Smell and Taste Perception inDrosophila melanogasterLarva: Toxin Expression Studies in Chemosensory Neurons

1999/08/01 by Gertrud Heimbeck, Véronique Bugnon, Nanaë Gendre +2 · 11 citations
Neuroscience · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research #Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies #Animal Behavior and Reproduction

paper · pdf · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.19-15-06599.1999

openalex publication_date 1999/08/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/26

Abstract

GAL4-driven targeted expression of tetanus toxin light chain (UAS-TeTxLC) in a subset of chemosensory neurons of the larval antennomaxillary complex (AMC) and pharynx causes abnormal chemosensory behavior in Drosophila melanogaster. Consistent with strongest staining in the dorsal organ (DO), the presumed olfactory organ of the AMC, tetanus toxin-expressing larvae subjected to an olfactory preference assay show anosmic behavior to most volatile substances tested. Furthermore, we observed reduced responses to sodium chloride, fructose, and sucrose in gustatory plate assays. Surprisingly, the entire subset of labeled sensory neurons from the terminal (maxillary) organ (TO) of the AMC was found to project via the antennal nerve to the larval antennal lobe region. The maxillary nerve remained completely unstained. Hence, a subset of neurons from the TO builds an anatomical entity with projections from the DO. Our results suggest that the AMC contains both olfactory and gustatory sensilla, and that the DO is the main olfactory organ in larvae.

Citations

• Neuronal architecture of the antennal lobe in Drosophila melanogaster
• Targeted gene expression as a means of altering cell fates and generating dominant phenotypes

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