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A Temperature Gradient Assay to Determine Thermal Preferences of Drosophila Larvae
Published on: June 25, 2018
Navigational decision making in Drosophila thermotaxis
Linjiao Luo1, Marc Gershow, Mark Rosenzweig
1Department of Physics and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
Summary
Fruit fly larvae navigate temperature gradients using complex turning strategies, unlike simpler organisms. This research reveals how sensory input regulates these decisions for effective movement.
Area of Science:
- Animal behavior
- Neuroscience
- Developmental biology
Background:
- Understanding animal navigation requires analyzing sensorimotor strategies and their cellular regulation.
- Thermotaxis, movement along temperature gradients, is a fundamental navigation behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively assess the sensorimotor strategies used by Drosophila melanogaster larvae during thermotaxis.
- To investigate how cellular thermosensory input regulates these navigation strategies.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a tracking microscope to monitor individual Drosophila melanogaster larval movements on defined temperature gradients.
- Quantitatively analyzed larval trajectories, focusing on run length and turning decisions.
Main Results:
- Drosophila melanogaster larvae exhibit a sophisticated repertoire of thermotactic strategies, including regulation of turn size and direction.
- Larval turning decisions are biased by temporal variations in thermosensory input, guiding movement towards favorable temperatures.
- Inactivation of cold-sensitive neurons impaired the regulation of turning decisions, indicating a unified sensory control.
Conclusions:
- Drosophila melanogaster larvae employ complex turning strategies for thermotaxis, surpassing simpler navigation mechanisms.
- Thermosensory information is integrated to regulate all aspects of turning decisions, ensuring efficient navigation.
- This study provides a mechanistic understanding of how sensorimotor strategies are regulated by cellular sensors in a developing organism.
