Research:
The specific research interests of the Sitaraman lab are as follows:
Publications:
1: Sitaraman D, LaFerriere H. Finding a place and leaving a mark in memory formation. J Neurogenet. 2019 Dec 27:1-7. doi: 10.1080/01677063.2019.1706094.[Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 31878832.
2: Pavin A, Fain K, DeHart A, Sitaraman D. Aversive and Appetitive Learning in Drosophila Larvae: A Simple and Powerful Suite of Laboratory Modules for Classroom or Open-ended Research Projects. J Undergrad Neurosci Educ. 2018 Jun 15;16(2):A177-A185. eCollection 2018 Spring. PubMed PMID: 30057500; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6057766.
3: Sitaraman D, Kramer EF, Kahsai L, Ostrowski D, Zars T. Discrete Serotonin Systems Mediate Memory Enhancement and Escape Latencies after Unpredicted Aversive Experience in Drosophila Place Memory. Front Syst Neurosci. 2017 Dec 11;11:92. doi: 10.3389/fnsys.2017.00092. eCollection 2017. PubMed PMID: 29321732; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5732137.
4: Chen D, Sitaraman D, Chen N, Jin X, Han C, Chen J, Sun M, Baker BS, Nitabach MN, Pan Y. Genetic and neuronal mechanisms governing the sex-specific interaction between sleep and sexual behaviors in Drosophila. Nat Commun. 2017 Jul28;8(1):154. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-00087-5. PubMed PMID: 28754889; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5533705.
5: King AN, Barber AF, Smith AE, Dreyer AP, Sitaraman D, Nitabach MN, Cavanaugh DJ, Sehgal A. A Peptidergic Circuit Links the Circadian Clock to Locomotor Activity. Curr Biol. 2017 Jul 10;27(13):1915-1927.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.05.089. Epub 2017 Jun 29. PubMed PMID: 28669757; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5698909.
6: Sitaraman D, Aso Y, Rubin GM, Nitabach MN. Corrigendum: Control of Sleep by Dopaminergic Inputs to the Drosophila Mushroom Body. Front Neural Circuits. 2015 Dec 22;9:84. doi: 10.3389/fncir.2015.00084. eCollection 2015. PubMed PMID: 26733821; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4686686.
7: Sitaraman D, Aso Y, Rubin GM, Nitabach MN. Control of Sleep by Dopaminergic Inputs to the Drosophila Mushroom Body. Front Neural Circuits. 2015 Nov 9;9:73. doi: 10.3389/fncir.2015.00073. eCollection 2015. Erratum in: Front Neural Circuits. 2015;9:84. PubMed PMID: 26617493; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4637407.
8: Sitaraman D, Aso Y, Jin X, Chen N, Felix M, Rubin GM, Nitabach MN. Propagation of Homeostatic Sleep Signals by Segregated Synaptic Microcircuits of the Drosophila Mushroom Body. Curr Biol. 2015 Nov 16;25(22):2915-27. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.09.017. Epub 2015 Oct 8. PubMed PMID: 26455303; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4654684.
9: Aso Y, Sitaraman D, Ichinose T, Kaun KR, Vogt K, Belliart-Guérin G, Plaçais PY, Robie AA, Yamagata N, Schnaitmann C, Rowell WJ, Johnston RM, Ngo TT, Chen N, Korff W, Nitabach MN, Heberlein U, Preat T, Branson KM, Tanimoto H, Rubin GM.Mushroom body output neurons encode valence and guide memory-based action selection in Drosophila. Elife. 2014 Dec 23;3:e04580. doi: 10.7554/eLife.04580.
PubMed PMID: 25535794; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4273436.
10: Sitaraman D, LaFerriere H, Birman S, Zars T. Serotonin is critical for rewarded olfactory short-term memory in Drosophila. J Neurogenet. 2012 Jun;26(2):238-44. doi: 10.3109/01677063.2012.666298. Epub 2012 Mar 21. PubMed PMID: 22436011.
