Taste perception analysis in the led-arista-luing-complex homeotic mutantsof Drosophila melanogaster

It is well established that taste chemoreceptors in Drosophila are located on the tarsi of the first leg pair. In order to investigate the influence o f the novel homeotic arista-tarsus transformation on behavior, an analysis of taste perception in the lawc-mutants, characterized by the transformatio n of the arista into tarsus elements, was carried out. The data were subjec ted to thorough statistical treatment. It was shown that elements of an add itional leg that appeared as a result of homeotic transformation of the ari sta were sensitive to taste stimuli. Analysis of the innervation of the hom eotic organs by means of cobalt staining of afferent projections showed tha t the afferents starting from the homeotic leg reached the thoracic ganglio n.