Poster Session #1
Presentation Type
Poster
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Sarah J. Certel
Faculty Mentor’s Department
Division of Biological Sciences
Abstract / Artist's Statement
Many recent studies suggest that changes in the gut microbiome might lead to long-term behavioral changes including increased aggression. The gut of an organism is home to a complex community of bacteria, fungi and viruses that collectively make up the gut microbiome. The prevailing hypothesis is that changes in the microbiome are communicated to the brain and subsequently impact behavior. Work in the Certel lab focuses on the role of octopamine in the model system Drosophila Melanogaster. Octopamine(OA) is a neurotransmitter and neuromodulator expressed in the nervous system of invertebrates. We recently determined that a separate subset of OA neurons also innervate the gut and the crop (a food storage sack similar to the stomach). We have started experiments to examine the brain gut octopamine circuitry and determine how the activity of this circuit is altered by the bacteria that compromise the insect microbiome. I will present results on aggression changes in germ-free and antibiotic-fed males.
Category
Life Sciences
Behavioral Impacts of the Gut Microbiome on Drosophila Melanogaster
UC South Ballroom
Many recent studies suggest that changes in the gut microbiome might lead to long-term behavioral changes including increased aggression. The gut of an organism is home to a complex community of bacteria, fungi and viruses that collectively make up the gut microbiome. The prevailing hypothesis is that changes in the microbiome are communicated to the brain and subsequently impact behavior. Work in the Certel lab focuses on the role of octopamine in the model system Drosophila Melanogaster. Octopamine(OA) is a neurotransmitter and neuromodulator expressed in the nervous system of invertebrates. We recently determined that a separate subset of OA neurons also innervate the gut and the crop (a food storage sack similar to the stomach). We have started experiments to examine the brain gut octopamine circuitry and determine how the activity of this circuit is altered by the bacteria that compromise the insect microbiome. I will present results on aggression changes in germ-free and antibiotic-fed males.