Proposal #: IBN-9816566 PI Name: Wendi Neckameyer
Dopamine is required in several physiological contexts in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, where it functions as a signaling molecule in developmental, reproductive and behavioral pathways. Given its multiple roles, the levels of dopamine must be precisely regulated in diverse tissues at different times throughout the life of the animal. Behavioral abnormalities may arise from disruption of normal dopaminergic neurotransmission, or from abnormally developed tissues. To distinguish between these two essential roles for dopamine, this application proposes to identify adult behaviors that are affected when dopamine levels are disrupted during development. A second goal is to identify the DNA sequence elements necessary for normal expression of the gene which encodes the rate-limiting step in dopamine synthesis. Specific perturbation of dopaminergic transmission within the central nervous system is critical for eventual elucidation of the role of dopamine in the modulation of behaviors. The multiple signaling roles for dopamine are both novel and vital, and appear to be evolutionarily conserved. The experiments outlined in this proposal demonstrate how the same signaling molecule may be recruited for use in several physiological contexts, and may have profound implications for the etiology of cognitive pathologies, including Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, and depression.
