Automated analysis of courtship suppression learning and memory in Drosophila melanogaster

Alimoor Reza, Siddhita D. Mhatre, J. Calvin Morrison, Suruchi Utreja, Aleister J. Saunders, David E. Breen, Daniel R. Marenda

Study of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has yielded important insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms of learning and memory. Courtship conditioning is a well-established behavioral assay used to study Drosophila learning and memory. Here, we describe the development of software to analyze courtship suppression assay data that correctly identifies normal or abnormal learning and memory traits of individual flies. Development of this automated analysis software will significantly enhance our ability to use this assay in large-scale genetic screens and disease modeling. The software increases the consistency, objectivity, and types of data generated.