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Abstract
Are olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) arranged in a functionally meaningful manner to facilitate information processing? Here, we address this long-standing question by uncovering a valence map in the olfactory periphery of Drosophila. Within sensory hairs, we find that neighboring ORNs antagonistically regulate behaviors: stereotypically compartmentalized large- and small-spike ORNs, recognized by their characteristic spike amplitudes, either promote or inhibit the same type of behavior, respectively. Systematic optogenetic and thermogenetic assays—covering the majority of antennal sensilla—highlight a valence-opponent organization. Critically, odor-mixture behavioral experiments show that lateral inhibition between antagonistic ORNs mediates robust behavioral decisions in response to countervailing cues. Computational modeling predicts that the robustness of behavioral output depends on odor mixture ratios. A hallmark of complex sensory systems is the organization of neurons into functionally meaningful maps, which allow for comparison and contrast of parallel inputs via lateral inhibition. However, it is unclear whether such a map exists in olfaction. Here, we address this question by determining the organizing principle underlying the stereotyped pairing of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) in Drosophila sensory hairs, wherein compartmentalized neurons inhibit each other via ephaptic coupling. Systematic behavioral assays reveal that most paired ORNs antagonistically regulate the same type of behavior. Such valence opponency is relevant in critical behavioral contexts including place preference, egg laying, and courtship. Odor-mixture experiments show that ephaptic inhibition provides a peripheral means for evaluating and shaping countervailing cues relayed to higher brain centers. Furthermore, computational modeling suggests that this organization likely contributes to processing ratio information in odor mixtures. This olfactory valence map may have evolved to swiftly process ethologically meaningful odor blends without involving costly synaptic computation.
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52
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Qi Z, Jung C, Bandilla P, Ludwig C, Heron M, Sophie Kiesel A, Museridze M, Philippou‐Massier J, Nikolov M, Renna Max Schnepf A, Unnerstall U, Ceolin S, Mühlig B, Gompel N, Soeding J, Gaul U. Large-scale analysis of Drosophila core promoter function using synthetic promoters. Mol Syst Biol 2022; 18:e9816. [PMID: 35156763 PMCID: PMC8842121 DOI: 10.15252/msb.20209816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The core promoter plays a central role in setting metazoan gene expression levels, but how exactly it "computes" expression remains poorly understood. To dissect its function, we carried out a comprehensive structure-function analysis in Drosophila. First, we performed a genome-wide bioinformatic analysis, providing an improved picture of the sequence motifs architecture. We then measured synthetic promoters' activities of ~3,000 mutational variants with and without an external stimulus (hormonal activation), at large scale and with high accuracy using robotics and a dual luciferase reporter assay. We observed a strong impact on activity of the different types of mutations, including knockout of individual sequence motifs and motif combinations, variations of motif strength, nucleosome positioning, and flanking sequences. A linear combination of the individual motif features largely accounts for the combinatorial effects on core promoter activity. These findings shed new light on the quantitative assessment of gene expression in metazoans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhan Qi
- Department of Biochemistry, Gene CenterLudwig‐Maximillians‐Universität MünchenFeodor‐Lynen‐str 25MunichGermany
| | - Christophe Jung
- Department of Biochemistry, Gene CenterLudwig‐Maximillians‐Universität MünchenFeodor‐Lynen‐str 25MunichGermany
| | - Peter Bandilla
- Department of Biochemistry, Gene CenterLudwig‐Maximillians‐Universität MünchenFeodor‐Lynen‐str 25MunichGermany
| | - Claudia Ludwig
- Department of Biochemistry, Gene CenterLudwig‐Maximillians‐Universität MünchenFeodor‐Lynen‐str 25MunichGermany
| | - Mark Heron
- Department of Biochemistry, Gene CenterLudwig‐Maximillians‐Universität MünchenFeodor‐Lynen‐str 25MunichGermany
| | - Anja Sophie Kiesel
- Department of Biochemistry, Gene CenterLudwig‐Maximillians‐Universität MünchenFeodor‐Lynen‐str 25MunichGermany
| | - Mariam Museridze
- Department of Biology II, Evolutionary BiologyLudwig‐Maximilians‐Universität MünchenPlanegg‐MartinsriedGermany
| | - Julia Philippou‐Massier
- Department of Biochemistry, Gene CenterLudwig‐Maximillians‐Universität MünchenFeodor‐Lynen‐str 25MunichGermany
