Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Evolution of New Traits in Microbes01:24

Evolution of New Traits in Microbes

197
Microorganisms evolve rapidly due to their large population sizes and short generation times, often exhibiting measurable changes within days under laboratory conditions. Natural selection acts on standing genetic variation, enabling the retention and amplification of beneficial traits that confer fitness advantages in changing environments.Adaptive Pigment Regulation in RhodobacterIn Rhodobacter, a genus of purple non-sulfur bacteria, light-harvesting pigments such as bacteriochlorophyll and...
197

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Toxin resistance in the monarch butterfly expanded its milkweed host range.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Genome assembly and venom gene mapping in the medically important moth Lonomia casanarensis (Saturniidae: Hemileucinae).

G3 (Bethesda, Md.)·2026
Same author

The hidden sweet tooth of the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens).

The Journal of experimental biology·2026
Same author

Odorant Receptors Mediating Avoidance of Toxic Mustard Oils in Drosophila melanogaster Are Expanded in Herbivorous Relatives.

Molecular biology and evolution·2025
Same author

Alternative Splicing in TRPA1 Drives Sensory Adaptation to Electrophiles in Drosophilids.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

The shape of discovery: a journey through genetics, coevolution, and a scientific life.

Genetics·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 28, 2026

Electrophysiological Recording From Drosophila Labellar Taste Sensilla
06:32

Electrophysiological Recording From Drosophila Labellar Taste Sensilla

Published on: February 26, 2014

16.3K

Taste evolution in an herbivorous drosophilid.

Julianne N Peláez1, Susan Bernstein1, Judith Okoro1

  • 1Department of Integrative Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.

Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|March 11, 2024
PubMed
Summary

Newly evolved herbivorous insects like Scaptomyza flava reduce aversion to bitter plant compounds, shifting preferences away from glucosinolates. This adaptation involves changes in taste receptor sensitivity, aiding host plant identification.

More Related Videos

Taste Preference Assay for Adult Drosophila
04:31

Taste Preference Assay for Adult Drosophila

Published on: September 8, 2016

9.6K
A Rapid Food-Preference Assay in Drosophila
07:13

A Rapid Food-Preference Assay in Drosophila

Published on: February 11, 2021

6.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 28, 2026

Electrophysiological Recording From Drosophila Labellar Taste Sensilla
06:32

Electrophysiological Recording From Drosophila Labellar Taste Sensilla

Published on: February 26, 2014

16.3K
Taste Preference Assay for Adult Drosophila
04:31

Taste Preference Assay for Adult Drosophila

Published on: September 8, 2016

9.6K
A Rapid Food-Preference Assay in Drosophila
07:13

A Rapid Food-Preference Assay in Drosophila

Published on: February 11, 2021

6.2K

Area of Science:

  • Insect-plant interactions
  • Evolutionary biology
  • Chemical ecology

Background:

  • Generalist insects avoid plant secondary metabolites due to toxicity and aversion.
  • Specialized herbivores evolve to use these compounds as host-plant cues.
  • Understanding the evolution of bitter taste preference in newly herbivorous insects is crucial.

Approach:

  • Studied bitter taste preferences in the herbivorous drosophilid Scaptomyza flava and non-herbivorous relatives.
  • Measured behavioral and neural responses to bitter plant compounds (alkaloids, glucosinolates).
  • Utilized dye-based consumption assays and electrophysiological recordings from labellar sensilla.

Key Points:

  • Scaptomyza flava showed reduced aversion to alkaloids and glucosinolates, unlike non-herbivorous species.
  • Electrophysiological studies revealed reduced sensitivity to glucosinolates in S. flava's I type sensilla.
  • Morphology of labellar sensilla was conserved between S. flava and S. pallida.

Conclusions:

  • Reduced aversion to bitter compounds is important for young herbivorous lineages.
  • Evolutionary changes in gustatory receptors likely drive altered bitter sensitivities.
  • This study highlights molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying herbivore adaptation.