Drosophila chemotaxis: a first look with neurogenetics

Chemotaxis, the ability to direct movements according to chemical cues in the environment, is important for the survival of most organisms. In our original article, we combined a quantitative behavioral assay with genetic manipulations to dissect the neural substrate for chemotaxis. In this Extra View article, we offer a more chronological narration of the findings leading to our key conclusion that aversion engages specific motor-related circuits and kinematics. We speculate on the separation and crosstalk between aversion and attraction circuits in the brain and the ventral nerve cord, and the implication for valence encoding in the olfactory system.