Semester
Summer
Date of Graduation
2022
Document Type
Thesis
Embargo Reason
Publication Pending
Degree Type
MS
College
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Biology
Committee Chair
Andrew Dacks
Committee Co-Chair
Kevin Daly
Committee Member
Eric Horstick
Abstract
Neuromodulation allows neurons within a circuit to respond to stimuli from the environment according to the correct ecological value, context, and internal state of the animal. Serotonin (5-HT) is a neuromodulator that can generate different outcomes based on its target’s serotonin receptor (5-HTR) expression by affecting secondary messenger cascades. Within the Drosophila olfactory system, ventral projections neurons (vPN) express all five insect 5-HTR that project into two olfactory processing regions, the antennal lobe (AL) and the lateral horn (LH). The significance of this 5-HTR expression is unknown. In this study, I theorized the patterns of 5-HTR expression of vPNs. I took advantage of two transgenic approaches, one that enabled me to use flourophores to observe two populations of vPNs and determine co-expression patterns while another that allows me to stochastically express individual vPNs that express a given 5-HTR. I categorized the vPN population into two types, the excitatory ventral projections (e-VPN) which respond to both attractive and aversive glomeruli, and inhibitory ventral projection neurons (i-vPN) which respond to attractive glomeruli. Through these approaches, I found 5-HTR co-expression in both vPN populations, different innervation patterns of 5-HTR expressing vPNs in both olfactory processes, and two populations of i-vPN neurons that express distinct 5-HTR expression and morphology patterns. This study helps us understand 5-HT modulation of a diverse 5-HTR population and lays a foundation to study the functional and behavioral roles of i-vPN subpopulations in odor-guided behavior.
Recommended Citation
Mazri, Mohd Freezely Ezzani Bin, "A Combinatorial 5-HTR Expression Pattern within the Ventral Projection Neurons of the D. melanogaster Olfactory Circuit." (2022). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 11381.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/11381
