FOR 1363:  Biogenic Amines in Insects: Coordination of Physiological Processes and Behaviour

• Subject Area: Medicine ; Biology
• Term: from 2010 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 151533341

Biogenic amines act as “classical” transmitter, as neuromodulators and neurohormones and are found in all animal species, both of vertebrates and invertebrates, including humans. Biogenic amines belong transmitters, which appear early during evolution of organisms and are used repeatedly in similar physiological contexts. In humans severe pathologies such as Parkinson or psychotic disease are caused by biogenic amines. Due to their favourable experimental accessability, insects allow to study biogenic amines at different levels: (1) at a molecular level as far as biogenic amine receptor molecules and their association with intracellular signalling pathways are concerned, (2) at a cellular level as far as the neurons are concerned, which release biogenic amines and their target tissues or target neurons, (3) at a systemic-organismic level as far as whole networks of neurons are concerned, which are influenced by biogenic amines, and (4) at a behavioural level as far as behavioural processes are concerned in which biogenic amines play a key function.
The aim of the Research Unit is to bridge the different level and, thus, come to a more complete understanding of biogenic amine action.

• DFG Programme: Research Units

Projects

• Control of aggression by biogenic amines in crickets (Applicant Stevenson, Paul Anthony )
• Coordination of physiological processes and behaviour (Applicant Pflüger, Hans-Joachim )
• Functional dissociation of octopamine and tyramine receptors in regulationg honey bee division of labour (Applicant Scheiner-Pietsch, Ricarda )
• Genetic dissection of octopamine action in Drosophila motivation, reward and motor control (Applicant Pflüger, Hans-Joachim )
• Monoamine secretion and synaptic modulation during olfactory conditioning in Drosophila (Applicant Sigrist, Stephan J. )
• Temporal expression patterns and functions of serotonin receptor subtypes in the honey bee, Apis mellifera (Applicant Blenau, Wolfgang )
• The functional role of octopamine and tyramine during insect behaviour (Applicant Pflüger, Hans-Joachim )
• Understanding the role of octopamine in learning and memory formation (Applicant Eisenhardt, Dorothea )

• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Hans-Joachim Pflüger (†)