Name: an automated method to determine the performance of drosophila in response to temperature changes in space and time
Uploaded: 2018-10-12T14:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about An Automated Method to Determine the Performance of Drosophila in Response to Temperature Changes in Space and Time at JoVE.com

This work was supported in part by a scholarship from the Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience Program of the University of Groningen and a graduate scholarship from the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnolog&#237;a (CONACyT) from Mexico, granted to Andrea Soto-Padilla, and a grant from the John Templeton Foundation for the study of time awarded to Hedderik van Rijn and Jean-Christophe Billeter. We are also thankful to Peter Gerrit Bosma for his participation in developing the FlySteps tracker.
Scripts TemperaturePhases,FlySteps, and FlyStepAnalysis can be found as supplementary information and in the following temporary and publicly available link: 
https://dataverse.nl/privateurl.xhtml?token=c70159ad-4d92-443d-8946-974140d2cb78

1. Preparation of Fly Food Medium
<ol>
	<li>Pour 1 L of tap water into a 2 L glass beaker and add a magnetic stir bar. Put the beaker on a magnetic hot plate at 300 &#176;C until boiling temperature is reached.</li>
	<li>Stir at 500 rounds/min and add the following: 10 g of agar, 30 g of glucose, 15 g of sucrose, 15 g of cornmeal, 10 g of wheat germ, 10 g of soy flour, 30 g of molasses, and 35 g of active dry yeast.</li>
	<li>When the mix foams vigorously, turn down the hot plate temperature to 120 &#176;C while contin...

