title: A Single Pair of Serotonergic Neurons Counteracts Serotonergic Inhibition of Ethanol Attraction in Drosophila.
abstract: Attraction to ethanol is common in both flies and humans, but the neuromodulatory mechanisms underlying this innate attraction are not well understood. Here, we dissect the function of the key regulator of serotonin signaling-the serotonin transporter-in innate olfactory attraction to ethanol in Drosophila melanogaster. We generated a mutated version of the serotonin transporter that prolongs serotonin signaling in the synaptic cleft and is targeted via the Gal4 system to different sets of serotonergic neurons. We identified four serotonergic neurons that inhibit the olfactory attraction to ethanol and two additional neurons that counteract this inhibition by strengthening olfactory information. Our results reveal that compensation can occur on the circuit level and that serotonin has a bidirectional function in modulating the innate attraction to ethanol. Given the evolutionarily conserved nature of the serotonin transporter and serotonin, the bidirectional serotonergic mechanisms delineate a basic principle for how random behavior is switched into targeted approach behavior.
authors.affiliation: Zoology, Albertus Magnus University Cologne, Köln, Germany.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Zoology, Albertus Magnus University Cologne, Köln, Germany.
authors.forename: Jianzheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Zoology, Albertus Magnus University Cologne, Köln, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaiser
authors.affiliation: Zoology, Albertus Magnus University Cologne, Köln, Germany.
authors.forename: Nikolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gräber
authors.affiliation: Zoology, Albertus Magnus University Cologne, Köln, Germany.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schläger
authors.affiliation: Institute of Genetics and Neurobiology, Julius Maximillian University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ritze
authors.affiliation: Zoology, Albertus Magnus University Cologne, Köln, Germany.|Institute of Genetics and Neurobiology, Julius Maximillian University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Henrike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Scholz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D000431:Ethanol; D006801:Humans; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009812:Odorants; D009833:Olfactory Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D059326:Serotonergic Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012903:Smell; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C557617:GAL4 protein, Drosophila; C493233:SerT protein, Drosophila; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D012701:Serotonin; D000431:Ethanol