Sensation of electric fields in the Drosophila melanogaster larva

Overview

Electrosensation has emerged as a crucial sensory modality for social communication, foraging, and predation across the animal kingdom. However, its presence and functional role as well as the neural basis of electric field perception in Drosophila and other invertebrates remain unclear.

Findings

• In controlled electric field environments, researchers identified electrosensation as a new sense in Drosophila melanogaster larvae.
• Larvae perform robust electrotaxis: when exposed to a uniform electric field, they migrate toward the cathode (negatively charged electrode) and respond quickly to changes in field orientation to maintain cathodal movement.
• A behavioral screen identified specific sensory neurons at the tip of the larval head necessary for electrotaxis.
• Calcium imaging revealed that a pair of Gr66a-positive sensory neurons (one on each side of the head) encodes the strength and orientation of the electric field.

Conclusion

Electric fields elicit robust behavioral and neural responses in Drosophila larvae, providing new evidence for the significance of electrosensation in invertebrates. This research supports the notion that electric field exposure can have measurable biological effects via specific neural mechanisms.