title: Exposure to static electric fields leads to changes in biogenic amine levels in the brains of Drosophila.
abstract: Natural and anthropogenic static electric fields are commonly found in the environment and can have both beneficial and harmful effects on many animals. Here, we asked how the fruitfly responds to these fields and what the consequences of exposure are on the levels of biogenic amines in the brain. When given a choice in a Y-tube bioassay Drosophila avoided electric fields, and the greater the field strength the more likely Drosophila were to avoid it. By comparing wild-type flies, flies with wings surgically removed and vestigial winged flies we found that the presence of intact wings was necessary to produce avoidance behaviour. We also show that Coulomb forces produced by electric fields physically lift excised wings, with the smaller wings of males being raised by lower field strengths than larger female wings. An analysis of neurochemical changes in the brains showed that a suite of changes in biogenic amine levels occurs following chronic exposure. Taken together we conclude that physical movements of the wings are used by Drosophila in generating avoidance behaviour and are accompanied by changes in the levels of amines in the brain, which in turn impact on behaviour.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK pln@soton.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Philip L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Newland
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Al Baha University, Al Baha, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mesfer S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Al Ghamdi
authors.affiliation: Engineering Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: Suleiman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharkh
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aonuma
authors.affiliation: Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: Christopher W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Jackson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D001679:Biogenic Amines / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002755:Choice Behavior; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000502:physiology*; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D001679:Biogenic Amines
keywords: amines; fly; high voltage; locomotion; static electric fields