An important study maps how nerves control the Drosophila male reproductive tract, revealing two types of glutamatergic neurons that also release serotonin or octopamine.
🔗 buff.ly/3PV2YQW
🔗 buff.ly/3PV2YQW
January 27, 2026 at 11:03 AM
An important study maps how nerves control the Drosophila male reproductive tract, revealing two types of glutamatergic neurons that also release serotonin or octopamine.
🔗 buff.ly/3PV2YQW
🔗 buff.ly/3PV2YQW
Octopamine and Tyramine Modulate Motor Program Competition in Drosophila larvae
#Drosophila
#Drosophila
Octopamine and Tyramine Modulate Motor Program Competition in Drosophila larvae
#Drosophila
PubMed link
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
September 26, 2026 at 4:23 AM
Octopamine and Tyramine Modulate Motor Program Competition in Drosophila larvae
#Drosophila
#Drosophila
Beautiful synaptic circuit dissection👏
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
An octopamine-glutamate cotransmitting neuron gates aggressive escalation through layered inhibition in Drosophila
Aggression is an evolutionarily conserved behavior essential for survival and reproduction, yet escalation to high-intensity forms entails substantial metabolic costs and injury risks, necessitating p...
www.science.org
August 15, 2026 at 11:53 AM
Beautiful synaptic circuit dissection👏
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Happy to share our current opinion on the insulin and octopamine systems and their role in shaping neuronal circuits, energy homeostasis, and behavior in #Drosophila, other insects, and 🧑🦱.
Just out: Our review on how insulin and octopamine tune locomotion and feeding in insects. We cover conserved mechanisms and present new insights showing how emerging datasets connect circuit dynamics across timescales.
It was a fun process and I learnt a ton!
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
It was a fun process and I learnt a ton!
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
The role of insulin and octopamine in regulating energy homeostasis and locomotion in insects
Maintaining energy homeostasis is a fundamental requirement for survival. At the core, animals must balance periods of food-searching and feeding with…
www.sciencedirect.com
November 18, 2025 at 11:04 AM
Happy to share our current opinion on the insulin and octopamine systems and their role in shaping neuronal circuits, energy homeostasis, and behavior in #Drosophila, other insects, and 🧑🦱.
Forget about dopamine, let's talk about octopamine! Neurotransmitters run the world, but how, why, what's the circuit? Bit by bit, scientists are mapping it. Using locusts. #ScienceSky #NeuroSky 🧠 🧪 🪳
engineering.washu.edu/news/2026/Wh...
engineering.washu.edu/news/2026/Wh...
What a locust can teach us about how neuromodulators alter odor processing
Barani Raman’s lab finds how two neuromodulators amplify or dampen neural and behavioral responses to odorants
engineering.washu.edu
September 25, 2026 at 3:53 PM
Forget about dopamine, let's talk about octopamine! Neurotransmitters run the world, but how, why, what's the circuit? Bit by bit, scientists are mapping it. Using locusts. #ScienceSky #NeuroSky 🧠 🧪 🪳
engineering.washu.edu/news/2026/Wh...
engineering.washu.edu/news/2026/Wh...
Thank you Natalia Mesa at the @thetransmitter.bsky.social for highlighting our labs preprint on synaptic mechanisms of head direction learning!! 🪰🧭
Work from @markplitt.bsky.social in my lab in collaboration with the Jayaraman lab!
www.thetransmitter.org/learning-and...
Work from @markplitt.bsky.social in my lab in collaboration with the Jayaraman lab!
www.thetransmitter.org/learning-and...
Unique learning mechanism drives navigation in fruit flies
The neuromodulator octopamine, the insect counterpart to norepinephrine, helps flies get their bearings in an unfamiliar environment.
www.thetransmitter.org
July 7, 2026 at 2:56 PM
Thank you Natalia Mesa at the @thetransmitter.bsky.social for highlighting our labs preprint on synaptic mechanisms of head direction learning!! 🪰🧭
Work from @markplitt.bsky.social in my lab in collaboration with the Jayaraman lab!
www.thetransmitter.org/learning-and...
Work from @markplitt.bsky.social in my lab in collaboration with the Jayaraman lab!
www.thetransmitter.org/learning-and...
Octopamine signals coordinate the spatial pattern of presynaptic machineries in the Drosophila mushroom bodies https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.02.626512v1
December 5, 2024 at 11:15 PM
Octopamine signals coordinate the spatial pattern of presynaptic machineries in the Drosophila mushroom bodies https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.02.626512v1
We found that there was a push – pull mechanism at play with octopamine pushing the worms towards aggression and tyramine making them more pacifistic (@nobelpeacecenter.bsky.social). Similar roles for octopamine and noradrenergic systems have been found in other species but not in a little nematode!
