Overview
- Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital traced repetition-induced devaluation to β-arrestin–dependent desensitization of D2 receptors on copulation decision neurons.
- Dopamine signaling via D2 receptors kept males engaged during mating, yet prior matings made the receptors less responsive and increased termination under stress.
- Supplying extra dopamine did not restore persistence, indicating receptor resistance rather than reduced release.
- Blocking local desensitization removed behavioral fatigue, with males persisting as if at a first mating.
- Findings establish a mechanistic bridge between drug tolerance and everyday motivation loss in an insect model, with vertebrate relevance still untested.