Abstract
Animals can determine the nutritional value of sugar without the influence of taste. We examined a Drosophila mutant that is insensitive to the nutritional value of sugars, responding only to the concentration (that is, sweetness). The affected gene encodes a sodium/solute co-transporter-like protein, designated SLC5A11 (or cupcake), which is structurally similar to mammalian sodium/glucose co-transporters that transport sugar across the intestinal and renal lumen. However, SLC5A11 was prominently expressed in 10-13 pairs of R4 neurons of the ellipsoid body in the brain and functioned in these neurons for selecting appropriate foods.
MeSH terms
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Analysis of Variance
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Animals
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Animals, Genetically Modified
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Base Sequence
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Brain / cytology
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Brain / metabolism*
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CD8 Antigens / genetics
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Choice Behavior / physiology*
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Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
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Drosophila / physiology*
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Drosophila Proteins / genetics
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Drosophila Proteins / metabolism*
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Food Deprivation / physiology
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Food Preferences / physiology*
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Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
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Gene Expression Regulation / genetics
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Glucose / administration & dosage
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Glycogen / metabolism
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Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
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Hemolymph / metabolism
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Humans
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Mutation / genetics
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Neurons / metabolism
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RNA Interference
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Receptors, Cell Surface / genetics
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Sodium-Glucose Transport Proteins / genetics
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Sodium-Glucose Transport Proteins / metabolism*
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Taste / genetics*
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Transcription Factors / genetics
Substances
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CD8 Antigens
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Drosophila Proteins
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GAL4 protein, Drosophila
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Receptors, Cell Surface
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SLC5A11 protein, Drosophila
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Sodium-Glucose Transport Proteins
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Transcription Factors
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gustatory receptor, Drosophila
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Green Fluorescent Proteins
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Glycogen
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Glucose