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

Ebrahim, Shimaa A M ; Dweck, Hany K M ; Stökl, Johannes ; Hofferberth, John E ; Trona, Federica ; Weniger, Kerstin ; Rybak, Jürgen ; Seki, Yoichi ; Stensmyr, Marcus LU and Sachse, Silke , et al. (2015) In PLoS Biology 13(12).
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... (More)
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 life-threatening enemy based on the smell of its semiochemicals. Such an enemy-detecting olfactory circuit has earlier only been characterized in mice and nematodes. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
PLoS Biology
volume
13
issue
12
article number
e1002318
publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
external identifiers
  • pmid:26674493
  • wos:000368443000010
  • scopus:84953322305
  • pmid:26674493
ISSN
1545-7885
DOI
10.1371/journal.pbio.1002318
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c10028e7-4b0d-4fae-a601-bac6643f3273 (old id 8504557)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:08:05
date last changed
2022-03-29 05:45:20
@article{c10028e7-4b0d-4fae-a601-bac6643f3273,
  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 life-threatening enemy based on the smell of its semiochemicals. Such an enemy-detecting olfactory circuit has earlier only been characterized in mice and nematodes.}},
  author       = {{Ebrahim, Shimaa A M and Dweck, Hany K M and Stökl, Johannes and Hofferberth, John E and Trona, Federica and Weniger, Kerstin and Rybak, Jürgen and Seki, Yoichi and Stensmyr, Marcus and Sachse, Silke and Hansson, Bill S and Knaden, Markus}},
  issn         = {{1545-7885}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{12}},
  publisher    = {{Public Library of Science (PLoS)}},
  series       = {{PLoS Biology}},
  title        = {{Drosophila Avoids Parasitoids by Sensing Their Semiochemicals via a Dedicated Olfactory Circuit.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1002318}},
  doi          = {{10.1371/journal.pbio.1002318}},
  volume       = {{13}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}