Data from: Internal states drive nutrient homeostasis by modulating exploration-exploitation trade-off

Internal states can profoundly alter the behavior of animals. A quantitative understanding of the behavioral changes upon metabolic challenges is key to a mechanistic dissection of how animals maintain nutritional homeostasis. We used an automated video tracking setup to characterize how amino acid and reproductive states interact to shape exploitation and exploration decisions taken by adult Drosophila melanogaster. We find that these two states have specific effects on the decisions to stop at and leave proteinaceous food patches. Furthermore, the internal nutrient state defines the exploration-exploitation trade-off: nutrient-deprived flies focus on specific patches while satiated flies explore more globally. Finally, we show that olfaction mediates the efficient recognition of yeast as an appropriate protein source in mated females and that octopamine is specifically required to mediate homeostatic postmating responses without affecting internal nutrient sensing. Internal states therefore modulate specific aspects of exploitation and exploration to change nutrient selection.

机体内部状态可显著改变动物的行为模式。对代谢应激下行为变化的定量解析，是阐明动物维持营养稳态机制的核心关键。我们采用自动化视频追踪系统，表征了氨基酸状态与生殖状态如何协同调控成年黑腹果蝇（Drosophila melanogaster）的觅食开发与探索决策。研究发现，这两种内部状态分别对果蝇停驻、离开蛋白源食物斑块的决策产生特异性影响。此外，机体内部营养状态决定了探索-开发的权衡策略：营养匮乏的果蝇会聚焦于特定食物斑块，而饱腹果蝇则倾向于开展更广泛的全局探索。最后，本研究证实嗅觉可介导已交配雌蝇高效识别酵母作为适宜蛋白源；同时发现章鱼胺可特异性介导交配后稳态反应，且不干扰内部营养感知通路。综上，机体内部状态通过调控觅食开发与探索的特定维度，改变果蝇的营养选择行为。