Serotonin mediates behavioral gregarization underlying swarm formation in desert locusts
- PMID: 19179529
- DOI: 10.1126/science.1165939
Serotonin mediates behavioral gregarization underlying swarm formation in desert locusts
Abstract
Desert locusts, Schistocerca gregaria, show extreme phenotypic plasticity, transforming between a little-seen solitarious phase and the notorious swarming gregarious phase depending on population density. An essential tipping point in the process of swarm formation is the initial switch from strong mutual aversion in solitarious locusts to coherent group formation and greater activity in gregarious locusts. We show here that serotonin, an evolutionarily conserved mediator of neuronal plasticity, is responsible for this behavioral transformation, being both necessary if behavioral gregarization is to occur and sufficient to induce it. Our data demonstrate a neurochemical mechanism linking interactions between individuals to large-scale changes in population structure and the onset of mass migration.
Comment in
-
Ecology. The key to Pandora's box.Science. 2009 Jan 30;323(5914):594-5. doi: 10.1126/science.1169280. Science. 2009. PMID: 19179520 No abstract available.
Similar articles
-
Serotonin triggers swarming in locusts.Lab Anim (NY). 2009 Mar;38(3):72. doi: 10.1038/laban0309-72a. Lab Anim (NY). 2009. PMID: 19229214 No abstract available.
-
Rapid behavioural gregarization in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria entails synchronous changes in both activity and attraction to conspecifics.J Insect Physiol. 2014 Jun;65(100):9-26. doi: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2014.04.004. Epub 2014 Apr 21. J Insect Physiol. 2014. PMID: 24768842 Free PMC article.
-
Differential activation of serotonergic neurons during short- and long-term gregarization of desert locusts.Proc Biol Sci. 2015 Feb 7;282(1800):20142062. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2014.2062. Proc Biol Sci. 2015. PMID: 25520357 Free PMC article.
-
Chemical ecology of locusts and related acridids.Annu Rev Entomol. 2005;50:223-45. doi: 10.1146/annurev.ento.50.071803.130345. Annu Rev Entomol. 2005. PMID: 15355238 Review.
-
Endocrinology of reproduction and phase transition in locusts.Gen Comp Endocrinol. 2009 May 15;162(1):79-92. doi: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2008.11.016. Epub 2008 Dec 3. Gen Comp Endocrinol. 2009. PMID: 19084019 Review.
Cited by
-
The dynamics of group formation among leeches.Front Physiol. 2012 May 17;3:133. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2012.00133. eCollection 2012. Front Physiol. 2012. PMID: 22629247 Free PMC article.
-
Metabolomic analysis reveals that carnitines are key regulatory metabolites in phase transition of the locusts.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Feb 28;109(9):3259-63. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1119155109. Epub 2012 Feb 10. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012. PMID: 22328148 Free PMC article.
-
Altered immunity in crowded locust reduced fungal (Metarhizium anisopliae) pathogenesis.PLoS Pathog. 2013 Jan;9(1):e1003102. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003102. Epub 2013 Jan 10. PLoS Pathog. 2013. PMID: 23326229 Free PMC article.
-
Polymorphism and division of labour in a socially complex ant: neuromodulation of aggression in the Australian weaver ant, Oecophylla smaragdina.Proc Biol Sci. 2015 Jul 22;282(1811):20150704. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0704. Proc Biol Sci. 2015. PMID: 26136448 Free PMC article.
-
Epigenetic remodelling of brain, body and behaviour during phase change in locusts.Neural Syst Circuits. 2011 Jul 26;1(1):11. doi: 10.1186/2042-1001-1-11. Neural Syst Circuits. 2011. PMID: 22330837 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
