Thirst reweights temperature preference through dual dopaminergic and endocrine modulation in Drosophila.

Thirst reweights temperature preference in Drosophila by modulating dual dopaminergic and endocrine pathways, reducing hot and cold avoidance behaviors.

• Why it matters: Understanding how internal physiological states influence sensory processing is crucial for revealing adaptive behavioral mechanisms, yet the neural basis remains largely unknown.
• What they did: The study used behavioral assays, in vivo calcium imaging, and neural manipulations to identify γ mushroom body neurons as integrative nodes, and examined dopaminergic and steroid hormone pathways involving specific neurons and receptors.
• The result: Thirst attenuates both dopaminergic and endocrine pathways, reweighting thermal responses and biasing behavior toward cooler environments, thereby enabling dynamic sensory reconfiguration for adaptive decision-making.