2019 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Dynamics and roles of aminergic neurons in pheromone processing.
| Project/Area Number |
19K06895
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| Research Institution | Institute of Physical and Chemical Research |
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Principal Investigator |
MERCIER DAMIEN 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 脳神経科学研究センター, 客員研究員 (60604840)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
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| Keywords | Bioluminescence / calcium imaging / pheromone / Drosophila |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
Aminergic neurons are reported to encode various types of information including those related to motivation and values. However, how these neurons dynamically change their activity in an ethological context to encode such information is poorly understood. Here, we aim to examine the dynamics of aminergic neural activity while the animal is engaged in pheromone communication. We will study this using fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and focus on the communication mediated by pheromones contained in olfactory landmarks that are deposited naturally by individual animals. Furthermore, we aim to characterize the context-dependent effects of olfactory landmarks on neural activity and behavior as the content of fecal materials deposited by the flies is reported to change depending on the age and social environment.
To achieve this goal, this year, we developed a bioluminescence-based system where the activity of specific neurons in the brain can be recorded from freely behaving Drosophila melanogaster over a large area. The system comprises an array of photomultiplier tubes that function independently of each other. This allows us to expand the size of the recording arena as well as to estimate the position of the luminescent fly without using a camera by calculating the centroid of bioluminescence signal.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
Because we were able to developed a bioluminescence-based system where the activity of specific neurons in the brain can be recorded from freely behaving Drosophila melanogaster over a large area as initially planned.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
As aequorin-based bioluminescence calcium indicator requires coelenterazine as a co-factor that do not readily reach the central neurons by crossing the blood-brain barrier, we plan to develop a novel calcium indicator based on a different bioluminescence molecule to record from specific dopaminergic neurons.
Furthermore, we will examine if the effect of olfactory landmarks containing pheromones on behavior depends on the age of the depositor.
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| Causes of Carryover |
We found a necessity to develop flies expressing a novel calcium indicator based on a different bioluminescence molecule towards the end of the fiscal year. Because it takes several months to generate these flies, we decided to roll over some amount to the next fiscal year to be used for the said purpose.
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Research Products
(1 results)
