Individual dopaminergic neurons induce unique, yet overlapping combinations of behavioural modulations, including safety learning, memory retrieval, and acute locomotion.

Individual dopaminergic neurons in Drosophila larva can induce diverse functions, including memory formation and locomotion modulation, with each neuron exhibiting a unique yet overlapping effect set.

• Why it matters: Understanding whether single neurons can perform multiple conserved functions addresses a key gap in neuroscience, as mammalian dopamine systems are traditionally thought to involve separate neuron populations for learning and movement control.
• What they did: The study used optogenetic activation of individual DL1 cluster dopaminergic neurons in Drosophila larvae to assess their roles in establishing punishment and safety memories, memory retrieval, and acute locomotion modulation.
• The result: Findings show that several neurons both established memories and modulated locomotion by increasing bending and decreasing velocity, suggesting that single neurons can fulfill a broad range of behavioral functions across contexts.