Base Recording: A Technique for Analyzing Responses of Taste Neurons in Drosophila

Summary

A rarely used method of electrophysiological recording, base recording, allows analysis of features of taste coding that cannot be examined by conventional recording methods. Base recording also allows the analysis of taste responses to hydrophobic stimuli that cannot be studied using traditional electrophysiological methods.

Abstract

Insects taste the external world through taste hairs, or sensilla, that have pores at their tips. When a sensillum comes into contact with a potential food source, compounds from the food source enter through the pore and activate neurons within. For over 50 years, these responses have been recorded using a technique called tip recording. However, this method has major limitations, including the inability to measure neural activity before or after stimulus contact and the requirement for tastants to be soluble in aqueous solutions. We describe here a technique that we call base recording, which overcomes these limitations. Base recording allows the measurement of taste neuron activity before, during, and after the stimulus. Thus, it allows extensive analysis of OFF responses that occur after a taste stimulus. It can be used to study hydrophobic compounds such as long-chain pheromones that have very low solubility in water. In summary, base recording offers the advantages of single-sensillum electrophysiology as a means of measuring neuronal activity - high spatial and temporal resolution, without the need for genetic tools - and overcomes key limitations of the traditional tip recording technique.

Introduction

Insects, including drosophilid flies, are endowed with a sophisticated taste system that enables them to extract complex chemical information from their surroundings. This system allows them to discern the chemical composition of various substances, distinguishing between those that are nutritious and those that are harmful^1,2.

At the core of this system are specialized structures known as taste hairs or sensilla, strategically located on various body parts. In drosophilid flies, these sensilla are located on the labellum, which is the major taste organ of the fly head

Protocol

The following protocol complies with all the animal care guidelines of Yale University.

1. Flies

1. Place 10-15 newly emerged flies in fresh standard culture vials at 25 °C and 60% relative humidity in a 12:12 h light-dark cycle.
2. Use flies when 3-7 days old.

2. Chemosensory stimuli

1. Obtain chemosensory stimuli of the highest available purity. Store them as recommended by the vendor until use.......

Discussion

In recordings from some types of sensilla, it can be challenging to differentiate the spikes of different neurons. For example, the sugar neurons and mechanosensory neurons of S and I sensilla produce spikes of similar amplitudes, making it difficult to distinguish them^4,14. We find that the use of a very sharp tungsten recording electrode reduces the firing of the mechanosensory neuron, as does the judicious placement of the recording electrode. Insertion of the.......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Microscope	Olympus	BX51WI	equipped with a 50X objective (LMPLFLN 50X, Olympus) and 10X eyepieces.
Antivibration Table	TMC	63-7590E
motorized Micromanipulators	Harvard Apparatus and Märzhäuser Micromanipulators	Micromanipulator PM 10 Piezo Micromanipulator
manual Micromanipulators	Märzhäuser Micromanipulators	MM33 Micromanipulator
Magnetic stands	ENCO	Model #625-0930
Reference  and recording Electrode Holder	Ockenfels Syntech GmbH
Stimulus glass capillary Holder	Ockenfels Syntech GmbH
Universal Single Ended Probe	Ockenfels Syntech GmbH
4-CHANNEL USB ACQUISITION CONTROLLER , IDAC-4	Ockenfels Syntech GmbH
Stimulus Controllers	Ockenfels Syntech GmbH	Stimulus Controller CS 55
Personal Computer	Dell	Vostro	Check for compatibility with digital acquisition system and software
Tungsten Rod	A-M Systems	Cat#716000
Aluminum Foil and/or Faraday Cage			Electromagnetic noise shielding
Borosilicate Glass Capillaries	World Precision Instruments	1B100F-4
Pipette Puller	Sutter Instrument Company	Model P-97 Flaming/Brown Micropipette Puller
Stereomicroscope	Olympus	VMZ 1x-4x	For fly preparation
p200 Pipette Tips			Generic
Microloader tips	Eppendorf	E5242956003
1 ml Syringe			Generic
Crocodile clips
Power Transformers	STACO ENERGY PRODUCTS	STACO 3PN221B	Assembled from P1000 pipette tips, flexible plastic tubing, and mesh
Modeling Clay			Generic
Forceps			Generic
Plastic Tubing	Saint Gobain	Tygon S3™ E-3603
Standard culture vials	Archon Scientific		Narrow 1-oz polystyrene vails, each with 10 mL of glucose medium, preloaded with cellulose acetate plugs
Berberine chloride (BER)	Sigma-Aldrich	Cat# Y0001149
Denatonium benzoate (DEN)	Sigma-Aldrich	Cat# D5765
N,N-Diethyl-m- toluamide (DEET)	Sigma-Aldrich	Cat# 36542