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An Automated Method to Determine the Performance of Drosophila in Response to Temperature Changes in Space and Time
Published on: October 12, 2018
Environmental temperature modulates olfactory reception in Drosophila melanogaster
Fernando Martin1, Jacob Riveron, Esther Alcorta
1University of Oviedo, Department of Functional Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Julian Claveria s/n, 33006 Oviedo, Spain.
Journal of Insect Physiology
|September 20, 2011
Summary
Fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) can adjust their sense of smell to temperature changes. This study shows that temperature directly impacts olfactory receptor responses, affecting how flies perceive odorants.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sensory Biology
- Olfaction Research
Background:
- Environmental temperature fluctuations alter odorant properties, potentially misinforming olfactory perception.
- Drosophila melanogaster exhibits behavioral olfactory acclimation to temperature variations.
- Understanding temperature's impact on olfaction is crucial for accurate sensory information processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the direct effect of temperature on olfactory receptors in Drosophila melanogaster.
- To determine if temperature acclimation influences olfaction at the receptor level.
Main Methods:
- Electroantennograms (EAGs) to measure overall olfactory receptor response amplitude.
- Single sensillum recordings (SSRs) to analyze neuronal firing patterns in specific olfactory sensilla (ab2, ab3).
- Exposure of flies to controlled high and cold temperature treatments before recordings.
Main Results:
- EAG amplitudes increased after heat treatment and decreased after cold treatment across all tested odorants.
- SSRs revealed changes in spike numbers in response to odorants after thermal treatments.
- Spontaneous neuronal activity (action potentials) remained unaffected, indicating specific functional changes.
Conclusions:
- Temperature directly modulates olfactory receptor responses in Drosophila melanogaster.
- Observed olfactory acclimation to temperature is, in part, mediated at the receptor level.
- Thermal effects are specific to olfactory neuron function, not general neuronal excitability.