| | - Miroslav Nikolov
- Department of Biochemistry, Gene CenterLudwig‐Maximillians‐Universität MünchenFeodor‐Lynen‐str 25MunichGermany
| | - Alessio Renna Max Schnepf
- Department of Biochemistry, Gene CenterLudwig‐Maximillians‐Universität MünchenFeodor‐Lynen‐str 25MunichGermany
| | - Ulrich Unnerstall
- Department of Biochemistry, Gene CenterLudwig‐Maximillians‐Universität MünchenFeodor‐Lynen‐str 25MunichGermany
| | - Stefano Ceolin
- Department of Biology II, Evolutionary BiologyLudwig‐Maximilians‐Universität MünchenPlanegg‐MartinsriedGermany
| | - Bettina Mühlig
- Department of Biology II, Evolutionary BiologyLudwig‐Maximilians‐Universität MünchenPlanegg‐MartinsriedGermany
| | - Nicolas Gompel
- Department of Biology II, Evolutionary BiologyLudwig‐Maximilians‐Universität MünchenPlanegg‐MartinsriedGermany
| | - Johannes Soeding
- Department of Biochemistry, Gene CenterLudwig‐Maximillians‐Universität MünchenFeodor‐Lynen‐str 25MunichGermany
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical ChemistryGöttingenGermany
| | - Ulrike Gaul
- Department of Biochemistry, Gene CenterLudwig‐Maximillians‐Universität MünchenFeodor‐Lynen‐str 25MunichGermany
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53
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Yao Z, Scott K. Serotonergic neurons translate taste detection into internal nutrient regulation. Neuron 2022; 110:1036-1050.e7. [PMID: 35051377 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.12.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The nervous and endocrine systems coordinately monitor and regulate nutrient availability to maintain energy homeostasis. Sensory detection of food regulates internal nutrient availability in a manner that anticipates food intake, but sensory pathways that promote anticipatory physiological changes remain unclear. Here, we identify serotonergic (5-HT) neurons as critical mediators that transform gustatory detection by sensory neurons into the activation of insulin-producing cells and enteric neurons in Drosophila. One class of 5-HT neurons responds to gustatory detection of sugars, excites insulin-producing cells, and limits consumption, suggesting that they anticipate increased nutrient levels and prevent overconsumption. A second class of 5-HT neurons responds to gustatory detection of bitter compounds and activates enteric neurons to promote gastric motility, likely to stimulate digestion and increase circulating nutrients upon food rejection. These studies demonstrate that 5-HT neurons relay acute gustatory detection to divergent pathways for longer-term stabilization of circulating nutrients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zepeng Yao
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| | - Kristin Scott
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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54
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Lu J, Behbahani AH, Hamburg L, Westeinde EA, Dawson PM, Lyu C, Maimon G, Dickinson MH, Druckmann S, Wilson RI. Transforming representations of movement from body- to world-centric space. Nature 2022; 601:98-104. [PMID: 34912123 PMCID: PMC10759448 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04191-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
When an animal moves through the world, its brain receives a stream of information about the body's translational velocity from motor commands and sensory feedback signals. These incoming signals are referenced to the body, but ultimately, they must be transformed into world-centric coordinates for navigation1,2. Here we show that this computation occurs in the fan-shaped body in the brain of Drosophila melanogaster. We identify two cell types, PFNd and PFNv3-5, that conjunctively encode translational velocity and heading as a fly walks. In these cells, velocity signals are acquired from locomotor brain regions6 and are multiplied with heading signals from the compass system. PFNd neurons prefer forward-ipsilateral movement, whereas PFNv neurons prefer backward-contralateral movement, and perturbing PFNd neurons disrupts idiothetic path integration in walking flies7. Downstream, PFNd and PFNv neurons converge onto hΔB neurons, with a connectivity pattern that pools together heading and translation direction combinations corresponding to the same movement in world-centric space. This network motif effectively performs a rotation of the brain's representation of body-centric translational velocity according to the current heading direction. Consistent with our predictions, we observe that hΔB neurons form a representation of translational velocity in world-centric coordinates. By integrating this representation over time, it should be possible for the brain to form a working memory of the path travelled through the environment8-10.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Lu
