A putative vesicular transporter expressed in Drosophila mushroom bodies that mediates sexual behavior may define a neurotransmitter system.
Vesicular transporters are required for the storage of all classical and amino acid neurotransmitters in synaptic vesicles. Some neurons lack known vesicular transporters, suggesting additional neurotransmitter systems remain unidentified. Insect mushroom bodies (MBs) are critical for several behaviors, including learning, but the neurotransmitters released by the intrinsic Kenyon cells (KCs) remain unknown. Likewise, KCs do not express a known vesicular transporter. We report the identification of a novel Drosophila gene portabella (prt) that is structurally similar to known vesicular transporters. Both larval and adult brains express PRT in the KCs of the MBs. Additional PRT cells project to the central complex and optic ganglia. prt mutation causes an olfactory learning deficit and an unusual defect in the male's position during copulation that is rescued by expression in KCs. Because prt is expressed in neurons that lack other known vesicular transporters or neurotransmitters, it may define a previously unknown neurotransmitter system responsible for sexual behavior and a component of olfactory learning.
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology and Jane & Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 695 Charles Young Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1761, USA.
Elizabeth S
ES
Brooks
Christina L
CL
Greer
Rafael
R
Romero-Calderón
Christine N
CN
Serway
Anna
A
Grygoruk
Jasmine M
JM
Haimovitz
Bac T
BT
Nguyen
Rod
R
Najibi
Christopher J
CJ
Tabone
J Steven
JS
de Belle
David E
DE
Krantz
D000818:Animals; D004330:Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D024521:Mushroom Bodies / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*; D013572:Synaptic Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins; C465017:pcs protein, Drosophila