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Pflugers Arch

Title:		Taste and pheromone perception in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster
Author(s):		Ebbs ML; Amrein H;
Address:		"Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, 252 CARL Bldg./Research Drive, Durham, NC 27710, USA"
Journal Title:		Pflugers Arch
Year:		2007
Volume:		20070501
Issue:		5
Page Number:		735 - 747
DOI:		10.1007/s00424-007-0246-y
ISSN/ISBN:		0031-6768 (Print) 0031-6768 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Taste is an essential sense for detection of nutrient-rich food and avoidance of toxic substances. The Drosophila melanogaster gustatory system provides an excellent model to study taste perception and taste-elicited behaviors. 'The fly' is unique in the animal kingdom with regard to available experimental tools, which include a wide repertoire of molecular-genetic analyses (i.e., efficient production of transgenics and gene knockouts), elegant behavioral assays, and the possibility to conduct electrophysiological investigations. In addition, fruit flies, like humans, recognize sugars as a food source, but avoid bitter tasting substances that are often toxic to insects and mammals alike. This paper will present recent research progress in the field of taste and contact pheromone perception in the fruit fly. First, we shall describe the anatomical properties of the Drosophila gustatory system and survey the family of taste receptors to provide an appropriate background. We shall then review taste and pheromone perception mainly from a molecular genetic perspective that includes behavioral, electrophysiological and imaging analyses of wild type flies and flies with genetically manipulated taste cells. Finally, we shall provide an outlook of taste research in this elegant model system for the next few years"
Keywords:		"Animals Behavior, Animal/physiology Chemoreceptor Cells/cytology/drug effects Discrimination, Psychological/physiology Drosophila Proteins/agonists/genetics/metabolism Drosophila melanogaster/anatomy & histology/genetics/*physiology Humans Male Perception;"
Notes:		"MedlineEbbs, Michelle L Amrein, Hubert eng R01 DC005606/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/ R01 DC009014/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/ R01 DC005606-01A2/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/ Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Review Germany 2007/05/03 Pflugers Arch. 2007 Aug; 454(5):735-47. doi: 10.1007/s00424-007-0246-y. Epub 2007 May 1"