Navigating Like a Fly: Drosophila melanogaster as a Model to Explore the Contribution of Serotonergic Neurotransmission to Spatial Navigation

Serotonin is a monoamine that acts in vertebrates and invertebrates as a modulator promoting changes in the structure and activity of brain areas relevant to animal behavior, ranging from sensory perception to learning and memory. Whether serotonin contributes in Drosophila to human-like cognitive abilities, including spatial navigation, is an issue little studied. Like in vertebrates, the serotonergic system in Drosophila is heterogeneous, meaning that distinct serotonergic neurons/circuits innervate specific fly brain regions to modulate precise behaviors. Here we review the literature that supports that serotonergic pathways modify different aspects underlying the formation of navigational memories in Drosophila.