Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri-Institute Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
Curr Opin Insect Sci. 2019 Dec;36:125-130. doi: 10.1016/j.cois.2019.09.002. Epub 2019 Sep 14.
The biogenic amine octopamine and to some extent its precursor tyramine function as an alerting signal in insects. Octopaminergic/tyraminergic neurons arborize in most parts of the central nervous system and additionally reach almost all peripheral organs, tissues, and muscles. Indeed, octopamine is involved in motivation, arousal, and the initiation of different behaviors reflecting its function as an alerting signal. A well-studied example of octopamine function is feeding behavior in Drosophila. Here, the amine is involved in food search, sugar/bitter sensitivity, food intake, and starvation-induced hyperactivity. Thereby octopamine modulates feeding initiation in response to internal needs and external stimuli. Additionally, it seems that octopamine/tyramine orchestrate behaviors such as locomotion and feeding or flight and song production to adapt the behavioral outcome of an animal to physiological and environmental conditions. There is a possibility that octopamine and tyramine are required in the selection of behaviors in insects.
生物胺章鱼胺在一定程度上及其前体酪胺在昆虫中充当警报信号。章鱼胺能/酪胺能神经元在中枢神经系统的大部分区域分枝，并延伸到几乎所有的外周器官、组织和肌肉。事实上，章鱼胺参与动机、觉醒和不同行为的启动，反映了它作为警报信号的功能。章鱼胺功能的一个很好的研究例子是果蝇的摄食行为。在这里，这种胺参与食物搜索、糖/苦味敏感性、食物摄入和饥饿诱导的过度活跃。因此，章鱼胺通过响应内部需求和外部刺激来调节摄食的启动。此外，似乎章鱼胺/酪胺协调诸如运动和摄食或飞行和鸣叫等行为，以使动物的行为结果适应生理和环境条件。章鱼胺和酪胺有可能在昆虫的行为选择中被需要。
