Drosophila Avoids Parasitoids by Sensing Their Semiochemicals via a Dedicated Olfactory Circuit

Ebrahim, Shimaa A. M. and Dweck, Hany K. M. and Stoekl, Johannes and Hofferberth, John E. and Trona, Federica and Weniger, Kerstin and Rybak, Juergen and Seki, Yoichi and Stensmyr, Marcus C. and Sachse, Silke and Hansson, Bill S. and Knaden, Markus (2015) Drosophila Avoids Parasitoids by Sensing Their Semiochemicals via a Dedicated Olfactory Circuit. PLOS BIOLOGY, 13 (12): e1002318. ISSN 1545-7885,

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Abstract

Detecting danger is one of the foremost tasks for a neural system. Larval parasitoids constitute clear danger to Drosophila, as up to 80% of fly larvae become parasitized in nature. We show that Drosophila melanogaster larvae and adults avoid sites smelling of the main parasitoid enemies, Leptopilina wasps. This avoidance is mediated via a highly specific olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) type. While the larval OSN expresses the olfactory receptor Or49a and is tuned to the Leptopilina odor iridomyrmecin, the adult expresses both Or49a and Or85f and in addition detects the wasp odors actinidine and nepetalactol. The information is transferred via projection neurons to a specific part of the lateral horn known to be involved in mediating avoidance. Drosophila has thus developed a dedicated circuit to detect a lifethreatening enemy based on the smell of its semiochemicals. Such an enemy-detecting olfactory circuit has earlier only been characterized in mice and nematodes.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: ANTENNAL LOBE; SPATIAL REPRESENTATION; CAENORHABDITIS-ELEGANS; SEX-PHEROMONE; RECEPTOR; NEURONS; ODORS; BRAIN; FLIES; MICE;
Subjects: 500 Science > 590 Zoological sciences
Divisions: Biology, Preclinical Medicine > Institut für Zoologie
Depositing User: Dr. Gernot Deinzer
Date Deposited: 03 May 2019 13:10
Last Modified: 03 May 2019 13:10
URI: https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/4341

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