Figure 4
Leg pushing behavior is accountable for increased motivational feeding in restrained flies. (A) Motion detected in region signifying leg kicking behavior in mounted flies, graphically represented by average luminosity in the region over time (n = 1). (B) Motion detected in region signifying leg pushing behavior in mounted flies, graphically represented by average luminosity in the region over time (n = 1). (C) Motion detected in region signifying abdomen curling behavior in mounted flies, graphically represented by average luminosity in the region over time (n = 1). Arrows show times of inactivity where all behaviors cease. Arrow heads show correlation of an individual leg pushing and abdomen curling. (D) Flies are given a small piece of Kimwipe paper to be held by their tarsi. (E) Average kicking and pushing activity levels for flies with and without pieces of Kimwipe on their tarsi (n = 10, N = 100 per group). (F) Average proboscis extension reflex (PER) in flies with and without pieces of Kimwipe on their tarsi after 0.5–5 h of being mounted (n = 13, N = 130 per condition). (G) Flies remaining over 30 min after being normally adhered, and poorly adhered (n = 10, N = 100 per condition, p = 0.0289, survival curve comparison test). (H) Balanced ‘seesaw’ apparatus which allows individual flies to raise weights during leg pushing behavior (I). Average number of pushes per minute across a range of weights (N = 6). [***p < 0.001, ****p < 0.0001, unpaired t tests].
