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XB-ART-59460
iScience 2022 Nov 18;2511:105375. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105375.
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A circadian-dependent preference for light displayed by Xenopus tadpoles is modulated by serotonin.

Bruno JR , Udoh UG , Landen JG , Osborn PO , Asher CJ , Hunt JE , Pratt KG .


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Innate visually guided behaviors are thought to promote survival by guiding organisms to sources of food and safety and away from harm without requiring learning. Historically, innate behaviors have been considered hard-wired and invariable, but emerging evidence shows that many innate behaviors are flexible and complex due to modulation. Here, we investigate the modulation of the innate preference for light displayed by the Xenopus laevis tadpole, an exceptionally invasive and well-studied organism that is known to display several different innate visually guided behaviors. We found that tadpoles display a circadian-regulated oscillation in their preference for light over dark which can be altered by experimentally increasing or decreasing levels of serotonin transmission. We also found that endogenous levels of serotonin transmission during the day maintain a consistently moderate preference for light. Theoretically, a moderate preference for light, as opposed to a strong preference, optimizes survival by rendering tadpoles' behavior less predictable.

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Species referenced: Xenopus laevis
GO keywords: entrainment of circadian clock [+]


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References [+] :
Asirim, Circadian and Genetic Modulation of Visually-Guided Navigation in Drosophila Larvae. 2020, Pubmed