ScerGAL4^GH86 drives expression in the chemosensory neurons of the head and pharynx, and in oenocytes.

ScerGAL4^GH86 labels antennal mechanosensory and motor center B1b (AMMC1-B1b) projection neurons that respond maximally to auditory stimuli of 100Hz, 300Hz and pulse song.

Expression is first observed late stage 16 embryos in the antenno-maxillary complex and in oenocytes. First and second instar larval expression is observed in the antenno-maxillary complex, in the pharyngeal sensilla and in chemosensory projections to the antennal lobes. In third instar larvae, strongest expression observed in the nervous system was found in putative gustatory and olfactory sense organs of the larval head, in particular in the antenno-maxillary process, and internal chemosensory cells of the mouth parts. Expression is prominent in the dorsal and terminal organs, but not the ventral organ, affecting 30-35 neurons on each side of the larval head; afferents from these neurons arborize in a spherical neuropil in the larval antennal lobe via the antennal nerve. Expression is also seen in three symmetrical pairs of chemosensory cells in the internal pharyngeal sensilla, two from the dorsal group and one from the ventral group; the axons of these neurons arborize in the subsesophogeal ganglion. Expression is additionally observed in oenocytes, and in a single peripheral neuron per hemisegment, the afferents of which project into each neuromere of the ventral ganglion. Highly variable expression is seen in pharyngeal muscles and in the epidermis.