# Molecular and cellular determinants of Drosophila larva thermotaxis

> **NIH NIH R01** · BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $532,292

## Abstract

Project Summary
Molecular and cellular determinants of Drosophila larva thermotaxis
How nervous systems detect and integrate multiple sensory cues to generate robust behaviors is a major
question in neuroscience. Such integration is particularly salient in thermosensing, as animals are frequently
required to integrate input from multiple thermoreceptor classes. Temperature's ubiquity also means input from
other modalities (e.g., olfaction) is commonly received in the context of ongoing thermosensory stimulation.
Achieving a comprehensive understanding of the molecular and circuit mechanisms underlying the integration
of information from multiple sensors remains a challenge. We will address this challenge in the Drosophila
larva. Its ease of genetic manipulation, synaptic-resolution connectome of thermosensory and olfactory
processing areas, amenability to neuronal imaging, and stereotyped behaviors, all make it a favorable system
for a comprehensive molecular and circuit level investigation of the mechanisms of sensory integration. We
propose to achieve these goals in three aims:
Aim 1) Establish the molecular and cellular receptors that provide thermosensory input
In aims 1.a. and 1.b., we will identify the molecular basis of thermosensing by thermosensory neurons in the
larval Dorsal Organ and examine their roles in guiding behavior through cell-specific inhibition and activation
combined with high-resolution behavioral analysis.
Aim 2) Probe the activities of the interneurons that process thermosensory input
In aim 2.a., we will examine how thermosensory inputs act to modulate the neuronal activity of individually
identifiable downstream projection neurons revealed from the larval antennal lobe connectome. This will
establish the manner in which peripheral sensory input influences these second-order interneurons. In aim
2.b., we will investigate how thermosensory and olfactory systems interact in multi-sensory integration of
chemical and thermal cues.
Aim 3) Probe the functions of the interneurons that process thermosensory input
In aim 3, we will determine the contribution of each projection neuron to thermotactic navigation through cell-
specific inhibition and activation of individual PNs combined with high-resolution behavioral analysis.
Taken together, these studies combine molecular genetics, physiology, and high resolution behavioral
analyses to perform a comprehensive analysis of how this relatively small neural circuit processes multiple,
distinct sensory inputs to control robust and flexible behaviors.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10093090
- **Project number:** 5R01GM130842-03
- **Recipient organization:** BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Paul Garrity
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $532,292
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-03-15 → 2023-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10093090

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10093090, Molecular and cellular determinants of Drosophila larva thermotaxis (5R01GM130842-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10093090. Licensed CC0.

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