A Single Pair of Serotonergic Neurons Counteracts Serotonergic Inhibition of Ethanol Attraction in Drosophila

Please always quote using this URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-166762
  • Attraction to ethanol is common in both flies and humans, but the neuromodulatory mechanisms underlying this innate attraction are not well understood. Here, we dissect the function of the key regulator of serotonin signaling—the serotonin transporter–in innate olfactory attraction to ethanol in Drosophila melanogaster. We generated a mutated version of the serotonin transporter that prolongs serotonin signaling in the synaptic cleft and is targeted via the Gal4 system to different sets of serotonergic neurons. We identified four serotonergicAttraction to ethanol is common in both flies and humans, but the neuromodulatory mechanisms underlying this innate attraction are not well understood. Here, we dissect the function of the key regulator of serotonin signaling—the serotonin transporter–in innate olfactory attraction to ethanol in Drosophila melanogaster. We generated a mutated version of the serotonin transporter that prolongs serotonin signaling in the synaptic cleft and is targeted via the Gal4 system to different sets of serotonergic neurons. We identified four serotonergic neurons that inhibit the olfactory attraction to ethanol and two additional neurons that counteract this inhibition by strengthening olfactory information. Our results reveal that compensation can occur on the circuit level and that serotonin has a bidirectional function in modulating the innate attraction to ethanol. Given the evolutionarily conserved nature of the serotonin transporter and serotonin, the bidirectional serotonergic mechanisms delineate a basic principle for how random behavior is switched into targeted approach behavior.show moreshow less

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Metadaten
Author: Li Xu, Jianzheng He, Andrea Kaiser, Nikolas Gräber, Laura Schläger, Yvonne Ritze, Henrike Scholz
URN:urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-166762
Document Type:Journal article
Faculties:Fakultät für Biologie / Theodor-Boveri-Institut für Biowissenschaften
Language:English
Parent Title (English):PLoS ONE
Year of Completion:2016
Volume:11
Issue:12
Pagenumber:e0167518
Source:PLoS ONE 11(12):e0167518 (2016). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167518
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0167518
Dewey Decimal Classification:5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 57 Biowissenschaften; Biologie / 570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie
Tag:Drosophila melanogaster; attraction; ethanol; serotonin transporter
Release Date:2019/07/11
Licence (German):License LogoCC BY: Creative-Commons-Lizenz: Namensnennung 4.0 International