Study of the contribution of nicotinic receptors to the release of endogenous biogenic amines in Drosophila brain

Abstract

Biogenic amines (BAs) are a group of molecules that act as neurotransmitters or neuromodulators in key regions of the brain involved in the development and consolidation of behaviors. The deregulation of neural systems containing and releasing BAs has been linked to several neurologic diseases. To understand the signals that modulate aminergic systems in the brain is essential in advancing our comprehension on the contribution of these bioactive molecules to brain normal functioning and pathological events. In our laboratory we use the fly Drosophila melanogaster, an animal model that shows similar mechanisms of neurotransmitter storage, release, and recycling as compared to mammalian systems but with powerful genetic tools, to elucidate the contribution of nicotinic ligands to the regulation of aminergic signaling in the brain. In this chapter we comment on some methodological approaches to tackle this issue, with special emphasis on one of the techniques used in our laboratory, chronoamperometry