<ol>
	<li>Abram, P. K., Boivin, G., Moiroux, J., Brodeur, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Behavioural+effects+of+temperature+on+ectothermic+animals+unifying+thermal+physiology+and+behavioural+plasticity.">Behavioural effects of temperature on ectothermic animals unifying thermal physiology and behavioural plasticity.</a> bioRxiv. , (2016).</li><li>Rajpurohit, S., Schmidt, P. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Measuring+thermal+behavior+in+smaller+insects:+A+case+study+in+Drosophila+melanogaster+demonstrates+effects+of+sex,+geographic+origin,+and+rearing+temperature+on+adult+behavior.">Measuring thermal behavior in smaller insects: A case study in Drosophila melanogaster demonstrates effects of sex, geographic origin, and rearing temperature on adult behavior.</a> Fly. 10 (4), 149-161 (2016).</li><li>Jezovit, J. A., Levine, J. D., Schneider, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Phylogeny+environment+and+sexual+communication+across+the+Drosophila+genus.">Phylogeny environment and sexual communication across the Drosophila genus.</a> The Journal of Experimental Biology. 220 (1), 42-52 (2017).</li><li>Sinclair, B. J., Williams, C. M., Terblanche, J. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Variation+in+Thermal+Performance+among+Insect+Populations.">Variation in Thermal Performance among Insect Populations.</a> Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. 85 (6), 594-606 (2012).</li><li>Gibert, P., Huey, R., Gilchrist, G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Locomotor+performance+of+Drosophila+melanogaster:+Interactions+among+developmental+and+adult+temperautures,+age,+and+geography.">Locomotor performance of Drosophila melanogaster: Interactions among developmental and adult temperautures, age, and geography.</a> Evolution. 55 (1), 205-209 (2001).</li><li>Trotta, V., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Thermal+plasticity+in+Drosophila+melanogaster:+A+comparison+of+geographic+populations.">Thermal plasticity in Drosophila melanogaster: A comparison of geographic populations.</a> BMC Evolutionary Biology. 6, 1-13 (2006).</li><li>Klepsatel, P., G&#225;likova, M., De Maio, N., Huber, C. D., Christian, S., Flatt, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Variation+in+thermal+performance+and+reaction+norms+among+populations+of+Drosophila+melanogaster.">Variation in thermal performance and reaction norms among populations of Drosophila melanogaster.</a> Evolution. 67 (12), 3573-3587 (2013).</li><li>Latimer, C. A. L., Wilson, R. S., Chenoweth, S. F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Quantitative+genetic+variation+for+thermal+performance+curves+within+and+among+natural+populations+of+Drosophila+serrata.">Quantitative genetic variation for thermal performance curves within and among natural populations of Drosophila serrata.</a> Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 24, 965-975 (2011).</li><li>Chen, J., Nolte, V., Schlotterer, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Temperature-related+reaction+norms+of+gene+expression:+Regulatory+architecture+and+functional+implications.">Temperature-related reaction norms of gene expression: Regulatory architecture and functional implications.</a> Molecular Biology and Evolution. , (2015).</li><li>Kellermann, V., Overgaard, J., Hoffmann, A. A., Flojgaard, C., Svenning, J. -. C., Loeschcke, V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Upper+thermal+limits+of+Drosophila+are+linked+to+species+distributions+and+strongly+constrained+phylogenetically.">Upper thermal limits of Drosophila are linked to species distributions and strongly constrained phylogenetically.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 109 (40), 16228-16233 (2012).</li><li>Andersen, J. L., Manenti, T., S&#248;rensen, J. G., Macmillan, H. A., Loeschcke, V., Overgaard, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=How+to+assess+Drosophila+cold+tolerance:+Chill+coma+temperature+and+lower+lethal+temperature+are+the+best+predictors+of+cold+distribution+limits.">How to assess Drosophila cold tolerance: Chill coma temperature and lower lethal temperature are the best predictors of cold distribution limits.</a> Functional Ecology. 29 (1), 55-65 (2015).</li><li>Krstevska, B., Hoffmann, A. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+effects+of+acclimation+and+rearing+conditions+on+the+response+of+tropical+and+temperate+populations+of+Drosophila+melanogaster+and+D.