Mating proximity blinds threat perception.

ABSTRACT: Romantic engagement can bias sensory perception. This 'love blindness' reflects a common behavioural principle across organisms: favouring pursuit of a coveted reward over potential risks¹. In the case of animal courtship, such sensory biases may support reproductive success but can also expose individuals to danger, such as predation^2,3. However, how neural networks balance the trade-off between risk and reward is unknown. Here we discover a dopamine-governed filter mechanism in male Drosophila that reduces threat perception as courtship progresses. We show that during early courtship stages, threat-activated visual neurons inhibit central courtship nodes via specific serotonergic neurons. This serotonergic inhibition prompts flies to abort courtship when they see im

SUBMITTER: Cazale-Debat L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11485238 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature