The function of dopamine in regulating ethanol hyperactivity was localized to a pair of dopaminergic neurons projecting to DopR-expressing neurons in the ellipsoid body of the central complex (Kong et al. 2010b), a region known to regulate visual and locomotor behavior, arousal, and memory (Martin et al. 1999; Wu et al. 2007; Neuser et al. 2008; Ofstad et al. 2011).
Thus, DopR expression in the ellipsoid body was sufficient for the promotion of ethanol-induced hyperactivity.
DopR protein was expressed in the ellipsoid body ring (Fig. 4C E, arrowhead), fan shaped body, noduli (Fig. 4J), and mushroom bodies (Fig. 4I).
The fan shaped body neuropil has a lower level of AmOA1 immunoreactivity relative to the high intensity staining in the ellipsoid body (Fig. 4G).
Elimination of DopR blunts the locomotor activating effects of ethanol, and this behavior can be restored by selective expression of DopR in the ellipsoid body.
In the honey bee, octopamine immunoreactivity is found in the protocerebral bridge, in the chiasmal axons reaching forward through the fan shaped body, in the fan shaped body and in the ellipsoid body [32].
As DopR is expressed broadly in the ellipsoid body (Fig. 4A,C), there may be an undetected overlap in expression patterns of the ellipsoid body GAL4 drivers, or there may be differences between the effects of blocking evoked neuronal output and restoring neuronal input.
Finally, flies of the genotype 5.30-GAL4/+ 5.30-GAL4/+/DopRf02676/DopRf02676ectively reshowed expreselectivelyprestoredn in thexpressiond bofy ring anDopRteral triangles (Fig. 6B) indicating that Doproteinein was generathe and it localizellipsoidions of the ellipsoid body wheringynandic connections are lateraltrianglese.
The section adjacent to the section shown in figure 8A was labeled with AmOA1 antibodies (Fig. 8B), and shows high intensity staining in the ellipsoid body with less intense staining in the fan shaped body.
Importantly, restored expression of DopR in the mushroom bodies, where DopR is also normally expressed, did not rescue DopRf02676 ethanol-induced hyperactivity defects (Fig. 6A, Fig. S7E F), demonstrating that DopR behavioral rescue in the ellipsoid body was specific.
