Glial glucose metabolism- a global metabolic sensor governing decision-making in Drosophila melanogaster larvae

Metabolic coupling between glial cells and neurons is essential for neuronal function. It is a well-conserved and vital feature of the bilaterian nervous system as well. Under normal and adverse conditions, glial cells act as a major metabolic hub fueling neuronal oxidative metabolism by producing lactate or ketone bodies. I now ask the question of whether such metabolic coupling is only necessary for preserving brain homeostasis or if it could also have implications in decision making such as food choice behavior. Choosing an appropriate food source is key for the survival of an organism. Carbohydrates are the preferred source of energy and thus evaluation of their nutritive content is essential. Several studies have demonstrated that Drosophila melanogaster larvae and adults, as mammals, can distinguish between nutritious and non-nutritious carbohydrates independent of their taste. Two groups of neurons, Diuretic Hormone 44 (Dh44)-expressing neurons and gustatory receptor 43a (Gr43a)-expressing neurons, have been implicated in postprandial sugar sensing in adult flies. Gr43a- expressing neurons are narrowly fine-tuned for sensing fructose in both adults and larvae. Nonetheless, in the larva, central nervous system (CNS) Gr43a neurons have been shown to act as the main sugar sensor. This raises the question of how CNS fructose-sensing neurons are involved in sensing non-fructose dietary sugars. To decipher this post-ingestive mechanism, I used frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR) - based larval tracking to investigate larval food choice behavior. The results present in this thesis suggest that besides Gr43a-expressing neurons, glial cells are indispensable for sensing nutritive non-fructose dietary sugars such as glucose and sorbitol. I show that post-ingestive carbohydrate sensing involves carbohydrate conversion into fructose locally in the glial cells. Glia-derived fructose then enables Gr43a-dependent postprandial carbohydrate sensing in the CNS and driv