January 21, 2026 at 4:31 PM
We found that there was a push – pull mechanism at play with octopamine pushing the worms towards aggression and tyramine making them more pacifistic (@nobelpeacecenter.bsky.social). Similar roles for octopamine and noradrenergic systems have been found in other species but not in a little nematode!
An important study maps how nerves control the Drosophila male reproductive tract, revealing two types of glutamatergic neurons that also release serotonin or octopamine.
🔗 buff.ly/3PV2YQW
🔗 buff.ly/3PV2YQW
February 4, 2026 at 11:28 PM
An important study maps how nerves control the Drosophila male reproductive tract, revealing two types of glutamatergic neurons that also release serotonin or octopamine.
🔗 buff.ly/3PV2YQW
🔗 buff.ly/3PV2YQW
Molecular evolution of octopamine receptors in Drosophila https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.30.685676v1
October 31, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Molecular evolution of octopamine receptors in Drosophila https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.30.685676v1
Molecular evolution of octopamine receptors in Drosophila
#Drosophila
#Drosophila
Molecular evolution of octopamine receptors in Drosophila
#Drosophila
PubMed link
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
December 7, 2025 at 6:23 AM
Molecular evolution of octopamine receptors in Drosophila
#Drosophila
#Drosophila
Every day is a learning experience
I've been a neuroscientist (of some sort) for 20+ years, but it was only today that I discovered the existence of the neurotransmitter Octopamine, the chemical responsible for the pleasure experienced when you defeat Spiderman
I've been a neuroscientist (of some sort) for 20+ years, but it was only today that I discovered the existence of the neurotransmitter Octopamine, the chemical responsible for the pleasure experienced when you defeat Spiderman
June 3, 2024 at 6:56 PM
Every day is a learning experience
I've been a neuroscientist (of some sort) for 20+ years, but it was only today that I discovered the existence of the neurotransmitter Octopamine, the chemical responsible for the pleasure experienced when you defeat Spiderman
I've been a neuroscientist (of some sort) for 20+ years, but it was only today that I discovered the existence of the neurotransmitter Octopamine, the chemical responsible for the pleasure experienced when you defeat Spiderman
Fasting Rescues Locomotion in Neuromodulation-Deficient C. elegans via Octopamine-Gαq Signaling https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.19.649495v1
April 21, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Fasting Rescues Locomotion in Neuromodulation-Deficient C. elegans via Octopamine-Gαq Signaling https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.19.649495v1
Octopamine modulates the innate immune response in Drosophila melanogaster
#Drosophila
#Drosophila
Octopamine modulates the innate immune response in Drosophila melanogaster
#Drosophila
PubMed link
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
January 26, 2026 at 8:23 PM
Octopamine modulates the innate immune response in Drosophila melanogaster
#Drosophila
#Drosophila
*First preprint from our lab* !!!!!
How does the brain learn to anchor its internal sense of direction to the outside world? 🧭
led by Mark Plitt @markplitt.bsky.social & Dan Turner-Evans, w/ Vivek Jayaraman:
“Octopamine instructs head direction plasticity” www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Thread ⬇️
How does the brain learn to anchor its internal sense of direction to the outside world? 🧭
led by Mark Plitt @markplitt.bsky.social & Dan Turner-Evans, w/ Vivek Jayaraman:
“Octopamine instructs head direction plasticity” www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Thread ⬇️
December 15, 2025 at 6:26 PM
*First preprint from our lab* !!!!!
How does the brain learn to anchor its internal sense of direction to the outside world? 🧭
led by Mark Plitt @markplitt.bsky.social & Dan Turner-Evans, w/ Vivek Jayaraman:
“Octopamine instructs head direction plasticity” www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Thread ⬇️
How does the brain learn to anchor its internal sense of direction to the outside world? 🧭
led by Mark Plitt @markplitt.bsky.social & Dan Turner-Evans, w/ Vivek Jayaraman:
“Octopamine instructs head direction plasticity” www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Thread ⬇️
Another one with our next door colleagues! @marianneroca.bsky.social in @jameslightfoot.bsky.social's group found the IL2 neurons detecting prey (this study) are also sensing octopamine, which we recently found plays an important role in predatory aggression! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 29, 2026 at 1:41 PM
Another one with our next door colleagues! @marianneroca.bsky.social in @jameslightfoot.bsky.social's group found the IL2 neurons detecting prey (this study) are also sensing octopamine, which we recently found plays an important role in predatory aggression! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
6/7 They also administered anandamide, an endocannabinoid associated with hedonic processing in mammals, the “liking” component. Whereas dopamine and octopamine did not affect glossa protrusions, anandamide did increase them.
July 16, 2026 at 10:10 AM
6/7 They also administered anandamide, an endocannabinoid associated with hedonic processing in mammals, the “liking” component. Whereas dopamine and octopamine did not affect glossa protrusions, anandamide did increase them.
Octopamine instructs head direction plasticity https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.11.693783v1
December 15, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Octopamine instructs head direction plasticity https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.11.693783v1
Just out: Our review on how insulin and octopamine tune locomotion and feeding in insects. We cover conserved mechanisms and present new insights showing how emerging datasets connect circuit dynamics across timescales.
It was a fun process and I learnt a ton!
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
It was a fun process and I learnt a ton!
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
The role of insulin and octopamine in regulating energy homeostasis and locomotion in insects
Maintaining energy homeostasis is a fundamental requirement for survival. At the core, animals must balance periods of food-searching and feeding with…
www.sciencedirect.com
November 18, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Just out: Our review on how insulin and octopamine tune locomotion and feeding in insects. We cover conserved mechanisms and present new insights showing how emerging datasets connect circuit dynamics across timescales.
It was a fun process and I learnt a ton!
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
It was a fun process and I learnt a ton!
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
5/7 They administered dopamine and octopamine, which increased the bees’ responsiveness to sugar. Dopamine is associated with “wanting”: the motivational drive that makes us seek and pursue a reward. It appears to work similarly in bumblebees.
July 16, 2026 at 10:10 AM
5/7 They administered dopamine and octopamine, which increased the bees’ responsiveness to sugar. Dopamine is associated with “wanting”: the motivational drive that makes us seek and pursue a reward. It appears to work similarly in bumblebees.
Excited to share our latest paper from the lab, now out in iScience! 🧠✨
Huge credit to the incredible team whose creativity and hard work made this study possible—so proud of my team! 🙌
#Neuroscience #Sleep #Drosophila #Behavior #Connectomics
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
Huge credit to the incredible team whose creativity and hard work made this study possible—so proud of my team! 🙌
#Neuroscience #Sleep #Drosophila #Behavior #Connectomics
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
Octopamine regulates neural circuits in the mushroom body and central complex, influencing sleep and arousal.
Sleep is a widespread yet incompletely understood phenomenon, and animals exhibit
diverse arousal states beyond the simple binary of sleep and wake. Essential behaviors
such as feeding, courtship, and...
www.cell.com
April 3, 2026 at 8:56 PM
Excited to share our latest paper from the lab, now out in iScience! 🧠✨
Huge credit to the incredible team whose creativity and hard work made this study possible—so proud of my team! 🙌
#Neuroscience #Sleep #Drosophila #Behavior #Connectomics
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
Huge credit to the incredible team whose creativity and hard work made this study possible—so proud of my team! 🙌
#Neuroscience #Sleep #Drosophila #Behavior #Connectomics
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
I know, right?! I was in the lab when my fellow grad student Brian did this work on squat lobster aggression:
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Serotonin and octopamine elicit stereotypical agonistic behaviors in the squat lobster Munida quadrispina (Anomura, Galatheidae) - Journal of Comparative Physiology A
Serotonin and octopamine have been implicated as modulators of posture and behavior in several crustaceans. Here we characterize the agonistic behaviors of normally interacting squat lobsters Munida q...
link.springer.com
May 8, 2026 at 3:57 AM
I know, right?! I was in the lab when my fellow grad student Brian did this work on squat lobster aggression:
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Martin Hasselmann’s research shows East African honeybees use a 600kb chromosomal inversion to thrive at high altitudes. Highland bees are mostly homozygous for the inversion, which is linked to lower expression of Octopamine receptor beta-1 (linked to memory & foraging). #BeeScience #PAG2026 #PAG33
January 11, 2026 at 6:54 PM
Martin Hasselmann’s research shows East African honeybees use a 600kb chromosomal inversion to thrive at high altitudes. Highland bees are mostly homozygous for the inversion, which is linked to lower expression of Octopamine receptor beta-1 (linked to memory & foraging). #BeeScience #PAG2026 #PAG33
Many diet and stress-related behaviors are controlled by a neurotransmitter called octopamine (think norepinephrine, but in invertebrates). In worms, there are only 2 neurons that make this chemical. How can a single neuron type in the head coordinate octopamine signaling in space and time? (2/6)
October 24, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Many diet and stress-related behaviors are controlled by a neurotransmitter called octopamine (think norepinephrine, but in invertebrates). In worms, there are only 2 neurons that make this chemical. How can a single neuron type in the head coordinate octopamine signaling in space and time? (2/6)
Octopamine and tyramine dynamics predict learning rate phenotypes during associative conditioning in honey bees https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.25.672077v1
August 29, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Octopamine and tyramine dynamics predict learning rate phenotypes during associative conditioning in honey bees https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.25.672077v1