Drosophila species learn dialects through communal living.

Balint Z Kacsoh,Julianna Bozler,Giovanni Bosco,Daniela C Zarnescu

doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1007430

Abstract

Many species are able to share information about their environment by communicating through auditory, visual, and olfactory cues. In Drosophila melanogaster, exposure to parasitoid wasps leads to a decline in egg laying, and exposed females communicate this threat to naïve flies, which also depress egg laying. We find that species across the genus Drosophila respond to wasps by egg laying reduction, activate cleaved caspase in oocytes, and communicate the presence of wasps to naïve individuals. Communication within a species and between closely related species is efficient, while more distantly related species exhibit partial communication. Remarkably, partial communication between some species is enhanced after a cohabitation period that requires exchange of visual and olfactory signals. This interspecies “dialect learning” requires neuronal cAMP signaling in the mushroom body, suggesting neuronal plasticity facilitates dialect learning and memory. These observations establish Drosophila as genetic models for interspecies social communication and evolution of dialects.

Highlights

The ability to interpret environmental information is a phenomenon found throughout all life forms
We find that many different Drosophila species never having been exposed to parasitoid wasps can trigger caspase activation in the ovary and depress egg-laying when placed next to flies that had visual experience with wasps
There are various inputs involved in dialect learning, including the presence of visual and olfactory cues and memory functions, including genes implicated in social learning defects in murine models, such as phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)

Summary

Introduction

The ability to interpret environmental information is a phenomenon found throughout all life forms. Information that is being shared can be highly specific, such as in the case of honeybees communicating instructions on where to find nectar[1,2,3]. Predator alarm calls generated as a warning are observed, where multiple species participate in repeating the alarm throughout the community[4,5,6,7,8]. The information that is shared can be dependent on local environmental cues and experiences and the manner in which information is communicated is strongly influenced by past experiences of each individual. Because dialects are learned and influenced[12] by specific local environmental differences, it suggests that both social and non-social experiences can have dramatic effects on cognitive development[13]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion