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Dopamine Modulation of Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Antennal-Lobe Neurons

Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

Submitted 30 November 2005; accepted in final form 30 October 2005

Primary olfactory centers [antennal lobes (ALs)] of the honey bee brain are invaded by dopamine (DA)-immunoreactive neurons early in development (pupal stage 3), immediately before a period of rapid growth and compartmentalization of the AL neuropil. Here we examine the modulatory actions of DA on honey bee AL neurons during this period. Voltage-clamp recordings in whole cell configuration were used to determine the effects of DA on ionic currents in AL neurons in vitro from pupal bees at stages 4–6 of the nine stages of metamorphic adult development. In 45% of the neurons tested, DA (5–50 x 10^–5 M) reduced the amplitude of outward currents in the cells. In addition to a slowly activating, sustained outward current, DA reduced the amplitude of a rapidly activating, transient outward conductance in some cells. Both of the currents modulated by DA could be abolished by the removal of Ca²⁺ from the external medium or by treatment of cells with charybdotoxin (2 x 10^–8 M), a blocker of Ca²⁺-dependent K⁺ currents in the cells. Ca²⁺ currents were not affected by DA, nor were A-type K⁺ currents (I_A). Results suggest that the delayed rectifier-like current (I_KV) also remains intact in the presence of DA. Taken together, our data indicate that Ca²⁺-dependent K⁺ currents are targets of DA modulation in honey bee AL neurons. This study lends support to the hypothesis that DA plays a role in the developing brain of the bee.

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