RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Synergism and Combinatorial Coding for Binary Odor Mixture Perception in Drosophila JF eneuro JO eneuro FD Society for Neuroscience SP ENEURO.0056-14.2016 DO 10.1523/ENEURO.0056-14.2016 VO 3 IS 4 A1 Kundu, Srikanya A1 Ganguly, Anindya A1 Chakraborty, Tuhin Subhra A1 Kumar, Arun A1 Siddiqi, Obaid YR 2016 UL http://www.eneuro.org/content/3/4/ENEURO.0056-14.2016.abstract AB Most odors in the natural environment are mixtures of several compounds. Olfactory receptors housed in the olfactory sensory neurons detect these odors and transmit the information to the brain, leading to decision-making. But whether the olfactory system detects the ingredients of a mixture separately or treats mixtures as different entities is not well understood. Using Drosophila melanogaster as a model system, we have demonstrated that fruit flies perceive binary odor mixtures in a manner that is heavily dependent on both the proportion and the degree of dilution of the components, suggesting a combinatorial coding at the peripheral level. This coding strategy appears to be receptor specific and is independent of interneuronal interactions.