Graded Encoding of Food Odor Value in the Drosophila Brain

Beshel, J., Zhong, Y. (October 2013) Graded Encoding of Food Odor Value in the Drosophila Brain. Journal of Neuroscience, 33 (40). pp. 15693-15704. ISSN 0270-6474

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URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24089477
DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2605-13.2013

Abstract

Odors are highly evocative, yet how and where in the brain odors derive meaning remains unknown. Our analysis of the Drosophila brain extends the role of a small number of hunger-sensing neurons to include food-odor value representation. In vivo two-photon calcium imaging shows the amplitude of food odor-evoked activity in neurons expressing Drosophila neuropeptide F (dNPF), the neuropeptide Y homolog, strongly correlates with food-odor attractiveness. Hunger elevates neural and behavioral responses to food odors only, although food odors that elicit attraction in the fed state also evoke heightened dNPF activity in fed flies. Inactivation of a subset of dNPF-expressing neurons or silencing dNPF receptors abolishes food-odor attractiveness, whereas genetically enhanced dNPF activity not only increases food-odor attractiveness but promotes attraction to aversive odors. Varying the amount of presented odor produces matching graded neural and behavioral curves, which can function to predict preference between odors. We thus demonstrate a possible motivationally scaled neural "value signal" accessible from uniquely identifiable cells.

Item Type: Paper
Subjects: organism description > animal > insect > Drosophila
organism description > animal behavior
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > organs types and functions > brain
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > neurons > neuronal circuits
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > neurons > neuronal circuits
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > neurons > neuronal circuits
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL labs > Zhong lab
Depositing User: Matt Covey
Date: 2 October 2013
Date Deposited: 15 Oct 2013 19:55
Last Modified: 19 Jul 2021 13:21
PMCID: PMC3787495
Related URLs:
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/28642

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