Olfactory Conditioning in Drosophila

Single gene mutation affecting olfactory learning were described over twenty years ago by Dudai, Benzer and Quinn. More than a dozen genes involved n olfactory associative learning have since been reported. Olfactory learning has, so far, been studied in a Pavlovian conditioning paradigm where repulsion by either of two alcohols, methyl cyclohexanol and octanol, can be associated with electric shock. We have developed an olfactory conditioning paradigm which uses natural attractants and repellents at physiological concentrations. Drosophila exhibits a biphasic response to odours. At low concentration, the flies are attracted to odorants such as ethyl acetate, iso amyl acetate or butanol. Beyond an optimal concentration, attraction gives way to repulsion. Each odorant yields a characteristic response curve defined by a threshold, maximal attraction and a cross-over point where attraction changes to repulsion. The response curves are dramatically changed by exposure to odours. Flies kept on an odourless medium exhibit no attraction to chemicals. But, when exposed to particular odorants they develop a strong preference for odours they have experienced and an aversion to odours they have not encountered. I will discuss experiments which show that imaginal conditioning has certain features in common with associative learning.

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