The effects of dopamine pathway mutations on Drosophila melanogaster grooming and courtship behaviors.

Abstract

The dopaminergic pathway can be manipulated in Drosophila melanogaster through a dopamine inhibitor (3-iodo-tyrosine) or a drug that rescues dopamine levels (L-DOPA). Three different fruit flies, wild-type, ebony, and catsup, were exposed to different dopamine levels. It was found that the dopamine mutants, ebony and catsup, were more affected by dopamine manipulation than wild-type flies.