3-octanol olfactory adaptation in Drosophila

Drosophila flies were presented with 3-octanol (adapted) or parafin oil (sham adapted) for one minute in the upper arm of a T-maze, directly before being tested for their avoidance toward this odor. The flies were let to choose between 3-octanol and parafin oil odors for one minute in the T-maze. We see a significant decrease in the avoidance of the flies toward 3-octanol after adaptation. This is a reproduction of data obtained by Klemens F. Störtkuhl (1999). Odor delivery through air bubbling in odorized parafin oil. Airflow=0.35 l/min, odor =37.4 microliter odorant (3-octanol: >95% purity; Fluka 74878, Sigma- Aldrich, St Louis, MO, USA) in 40.3 g of parafin oil. Störtkuhl KF, Hovemann BT, Carlson JR (1999) Olfactory adaptation depends on the Trp Ca2+ channel in Drosophila. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 19: 4839–46.