The effect of changes in limk1 gene expression in dopaminergic and serotonergic and fruitless neurons on memory in Drosophila melanogaster
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33910/2687-1270-2026-7-2-297-305Keywords:
limk1, Drosophila melanogaster, dopaminergic and serotoninergic neurons, fruitless neurons, memoryAbstract
The actin cytoskeleton plays an important role in the formation and preservation of memory. LIMK1 is a key enzyme in the actin remodeling cascade. Changes in the expression of the limk1 gene can lead to neurocognitive pathologies. A convenient model object for studying memory is Drosophila melanogaster. The conditioned courtship suppression paradigm is the most physiological approach to analyzing memory formation and preservation processes in Drosophila. The following brain structures are involved in the realization of memory processes in Drosophila: the antennal lobes, the protocerebrum, the mushroom bodies, and the central complex. The Drosophila brain contains about 140,000 neurons. Among them, dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons play an important role in the regulation of learning and memory processes. Involvement in memory processes is also shown for fruitless neurons, which are responsible for the mating behavior of males. We have studied the features of memory formation and preservation in male Drosophila with the activation and suppression of the expression of the limk1 gene in dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons, as well as in fruitless neurons. We also analyzed the Drosophila brain structures responsible for memory processes in which the change in limk1 expression had the greatest effect on protein fluorescence intensity.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Ekaterina S. Zalomaeva, Ekaterina S. Egozova, Aleksandr V. Zhuravlev, Anna V. Medvedeva, Svetlana A. Vasilieva, Ekaterina A. Nikitina
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