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Host plant-driven sensory specialization in Drosophila erecta
Jeanine Linz1, Amelie Baschwitz, Antonia Strutz
1Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany.
Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|April 19, 2013
Summary
Fruit fly specialists like Drosophila erecta adapt their sense of smell to specific food sources. This study reveals enhanced olfactory sensory neurons and brain structures in D. erecta, crucial for detecting food volatiles and guiding egg-laying.
Area of Science:
- Olfactory system adaptations in insects
- Chemical ecology and sensory biology
Background:
- Insect olfaction is vital for locating food and mates.
- Habitat and lifestyle changes often necessitate olfactory system adaptations.
- Direct evidence for olfactory system adaptations in insects is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate olfactory system adaptations in Drosophila erecta, a specialist on screw pine fruits.
- To compare the olfactory system of D. erecta with sympatric sibling species.
- To understand how specialization on a specific food source influences olfaction.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of the olfactory system in D. erecta and related species.
- Sensory neuron characterization and quantification.
- Antennal lobe imaging to study neural circuit morphology.
- Behavioral assays to assess olfactory-guided oviposition.
Main Results:
- Drosophila erecta exhibits specific olfactory system alterations for detecting Pandanus volatile (3-methyl-2-butenyl acetate, 3M2BA).
- Increased sensitivity to 3M2BA in D. erecta is due to a numerical increase in a specific olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) class.
- Enlarged glomeruli in the antennal lobe of D. erecta correlate with the increased OSN population.
- 3M2BA specifically induces oviposition in D. erecta, unlike in Drosophila melanogaster.
Conclusions:
- Specialization on screw pine fruits has led to distinct olfactory adaptations in Drosophila erecta.
- These adaptations involve enhanced detection of a key food volatile via increased OSN numbers and altered brain circuitry.
- The findings suggest a general principle of olfactory system modification accompanying ecological specialization in insects.
