Dan Eberl is always on the lookout for love songs, but not the kind played on the radio or in a Las Vegas lounge act. Although it may seem an odd choice, the fruit fly and its love song are very effective tools for learning about the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in hearing in other insects and in animals. In fact, says Eberl in an article published in a recent issue of the journal Current Opinion in Neurobiology, studying the fruit fly may one day help scientists to better understand human hearing. My job is to identify the genes responsible for hearing in fruit flies.
Fruit flies use antennas for hearing.
The cells that detect the antennal vibrations appear to share molecular mechanisms with bristles used for the sense of touch. This means that insect hearing may be related to human hearing. It begins with the fruit fly courting ritual. The male extends one wing and vibrates it in such a way as to create the love song. Most females and males hear the song and respond in a sex-specific manner, however some flies fail to respond and are thought to be deaf.