CADRES

Cephalopods are very well known for their learning abilities and memorization allowing to solve complex problems. Their nervous system shows a high concentration of nervous ganglia unique among molluscs. Since Young works in the early 20th century, brain lobes anatomy, function and physiology are now well described. Several neurotransmitters have been characterized in Sepia brain. Among them, dopamine, is known in vertebrates to have a major role in memory process and behaviour control. In Sepia, dopamine modulates neuronal activity in optic lobes, important for visual information analysis. Nevertheless the production of dopamine during development as its activity mode at molecular level remains to be determined. During its PhD, Morgane Bonadè has identified 4 putative dopamine receptors sequences and she has established a phylogeny. This evidences a complex story with numerous ambiguities between phylogenetic groupings and sequences annotations available. This analysis shown the necesity to realize functional tests in order to confirm ligands of these receptors. This step, and it is the objective of this project, will be realized thanks to a collaboration with Laurent Prézeau of the Institute of Functional Genomics (UMR5203 Univ. Montpellier), where M. Bonadè was formed and conducts the tests.

This work will contribute to clarify evolutionary story of dopamine receptors and more largely to approach evolutionary processes that have allowed to cephalopods ancestors to acquire their important cognitive capacities.