Biology subjects

Imambocus, B. N.

Publications and source records attributed to Imambocus, B. N..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Peptidergic top-down control of metabolic state-dependent behavioral decisions in a conflicting sensory context

Animals make economically beneficial behavioral decisions by integrating the external sensory environment with their internal state. The metabolic state, i.e. hunger, can shift priorities, prompting risk-taking and reducing responses to danger during foraging activities. How behavioral changes are processed in the nervous system to generate flexible responses based on needs and risks remains largely unclear. Here, we demonstrate in Drosophila larvae that the corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) homolog diuretic hormone 44 (Dh44) and its producing neurons exert metabolic top-down control of behavioral choice in a conflicting sensory context. The metabolic state via Dh44 signaling mediates the transition from avoiding to tolerating aversive light conditions in the presence of food. In vivo imaging of neuropeptide release revealed that Dh44 regulates the acute release of Insulin-like peptide 7 (Ilp7) specifically in a conflicting context, thereby inducing light tolerance. Optogenetic activation of specific subsets of Dh44 or Ilp7 producing neurons during starvation is sufficient to shift behavior from light tolerance to avoidance by regulating light avoidance circuit responses. This top-down feedforward peptidergic circuit may represent a general mechanism that helps organisms to balance risk-taking with metabolic needs by allowing flexible adjustment of behavior in a conflicting multisensory environment.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

Optimized design and in vivo application of optogenetically functionalized Drosophila dopamine receptors

Neuromodulatory signaling via G protein-coupled receptor (GPCRs) plays a pivotal role in regulating neural network function and animal behavior. Recent efforts have led to the development of optogenetic tools to induce G protein-mediated signaling, with the promise of acute and cell type-specific manipulation of neuromodulatory signals. However, designing and deploying optogenetically functionalized GPCRs (optoXRs) with accurate specificity and activity to mimic endogenous signaling in vivo remains challenging. Here we optimized the design of optoXRs by considering evolutionary conserved GPCR-G protein interactions and demonstrate the feasibility of this approach using two Drosophila Dopamine receptors (optoDopRs). We validated these optoDopRs showing that they exhibit high signaling specificity and light sensitivity in vitro. In vivo we detected receptor and cell type-specific effects of dopaminergic signaling in various behaviors including the ability of optoDopRs to rescue loss of the endogenous receptors. This work demonstrates that OptoXRs can enable optical control of neuromodulatory receptor specific signaling in functional and behavioral studies.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Discrete escape responses are generated by neuropeptide-mediated circuit logic

Animals display a plethora of escape behaviors when faced with environmental threats. Selection of the appropriate response by the underlying neuronal network is key to maximize chances of survival. We uncovered a somatosensory network in Drosophila larvae that encodes two escape behaviors through input-specific neuropeptide action. Sensory neurons required for avoidance of noxious light and escape in response to harsh touch, each converge on discrete domains of the same neuromodulatory hub neurons. These gate harsh touch responses via short Neuropeptide F, but noxious light avoidance via compartmentalized, acute Insulin-like peptide 7 action and cognate Relaxin-family receptor signaling in connected downstream neurons. Peptidergic hub neurons can thus act as central circuit elements for first order processing of converging sensory inputs to gate specific escape responses. One Sentence SummaryCompartment-specific neuropeptide action regulates sensory information processing to elicit discrete escape behavior in Drosophila larvae.

neuroscience↗