11: Sitaraman D, Zars T. Lack of prediction for high-temperature exposures enhances Drosophila place learning. J Exp Biol. 2010 Dec 1;213(Pt 23):4018-22. doi: 10.1242/jeb.050344. PubMed PMID: 21075943.
12: Sitaraman D, Zars M, Zars T. Place memory formation in Drosophila is independent of proper octopamine signaling. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol. 2010 Apr;196(4):299-305. doi: 10.1007/s00359-010-0517-5. Epub 2010 Mar 13. PubMed PMID: 20228998.
13: LaFerriere H, Guarnieri DJ, Sitaraman D, Diegelmann S, Heberlein U, Zars T. Genetic dissociation of ethanol sensitivity and memory formation in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics. 2008 Apr;178(4):1895-902. doi: 10.1534/genetics.107.084582. PubMed PMID: 18430923; PubMed Central PMCID:PMC2323784.
14: Sitaraman D, Zars M, Laferriere H, Chen YC, Sable-Smith A, Kitamoto T, Rottinghaus GE, Zars T. Serotonin is necessary for place memory in Drosophila. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Apr 8;105(14):5579-84. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0710168105. Epub 2008 Apr 2. PubMed PMID: 18385379; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2291120.
15: Sitaraman D, Zars M, Zars T. Reinforcement pre-exposure enhances spatial memory formation in Drosophila. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol. 2007 Aug;193(8):903-8. Epub 2007 Jun 6. PubMed PMID: 17551734.
The specific research interests of the Sitaraman lab are as follows:
- Innate and learned behaviors: Nervous system plasticity is best manifested at the level of behaviors. An important focus area in the lab is to develop and validate novel classical and operant learning paradigms. In addition to developing these paradigms, the lab has an active interest in studying innate behaviors such as sleep and arousal.
- Genetic basis of behavior: A variety of neurogenetic techniques in the context of learning and sleep have identified neurotransmitter and neuropeptide modulators that underlie these behaviors. Beyond these modulatory signals, circuit level interpretation of behavior in Drosophila is severely lacking. As a first step in cracking the neuronal pathways underlying the sleep circuit, the lab is invested in identifying the individual neurons of the circuit. To this end Dr. Sitaraman has an active collaboration with Dr. Gerry Rubin at Janelia Research Campus/HHMI ( Janelia Visitor Project 2014-present) to develop strategies and test cell specific tools in the context of sleep regulation.
- Cellular/ Circuit level dynamics of behavior: Cellular excitability and synaptic function in behavioral control networks of the fly can only be addressed with novel imaging and electrophysiological approaches. Using validated calcium imaging and novel voltage imaging approaches in Drosophila the Sitaraman lab hopes to identify the properties of synaptic connectivity and plasticity underlying innate and learned behaviors.
Publications:
1: Sitaraman D, LaFerriere H. Finding a place and leaving a mark in memory formation. J Neurogenet. 2019 Dec 27:1-7. doi: 10.1080/01677063.2019.1706094.[Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 31878832.
2: Pavin A, Fain K, DeHart A, Sitaraman D. Aversive and Appetitive Learning in Drosophila Larvae: A Simple and Powerful Suite of Laboratory Modules for Classroom or Open-ended Research Projects. J Undergrad Neurosci Educ. 2018 Jun 15;16(2):A177-A185. eCollection 2018 Spring. PubMed PMID: 30057500; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6057766.
3: Sitaraman D, Kramer EF, Kahsai L, Ostrowski D, Zars T. Discrete Serotonin Systems Mediate Memory Enhancement and Escape Latencies after Unpredicted Aversive Experience in Drosophila Place Memory. Front Syst Neurosci. 2017 Dec 11;11:92. doi: 10.3389/fnsys.2017.00092. eCollection 2017. PubMed PMID: 29321732; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5732137.
4: Chen D, Sitaraman D, Chen N, Jin X, Han C, Chen J, Sun M, Baker BS, Nitabach MN, Pan Y. Genetic and neuronal mechanisms governing the sex-specific interaction between sleep and sexual behaviors in Drosophila. Nat Commun. 2017 Jul28;8(1):154. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-00087-5. PubMed PMID: 28754889; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5533705.
