Modulation of motor behavior by dopamine and the D1-like dopamine receptor AmDOP2 in the honey bee

• Published in: Journal of insect physiology Vol. 56; no. 4; pp. 422 - 430
• Main Authors: Mustard, Julie A., Pham, Priscilla M., Smith, Brian H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-04-2010
• Subjects: adult insects; Animals; Apis mellifera; Bees - genetics; Bees - physiology; Behavior, Animal; biochemical pathways; biogenic amines; Brain; dopamine; Dopamine - metabolism; dose response; drugs; Female; flupenthixol; Grooming; honey bees; insect behavior; Insect Proteins - genetics; Insect Proteins - metabolism; locomotion; Locomotor activity; Motor Activity; mushroom bodies; Mushroom body; nervous system; neurophysiology; physiological regulation; receptors; Receptors, Dopamine - genetics; Receptors, Dopamine - metabolism; Receptors, Dopamine D2 - genetics; Receptors, Dopamine D2 - metabolism; RNA interference; RNAi; Signal Transduction; Apis mellifera; RNAi; Grooming; Mushroom body; Locomotor activity
• ISSN: 0022-1910; 1879-1611
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2009.11.018

Determining the specific molecular pathways through which dopamine affects behavior has been complicated by the presence of multiple dopamine receptor subtypes that couple to different second messenger pathways. The observation of freely moving adult bees in an arena was used to investigate the role of dopamine signaling in regulating the behavior of the honey bee. Dopamine or the dopamine receptor antagonist flupenthixol was injected into the hemolymph of worker honey bees. Significant differences between treated and control bees were seen for all behaviors (walking, stopped, upside down, grooming, flying and fanning), and behavioral shifts were dependent on drug dosage and time after injection. To examine the role of dopamine signaling through a specific dopamine receptor in the brain, RNA interference was used to reduce expression levels of a D1-like receptor, AmDOP2. Injection of
Amdop2 dsRNA into the mushroom bodies reduced the levels of
Amdop2 mRNA and produced significant changes in the amount of time honey bees spent performing specific behaviors with reductions in time spent walking offset by increases in grooming or time spent stopped. Taken together these results establish that dopamine plays an important role in regulating motor behavior of the honey bee.