# Peptidergic neuromodulation of microcircuits that control chemosensation-induced behaviors

> **NIH NIH R01** · SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES · 2024 · $511,596

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
One of central functions of neuromodulation is to adjust the internal representations of sensory information ac-
cording to the internal states of an individual. In particular, chemosensation can have dramatically different bio-
logical meanings depending on the nutritional state. For instance, the smell of food not only informs an animal
where the food is, but also how valuable it is. According to nutritional need, an animal uses the perceived value
of the food as a context to adjust the level of competition with other conspecifics. While hunger is known to
change the detection thresholds of olfactory and gustatory sensory neurons through neuromodulation, how the
nervous system uses chemosensory cues as contextual information for social behaviors remains largely un-
known. The long-term goal of this research program is to characterize the neuropeptidergic modulation of
chemosensory circuits by deconstructing this physiological process into clearly defined, behaviorally relevant
molecular and neuronal events. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is ideal for achieving this goal. As a ge-
netically tractable model organism, the fly allows precise control of neuronal populations with defined behav-
ioral functions and genes involved in neuromodulation. During the previous funding period, the functions of
tachyninergic neuromodulatory microcircuits that control aggressive behavior were comprehensively character-
ized at the molecular and circuit levels. Building upon our expertise with Drosophila genetics and social behav-
ior, the proposed project will characterize how the fly nervous system uses peptidergic neuromodulation to
transform a food-derived odor into a cue to adjust the level of aggression. The three specific aims, each sup-
ported by successful preliminary studies, are to: (1) characterize neuropeptidergic cells that convert protein
deficit into altered representations of chemical stimuli, (2) characterize molecular and circuit mechanisms of
hugin neuromodulation, and (3) determine specific chemosensory pathways that mediate food-odor-driven ag-
gression. In Aim 1, the neuropeptide-releasing cells that mediate the promotion of aggressive behavior in pro-
tein-deprived flies will be identified, and their function for encoding the nutritional state will be behaviorally
characterized. In Aim 2, functions of neuropeptides and their cognate receptors in the midgut and in the brain
will be characterized through genetic, physiological, and behavioral approaches. In Aim 3, the specific class of
olfactory sensory neurons that detect key volatile compounds emitted from yeast, and the neural node in the
olfactory pathway that are modulated by above-mentioned neuropeptides, will be characterized. The results
from the proposed experiments will uncover the fundamental role of peptidergic neuromodulation in transform-
ing olfactory information into a behaviorally important environmental context. Neuromodulation is important for
encodi...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10812473
- **Project number:** 5R01DC015577-07
- **Recipient organization:** SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES
- **Principal Investigator:** KENTA ASAHINA
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $511,596
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-04-01 → 2028-02-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10812473

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10812473, Peptidergic neuromodulation of microcircuits that control chemosensation-induced behaviors (5R01DC015577-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10812473. Licensed CC0.

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