Interactions of carbon dioxide and food odours in Drosophila: olfactory hedonics and sensory neuron properties.

ABSTRACT: Behavioural responses of animals to volatiles in their environment are generally dependent on context. Most natural odours are mixtures of components that can each induce different behaviours when presented on their own. We have investigated how a complex of two olfactory stimuli is evaluated by Drosophila flies in a free-flying two-trap choice assay and how these stimuli are encoded in olfactory receptor neurons. We first observed that volatiles from apple cider vinegar attracted flies while carbon dioxide (CO2) was avoided, confirming their inherent positive and negative values. In contradiction with previous results obtained from walking flies in a four-field olfactometer, in the present assay the addition of CO2 to vinegar increased rather than decreased the attractiveness of vinegar.

SUBMITTER: Faucher CP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3574157 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature