Activity in the central nervous system (CNS) constantly fluctuates. CNS changes that are potential responses to sensory stimulation must occur before an observable external outcome of the stimulation. If the external change is an overt, measurable behavior, then the time interval between a controlled stimulus and the behavior is a reaction time (RT) (Halpern, 1986, 1991, 1994). Human RT can be ...

The ability to detect toxic compounds in foods is essential for animal survival. However, the minimal subunit composition of gustatory receptors required for sensing aversive chemicals in Drosophila is unknown. Here we report that three gustatory receptors, GR8a, GR66a and GR98b function together in the detection of L-canavanine, a plant-derived insecticide. Ectopic co-expression of Gr8a and Gr...

Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a gut hormone released from enteroendocrine cells. CCK functions as an anorexigenic factor by acting on CCK receptors expressed on the vagal afferent nerve and hypothalamus with a synergistic interaction between leptin. In the gut, tastants such as amino acids and bitter compounds stimulate CCK release from enteroendocrine cells via activation of taste transduction path...

We use the moth Heliothis virescens as model organism for studying the neural network involved in chemosensory coding and learning. The constituent neurons are characterised by intracellular recordings combined with staining, resulting in a single neuron identified in each brain preparation. In order to spatially relate the neurons of different preparations a common brain framework was required...

While mechanisms to detoxify plant produced, anti-herbivore compounds have been associated with plant host use by herbivores, less is known about the role of chemosensory perception in their life histories. This is especially true for generalists, including chelicerate herbivores that evolved herbivory independently from the more studied insect lineages. To shed light on chemosensory perception...

brates and insects. In Drosophila, olfactory cues are detected by neurons located inside sensory hairs or " sensilla " on the antenna and maxillary palp. A family (Drosophila odorant receptors) have been identified in 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard the fly genome that are thought to mediate odorant As seen in vertebrates, analysis of the axonal projections of Drosophila olfactory neurons When you s...

In insects, increasing evidence suggests that small secreted pheromone binding proteins (PBPs) and odorant binding proteins (OBPs) are important for normal olfactory detection of airborne pheromones and odorants far from their source. In contrast, it is unknown whether extracellular ligand binding proteins participate in perception of less volatile chemicals, including many pheromones, that are...

Discrimination between edible and noxious food, crucial for animal survival, is based on separate gustatory receptors for phagostimulants and deterrents. In the moth Heliothis virescens, gustatory receptor neurons (GRNs) tuned to phagostimulants like sucrose and deterrents like quinine, respectively, have indicated a labeled line mechanism for mediating appetitive and aversive information to th...