# TRP channel regulation of feeding behavior in Drosophila

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · 2022 · $483,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY: TRP channel regulation of feeding behavior in Drosophila
Feeding is one of the most fundamental of all animal behaviors. In mammals, diverse signals, including
chemosensory responses to food properties and mechanical stimulation of the gut, regulate satiation and
feeding behavior. These mechanisms, or analogous systems, are well-conserved in invertebrates. Although
many neuropeptides and neurotransmitters have been identified that signal satiation or satiety, much less is
known about how gut stretch and other mechanosensory forces are signaled to regulate feeding behavior.
Due to the remarkable conservation in their basic physiological and neurological properties, studies in
Drosophila have revolutionized our broad understanding of animal behavior. Despite the successful use of
flies in investigating paradigms such as sleep, circadian rhythm, and memory, only recently have tools for
measuring fly food intake facilitated the study of feeding behavior. This project will use Drosophila
melanogaster to investigate the regulation of meal intake. New methods allow undisturbed real-time
measurements of food consumption in freely behaving adult flies that resolve with unrivalled accuracy the
effects of diet and hunger on meal size. An experimental framework is established for defining fly meals and to
show their basic regulation by manipulation of the diet, internal hunger state, and circadian rhythms. Using the
powerful genetic tools available in Drosophila, preliminary results reveal the involvement of transient receptor
potential (TRP) channels in the regulation of meal intake. TRP channels define a large family of sensory
receptors, and much is still unknown about how they function as chemo-, mechano-, and other types of
receptors. The proposed studies will dissect the role of TRP channel signaling in satiation and meal size
control, taking advantage of the tools available in the simplified Drosophila model. Given the increasing
importance of meal intake and patterning on physiology and health—regardless of total caloric intake—the
proposed studies have the potential to reveal key insights on the role of TRP channel signaling on regulating
prandial behavior, physiology, and metabolism. The proposed studies may also eventually inform the design
of pesticides targeting TRP channels or feeding behavior in other insects, including agricultural pests and
disease vectors such as mosquitos.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10494137
- **Project number:** 5R01DC020031-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
- **Principal Investigator:** WILLIAM W JA
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $483,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-09-24 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10494137

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10494137, TRP channel regulation of feeding behavior in Drosophila (5R01DC020031-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10494137. Licensed CC0.

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