+simulans+to+a+temperature+gradient+(Diptera:+Drosophilidae).">The effects of acclimation and rearing conditions on the response of tropical and temperate populations of Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans to a temperature gradient (Diptera: Drosophilidae).</a> Journal of Insect Behavior. 7 (3), 279-288 (1994).</li><li>Frank, D. D., Jouandet, G. C., Kearney, P. J., Macpherson, L. J., Gallio, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Temperature+representation+in+the+Drosophila+brain.">Temperature representation in the Drosophila brain.</a> Nature. 519 (7543), 358-361 (2015).</li><li>Gallio, M., Ofstad, T. A., Macpherson, L. J., Wang, J. W., Zuker, C. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+coding+of+temperature+in+the+Drosophila+brain.">The coding of temperature in the Drosophila brain.</a> Cell. 144 (4), 614-624 (2011).</li><li>Hamada, F. N., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=An+internal+thermal+sensor+controlling+temperature+preference+in+Drosophila.">An internal thermal sensor controlling temperature preference in Drosophila.</a> Nature. 454 (7201), 217-220 (2008).</li><li>Ni, L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+gustatory+receptor+paralogue+controls+rapid+warmth+avoidance+in+Drosophila.">A gustatory receptor paralogue controls rapid warmth avoidance in Drosophila.</a> Nature. 500 (7464), 580-584 (2013).</li><li>Liu, W. W., Mazor, O., Wilson, R. I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Thermosensory+processing+in+the+Drosophila+brain.">Thermosensory processing in the Drosophila brain.</a> Nature. 519 (7543), 353-357 (2015).</li><li>Neely, G. G., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=TrpA1+Regulates+Thermal+Nociception+in+Drosophila.">TrpA1 Regulates Thermal Nociception in Drosophila.</a> Public Library of Science ONE. 6 (8), e24343 (2011).</li><li>Zhong, L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Thermosensory+and+non-thermosensory+isoforms+of+Drosophila+melanogaster+TRPA1+reveal+heat+sensor+domains+of+a+thermoTRP+channel.">Thermosensory and non-thermosensory isoforms of Drosophila melanogaster TRPA1 reveal heat sensor domains of a thermoTRP channel.</a> Cell Reports. 1 (1), 43-55 (2012).</li><li>Barbagallo, B., Garrity, P. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Temperature+sensation+in+Drosophila.">Temperature sensation in Drosophila.</a> Current Opinion in Neurobiology. 34, 8-13 (2015).</li><li>Tang, X., Platt, M. D., Lagnese, C. M., Leslie, J. R., Hamada, F. N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Temperature+integration+at+the+AC+thermosensory+neurons+in+Drosophila.">Temperature integration at the AC thermosensory neurons in Drosophila.</a> Journal of Neuroscience. 33 (3), 894-901 (2013).</li><li>Petavy, G., David, J. R., Gibert, P., Moreteau, B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Viability+and+rate+of+development+at+different+temperatures+in+Drosophila:+A+comparison+of+constant+and+alternating+thermal+regimes.">Viability and rate of development at different temperatures in Drosophila: A comparison of constant and alternating thermal regimes.</a> Journal of Thermal Biology. 26 (1), 29-39 (2001).</li><li>Diegelmann, S., Zars, M., Zars, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Genetic+dissociation+of+acquisition+and+memory+strength+in+the+heat-box+spatial+learning+paradigm+in+Drosophila.">Genetic dissociation of acquisition and memory strength in the heat-box spatial learning paradigm in Drosophila.</a> Learning &amp; Memory. 13 (1), 72-83 (2006).</li><li>Zars, M., Zars, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=High+and+low+temperatures+have+unequal+reinforcing+properties+in+Drosophila+spatial+learning.">High and low temperatures have unequal reinforcing properties in Drosophila spatial learning.</a> Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology. 192 (7), 727-735 (2006).</li><li>Zars, T., Wolf, R., Davis, R., Heisenberg, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Tissue-specific+expression+of+a+type+I+adenylyl+cyclase+rescues+the+rutabaga+mutant+memory+defect:+in+search+of+the+engram.">Tissue-specific expression of a type I adenylyl cyclase rescues the rutabaga mutant memory defect: in search of the engram.</a> Learning &amp; Memory. 7 (1), 18-31 (2000).</li><li>Jones, M. A., Grotewiel, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Drosophila+as+a+model+for+age-related+impairment+in+locomotor+and+other+behaviors.">Drosophila as a model for age-related impairment in locomotor and other behaviors.</a> Experimental Brain Research. 46 (5), 320-325 (2011).</li></ol>

