Abstract
Acute choice behavior in ingesting two different concentrations of sucrose in Drosophila is presumed to include learning and memory. Effects on this behavior were examined for four mutations that block associative learning (dunce, rutabaga, amnesiac, and radish). Three of these mutations cause cyclic AMP signaling defects and significantly reduced taste discrimination. The exception was radish, which affects neither. Electrophysiological recordings confirmed that the sensitivity of taste receptors is almost indistinguishable in all flies, whether wild type or mutant. These results suggest that food choice behavior in Drosophila involves central nervous learning and memory operating via cyclic AMP signaling pathways.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 279-283 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology |
Volume | 193 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2007 Feb 1 |
Keywords
- Feeding behavior
- Ingestion
- Learning and memory
- Memory mutants
- Taste
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Physiology
- Animal Science and Zoology
- Behavioral Neuroscience