Targeted manipulation of serotonergic neurotransmission affects the escalation of aggression in adult male Drosophila melanogaster.

ABSTRACT: Dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5HT) are reported to serve important roles in aggression in a wide variety of animals. Previous investigations of 5HT function in adult Drosophila behavior have relied on pharmacological manipulations, or on combinations of genetic tools that simultaneously target both DA and 5HT neurons. Here, we generated a transgenic line that allows selective, direct manipulation of serotonergic neurons and asked whether DA and 5HT have separable effects on aggression. Quantitative morphological examination demonstrated that our newly generated tryptophan hydroxylase (TRH)-Gal4 driver line was highly selective for 5HT-containing neurons. This line was used in conjunction with already available Gal4 driver lines that target DA or both DA and 5HT neurons to acutely alter the

SUBMITTER: Alekseyenko OV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2875409 | biostudies-literature | 2010 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature