Abstract
Stress disturbs physiological and psychological homeostasis across species. In mammals, stress reduces male courtship motivation, but the underlying neuronal mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we establish a Drosophila model in which confinement to a small space without complete immobilization-termed small-space (SS) stress-suppresses male courtship behavior. Because stress modulates dopamine signaling in both vertebrates and invertebrates, we examined its role in SS-stress-induced courtship suppression. Pharmacological inhibition and genetic manipulations revealed that dopamine synthesis, release, and reception are required to maintain-but not initiate-the SS-stress-induced suppression of male courtship. Furthermore, dopamine release to and reception within the mushroom body-a brain region involved in higher-order sensory processing-were essential for sustaining courtship inhibition after stress. This SS stress paradigm provides a robust framework for elucidating dopamine-mediated mechanisms that support persistent behavioral changes after stress and contribute to a deeper understanding of the neurobiological basis of stress-related sexual dysfunction.
