Brian Entler of Commack co-authors paper published in August 2017 edition of Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience

2017 Aug 18

Brian Entler of Commack, a first-year medical student at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, was co-author of a paper published in the August 2017 edition of Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, a primary research journal in neurophysiology. The paper, entitled "The Effects of Fat Body Tyramine Level on Gustatory Responsiveness of Honeybees (Apis mellifera) Differ between Behavioral Castes," examined the effects of the biogenic amine tyramine and its receptors in shaping social behavior. Although humans do not express this biogenic amine, modeling its projection neurons and its role on gustatory response may have implications for human neurology.

Findings suggest an important role for tyramine in the fat body and regulating honeybee gustatory responsiveness (the ability to perceive various flavors), social organization and learning behavior. Foragers, which were more responsive to gustatory stimuli than nurse bees and performed better in learning linked to the desire to satisfy bodily needs. Pharmacological activation of tyramine receptors in the fat body increased gustatory responsiveness of foragers, but not in nurse bees. These data suggest that the fat body, and its expression of biogenic amines, is playing a large role in the behavioral differences between honeybees and may be directly linked to tyramine signaling in the brain.

Entler participated in his research with a team of international scientists while a Fulbright scholar studying at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. He is interested in pursuing neurology and addiction medicine as his medical specialty.