posted on 2023-09-18, 11:59authored byM Goulty, G Botton-Amiot, E Rosato, SG Sprecher, R Feuda
Monoamines like serotonin, dopamine, and adrenaline/noradrenaline (epinephrine/norepinephrine) act as neuromodulators in the nervous system. They play a role in complex behaviours, cognitive functions such as learning and memory formation, as well as fundamental homeostatic processes such as sleep and feeding. However, the evolutionary origin of the genes required for monoaminergic modulation is uncertain. Using a phylogenomic approach, in this study, we show that most of the genes involved in monoamine production, modulation, and reception originated in the bilaterian stem group. This suggests that the monoaminergic system is a bilaterian novelty and that its evolution may have contributed to the Cambrian diversification.
Funding
Royal Society University Research Fellowship and Grants (UF160226 and RGF\EA\180052)
Swiss National Science Foundation (Grants IZCOZ0_182957 and 310030_188471)
European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 765937)
History
Author affiliation
Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester