Meeting Abstract
Serotonin is a monoamine neurotransmitter that is widely conserved across invertebrates and vertebrates. It is found primarily in the central and enteric nervous systems and mediates a variety of physiological, morphological, and behavioral traits including heart rate, locomotion, digestion, and social behavior. Pharmaceutical and pesticide contaminants in the environment may impact the monoaminergic systems of non-target organisms, including insects. Sublethal physiological, morphological or behavioral effects of monoamine disrupting contaminants may have fitness consequences for affected non-target organisms. Among the most common monoamine disrupting contaminants are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), including the mood disorder drug fluoxetine, which increase the serotonin available to bind to postsynaptic cells. To explore the sublethal impact of fluoxetine on insect serotonergic systems and behaviors, the stalk-eyed fly Teleopsis dalmanni were used. This study examined sublethal consequences of chronic fluoxetine exposure on T. dalmanni larvae behavior and gene expression. Larvae experienced chronic oral dosing of fluoxetine or received control food without the drug. Third instar larvae locomotion and phototaxis were quantified. Quantitative PCR was used to measure both serotonergic and developmental gene expression. Results will be discussed in the context of the chronic disruption to the serotonergic system and the presence of pharmaceuticals in the environment.
