title: Physiological and behavioral responses in Drosophila melanogaster to odorants present at different plant maturation stages.
abstract: The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster feeds and oviposits on fermented fruit, hence its physiological and behavioral responses are expected to be tuned to odorants abundant during later stages of fruit maturation. We used a population of about two-hundred isogenic lines of D. melanogaster to assay physiological responses (electroantennograms (EAG)) and behavioral correlates (preferences and choice ratio) to odorants found at different stages of fruit maturation. We quantified electrophysiological and behavioral responses of D. melanogaster for the leaf compound β-cyclocitral, as well as responses to odorants mainly associated with later fruit maturation stages. Electrophysiological and behavioral responses were modulated by the odorant dose. For the leaf compound we observed a steep dose-response curve in both EAG and behavioral data and shallower curves for odorants associated with later stages of maturation. Our data show the connection between sensory and behavioral responses and are consistent with the specialization of D. melanogaster on fermented fruit and avoidance of high doses of compounds associated with earlier stages of maturation. Odor preferences were modulated in a non-additive way when flies were presented with two alternative odorants, and combinations of odorants elicited higher responses than single compounds.
authors.affiliation: Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Italy. Electronic address: elisabetta.versace@unitn.it.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Versace
authors.affiliation: Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.affiliation: Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rocchi
authors.affiliation: Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Italy; Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy; Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen/Bolzano, Italy.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Castellan
authors.affiliation: Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sgadò
authors.affiliation: Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Italy; Department of Physics, University of Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Albrecht
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haase
mesh_terms: D000447:Aldehydes / Q000494:pharmacology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D004224:Diterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000502:physiology*; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D009812:Odorants
chemical_list: D000447:Aldehydes; D004224:Diterpenes; C516118:beta-cyclocitral
keywords: Attraction; Aversion; Behavioral preferences; Drosophila genetic reference panel (DGRP); Drosophila melanogaster; Electroantennography; Electrophysiology; Ethyl 3-hydroxybutyrate; Fruit maturation; Isoamyl acetate; Olfaction; T-maze; Unlearned preferences; β-cyclocitral