Fruit Fly Brain Cells can Identify Food Smell, Danger Smell

By genetically labelling the activity of MBONs in house flies, the scientists found that each cell had a characteristic response pattern in each individual.

At Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory (CSHL), a research team has identified an important component in fruit fly brain circuits - the point at which incoming sensory information begins to be transformed into a signal that instructs a fly's response.

Responding appropriately to the smell of food or the scent of danger can mean life or death to a fruit fly and brain circuits are in place to make sure the fly gets it right. The cells, called mushroom body output neurons (MBONs), appear to distill nuanced information about an odor into clear instructions - approach or flee.

Cancer Insights Possible Via Research into Fruit Fly Cells
Cells demonstrate remarkable flexibility and versatility when it comes to how they divide, new research by scientists at the University of Exeter says.

By genetically labelling and following the activity of the same MBONs in multiple flies, the scientists found that each cell had a characteristic response pattern in each individual.

The pattern, in other words, differed between flies. This suggests that MBONs may underlie individual odor preferences that develop as flies learn to associate smells with positive or negative experiences.

A fly's behavioral response to an odor depends on the message that these output neurons relay to neurons farther along the circuit. "As a fly lives its life and encounters a bunch of different odors, that olfactory experience may induce some plasticity in the circuit," said lead researcher professor Glenn Turner.

Movement of Fruit Fly Influences Its Circadian Clock
A new study published in the journal Science suggests that the internal circadian clock of a Drosophila or fruit fly is influenced by its own movements.

Researchers measured how MBONs responded to 10 different smells - an assortment of potentially enticing food smells, like yeast and vinegar, aversive smells such as citronella and more neutral aromas.

Responses varied greatly between cells, with each cell most strongly attuned to certain aromas. When the team analyzed the cells' responses, some patterns emerged.

Brain Circuit That Drives Daily Cycles of Rest and Activity Identified in Fruit Fly Study
A circuit in the brain of fruit flies that controls their daily, rhythmic behaviour of rest and activity has been described in Cell by Amita Sehgal.

In general, food smells elicited response patterns that were distinct from those elicited by repellent odors, suggesting that although mushroom body output cells probably don't identify specific odors, they may communicate each odor's most essential quality -- whether it is good or bad. This can be the basis for action - to pursue the odor or fly away from it.

Source-IANS

Treatment of Brain Injury Might be Possible by Using Fruit Fly's Pruning Protein
Duke University researchers have revealed that a protein that controls the metamorphosis of the common fruit fly could help reverse brain injuries.