the colorado potato beetle, leptinotarsa decemlineata (say), is a destructive insect pest of potato and other solanaceous crops. the type, number and distribution of sensory receptors on the labio-maxillary complex of larvae were studied using the scanning and transmission electron microscopy. a total of 32 sensilla were identified on the maxillary and labial palps that were categorized in thre...

Among ~70 candidate gustatory receptor genes identified from the Drosophila genome, Gr5a is the only gene that is allelic to a known gene, Tre, which controls taste sensitivity. Tre was discovered as an X-linked genetic polymorphism (Tre+ and Tre01) among wild populations and laboratory strains (Tanimura et al., 1982). Recent molecular studies on Gr5a and other gustatory receptor genes supporte...

Male fruit flies demonstrate aggression and even courtship towards other male flies. A new study reveals that these behaviors are induced via a bitter gustatory receptor.

A recent study has found that a Drosophila gustatory receptor is required for thermotaxis. With other fly gustatory receptors having been shown to act in the detection of CO2, nutrients in the brain, and light, the roles of the so-called 'gustatory receptors' clearly go way beyond peripheral detection of non-volatile chemicals.

Water sensation is a specific taste modality in the fruit fly. Water-induced hypoosmolarity activates specific gustatory receptor neurons; however, the molecular identity of the putative osmolarity sensor in these neurons remains unknown. We found that amiloride and its analogs specifically antagonized the response of water gustatory receptor neurons and the behavior of flies toward water stimu...

A number of repellent compounds produced by plants elicit a spicy or pungent sensation in mammals . In several cases, this has been found to occur through activation of ion channels in the transient receptor potential (TRP) family . We report that isothiocyanate (ITC), the pungent ingredient of wasabi, is a repellent to the insect Drosophila melanogaster, and that the painless gene, previously ...

Taste receptor cells are innervated by primary gustatory neurons that relay sensory information to the central nervous system. The transmitter(s) at synapses between taste receptor cells and primary afferent fibers is (are) not yet known. By analogy with other sensory organs, glutamate might a transmitter in taste buds. We examined the presence of AMPA and NMDA receptor subunits in rat gustator...

The gustatory system allows the fly to assess food quality, eliciting either acceptance or avoidance behaviors. A new study demonstrates that circadian clocks in gustatory receptor neurons regulate rhythms in taste sensitivity, drive rhythms in appetitive behavior and influence feeding.

Insect gustatory receptors are predicted to have a seven-transmembrane structure and are distantly related to insect olfactory receptors, which have an inverted topology compared with G-protein coupled receptors, including mammalian olfactory receptors. In contrast, the topology of insect gustatory receptors remains unknown. Except for a few examples from Drosophila, the specificity of individu...

Division of labor is a hallmark of social insects. In the honeybee (Apis mellifera) each sterile female worker performs a series of social tasks. The most drastic changes in behavior occur when a nurse bee, who takes care of the brood and the queen in the hive, transitions to foraging behavior. Foragers provision the colony with pollen, nectar or water. Nurse bees and foragers differ in numerou...