Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
2042984 Current Biology 2010 6 Pages PDF
Abstract

SummaryAnimals often decide between alternative actions according to their current needs, and hence the value they assign to each of the competing options [1, 2, 3 and 4]. This process is of special relevance during nutrient balancing, in which animals choose between different food sources according to their current nutritional state [5, 6 and 7]. How such value-based decision making is implemented at the molecular and neuronal level in the brain is not well understood. Here we describe Drosophila melanogaster food choice as a genetically tractable model to study value-based decision making in the context of nutrient balancing. When faced with a choice between yeast and an alternative food source, flies deprived of protein prefer the yeast. We show here that mating status is a critical modulator of this decision-making process in females and that it relies on the action of the sex peptide receptor in internal ppk+ sensory neurons. Neuronal TOR/S6K function is another critical input to this decision, possibly signaling the fly's current nutritional status. We propose that the brain uses these internal states to assign value to external sensory information from potential food sources, thereby guiding food choice and ensuring nutrient homeostasis.

► Drosophila adapt foraging behavior to compensate for the lack of a macronutrient ► In females, mating status modulates food choices ► Mating status affects food choices through the sex peptide receptor in ppk+ neurons ► Neuronal TOR/S6K signaling modulates food choices

Related Topics
Life Sciences Agricultural and Biological Sciences Agricultural and Biological Sciences (General)
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