Article,
Molecular Architecture of Smell and Taste in Drosophila
Annual Review of Neuroscience, 30 (1): 505--533 (2007)
DOI: 10.1146/annurev.neuro.30.051606.094306
Abstract
Abstract The chemical senses—smell and
taste—allow animals to evaluate and distinguish
valuable food resources from dangerous substances in the
environment. The central mechanisms by which the brain
recognizes and discriminates attractive and repulsive odorants
and tastants, and makes behavioral decisions accordingly, are
not well understood in any organism. Recent molecular and
neuroanatomical advances in Drosophila have produced a nearly
complete picture of the peripheral neuroanatomy and function
of smell and taste in this insect. Neurophysiological
experiments have begun to provide insight into the mechanisms
by which these animals process chemosensory cues. Given the
considerable anatomical and functional homology in smell and
taste pathways in all higher animals, experimental approaches
in Drosophila will likely provide broad insights into the
problem of sensory coding. Here we provide a critical review
of the recent literature in this field and comment on likely
future directions.
