Semester
Summer
Date of Graduation
2020
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Type
PhD
College
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Biology
Committee Chair
Andrew Dacks
Committee Member
Clif Bishop
Committee Member
Kevin Daly
Committee Member
Sarah Farris
Committee Member
Eric Tucker
Abstract
Serotonin is a ubiquitous neuromodulator that confers flexibility in networks to modulate a wide array of behavioral and physiological processes. However, due to the complexity and heterogeneity of serotonergic systems, it has been challenging to determine the patterns of connectivity as well as the physiological contexts that influence individual serotonin neurons. In this dissertation, I use two serotonergic neurons which innervate the Drosophila olfactory system, the CSDns, as a model to explore these broad questions comprehensively using anatomical approaches. I first show that the CSDns have distinct connectivity relationships with populations of antennal lobe principal olfactory neurons and that their output across is non-uniform across glomeruli. I then comprehensively explore the wiring logic of a CSDn at a single-cell level. I demonstrate that the CSDn is highly interconnected with local networks, receiving glomerulus-specific input and synapsing extensively with subtypes of local interneurons, but also receives top-down input from neurons extrinsic to the olfactory system. I further demonstrate that a single serotonin neuron can differ in its connectivity across sensory regions, even to the same neuron that spans both regions, suggesting that its interactions may also differ across regions. Lastly, I demonstrate that the CSDns affect olfactory behavior in a circadian manner and provide anatomical data suggesting that the CSDn receives input from a population of clock neurons. Taken together, this thesis reveals the complex connectivity of individually identifiable serotonergic neurons within and across sensory brain regions and explores potential sources of input across multiple scales (local, global, and temporal) which may regulate the CSDn in context-specific manners.
Recommended Citation
Coates, Kaylynn E., "The wiring logic of identified serotonergic neurons across olfactory networks in Drosophila" (2020). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 7740.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/7740
Embargo Reason
Publication Pending