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Odour avoidance learning in the larva of Drosophila melanogaster

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Abstract

Drosophila larvae can be trained to avoid odours associated with electric shock. We describe here, an improved method of aversive conditioning and a procedure for decomposing learning retention curve that enables us to do a quantitative analysis of memory phases, short term (STM), middle term (MTM) and long term (LTM) as a function of training cycles. The same method of analysis when applied to learning mutants dunce, amnesiac, rutabaga and radish reveals memory deficits characteristic of the mutant strains.

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Abbreviations

BB:

butyl butyrate

But:

1-butanol

EA:

ethyl acetate

EB:

ethyl butyrate

Hex:

1-hexanol

IAA:

isoamyl acetate

IBA:

isobutyl acetate

LTM:

long term memory

MTM:

middle term memory

STM:

short term memory

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, 560 065, India

    Sukant Khurana, Mohammed Bin Abubaker & Obaid Siddiqi

Authors
  1. Sukant Khurana
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  2. Mohammed Bin Abubaker
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  3. Obaid Siddiqi
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Correspondence to Obaid Siddiqi.

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Khurana, S., Abubaker, M.B. & Siddiqi, O. Odour avoidance learning in the larva of Drosophila melanogaster . J Biosci 34, 621–631 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12038-009-0080-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12038-009-0080-9

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