2. Behavioral Biology TALKS - Deutsche Zoologische Gesellschaft

approach with patch-clamp recordings, organelle mobility assays, and ultrastructural
analyses, our study identifies mitochondria as key determinants of olfactory
signaling. We show that mitochondrial Ca2+ mobilization during sensory stimulation
shapes the cytosolic Ca2+ response profile in OSNs, ensures a broad dynamic
response range, and maintains sensitivity of the spike generation machinery. When
mitochondrial function is impaired, olfactory neurons function as simple stimulus
detectors rather than intensity encoders. Moreover, we describe activity-dependent
recruitment of mitochondria to olfactory knobs, a mechanism that provides a
context-dependent tool for OSNs to maintain cellular homeostasis and signaling
integrity.
�106 Andreas Thum A 701 / 15:15
Learning and Memory in Drosophila Larvae
Author: Andreas Thum 1
Affiliation: 1
Animals as well as humans need to organize their behavior. Thereby the brain uses
past experience to evaluate environmental stimuli in the background of an
individual’s state to select for an appropriate behavior. For centuries, researchers in
the functional brain sciences have been mapping properties of behavior to areas of
the brain. But a mechanistic understanding of brain and behavior is still lacking.
Based on its neuronal simplicity the Drosophila larvae has turned into an elementary
model system for studying brain functions and even allows for meaningful
comparisons with other insects or mammals. For this work we used anatomical,
behavioral and molecular approaches to identify the fundamental processes involved
in larval associative conditioning. The results will provide insights into how learning
and memory is organized on multiple levels within a simple brain.
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