Research Keyword: mushroom body

An antagonism between Spinophilin and Syd-1 operates upstream of memory-promoting presynaptic long-term plasticity

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This research reveals how two brain proteins called Spinophilin and Syd-1 work against each other to control how synapses strengthen during memory formation. When flies learn something new, these proteins reorganize the structure of synaptic connections through managing thin filaments called actin, which allows more neurotransmitters to be released. The study shows that this mechanism is essential for remembering information after learning, but not for the initial learning itself.

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The cellular architecture of memory modules in Drosophila supports stochastic input integration

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Scientists created a detailed computer model of a memory-processing neuron in the fruit fly brain to understand how memories are stored and recalled. The study found that the neuron’s design allows it to store many different memories using random connections from input neurons, similar to how a brain might encode multiple learned experiences. This research reveals that memories can be efficiently stored without requiring precise positioning of individual neural connections, suggesting the brain uses flexibility and randomness as computational strategies.

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Optogenetic induction of appetitive and aversive taste memories in Drosophila

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Fruit flies can learn to like or dislike tastes based on experience, much like humans do. Scientists used light-activated neurons to create new taste memories in flies, showing that taste preferences are not fixed but can change when paired with rewards or punishments. The study reveals that taste memory formation uses similar brain mechanisms and energy requirements as odor memory, suggesting that both senses depend on experience to shape preferences.

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A dopamine-gated learning circuit underpins reproductive state-dependent odor preference in Drosophila females

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Female fruit flies change their food preferences after mating, becoming attracted to nutrients important for egg production. This study reveals that during mating, pheromone detection triggers dopamine-driven changes in the fly’s brain learning center. These neural changes essentially ‘remember’ mating experience and reprogram the female’s sense of smell, even though the sensory neurons return to normal within hours. This demonstrates how an animal can learn from mating experience to make better nutritional choices as a mother.

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A screen for sleep and starvation resistance identifies a wake-promoting role for the auxiliary channel unc79

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Scientists conducted a genetic screening study in fruit flies to understand how sleep and the body’s ability to survive without food are connected. They discovered that a gene called unc79 plays an important role in promoting wakefulness and affecting how long flies can survive starvation. Interestingly, this gene works in a brain region called the mushroom body and functions differently there than it does in controlling daily biological rhythms. These findings help explain how sleep and metabolism are linked, which could have implications for understanding human sleep disorders and metabolic diseases.

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Behavioral dissection of hunger states in Drosophila

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Scientists studying fruit flies discovered that hunger comes in two types: the need-based hunger when your body needs nutrients, and pleasure-based hunger when you want tasty food. By carefully watching how flies eat under different food conditions and examining their brain activity, researchers identified specific brain structures (the mushroom body) and dopamine neurons that control the desire for delicious food. This finding helps us understand why we eat food we don’t need and could lead to better treatments for obesity and eating disorders.

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