Self-defense: The fruit fly style

Neuroethology: A Neuronal Self-Defense Mechanism in Fly Larvae

The detection of harmful stimuli - nociception - has been suggested to rely on evolutionarily conserved neuronal mechanisms. A recent study has shown how the activity of nociceptive neurons in Drosophila larvae triggers a defense mechanism against a parasitoid wasp.

Fighting infection fly-style.

Fighting infection fly-style" (2007). Infectious Diseases and Immunology Publications and Presentations. Paper 32.

Fruit Fly Family Fun

A recent comparative analysis of the sequenced genomes of 12 Drosophila species (Drosophila 12 Genomes Consortium, 2007; Stark et al., 2007) reveals a comprehensive picture of the evolution of small animal genomes and greatly improves computational predictions of functional elements in the D. melanogaster reference sequence.

Bringing back the fruit into fruit fly-bacteria interactions.

Female Mediterranean fruit flies (Ceratitis capitata) oviposit in fruits, within which the larvae develop. This development is associated with rapid deterioration of the fruit, and frequently with invasion by secondary pests. Most research on the associations between medflies and microorganisms has focused on the bacteria inhabiting the digestive system of the adult fly, while the role of the f...

Fruit Fly Expert Identification System