Neuronal FICD shapes motivated behavior through modulation of dopamine receptor dynamics

Motivated behaviors rely on dopaminergic signaling, which in turn depends on the correct folding and trafficking of receptors through the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Within the ER, the AMPylase enzyme FICD acts as a molecular rheostat through its modification of the chaperone BiP, dynamically tuning the organelle's responsiveness to folding perturbations and cellular stress. While the biochemistry of FICD is well-established, its role in complex animal behavior remains poorly understood. Here, we identify FICD as a conserved contributor to the generation of motivated behavior. In Drosophila, pan-neuronal knockdown of dFic significantly reduces feeding, spontaneous locomotion, and reward-seeking behavior. These alterations occur without disrupting circadian architecture, motor capacity, or homeostatic hunger, indicating a specific loss of motivational drive. Depleting dFic within subsets of dopamine receptor-expressing (Dop1R1) neurons recapitulates these behavioral alterations. Transcriptomic profiling reveals that dFic depletion does not induce a canonical unfolded protein response, pointing to a specific post-transcriptional alteration rather than global ER stress. At the molecular level, dysregulated dFic alters the localization and abundance of Dop1R1. Finally, we demonstrate that this regulatory axis is evolutionarily conserved, as loss of FICD similarly diminishes motivated behaviors in C. elegans and mice. Together, these findings implicate FICD in the generation of motivated behavior and link dynamic control of ER proteostasis to dopamine-receptor maturation.