Enhancing perception of contaminated food through acid-mediated modulation of taste neuron responses.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Natural foods contain not only nutrients, but also nonnutritious and potentially harmful chemicals. Thus, animals need to evaluate food content in order to make adequate feeding decisions.

Results

Here, we investigate the effects of acids on the taste neuron responses and on taste behavior of desirable, nutritious sugars and sugar/bitter compound mixtures in Drosophila melanogaster. Using Ca2+ imaging, we show that acids activate neither sweet nor bitter taste neurons in tarsal taste sensilla. However, they suppress responses to bitter compounds in bitter-sensing neurons. Moreover, acids reverse suppression of bitter compounds exerted on sweet-sensing neurons. Consistent with these observations, behavioral analyses show that bitter-compound-mediated inhibition on

SUBMITTER: Chen Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4332783 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature