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Updated: May 26, 2026

Combining Quantitative Food-intake Assays and Forcibly Activating Neurons to Study Appetite in Drosophila
Published on: April 24, 2018
Rapid adaptation to food availability by a dopamine-mediated morphogenetic response
Diane K Adams1, Mary A Sewell, Robert C Angerer
1National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, 30 Convent Drive, Building 30 Room 523, Bethesda, Maryland 20892 USA. adamsdi@mail.nih.gov
Food availability triggers dopamine signaling in sea urchin larvae, altering arm length and feeding structures. This response reduces feeding to conserve maternal energy reserves during abundant resource periods.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Neuroendocrinology
- Marine ecology
Background:
- Phenotypic plasticity allows organisms to adapt to environmental changes.
- Molecular mechanisms for food-induced developmental plasticity are largely unknown.
- Dopamine signaling plays a role in various physiological and behavioral processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the molecular mechanisms of developmental plasticity in sea urchin larvae in response to food availability.
- To identify the role of dopamine signaling in mediating these plastic responses.
- To understand how food availability influences larval development and feeding behavior.
Main Methods:
- Studied pre-feeding sea urchin larvae.
- Investigated dopamine signaling pathways, specifically type-D(2) receptors.
- Measured changes in larval arm length and feeding structure size.
- Assessed feeding rates in response to varying food availability.
Main Results:
- Dopamine signaling via a type-D(2) receptor regulates arm length in sea urchin larvae.
- Larval response to food availability involves reduced feeding structure size and feeding rate.
- This plasticity conserves maternal energetic reserves when food is abundant.
- The mechanism co-opts dopamine signaling from behavioral to developmental roles.
Conclusions:
- Dopamine signaling is a key mediator of developmental plasticity in response to food availability in sea urchin larvae.
- The observed plasticity prioritizes energy conservation over immediate feeding maximization.
- This study reveals a novel role for dopamine in linking environmental cues to developmental trajectories.
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