The ability to detect and respond to chemical signals is essential for animal survival. The gustatory system is primarily involved in feeding decisions, allowing animals to distinguish foods that are nutritious versus those that are toxic. How the detection of gustatory cues in the periphery is processed by the brain to elicit appropriate feeding decisions is not understood in any organism. The gustatory system of Drosophila provides an excellent model for studies of taste detection and feeding behavior because it is associated with well-defined chemical cues, robust behavioral responses and a complex nervous system that is amenable to molecular, genetic and electrophysiological approaches. The long-term objective of this proposal is to increase understanding of the neural pathways that regulate food intake, crucial for devising rational approaches to manipulate feeding decisions.
Aim 1 will examine the anatomy and potential connectivity of candidate second- order taste neurons to provide a framework for understanding gustatory processing.
Aim 2 will test whether second-order neurons integrate information across taste modalities or whether they are modality-selective. This will provide important insight into how taste cues are encoded in the brain.
Aim 3 will test the hypothesis that candidate second-order taste neurons function in feeding decisions, by examining the behavioral consequences of manipulating activity selectively in second-order neurons. The proposed molecular genetics, cellular and behavioral approaches will provide a comprehensive analysis of taste processing that is difficult to achieve in other systems. These studies will provide insight into how gustatory information is processed in the brain and are an essential foundation for understanding insect feeding, relevant to limiting the spread of insect-borne disease.

Public Health Relevance

This research examines the neural pathways that process taste information and contribute to feeding decisions. This basic research is a crucial step in understanding how gustatory information is processed in the brain and are an essential foundation for understanding insect feeding, relevant to limiting the spread of insect-borne disease.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DC013280-03
Application #
8857316
Study Section
Somatosensory and Chemosensory Systems Study Section (SCS)
Program Officer
Sullivan, Susan L
Project Start
2013-07-01
Project End
2016-06-30
Budget Start
2015-07-01
Budget End
2016-06-30
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2015
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Berkeley
Department
Biochemistry
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
124726725
City
Berkeley
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94704
Kim, Heesoo; Kirkhart, Colleen; Scott, Kristin (2017) Long-range projection neurons in the taste circuit of Drosophila. Elife 6:
Kallman, Benjamin R; Kim, Heesoo; Scott, Kristin (2015) Excitation and inhibition onto central courtship neurons biases Drosophila mate choice. Elife 4:e11188
Harris, David T; Kallman, Benjamin R; Mullaney, Brendan C et al. (2015) Representations of Taste Modality in the Drosophila Brain. Neuron 86:1449-60
Kirkhart, Colleen; Scott, Kristin (2015) Gustatory learning and processing in the Drosophila mushroom bodies. J Neurosci 35:5950-8