One-trial learning in larval Drosophila.

ABSTRACT: Animals of many species are capable of "small data" learning, that is, of learning without repetition. Here we introduce larval Drosophila melanogaster as a relatively simple study case for such one-trial learning. Using odor-food associative conditioning, we first show that a sugar that is both sweet and nutritious (fructose) and sugars that are only sweet (arabinose) or only nutritious (sorbitol) all support appetitive one-trial learning. The same is the case for the optogenetic activation of a subset of dopaminergic neurons innervating the mushroom body, the memory center of the insects. In contrast, no one-trial learning is observed for an amino acid reward (aspartic acid). As regards the aversive domain, one-trial learning is demonstrated for high-concentration sodium chloride,

SUBMITTER: Weiglein A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6432171 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature