Chemical analysis of neurotransmitter candidates in clonal cell lines from Drosophila central nervous system. I. ACh and l-DOPA

To characterize neuronal phenotypes, aminergic neurotransmitters, i.e. acetylcholine (ACh), catecholamine (CA)s and other biogenic amines (serotonin, octopamine), were surveyed in 10 colonial clones from one cell line of Drosophila larval CNS using HPLC-ECD system. ACh, which is a neurotransmitter in Drosophila, was found in 7 out of 10 clones. CAs, their metabolites, and other amines were not detected in any clones. However, all the 10 clones expressed l-DOPA, a precursor of CAs. Consequently, seven clones expressed ACh and l-DOPA. l-DOPA as a novel neurotransmitter candidate was discussed.