Drosophila Passive Avoidance Behavior as a New Paradigm to Study Associative Aversive Learning.

ABSTRACT: This protocol describes a new paradigm for analyzing aversive associative learning in adult flies (Drosophila melanogaster). The paradigm is analogous to passive avoidance behavior in laboratory rodents in which animals learn to avoid a compartment where they have previously received an electric shock. The assay takes advantage of negative geotaxis in flies, which manifests as an urge to climb up when they are placed on a vertical surface. The setup consists of vertically oriented upper and lower compartments. On the first trial, a fly is placed into a lower compartment from where it usually exits within 3-15 s, and steps into the upper compartment where it receives an electric shock. During the second trial, 24 h later, the latency is significantly increased. At the same time, the number

SUBMITTER: Pak ES 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9393964 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature