Social attraction in Drosophila is regulated by the mushroom body and serotonergic system

Yuanjie Sun,Yaxin Cheng,Rong Qiu,Li Liu,Fanchen Kong,Yan Zhu,Shan Gao,Xiaonan Li

doi:10.1038/s41467-020-19102-3

Abstract

Sociality is among the most important motivators of human behaviour. However, the neural mechanisms determining levels of sociality are largely unknown, primarily due to a lack of suitable animal models. Here, we report the presence of a surprising degree of general sociality in Drosophila. A newly-developed paradigm to study social approach behaviour in flies reveal that social cues perceive through both vision and olfaction converged in a central brain region, the γ lobe of the mushroom body, which exhibite activation in response to social experience. The activity of these γ neurons control the motivational drive for social interaction. At the molecular level, the serotonergic system is critical for social affinity. These results demonstrate that Drosophila are highly sociable, providing a suitable model system for elucidating the mechanisms underlying the motivation for sociality.

Highlights

Sociality is among the most important motivators of human behaviour
The present findings suggest that social attraction is ubiquitous and robust in Drosophilids
The results revealed that the γ lobe of the MB functions as an integration centre for social cues

Summary

Introduction

Sociality is among the most important motivators of human behaviour. the neural mechanisms determining levels of sociality are largely unknown, primarily due to a lack of suitable animal models. A newly-developed paradigm to study social approach behaviour in flies reveal that social cues perceive through both vision and olfaction converged in a central brain region, the γ lobe of the mushroom body, which exhibite activation in response to social experience The activity of these γ neurons control the motivational drive for social interaction. The current study provides evidence that neurons in central brain regions of Drosophila regulate the tendency for social affiliation, a prerequisite for advanced social interactions. These findings provide a promising basis for elucidating the neural root of sociality

Methods

Results

Conclusion