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. 2013 Sep 12;9(9):e1003710. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003710

Figure 4. Fatty acids taste requires intact PLC signaling specifically in sugar-sensing neurons.

Figure 4

A) Expression of GFP under the control of Gr64f-GAL4 (green). Neuropile regions are labeled by nc82 antibody (magenta). The sweet-sensing neurons ramify throughout the suboesophageal ganglion. B) Specific neurons are silenced by expression of Kir2.1-GAL80ts at 30°C during adulthood. C) PER response to HxA is abolished with adult-specific silencing of sugar-sensing neurons (Gr64f). Flies with silenced Gr64f neurons (Gr64f-GAL4>Kir2.1-GAL80ts at 30°C) showed significantly reduced PER compared to control flies harboring either UAS-Kir2.1;GAL80ts or Gr64f-GAL4 alone or to flies with not activated Kir2.1 (Gr64f-GAL4>Kir2.1GAL80ts at 22°C) (p<0.001). D) norpA P24 mutant flies are deficient in sensing HxA but respond normally to water and other tastants including yeast, fructose, and sucrose. E) Restoring norpAP24 function selectively in Gr64f neurons by expressing the norpA transgene under control of Gr64f-GAL4 (Gr64f-GAL4>UAS-norpA) rescues PER response to HxA compared to mutant control (norpA P24;+) (p<0.001) to the level of control carrying intact norpA allele (Gr64f-GAL4/+) (p>0.05). All data, mean ± s.e.m. *** p<0.001; NS, not significant, t-test.