Taste sensing and sugar detection mechanisms in Drosophila larval primary taste center.

ABSTRACT: Despite the small number of gustatory sense neurons, Drosophila larvae are able to sense a wide range of chemicals. Although evidence for taste multimodality has been provided in single neurons, an overview of gustatory responses at the periphery is missing and hereby we explore whole-organ calcium imaging of the external taste center. We find that neurons can be activated by different combinations of taste modalities, including opposite hedonic valence and identify distinct temporal dynamics of response. Although sweet sensing has not been fully characterized so far in the external larval gustatory organ, we recorded responses elicited by sugar. Previous findings established that larval sugar sensing relies on the Gr43a pharyngeal receptor, but the question remains if external neurons con

SUBMITTER: Maier GL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8709573 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature