A pair of central brain peptidergic neurons modulates peripheral olfactory sensitivity to specific odors in Drosophila
Sion Yi, Walton D. Jones
Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST, Republic of Korea
E-mail: [email protected]
Animals olfactory systems detect thousands of different environmental chemicals that are important in finding food and mates and in avoiding predators. Although the olfactory system detects a wide variety of chemical stimuli, it does not do so with equal sensitivity. Olfactory sensitivity can even modulated depending on internal and external cues so odor perception can be adapted to changing conditions. Here, we show knock-down of neuropeptide F (NPF) in a pair of central brain NPFergic neurons desensitizes Or22a-expressing antennal olfactory neurons. These neurons, which respond to ethyl butyrate, a volatile ester found in apples and other fruits, are similarly desensitized by knock-down of the NPF receptor, NPFR, in the Or22a neurons themselves. We also show that th