The Cellular and Circuit Basis of Temperature Sensation in Drosophila

The thermosensory system enables animals to detect and respond to changes in external temperature and is therefore essential for survival, yet remains significantly understudied. This review summarizes current knowledge of its organization in adult Drosophila melanogaster: from peripheral cellular receptors and molecular detection mechanisms to the brain circuits that process thermal information, beginning with second-order thermosensory projection neurons and their targets. The powerful tools available in Drosophila have driven significant advances, revealing the organization of this system at the periphery, the reach of thermosensory pathways within the brain, and the range of behaviors directly influenced by external temperature. These findings also open new avenues to examine how the thermosensory system has been reshaped under changing thermal conditions as Drosophila species evolved to colonize diverse thermal environments.