A transcriptomic and spatial map of serotonin autoreceptor expression in Drosophila
- 1Mount Holyoke College
Abstract
Serotonin is an evolutionarily ancient neurotransmitter that modulates an array of behaviors such as mood, sleep, and appetite across species. Serotonin acts primarily by binding to serotonin receptors, which are expressed in post-synaptic neurons (heteroreceptors) and serotonergic neurons themselves (autoreceptors). Serotonin autoreceptors modulate serotonergic tone, the foundational principles of which have been excellently demonstrated in vertebrate and invertebrate models. However, many aspects of the mechanisms and contexts in which this modulation occurs are still unclear. Drosophila melanogaster is a powerful model organism that can provide unique insights into autoreceptor function by the ability to perform precise spatial and temporal genetic manipulation with structural and functional readouts / behaviors of serotonin systems. However, a systematic characterization of serotonin autoreceptor expression in Drosophila has not been conducted. Here we use single-cell sequencing and genetic labeling to show that all five serotonin receptors are expressed in serotonergic neurons and map their expression at both the larval and adult stages of development. This is the first evidence of 5-HT2A and 5-HT7 expression in serotonergic neurons in any organism. Moreover, the unique combinations of autoreceptor expression in specific neuronal clusters will aid in the development of novel hypotheses for autoreceptor function, and demonstrates the utility of Drosophila as a model organism to study the function of serotonin autoreceptors.
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BibTeX
@misc{brewer2026transcriptomic,
title = {{A transcriptomic and spatial map of serotonin autoreceptor expression in Drosophila}},
author = {L. Brewer and Y. Li and J. Lim and S. Solano and E. Walker and M. Watts and J. K. Rhodes and D. Cai and D. H. Roossien},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.64898/2026.08.27.747575},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.27.747575v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - A transcriptomic and spatial map of serotonin autoreceptor expression in Drosophila
AU - L. Brewer
AU - Y. Li
AU - J. Lim
AU - S. Solano
AU - E. Walker
AU - M. Watts
AU - J. K. Rhodes
AU - D. Cai
AU - D. H. Roossien
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/27
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.08.27.747575
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.27.747575v1
AB - Serotonin is an evolutionarily ancient neurotransmitter that modulates an array of behaviors such as mood, sleep, and appetite across species. Serotonin acts primarily by binding to serotonin receptors, which are expressed in post-synaptic neurons (heteroreceptors) and serotonergic neurons themselves (autoreceptors). Serotonin autoreceptors modulate serotonergic tone, the foundational principles of which have been excellently demonstrated in vertebrate and invertebrate models. However, many aspects of the mechanisms and contexts in which this modulation occurs are still unclear. Drosophila melanogaster is a powerful model organism that can provide unique insights into autoreceptor function by the ability to perform precise spatial and temporal genetic manipulation with structural and functional readouts / behaviors of serotonin systems. However, a systematic characterization of serotonin autoreceptor expression in Drosophila has not been conducted. Here we use single-cell sequencing and genetic labeling to show that all five serotonin receptors are expressed in serotonergic neurons and map their expression at both the larval and adult stages of development. This is the first evidence of 5-HT2A and 5-HT7 expression in serotonergic neurons in any organism. Moreover, the unique combinations of autoreceptor expression in specific neuronal clusters will aid in the development of novel hypotheses for autoreceptor function, and demonstrates the utility of Drosophila as a model organism to study the function of serotonin autoreceptors.
ER -