Key Odorants Regulate Food Attraction in .

In insects, the search for food is highly dependent on olfactory sensory input. Here, we investigated whether a single key odorant within an odor blend or the complexity of the odor blend influences the attraction of to a food source. A key odorant is defined as an odorant that elicits a difference in the behavioral response when two similar complex odor blends are offered.

Neuronal basis of innate olfactory attraction to ethanol in Drosophila.

The decision to move towards a mating partner or a food source is essential for life. The mechanisms underlying these behaviors are not well understood. Here, we investigated the role of octopamine - the invertebrate analogue of noradrenaline - in innate olfactory attraction to ethanol.

The serotonin transporter expression in Drosophila melanogaster.

The serotonin transporter is an important regulator of serotonergic signaling. In order to analyze where the Drosophila melanogaster ortholog of the mammalian serotonin transporter (dSERT) is expressed in the nervous system, a dSERT antibody serum was used. Ectopic expression studies and loss of function analysis revealed that the dSERT antibody serum specifically recognizes dSERT.