Ionotropic Chemosensory Receptors Mediate the Taste and Smell of Polyamines.

ABSTRACT: The ability to find and consume nutrient-rich diets for successful reproduction and survival is fundamental to animal life. Among the nutrients important for all animals are polyamines, a class of pungent smelling compounds required in numerous cellular and organismic processes. Polyamine deficiency or excess has detrimental effects on health, cognitive function, reproduction, and lifespan. Here, we show that a diet high in polyamine is beneficial and increases reproductive success of flies, and we unravel the sensory mechanisms that attract Drosophila to polyamine-rich food and egg-laying substrates. Using a combination of behavioral genetics and in vivo calcium imaging, we demonstrate that Drosophila uses multisensory detection to find and evaluate polyamines present in overripe and ferm

SUBMITTER: Hussain A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4856413 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature