Alteration in information flow through a pair of feeding command neurons underlies a form of Pavlovian conditioning in the Drosophila brain.

ABSTRACT: Pavlovian conditioning¹ is a broadly used learning paradigm where defined stimuli are associated to induce behavioral switching. To define a causal relationship between activity change in a single neuron and behavioral switching, we took advantage of a "command neuron" that connects cellular function to behavior.² To examine the cellular and molecular basis of Pavlovian conditioning, we previously identified a pair of feeding command neurons termed "feeding neurons" in the adult Drosophila brain³ using genetic screening⁴ and opto- and thermo-genetic techniques.^5-7 The feeding neuron is activated by sweet signals like sucrose and induces the full complement of feeding behaviors, such as proboscis extension and food pumping. Ablation or

SUBMITTER: Sakurai A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9022044 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature