Appetitive olfactory learning suffers in ants when octopamine or dopamine receptors are blocked

Wissink, Maarten; Nehring, Volker

doi:10.1242/jeb.242732

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…5 ). This is consistent with the fact that OA signaling is required for appetitive learning in ants (Wissink and Nehring 2021 ), Drosophila (Kim et al 2013 ), crickets (Mizunami and Matsumoto 2017 ), and honey bees (Mancini et al 2018 ). In our study, two concentrations (4 mM and 0.4 mM) of epinastine, which antagonize mainly one type of honey bee OA receptor (AmOA1, also known as AmOctα1R), significantly reduced the PI CS post-conditioning, and these two concentrations had the same effect (Fig.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 75%

Visual learning in tethered bees modifies flight orientation and is impaired by epinastine

Kobayashi,

Hasegawa,

Okada

et al. 2023

J Comp Physiol A

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Visual-orientation learning of a tethered flying bee was investigated using a flight simulator and a novel protocol in which orientation preference toward trained visual targets was assessed in tests performed before and after appetitive conditioning. Either a blue or a green rectangle (conditioned stimulus, CS) was associated with 30% sucrose solution (unconditioned stimulus, US), whereas the other rectangle was not paired with US. Bees were tested in a closed-looped flight simulator 5 min after ten pairings of the US and CS. Conditioned bees were preferentially oriented to the CS after such training. This increase in preference for CS was maintained for 24 h, indicating the presence of long-term memory. Because the total orienting time was not altered by conditioning, conditioning did not enhance orientation activity itself but increased the relative time for orientation to CS. When 0.4 or 4 mM epinastine (an antagonist of octopamine receptors) was injected into the bee’s head 30 min prior to the experiment, both short- and long-term memory formation were significantly impaired, suggesting that octopamine, which is crucial for appetitive olfactory learning in insects, is also involved in visual orientation learning.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 75%

Visual learning in tethered bees modifies flight orientation and is impaired by epinastine

Kobayashi,

Hasegawa,

Okada

et al. 2023

J Comp Physiol A

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“…Linked to long-term memory consolidation, independent of short-term memory formation (Wissink & Nehring, 2021).…”

Section: Lasius Nigermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, both caffeine and nicotine have been reported to improve conditioning and memory, albeit while decreasing food consumption (Cammaerts, Rachidi & Gosset, 2014a, 2014b). More recently, dopamine has been linked to long-term memory consolidation and octopamine to appetitive learning of olfactory cues (Wissink & Nehring, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Invasive ant learning is not affected by seven potential neuroactive chemicals

Galante

Czaczkes

2022

Preprint

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Nectar-feeding insects are often the victims of psychoactive manipulation, with plants lacing their nectar with secondary metabolites such as alkaloids and non-protein amino acids which often boost learning, foraging, or recruitment. However, the effect of neuroactive chemicals has seldomly been explored in ants. Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) are one of the most damaging invasive alien species worldwide. Enhancing or disrupting cognitive abilities, such as learning, has the potential to improve management efforts, for example by increasing preference for a bait, or improving ants' ability to learn its characteristics or location. Here, we test the effects of seven potential neuroactive chemicals - two alkaloids: caffeine and nicotine; two biogenic amines: dopamine and octopamine, and three non-protein amino acids: β-alanine, GABA and taurine - on the cognitive abilities of invasiveL. humileusing bifurcation mazes. Our results confirm that these ants are strong associative learners, requiring as little as one experience to develop an association. However, we show no short-term effect of any of the chemicals tested on spatial learning, and in addition no effect of caffeine on short-term olfactory learning. This lack of effect is surprising, given the extensive reports of the tested chemicals affecting learning and foraging in bees. This mismatch could be due to the heavy bias towards bees in the literature, a positive result publication bias, or differences in methodology.

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“…Furthermore, both caffeine and nicotine have been reported to improve conditioning and memory, albeit while decreasing food consumption ( Cammaerts et al 2014a , 2014b ). More recently, dopamine has been linked to long-term memory consolidation and octopamine to appetitive learning of olfactory cues ( Wissink and Nehring 2021 ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Invasive ant learning is not affected by seven potential neuroactive chemicals

Galante

Czaczkes

2023

Current Zoology

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Argentine ants Linepithema humile are one of the most damaging invasive alien species worldwide. Enhancing or disrupting cognitive abilities, such as learning, has the potential to improve management efforts, for example by increasing preference for a bait, or improving ants’ ability to learn its characteristics or location. Nectar-feeding insects are often the victims of psychoactive manipulation, with plants lacing their nectar with secondary metabolites such as alkaloids and non-protein amino acids which often alter learning, foraging, or recruitment. However, the effect of neuroactive chemicals has seldomly been explored in ants. Here, we test the effects of seven potential neuroactive chemicals - two alkaloids: caffeine and nicotine; two biogenic amines: dopamine and octopamine, and three non-protein amino acids: β-alanine, GABA and taurine - on the cognitive abilities of invasive L. humile using bifurcation mazes. Our results confirm that these ants are strong associative learners, requiring as little as one experience to develop an association. However, we show no short-term effect of any of the chemicals tested on spatial learning, and in addition no effect of caffeine on short-term olfactory learning. This lack of effect is surprising, given the extensive reports of the tested chemicals affecting learning and foraging in bees. This mismatch could be due to the heavy bias towards bees in the literature, a positive result publication bias, or differences in methodology.

show abstract

Appetitive olfactory learning suffers in ants when octopamine or dopamine receptors are blocked

Cited by 8 publications

References 62 publications

Visual learning in tethered bees modifies flight orientation and is impaired by epinastine

Visual learning in tethered bees modifies flight orientation and is impaired by epinastine

Invasive ant learning is not affected by seven potential neuroactive chemicals

Invasive ant learning is not affected by seven potential neuroactive chemicals

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