Odors drive feeding through gustatory receptor neurons in Drosophila
Odors are intimately tied to the taste system to aid food selection and determine the sensory experience of food. However, how smell and taste are integrated in the nervous system to drive feeding remains elusive. We show in Drosophila that odors alone activate gustatory receptor neurons (GRNs), tri...
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eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2025-08-01
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| Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/101440 |
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| author | Hongping Wei Thomas Ka Chung Lam Hokto Kazama |
| author_facet | Hongping Wei Thomas Ka Chung Lam Hokto Kazama |
| author_sort | Hongping Wei |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Odors are intimately tied to the taste system to aid food selection and determine the sensory experience of food. However, how smell and taste are integrated in the nervous system to drive feeding remains elusive. We show in Drosophila that odors alone activate gustatory receptor neurons (GRNs), trigger proboscis extension reflex (PER), a canonical taste-evoked feeding behavior, and enhance food intake. Odor-evoked PER requires the function of sugar-sensing GRNs but not olfactory organs. Calcium imaging and electrophysiological recording show that GRNs directly respond to odors. Odor-evoked PER is mediated by the Gr5a receptor, and is bidirectionally modulated by olfactory binding proteins. Finally, odors and sucrose co-applied to GRNs synergistically enhance PER and food consumption. These results reveal a cell-intrinsic mechanism for odor-taste multimodal integration that takes place as early as in GRNs, indicating that unified chemosensory experience is a product of layered integration in peripheral neurons and in the brain. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3ad3efa3cfa44ad09677078bfd7b6e38 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2050-084X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | eLife Sciences Publications Ltd |
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| spelling | doaj-art-3ad3efa3cfa44ad09677078bfd7b6e382025-08-20T03:22:12ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2025-08-011310.7554/eLife.101440Odors drive feeding through gustatory receptor neurons in DrosophilaHongping Wei0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2910-8344Thomas Ka Chung Lam1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4547-3245Hokto Kazama2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3239-1873RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, JapanNeuroengineering Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute & Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, SwitzerlandRIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan; RIKEN CBS-KAO Collaboration Center, Saitama, Japan; Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, JapanOdors are intimately tied to the taste system to aid food selection and determine the sensory experience of food. However, how smell and taste are integrated in the nervous system to drive feeding remains elusive. We show in Drosophila that odors alone activate gustatory receptor neurons (GRNs), trigger proboscis extension reflex (PER), a canonical taste-evoked feeding behavior, and enhance food intake. Odor-evoked PER requires the function of sugar-sensing GRNs but not olfactory organs. Calcium imaging and electrophysiological recording show that GRNs directly respond to odors. Odor-evoked PER is mediated by the Gr5a receptor, and is bidirectionally modulated by olfactory binding proteins. Finally, odors and sucrose co-applied to GRNs synergistically enhance PER and food consumption. These results reveal a cell-intrinsic mechanism for odor-taste multimodal integration that takes place as early as in GRNs, indicating that unified chemosensory experience is a product of layered integration in peripheral neurons and in the brain.https://elifesciences.org/articles/101440odor-taste multisensory integrationgustatory receptor neuronfeeding behaviorcalcium imagingtip recordingolfactory binding protein |
| spellingShingle | Hongping Wei Thomas Ka Chung Lam Hokto Kazama Odors drive feeding through gustatory receptor neurons in Drosophila eLife odor-taste multisensory integration gustatory receptor neuron feeding behavior calcium imaging tip recording olfactory binding protein |
| title | Odors drive feeding through gustatory receptor neurons in Drosophila |
| title_full | Odors drive feeding through gustatory receptor neurons in Drosophila |
| title_fullStr | Odors drive feeding through gustatory receptor neurons in Drosophila |
| title_full_unstemmed | Odors drive feeding through gustatory receptor neurons in Drosophila |
| title_short | Odors drive feeding through gustatory receptor neurons in Drosophila |
| title_sort | odors drive feeding through gustatory receptor neurons in drosophila |
| topic | odor-taste multisensory integration gustatory receptor neuron feeding behavior calcium imaging tip recording olfactory binding protein |
| url | https://elifesciences.org/articles/101440 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hongpingwei odorsdrivefeedingthroughgustatoryreceptorneuronsindrosophila AT thomaskachunglam odorsdrivefeedingthroughgustatoryreceptorneuronsindrosophila AT hoktokazama odorsdrivefeedingthroughgustatoryreceptorneuronsindrosophila |