- Department of Neurobiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Amir H Behbahani
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Lydia Hamburg
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Elena A Westeinde
- Department of Neurobiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Paul M Dawson
- Department of Neurobiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cheng Lyu
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Function and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gaby Maimon
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Function and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael H Dickinson
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Shaul Druckmann
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Rachel I Wilson
- Department of Neurobiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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55
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Fölsz O, Lin CC, Task D, Riabinina O, Potter CJ. The Q-system: A Versatile Repressible Binary Expression System. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2540:35-78. [PMID: 35980572 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2541-5_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Binary expression systems are useful genetic tools for experimentally labeling or manipulating the function of defined cells. The Q-system is a repressible binary expression system that consists of a transcription factor QF (and the recently improved QF2/QF2w), the inhibitor QS, a QUAS-geneX effector, and a drug that inhibits QS (quinic acid). The Q-system can be used alone or in combination with other binary expression systems, such as GAL4/UAS and LexA/LexAop. In this review chapter, we discuss the past, present, and future of the Q-system for applications in Drosophila and other organisms. We discuss the in vivo application of the Q-system for transgenic labeling, the modular nature of QF that allows chimeric or split transcriptional activators to be developed, its temporal control by quinic acid, new methods to generate QF2 reagents, intersectional expression labeling, and its recent adoption into many emerging experimental species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orsolya Fölsz
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Chun-Chieh Lin
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Giesel School of Medicine, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Darya Task
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Christopher J Potter
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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56
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Omelchenko AA, Bai H, Spina EC, Tyrrell JJ, Wilbourne JT, Ni L. Cool and warm ionotropic receptors control multiple thermotaxes in Drosophila larvae. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:1023492. [PMID: 36452407 PMCID: PMC9701816 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1023492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals are continuously confronted with different rates of temperature variation. The mechanism underlying how temperature-sensing systems detect and respond to fast and slow temperature changes is not fully understood in fly larvae. Here, we applied two-choice behavioral assays to mimic fast temperature variations and a gradient assay to model slow temperature changes. Previous research indicates that Rhodopsin 1 (Rh1) and its phospholipase C (PLC) cascade regulate fast and slow temperature responses. We focused on the ionotropic receptors (IRs) expressed in dorsal organ ganglions (DOG), in which dorsal organ cool-activated cells (DOCCs) and warm-activated cells (DOWCs) rely on IR-formed cool and warm receptors to respond to temperature changes. In two-choice assays, both cool and warm IRs are sufficient for selecting 18°C between 18°C and 25°C but neither function in cool preferences between 25°C and 32°C. The Rh1 pathway, on the other hand, contributes to choosing preferred temperatures in both assays. In a gradient assay, cool and warm IR receptors exert opposite effects to guide animals to ∼25°C. Cool IRs drive animals to avoid cool temperatures, whereas warm IRs guide them to leave warm regions. The Rh1 cascade and warm IRs may function in the same pathway to drive warm avoidance in gradient assays. Moreover, IR92a is not expressed in temperature-responsive neurons but regulates the activation of DOWCs and the deactivation of DOCCs. Together with previous studies, we conclude that multiple thermosensory systems, in various collaborative ways, help larvae to make their optimal choices in response to different rates of temperature change.
