Olfactory ecology, behaviour, and circuitry evolution across Drosophila species
File(s)
Author(s)
Gong, Hui
Type
Thesis
Abstract
Sensory systems, like vision and audition, have been observed to be optimally adapted to their environments. Yet, we know little about how the function of olfactory systems optimally matches the environmental stimulus statistics. The fly species within the Drosophila melanogaster subgroup provide a useful model to study the evolution of olfactory systems, as they are closely-related to a well-studied model organism, are therefore genetically accessible, and have recently evolved adaptive traits.
In this thesis, we first scrutinised the olfactory behaviour of larvae across species, revealing distinct species-specific responses to naturalistic odours. Next, we studied the chemical ecology of specialist species, dissecting olfactory stimulus statistics to comprehend how different ecological niches influence sensory systems. We also explored how the olfactory systems of different Drosophila species encode odour information by conducting calcium imaging experiments on the olfactory sensory neurons. Finally, we provide evidence for central circuit malleability through evolution and its role in producing novel behaviours. With this multi-disciplinary approach, we aimed to uncover general principles of sensory system evolution, enhancing our understanding of how sensory systems are intricately shaped by their environment. Overall, the findings of this thesis contribute to the field of brain evolution by addressing fundamental questions regarding sensory system adaptation through a comprehensive investigation of Drosophila larvae’s olfaction.
In this thesis, we first scrutinised the olfactory behaviour of larvae across species, revealing distinct species-specific responses to naturalistic odours. Next, we studied the chemical ecology of specialist species, dissecting olfactory stimulus statistics to comprehend how different ecological niches influence sensory systems. We also explored how the olfactory systems of different Drosophila species encode odour information by conducting calcium imaging experiments on the olfactory sensory neurons. Finally, we provide evidence for central circuit malleability through evolution and its role in producing novel behaviours. With this multi-disciplinary approach, we aimed to uncover general principles of sensory system evolution, enhancing our understanding of how sensory systems are intricately shaped by their environment. Overall, the findings of this thesis contribute to the field of brain evolution by addressing fundamental questions regarding sensory system adaptation through a comprehensive investigation of Drosophila larvae’s olfaction.
Version
Open Access
Date Issued
2023-10-16
Date Awarded
2024-06-01
Copyright Statement
Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Licence (CC BY-NC)
License URL
Advisor
Prieto-Godino, Lucia
Publisher Department
Institute of Clinical Sciences
Publisher Institution
Imperial College London
Qualification Level
Doctoral
Qualification Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)