title: Drosophila as a new model organism for the neurobiology of aggression?
abstract: We report here the effects of several neurobiological determinants on aggressive behaviour in the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster. This study combines behavioural, transgenic, genetic and pharmacological techniques that are well established in the fruitfly, in the novel context of the neurobiology of aggression. We find that octopamine, dopamine and a region in the Drosophila brain called the mushroom bodies, all profoundly influence the expression of aggressive behaviour. Serotonin had no effect. We conclude that Drosophila, with its advanced set of molecular tools and its behavioural richness, has the potential to develop into a new model organism for the study of the neurobiology of aggression.
authors.affiliation: Lehrstuhl für Genetik und Neurobiologie, Biozentrum, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baier
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wittek
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brembs
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D017344:Genes, Insect; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D024521:Mushroom Bodies / Q000502:physiology; D009154:Mutation; D009655:Octopamine / Q000502:physiology; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology; D015091:beta-Alanine / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015091:beta-Alanine; D009655:Octopamine; D012701:Serotonin; D004298:Dopamine