Here we have presented an automated temperature-controlled arena (Figure 1) that produces precise temperature changes in time and space. This method allows exposure of individual Drosophila not only to pre-programmed gradual increases of temperature (Figure 2 and Figure 3), but also to dynamic temperature challenges in which each tile of the fly arena was heated independently to a different temperature (<strong class="xfig"...

Temperature is a constant environmental factor that affects how organisms function and behave1. Differences in latitude and altitude lead to differences in the type of climates organism are exposed to, which results in evolutionary selection for their responses to temperature2,3. Organisms respond to different temperatures through morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptations that maximize performance under their particular environments4. For instance, in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, populations from different regions have different temperature preferences, body sizes, developmental times, longevity, fecundity, and walking performance at different temperatures2,5,6,7. The diversity observed between flies of different origins is explained in part by genetic variation and plastic gene expression8,9. Similarly, Drosophila species from different areas distribute differently among temperature gradients and show differences in resistance to extreme heat and cold tests10,11,12.
Drosophila has also recently become the model of choice to understand the genetic and neural basis of temperature perception13,14,15,16,17. Broadly, adult flies perceive temperature through cold and hot peripheral temperature sensors in the antennae and through temperature sensors in the brain13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20. The periphery receptors for hot temperatures express Gr28b.d16 or Pyrexia21, while the periphery cold receptors are characterized by Brivido14. In the brain, temperature is processed by neurons expressing TrpA115. Behavioral studies on mutants of these pathways are improving our understanding of how temperature is processed and give insights into mechanisms that vary among populations of Drosophila from different regions.
Here we describe a temperature-controlled arena that produces fast and precise temperature changes. Investigators can pre-program these changes, which allows for standardized and repeatable temperature manipulations without human intervention. Flies are recorded and tracked with specialized software to determine their position and speed at different phases of an experiment. The main measurement presented in this protocol is the walking speed at different temperatures, because it is an ecologically relevant index of physiological performance that can identify individual thermal adaptability5. Together with temperature receptor mutants, this technique can help reveal the mechanisms of thermal adaptation at cellular and biochemical levels.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="965">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:332px;">Arduino Due</td>
			<td style="width:223px;">Arduino</td>
			<td style="width:189px;">A000062</td>
			<td style="width:221px;">Software RUG</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Electronics Board</td>
			<td>Ruijsink Dynamic Engineering</td>
			<td>FF-Main-02-2014</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Power supply Boost</td>
			<td>XP-Power 48. V 65 W</td>
			<td>ECS65US48</td>
			<td>Set to 53 Volt</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Power supply Tile Heating</td>
			<td>XP-Power 15. V 80 W</td>
			<td>VFT80US15</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Power supply Cooling</td>
			<td>XP-Power 15. V 130 W</td>
			<td>ECS130U515</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Peltier elements</td>
			<td>Marlow Industries</td>
			<td>RC12-4</td>
			<td>2 Elements, controlled DC feed</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Heat sink</td>
			<td>Fisher Technik</td>
			<td>LA 9/150-230V</td>
			<td>Decoupled for vibration</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Temperature sensors</td>
			<td>Measurement Specialties</td>
			<td>MCD_10K3MCD1</td>
			<td>Micro Thermistor Probe</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Copper block/tiles</td>
			<td>Ruijsink Dynamic Engineering</td>
			<td>FF-CB-01-2014</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Auminum ring</td>
			<td>Ruijsink Dynamic Engineering</td>
			<td>FF-RoF-02-2015</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Tesa 4104 white tape 25 x 66 mm</td>
			<td>RS Components</td>
			<td>111-2300&#160;</td>
			<td>White conductive tape</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Red LEDs</td>
			<td>Lucky Ligt</td>
			<td>ll-583vc2c-v1-4da</td>
			<td>Wavelength between 625 nm, 20 mAmp and 6 V</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Warm white LED strip</td>
			<td>Ledstripkoning</td>
			<td>HQ-3528-SMD</td>
			<td>60 LEDs per meter</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Switch Power Supply</td>
			<td>Generic</td>
			<td>T-36-12</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Logitech c920</td>
			<td>Logitech Europe S.A</td>
			<td>PN960-001055</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">QuickTime Player</td>
			<td>Apple Computer</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Recording program</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Tracking analysis software</td>
			<td>R</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Packages: pacman</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Tracking analysis software</td>
			<td>MATLAB</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Thermal Imaging</td>
			<td>FLIR T400sc</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Graphs and Statisticts Software</td>
			<td>Graph Pad Prism</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Sigmacote</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>SL2-100ML</td>
			<td>Siliconising agent</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Fly rearing bottles</td>
			<td>Flystuff</td>
			<td>32-130</td>
			<td>6oz Drosophila stock bottle</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Flypad</td>
			<td>Flystuff</td>
			<td>59-114</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Fly rearing vials</td>
			<td>Dominique Dutscher</td>
			<td align="right">789008</td>
			<td>Drosophila tubes narrow 25x95 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Incubator</td>
			<td>Sanyo</td>
			<td>MIR-154</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Magnetic hot plate</td>
			<td>Heidolph</td>
			<td>505-20000-00</td>
			<td>MR Hei-Standard</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Agar</td>
			<td>Caldic Ingredients B.V.</td>
			<td>010001.26.0</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Glucose</td>
			<td>Gezond&#38;wel</td>
			<td align="right">1019155</td>
			<td>Dextrose/Druivensuiker</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Sucrose</td>
			<td>Van Gilse</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Granulated sugar</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Cornmeal</td>
			<td>Flystuff</td>
			<td>62-100</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Wheat germ</td>
			<td>Gezond&#38;wel</td>
			<td align="right">1017683</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Soy flour</td>
			<td>Flystuff</td>
			<td>62-115</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Molasses</td>
			<td>Flystuff</td>
			<td>62-117</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Active dry yeast</td>
			<td>Red Star</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Tegosept</td>
			<td>Flystuff</td>
			<td>20-258</td>
			<td align="right">100%</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

an automated method to determine the performance of drosophila in response to temperature changes in space and time

Temperature is a ubiquitous environmental factor that affects how species distribute and behave. Different species of Drosophila fruit flies have specific responses to changing temperatures according to their physiological tolerance and adaptability. Drosophila flies also possess a temperature sensing system that has become fundamental to understanding the neural basis of temperature processing in ectotherms. We present here a temperature-controlled arena that permits fast and precise temperature changes with temporal and spatial control to explore the response of individual flies to changing temperatures. Individual flies are placed in the arena and exposed to pre-programmed temperature challenges, such as uniform gradual increases in temperature to determine reaction norms or spatially distributed temperatures at the same time to determine preferences. Individuals are automatically tracked, allowing the quantification of speed or location preference. This method can be used to rapidly quantify the response over a large range of temperatures to determine temperature performance curves in Drosophila or other insects of similar size. In addition, it can be used for genetic studies to quantify temperature preferences and reactions of mutants or wild-type flies. This method can help uncover the basis of thermal speciation and adaptation, as well as the neural mechanisms behind temperature processing.

The temperature-controlled arena (Figure 1A) consists of three copper tiles whose temperature can be individually controlled through a programmable circuit. Each copper tile possesses a temperature sensor that gives feedback to the programmable circuit. The circuit activates a power supply to increase the temperature of each tile. Passive thermoelectric elements act as constant heating elements to maintain the desired temperature, while a heat sink cooled by ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about An Automated Method to Determine the Performance of Drosophila in Response to Temperature Changes in Space and Time at JoVE.com

An Automated Method to Determine the Performance of Drosophila in Response to Temperature Changes in Space and Time

Here we present a protocol to automatically determine the locomotor performance of Drosophila at changing temperatures using a programmable temperature-controlled arena that produces fast and accurate temperature changes in time and space.

An Automated Method to Determine the Performance of Drosophila in Response to Temperature Changes in Space and Time

Temperature is a ubiquitous environmental factor that affects how species distribute and behave. Different species of Drosophila fruit flies have specific ...

Research

JoVE Journal

Behavior

Use of the Operant Orofacial Pain Assessment Device (OPAD) to Measure Changes in Nociceptive Behavior

Use of the Operant Orofacial Pain Assessment Device OPAD to Measure Changes in Nociceptive Behavior

We present an operant  system for the detection of pain in awake, conscious rodents. The Orofacial  Pain Assessment Device (OPAD) assesses pain behaviors ...

The Crossmodal Congruency Task as a Means to Obtain an Objective Behavioral Measure in the Rubber Hand Illusion Paradigm

The rubber hand illusion (RHI) is a popular experimental paradigm. Participants view touch on an artificial rubber hand while the participants' own hidden ...

Uncovering Beat Deafness: Detecting Rhythm Disorders with Synchronized Finger Tapping and Perceptual Timing Tasks

A set of behavioral tasks for assessing perceptual and sensorimotor timing abilities in the general population (i.e., non-musicians) is presented here ...

The Rodent Psychomotor Vigilance Test (rPVT): A Method for Assessing Neurobehavioral Performance in Rats and Mice

The Rodent Psychomotor Vigilance Test rPVT: A Method for Assessing Neurobehavioral Performance in Rats and Mice

The human Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) is a widely used procedure for measuring changes in fatigue and sustained attention. The present article ...

Behavioral Disturbances: An Innovative Approach to Monitor the Modulatory Effects of a Nutraceutical Diet

In dogs, diets are often used to modulate behavioral disturbances related to chronic anxiety and stress caused by intense and restless activity. However, ...

A Method to Test the Effect of Environmental Cues on Mating Behavior in Drosophila melanogaster

A Method to Test the Effect of Environmental Cues on Mating Behavior in Drosophila melanogaster

An individual's sexual drive is influenced by genotype, experience and environmental conditions. How these factors interact to modulate sexual behaviors ...

Reversible Cooling-induced Deactivations to Study Cortical Contributions to Obstacle Memory in the Walking Cat

On complex, naturalistic terrain, sensory information about an environmental obstacle can be used to rapidly adjust locomotor movements for avoidance. For ...

The Knob Supination Task: A Semi-automated Method for Assessing Forelimb Function in Rats

Tasks that accurately measure dexterity in animal models are critical to understand hand function. Current rat behavioral tasks that measure dexterity ...

An Automated Rapid Iterative Negative Geotaxis Assay for Analyzing Adult Climbing Behavior in a Drosophila Model of Neurodegeneration

An Automated Rapid Iterative Negative Geotaxis Assay for Analyzing Adult Climbing Behavior in a Drosophila Model of Neurodegeneration

Neurodegenerative diseases are frequently associated with a progressive loss of movement ability, reduced life span, and age-dependent neurodegeneration. ...