5: King AN, Barber AF, Smith AE, Dreyer AP, Sitaraman D, Nitabach MN, Cavanaugh DJ, Sehgal A. A Peptidergic Circuit Links the Circadian Clock to Locomotor Activity. Curr Biol. 2017 Jul 10;27(13):1915-1927.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.05.089. Epub 2017 Jun 29. PubMed PMID: 28669757; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5698909.
6: Sitaraman D, Aso Y, Rubin GM, Nitabach MN. Corrigendum: Control of Sleep by Dopaminergic Inputs to the Drosophila Mushroom Body. Front Neural Circuits. 2015 Dec 22;9:84. doi: 10.3389/fncir.2015.00084. eCollection 2015. PubMed PMID: 26733821; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4686686.
7: Sitaraman D, Aso Y, Rubin GM, Nitabach MN. Control of Sleep by Dopaminergic Inputs to the Drosophila Mushroom Body. Front Neural Circuits. 2015 Nov 9;9:73. doi: 10.3389/fncir.2015.00073. eCollection 2015. Erratum in: Front Neural Circuits. 2015;9:84. PubMed PMID: 26617493; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4637407.
8: Sitaraman D, Aso Y, Jin X, Chen N, Felix M, Rubin GM, Nitabach MN. Propagation of Homeostatic Sleep Signals by Segregated Synaptic Microcircuits of the Drosophila Mushroom Body. Curr Biol. 2015 Nov 16;25(22):2915-27. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.09.017. Epub 2015 Oct 8. PubMed PMID: 26455303; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4654684.
9: Aso Y, Sitaraman D, Ichinose T, Kaun KR, Vogt K, Belliart-Guérin G, Plaçais PY, Robie AA, Yamagata N, Schnaitmann C, Rowell WJ, Johnston RM, Ngo TT, Chen N, Korff W, Nitabach MN, Heberlein U, Preat T, Branson KM, Tanimoto H, Rubin GM.Mushroom body output neurons encode valence and guide memory-based action selection in Drosophila. Elife. 2014 Dec 23;3:e04580. doi: 10.7554/eLife.04580.
PubMed PMID: 25535794; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4273436.
10: Sitaraman D, LaFerriere H, Birman S, Zars T. Serotonin is critical for rewarded olfactory short-term memory in Drosophila. J Neurogenet. 2012 Jun;26(2):238-44. doi: 10.3109/01677063.2012.666298. Epub 2012 Mar 21. PubMed PMID: 22436011.
11: Sitaraman D, Zars T. Lack of prediction for high-temperature exposures enhances Drosophila place learning. J Exp Biol. 2010 Dec 1;213(Pt 23):4018-22. doi: 10.1242/jeb.050344. PubMed PMID: 21075943.
12: Sitaraman D, Zars M, Zars T. Place memory formation in Drosophila is independent of proper octopamine signaling. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol. 2010 Apr;196(4):299-305. doi: 10.1007/s00359-010-0517-5. Epub 2010 Mar 13. PubMed PMID: 20228998.
13: LaFerriere H, Guarnieri DJ, Sitaraman D, Diegelmann S, Heberlein U, Zars T. Genetic dissociation of ethanol sensitivity and memory formation in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics. 2008 Apr;178(4):1895-902. doi: 10.1534/genetics.107.084582. PubMed PMID: 18430923; PubMed Central PMCID:PMC2323784.
14: Sitaraman D, Zars M, Laferriere H, Chen YC, Sable-Smith A, Kitamoto T, Rottinghaus GE, Zars T. Serotonin is necessary for place memory in Drosophila. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Apr 8;105(14):5579-84. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0710168105. Epub 2008 Apr 2. PubMed PMID: 18385379; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2291120.
15: Sitaraman D, Zars M, Zars T. Reinforcement pre-exposure enhances spatial memory formation in Drosophila. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol. 2007 Aug;193(8):903-8. Epub 2007 Jun 6. PubMed PMID: 17551734.