Cholesterol taste avoidance in Drosophila melanogaster
The question as to whether animals taste cholesterol taste is not resolved. This study investigates whether the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is capable of detecting cholesterol through their gustatory system. We found that flies are indifferent to low levels of cholesterol and avoid higher le...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2025-04-01
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| Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/106256 |
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| author | Roshani Nhuchhen Pradhan Craig Montell Youngseok Lee |
| author_facet | Roshani Nhuchhen Pradhan Craig Montell Youngseok Lee |
| author_sort | Roshani Nhuchhen Pradhan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The question as to whether animals taste cholesterol taste is not resolved. This study investigates whether the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is capable of detecting cholesterol through their gustatory system. We found that flies are indifferent to low levels of cholesterol and avoid higher levels. The avoidance is mediated by gustatory receptor neurons (GRNs), demonstrating that flies can taste cholesterol. The cholesterol-responsive GRNs comprise a subset that also responds to bitter substances. Cholesterol detection depends on five ionotropic receptor (IR) family members, and disrupting any of these genes impairs the flies' ability to avoid cholesterol. Ectopic expressions of these IRs in GRNs reveals two classes of cholesterol receptors, each with three shared IRs and one unique subunit. Additionally, expressing cholesterol receptors in sugar-responsive GRNs confers attraction to cholesterol. This study reveals that flies can taste cholesterol, and that the detection depends on IRs in GRNs. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-56e479a476c948bbafe7cfb1ebec19a8 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2050-084X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | eLife Sciences Publications Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | eLife |
| spelling | doaj-art-56e479a476c948bbafe7cfb1ebec19a82025-08-20T02:27:42ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2025-04-011410.7554/eLife.106256Cholesterol taste avoidance in Drosophila melanogasterRoshani Nhuchhen Pradhan0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6772-6357Craig Montell1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5637-1482Youngseok Lee2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0459-1138Department of Bio and Fermentation Convergence Technology, Kookmin University, Seoul, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, United StatesDepartment of Bio and Fermentation Convergence Technology, Kookmin University, Seoul, Republic of KoreaThe question as to whether animals taste cholesterol taste is not resolved. This study investigates whether the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is capable of detecting cholesterol through their gustatory system. We found that flies are indifferent to low levels of cholesterol and avoid higher levels. The avoidance is mediated by gustatory receptor neurons (GRNs), demonstrating that flies can taste cholesterol. The cholesterol-responsive GRNs comprise a subset that also responds to bitter substances. Cholesterol detection depends on five ionotropic receptor (IR) family members, and disrupting any of these genes impairs the flies' ability to avoid cholesterol. Ectopic expressions of these IRs in GRNs reveals two classes of cholesterol receptors, each with three shared IRs and one unique subunit. Additionally, expressing cholesterol receptors in sugar-responsive GRNs confers attraction to cholesterol. This study reveals that flies can taste cholesterol, and that the detection depends on IRs in GRNs.https://elifesciences.org/articles/106256Cholesteroltastegustatory receptor neuronsIR7gIR51bIR56d |
| spellingShingle | Roshani Nhuchhen Pradhan Craig Montell Youngseok Lee Cholesterol taste avoidance in Drosophila melanogaster eLife Cholesterol taste gustatory receptor neurons IR7g IR51b IR56d |
| title | Cholesterol taste avoidance in Drosophila melanogaster |
| title_full | Cholesterol taste avoidance in Drosophila melanogaster |
| title_fullStr | Cholesterol taste avoidance in Drosophila melanogaster |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cholesterol taste avoidance in Drosophila melanogaster |
| title_short | Cholesterol taste avoidance in Drosophila melanogaster |
| title_sort | cholesterol taste avoidance in drosophila melanogaster |
| topic | Cholesterol taste gustatory receptor neurons IR7g IR51b IR56d |
| url | https://elifesciences.org/articles/106256 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT roshaninhuchhenpradhan cholesteroltasteavoidanceindrosophilamelanogaster AT craigmontell cholesteroltasteavoidanceindrosophilamelanogaster AT youngseoklee cholesteroltasteavoidanceindrosophilamelanogaster |