Abstract

Transfer and processing of olfactory information in the antennal lobe of Drosophila relies primarily on neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine and GABA, but novel studies also implicate a neuropeptide: the Drosophila tachykinin (DTK). DTK is expressed in local interneurons that innervate the glomeruli of the antennal lobe with varicose processes. Recently, DTK was shown to mediate presynaptic inhibition of olfactory sensory neurons by physiological and behavioral analysis. 1 That study drew our attention to the issue of alternative targets of DTK in the antennal lobe. Hence, in the present study, we interfered with DTK peptide and DTK receptor (DTKR) expression in local interneurons of the antennal lobe and studied the behavioral outcome of these manipulations. We show that DTKR is expressed not only in olfactory sensory neurons, but likely also in local interneurons. The behavioral consequences of interfering with postsynaptic peptide receptors are different from presynaptic peptide receptor interference. We discuss the possibility that the sum of pre- and post-synaptic interactions may be to modulate the dynamic range in odor sensitivity.

Keywords

olfaction; antennal lobe; local interneuron; neuropeptide; tachykinin; peptide receptor

Published in

Fly
2010, Volume: 4, number: 2, pages: 167-171
Publisher: LANDES BIOSCIENCE

SLU Authors

• Ignell, Rickard

  • Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Zoology
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4161/fly.4.2.11467

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/59990