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J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol

Title:		Octopamine modulates responsiveness to foraging-related stimuli in honey bees (Apis mellifera)
Author(s):		Barron AB; Schulz DJ; Robinson GE;
Address:		"Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA"
Journal Title:		J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol
Year:		2002
Volume:		20020907
Issue:		8
Page Number:		603 - 610
DOI:		10.1007/s00359-002-0335-5
ISSN/ISBN:		0340-7594 (Print) 0340-7594 (Linking)
Abstract:		The biogenic amine neurochemical octopamine is involved in the onset of foraging behaviour in honey bees. We tested the hypothesis that octopamine influences honey bee behavioural development by modulating responsiveness to task-related stimuli. We examined the effect of octopamine treatment on responsiveness to brood pheromone (an activator of foraging) and to the presence of older bees in the colony (an inhibitor of foraging in young bees). Octopamine treatment increased responsiveness to brood pheromone and decreased responsiveness to social inhibition. These results identify octopamine both as an important source of variation in response thresholds and as a modulator of pheromonal communication in insect societies. We speculate that octopamine plays more than one role in the organisation of behavioural development indicating a very high level of integration between the neurochemical system and the generation of complex behaviour
Keywords:		Aging/drug effects/*physiology Animals Bees/drug effects/*physiology Cohort Studies Feeding Behavior/drug effects/*physiology Female Male Octopamine/pharmacology/*physiology Pheromones/pharmacology/*physiology Reference Values Reproducibility of Results S;
Notes:		"MedlineBarron, A B Schulz, D J Robinson, G E eng HD07333/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/ Comparative Study Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. Germany 2002/10/02 J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol. 2002 Sep; 188(8):603-10. doi: 10.1007/s00359-002-0335-5. Epub 2002 Sep 7"