235:genetics; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000294:innervation
D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D006162:Guanylate Cyclase; D000071756:Soluble Guanylyl Cyclase