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Updated: Aug 21, 2025
Measuring Physiological Responses of Drosophila Sensory Neurons to Lipid Pheromones Using Live Calcium Imaging
Published on: April 29, 2016
Drosophila proboscis extension response and GCaMP imaging for assaying food appeal based on grittiness
Qiaoran Li1, Libo Yang1, Craig Montell2
1Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310003, China.
Abstract:
Fruit flies sense the features of food that are driven by particle size, including smoothness versus grittiness, by deflection of sensilla decorating the labellum, and md-L neurons. We describe adaptation of the Drosophila proboscis extension response assay, including steps to perform the taste tests and score behavioral responses, to determine preferences to foods with different sized particles. We also describe calcium imaging in GCaMP-expressing flies to assess the responses of md-L neurons to different levels of taste sensilla deflection. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Li and Montell. (2021).
