Cited by 143Neurobiology and Insect Physiology ResearchMemory and Neural MechanismsNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research

Nitric oxide acts as a cotransmitter in a subset of dopaminergic neurons to diversify memory dynamics

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Aso, Yoshinori, Ray, Robert P, Long, Xi, Bushey, Daniel, Cichewicz, Karol, Ngo, Teri-TB, Sharp, Brandi, Christoforou, Christina +6 more·2019·eLife

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Abstract

Animals employ diverse learning rules and synaptic plasticity dynamics to record temporal and statistical information about the world. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this diversity are poorly understood. The anatomically defined compartments of the insect mushroom body function as parallel units of associative learning, with different learning rates, memory decay dynamics and flexibility (Aso and Rubin, 2016). Here, we show that nitric oxide (NO) acts as a neurotransmitter in a subset of dopaminergic neurons in Drosophila . NO’s effects develop more slowly than those of dopamine and depend on soluble guanylate cyclase in postsynaptic Kenyon cells. NO acts antagonistically to dopamine; it shortens memory retention and facilitates the rapid updating of memories. The interplay of NO and dopamine enables memories stored in local domains along Kenyon cell axons to be specialized for predicting the value of odors based only on recent events. Our results provide key mechanistic insights into how diverse memory dynamics are established in parallel memory systems.

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Crossref · 10.7554/elife.49257

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  • Co-transmission of a fast-acting transmitter and a neuropeptide was more common.

    “Co-transmission of a fast-acting transmitter and a neuropeptide was more common, e.g., Kenyon cells (at least acetylcholine, sparkly and short neuropeptide F),21,25,55,164 the dorsal paired medial (DPM) neuron (GABA, serotonin, sparkly, nplp1, proctolin, orcokinin, eclosion hormone, CG34136)25,56,60 and most central complex, mushroom body output and mushroom body dopaminergic neurons.25,157”

    From Neurotransmitter classification from electron microscopy images at synaptic sites in Drosophila melanogaster (2024) · cites this paper as [25]

    The Discussion (page unavailable) reports neuropeptide expression in dopaminergic neurons, and the Results identify neuropeptide transcripts in particular mushroom-body dopaminergic neuron types. These passages support the dopaminergic-neuron example, but they do not establish that fast-acting transmitter–neuropeptide co-transmission was more common or occurred in most such neurons. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Nitric oxide is used as a co-transmitter.

    “Nitric oxide is used as a co-transmitter,25 we did not include it in our dataset.”
  • DPM has been found to express the fast-acting transmitter GABA, the monoamine serotonin and several neuropeptides (sparkly, nplp1, proctolin, orcokinin, eclosion hormone, CG34136).

    “DPM has been found to express the fast-acting transmitter GABA the monoamine serotonin and several neuropeptides (sparkly, nplp1, proctolin, orcokinin, eclosion hormone, CG34136).25,56,60”

    From Neurotransmitter classification from electron microscopy images at synaptic sites in Drosophila melanogaster (2024) · cites this paper as [25]

    The Results section on transcript profiling says DPM cells were examined, but the passages found do not report whether DPM expresses GABA, serotonin, or the listed neuropeptides. Searches for DPM with those transmitters and for the named peptides found Nplp1 expression reported in other cell types, not DPM; the claim cannot be verified from our copy. (LLM, conf=0.72)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Kenyon cells may also express the neuropeptide sparkly.

    “Kenyon cells may also express the neuropeptide sparkly.25,174”

    From Neurotransmitter classification from electron microscopy images at synaptic sites in Drosophila melanogaster (2024) · cites this paper as [25]

    The Results section on transcript profiling reports neuropeptide-gene transcripts in dopaminergic neurons, not expression of sparkly in Kenyon cells. Searches for “sparkly” and “sparkly neuropeptide Kenyon cells” found no passage in our copy addressing that claim. (LLM, conf=0.76)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Authors
Aso, Y., Ray, R. P., Long, X., Bushey, D., Cichewicz, K., Ngo, T.-T., Sharp, B., Christoforou, C., Hu, A., Lemire, A. L., Tillberg, P., Hirsh, J., Litwin-Kumar, A., & Rubin, G. M.
Affiliations
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute (US)
  • University of Virginia (US)
  • Columbia University (US)
Corresponding author
  • Aso, Yoshinori
  • Rubin, Gerald M
Venue
eLife
Published
2019-11-14
Volume
8
ISSN
2050-084X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2987761357
Cited by
141
References
148
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 24 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 19
FWCI
6.33
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • eLife (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute
  • National Institutes of Health (R01 GM84128)
  • Simons Foundation (Global Brain)
  • Burroughs Wellcome Fund
  • Gatsby Charitable Foundation
  • National Science Foundation (DBI-1707398)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
Keywords
nitric oxide, co-transmitter, dopaminergic neurons, mushroom body, Kenyon cells, soluble guanylate cyclase, dopamine, memory dynamics, associative learning, memory updating, memory decay, parallel memory systems, Drosophila, odor prediction
MeSH terms
Animals, Dopamine, Drosophila melanogaster, Learning, Memory, Nitric Oxide, Odorants, Smell, Neurotransmitter Agents, Mushroom Bodies, Drosophila Proteins, Dopaminergic Neurons

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