Abstract
For decades, numerous researchers have documented the presence of the fruit fly or Drosophila melanogaster on alcohol-containing food sources. Although fruit flies are a common laboratory model organism of choice, there is relatively little understood about the ethological relationship between flies and ethanol. In this study, we find that when male flies inhabit ethanol-containing food substrates they become more aggressive. We identify a possible mechanism for this behavior. The odor of ethanol potentiates the activity of sensory neurons in response to an aggression-promoting pheromone. Finally, we observed that the odor of ethanol also promotes attraction to a food-related citrus odor. Understanding how flies interact with the complex natural environment they inhabit can provide valuable insight into how different natural stimuli are integrated to promote fundamental behaviors.
Highlights
Conflict that results in aggression occurs across the animal kingdom
Most studies of cis-Vaccenyl acetate (cVa) use this pheromone in isolation by adding it to a behavioral arena or painting flies with it
In the wild, flies will encounter cVa when they aggregate on fermenting fruits where they will experience cVa in combination with volatile compounds produced by fermentation (Zhu et al, 2003; Keesey et al, 2016)
Summary
Conflict that results in aggression occurs across the animal kingdom. Aggression in Drosophila melanogaster is a well-documented behavior; studies have identified several aggression-regulating pheromones, circuits, and genes (Wang and Anderson, 2010; Vrontou et al, 2006; Nilsen et al, 2004; Asahina et al, 2014; Dow and von Schilcher, 1975). The time constant to deactivation increased with 30% ethanol application indicating that neurons had greater sustained activity following cVa treatment (Figure 2h) These data are consistent with the notion that ethanol increases inter-male aggression by potentiating responses to cVa. In the wild, ethanol is almost always present with other fruit volatiles and fermentation odorants. Male flies are known to deposit cVa directly onto food substrates and will spend more time around the marked area (Keesey et al, 2016; Mercier et al, 2018) Both the cVa pheromone and farnesol odorant are naturally encountered by flies in the wild and evoke behaviors believed to provide selective advantages. We documented evidence for potentiated responses to two odors, but it seems likely that ethanol could increase attraction to other food odors and perhaps other fly pheromones as well
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