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The mushroom body is the major center in the fruit fly brain that processes olfactory information. In this image, the mushroom body is green, a subset of axons are red and dividing cells are blue. A study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) found that a gene called distal-less is critical to the fruit fly's ability to receive, process and respond to smells.
The researchers also found evidence that distal-less is important for generating and maintaining self-renewing stem cells in the mushroom body. The corresponding gene in mammals and humans, called Dlx, is known to be important in the sense of smell. The Dlx gene has also been implicated in autism and epilepsy. By studying how distal-less works in fruit fly neurons, the scientists also hope to expand understanding of Dlx.Image credit: Jessica Plavicki and Grace Boekhoff-Falk, University of Wisconsin Madison
