Event Title
The Effect of Peripheral and Central Histamine Deficiency on Courtship Behavior in Drosophila melanogaster
Presentation Type
Poster/Portfolio
Presenter Major(s)
Biomedical Sciences
Mentor Information
Martin Burg
Department
Biomedical Sciences
Location
Kirkhof Center KC49
Start Date
10-4-2013 2:00 PM
End Date
10-4-2013 3:00 PM
Keywords
Life Science
Abstract
Histamine is a biogenic amine synthesized from L-histidine via decarboxylation using the enzyme histidine decarboxylase (HDC) and is present in photoreceptors and central brain neurons. It has not been possible to separate the function of the histaminergic neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) from that of the peripheral nervous system. An Hdc transgene was placed into flies with an Hdc mutant background that rescues the Hdc mutant phenotype, restoring histamine. Deletions in this gHdc transgene have been shown to restore histamine in the PNS but not the CNS, which allows the determination of whether histamine deficiency in the CNS could disrupt a complex behavior, such as courtship. Male and female flies were introduced into a small chamber and observations were recorded as various steps of the courtship process were exhibited. Results show that a lack of histamine disrupts specific components of the normal courtship behavioral repertoire that flies characteristically exhibit.
The Effect of Peripheral and Central Histamine Deficiency on Courtship Behavior in Drosophila melanogaster
Kirkhof Center KC49
Histamine is a biogenic amine synthesized from L-histidine via decarboxylation using the enzyme histidine decarboxylase (HDC) and is present in photoreceptors and central brain neurons. It has not been possible to separate the function of the histaminergic neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) from that of the peripheral nervous system. An Hdc transgene was placed into flies with an Hdc mutant background that rescues the Hdc mutant phenotype, restoring histamine. Deletions in this gHdc transgene have been shown to restore histamine in the PNS but not the CNS, which allows the determination of whether histamine deficiency in the CNS could disrupt a complex behavior, such as courtship. Male and female flies were introduced into a small chamber and observations were recorded as various steps of the courtship process were exhibited. Results show that a lack of histamine disrupts specific components of the normal courtship behavioral repertoire that flies characteristically exhibit.