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Comment
. 2011 Apr 1;145(1):17-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2011.03.018.

Hungry flies tune to vinegar

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Comment

Hungry flies tune to vinegar

Wolf Huetteroth et al. Cell. .

Abstract

Many molecular signals that represent hunger and satiety in the body have been identified, but relatively little is known about how these factors alter the nervous system to change behavior. Root et al. (2011) report that hunger modulates the sensitivity of specific olfactory sensory neurons in Drosophila and facilitates odor-search behavior.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Hunger facilitates synaptic release from olfactory sensory neurons
In starved Drosophila, reduced inhibitory insulin (blue) signaling leads to upregulation of sNPF receptor gene (red) expression in Or42b olfactory sensory neurons (left). sNPF (purple) release from the olfactory sensory neurons, presumably driven by odor, leads to presynaptic facilitation via an autocrine positive feedback loop. The result is increased efficacy of transmission (green) from the sensory neuron to downstream projection neurons (PN), and more effective vinegar search behavior.

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