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.
MeSH terms
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Adenylyl Cyclases / genetics
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Adenylyl Cyclases / metabolism
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Analysis of Variance
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Animals
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Choice Behavior / physiology*
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Cyclic AMP / genetics
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Cyclic AMP / metabolism*
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Discrimination Learning / physiology
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Drosophila Proteins / genetics
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Drosophila Proteins / metabolism*
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Drosophila melanogaster / genetics
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Drosophila melanogaster / metabolism*
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Feeding Behavior / physiology
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Food Preferences / physiology*
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Memory / physiology
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Mutation
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Neuropeptides / genetics
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Neuropeptides / metabolism
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Phosphoproteins / genetics
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Phosphoproteins / metabolism
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Second Messenger Systems / genetics
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Second Messenger Systems / physiology
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Signal Transduction / genetics
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Signal Transduction / physiology
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Statistics, Nonparametric
Substances
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Drosophila Proteins
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Neuropeptides
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Phosphoproteins
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amn protein, Drosophila
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rad protein, Drosophila
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Cyclic AMP
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Adenylyl Cyclases
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Rut protein, Drosophila