Meeting Abstract

P2.115  Friday, Jan. 4  Dopaminergic signaling in Drosophila regulates the dynamics of stress-induced behavioral responses NEESER, K.L.*; ZHAO, Y.; HARDISON, S.A.; HAWKSWORTH, S.A.; JOHNSON, E.C.; Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC; Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC; Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC; Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC; Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC neeskl4@wfu.edu

The various physiological manifestations of stress evidence themselves daily, but little is known about the underlying mechanisms associated with these responses to stress. Invertebrate and vertebrate stress signaling pathways are remarkably conserved with the transmitter dopamine involved in both systems. In Drosophila melanogaster, dopamine concentrations rise in response to stress and contribute to elevating heart rate and modifying locomotor activity, general arousal state, female receptivity, and egg laying behaviors. However, the precise function of dopamine within neural circuits that underlie the stress response is unresolved. This study altered dopamine levels under osmotic, oxidative, and starvation stress and measured lifespan and locomotor activity. Co-administration of L-DOPA, which elevates dopamine levels, caused reduced lifespan and increased stress-induced activity. Conversely, 3 iodo-tyrosine, which lowers dopamine levels, produced opposite effects from L-DOPA on stress phenotypes. Similar results were obtained from experiments that manipulated dopaminergic release and genetic variants with altered dopamine degradation. Our results firmly place dopamine as a central regulator of stress response intensity, and further research will resolve interactions with other stress hormones.