Serotonergic Modulation of Aggression in Drosophila Involves GABAergic and Cholinergic Opposing Pathways.

ABSTRACT: Pathological aggression is commonly associated with psychiatric and neurological disorders and can impose a substantial burden and cost on human society. Serotonin (5HT) has long been implicated in the regulation of aggression in a wide variety of animal species. In Drosophila, a small group of serotonergic neurons selectively modulates the escalation of aggression. Here, we identified downstream targets of serotonergic input-two types of neurons with opposing roles in aggression control. The dendritic fields of both neurons converge on a single optic glomerulus LC12, suggesting a key pathway linking visual input to the aggression circuitry. The first type is an inhibitory GABAergic neuron: its activation leads to a decrease in aggression. The second neuron type is excitatory: its silencin

SUBMITTER: Alekseyenko OV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6633915 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature