Publications by authors named "Marie-Jeanne Sellier"
Most animals possess taste receptors neurons detecting potentially noxious compounds. In humans, the ligands which activate these neurons define a sensory space called "bitter". By extension, this term has been used in animals and insects to define molecules which induce aversive responses.
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- Bitter chemicals in both flies and humans can inhibit sugar detection, a phenomenon often seen as a way to avoid toxic foods.
- Using targeted toxins, researchers found that flies with removed bitter-sensitive cells could not detect some bitter substances mixed with sugar, but could still avoid others, indicating a complex response mechanism.
- The study suggests that the ability to inhibit sugar detection serves as an adaptive strategy in insects to protect against harmful substances in mixed food sources.
Drosophila melanogaster adapt their food consumption to their internal needs and avoid ingesting noxious molecules. Defects in the genes involved in these decisions induce behavioral alterations that are usually screened by monitoring flies feeding in 2-choice or in no-choice situations. Here, we introduce a new behavioral test in which groups of flies are given access to 6 capillary feeders (MultiCAFE) containing fructose mixed with a serial dilution of a test substance.
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