Behavioral Assays for Optogenetic Manipulation of Neural Circuits in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Optogenetics has become a fundamental technique in neuroscience, enabling precise control of neuronal activity through light stimulation. This study introduces easy-to-implement setups for applying optogenetic methods in Drosophila melanogaster. Two optogenetic tools, CsChrimson, a red-light-activated cation channel, and GtACR2, a blue-light-activated anion channel, were employed in four experimental approaches. Three of these approaches involve single-fly experiments: (1) a blue-light optogenetic thermotactic positional preference assay targeting temperature-sensitive heating cells, (2) a red-light optogenetic positional preference assay activating bitter sensing neurons, and (3) a proboscis extension response assay activating the sweet-sensing neurons. The fourth approach (4) is a fly maze setup to assess avoidance behaviors using multiple flies. The ability to manipulate neural activity temporally and spatially offers powerful insights into sensory processing and decision-making, underscoring the potential of optogenetics to advance our knowledge of neural function. These methods provide an accessible and robust framework for future research in neuroscience to enhance the understanding of specific neural pathways and their behavioral outcomes.