Characterization of drosophila octopamine receptor neuronal expression using MiMIC-converted Gal4 lines
- McKinney, Hannah M. [ Montana State University: Cell Biology & Neuroscience ]
- Sherer, Lewis M.
- Williams, Jessica L. [ Montana State University: Plant Sciences & Plant Pathology ] [ Cell Biology & Neuroscience ]
- Certel, Sarah J.
- Stowers, R. Steven [ Montana State University: Cell Biology & Neuroscience ]
Octopamine, the invertebrate analog of norepinephrine, is known to modulate a large variety of behaviors in Drosophila including feeding initiation, locomotion, aggression, and courtship, among many others. Significantly less is known about the identity of the neurons that receive octopamine input and how they mediate octopamineâ€regulated behaviors. Here, we characterize adult neuronal expression of MiMICâ€converted Trojanâ€Gal4 lines for each of the five Drosophila octopamine receptors. Broad neuronal expression was observed for all five octopamine receptors, yet distinct differences among them were also apparent. Use of immunostaining for the octopamine neurotransmitter synthesis enzyme Tdc2, along with a novel genomeâ€edited conditional Tdc2â€LexA driver, revealed all five octopamine receptors express in Tdc2/octopamine neurons to varying degrees. This suggests autoreception may be an important circuit mechanism by which octopamine modulates behavior.