Five canonical tastes, bitter, sweet, umami (amino acid), salty, and sour (acid), are detected
by animals as diverse as fruit flies and humans, consistent with a near-universal drive to …

The sense of taste is a specialized chemosensory system dedicated to the evaluation of food
and drink. Despite the fact that vertebrates and insects have independently evolved distinct …

The impact of neonicotinoid insecticides on insect pollinators is highly controversial.
Sublethal concentrations alter the behaviour of social bees and reduce survival of entire …

The chemical senses—smell and taste—allow animals to evaluate and distinguish valuable
food resources from dangerous substances in the environment. The central mechanisms by …

The extent of diversity among bitter-sensing neurons is a fundamental issue in the field of
taste. Data are limited and conflicting as to whether bitter neurons are broadly tuned and …

Below a certain level, table salt (NaCl) is beneficial for animals, whereas excessive salt is
harmful. However, it remains unclear how low-and high-salt taste perceptions are …

Reinforcement systems are believed to drive synaptic plasticity within neural circuits that
store memories. Recent evidence from the fruit fly suggests that anatomically distinct …

▪ Abstract Insect odor and taste receptors are highly sensitive detectors of food, mates, and
oviposition sites. Following the identification of the first insect odor and taste receptors in …

Salt taste, the taste of sodium chloride (NaCl), is mechanistically one of the most complex
and puzzling among basic tastes. Sodium has essential functions in the body but causes …

Insects such as the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, rely on contact chemosensation to
detect nutrient-rich foods, to avoid consuming toxic chemicals, and to select mates and …