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57
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di Pietro F, Herszterg S, Huang A, Bosveld F, Alexandre C, Sancéré L, Pelletier S, Joudat A, Kapoor V, Vincent JP, Bellaïche Y. Rapid and robust optogenetic control of gene expression in Drosophila. Dev Cell 2021; 56:3393-3404.e7. [PMID: 34879263 PMCID: PMC8693864 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Deciphering gene function requires the ability to control gene expression in space and time. Binary systems such as the Gal4/UAS provide a powerful means to modulate gene expression and to induce loss or gain of function. This is best exemplified in Drosophila, where the Gal4/UAS system has been critical to discover conserved mechanisms in development, physiology, neurobiology, and metabolism, to cite a few. Here we describe a transgenic light-inducible Gal4/UAS system (ShineGal4/UAS) based on Magnet photoswitches. We show that it allows efficient, rapid, and robust activation of UAS-driven transgenes in different tissues and at various developmental stages in Drosophila. Furthermore, we illustrate how ShineGal4 enables the generation of gain and loss-of-function phenotypes at animal, organ, and cellular levels. Thanks to the large repertoire of UAS-driven transgenes, ShineGal4 enriches the Drosophila genetic toolkit by allowing in vivo control of gene expression with high temporal and spatial resolutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florencia di Pietro
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR 3215, Inserm U934, Genetics and Developmental Biology, 75005 Paris, France
| | | | - Anqi Huang
- Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Rd, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Floris Bosveld
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR 3215, Inserm U934, Genetics and Developmental Biology, 75005 Paris, France
| | | | - Lucas Sancéré
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR 3215, Inserm U934, Genetics and Developmental Biology, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Stéphane Pelletier
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR 3215, Inserm U934, Genetics and Developmental Biology, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Amina Joudat
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR 3215, Inserm U934, Genetics and Developmental Biology, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Varun Kapoor
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR 3215, Inserm U934, Genetics and Developmental Biology, 75005 Paris, France
| | | | - Yohanns Bellaïche
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR 3215, Inserm U934, Genetics and Developmental Biology, 75005 Paris, France.
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58
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Dierick HA, Ben-Shahar Y, Raman B, Gabbiani F. Genetic and viral approaches to record or manipulate neurons in insects. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 48:79-88. [PMID: 34710643 PMCID: PMC8648980 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2021.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The development of genetically encoded tools to record and manipulate neurons in vivo has greatly increased our understanding of how neuronal activity affects behavior. Recent advances enable the use of these tools in species not typically considered genetically tractable. This progress is revolutionizing neuroscience in general, and insect neuroethology in particular. Here we cover the latest innovations and some of their applications in phylogenetically diverse insect species. We discuss the importance and implications of these approaches for both basic and translational research. We focus on genetically encoded and virally encoded tools used for calcium imaging, optogenetics, and synaptic silencing. Finally, we discuss potential future developments of universally applicable, modular, and user-friendly genetic toolkits for neuroethological studies of insect behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Herman A Dierick
- Dep. of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, United States
| | | | - Baranidharan Raman
- Dep. of Bioengineering, Washington University in St. Louis, United States
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59
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Hugin + neurons provide a link between sleep homeostat and circadian clock neurons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2111183118. [PMID: 34782479 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2111183118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep is controlled by homeostatic mechanisms, which drive sleep after wakefulness, and a circadian clock, which confers the 24-h rhythm of sleep. These processes interact with each other to control the timing of sleep in a daily cycle as well as following sleep deprivation. However, the mechanisms by which they interact are poorly understood. We show here that hugin + neurons, previously identified as neurons that function downstream of the clock to regulate rhythms of locomotor activity, are also targets of the sleep homeostat. Sleep deprivation decreases activity of hugin + neurons, likely to suppress circadian-driven activity during recovery sleep, and ablation of hugin + neurons promotes sleep increases generated by activation of the homeostatic sleep locus, the dorsal fan-shaped body (dFB). Also, mutations in peptides produced by the hugin + locus increase recovery sleep following deprivation. Transsynaptic mapping reveals that hugin + neurons feed back onto central clock neurons, which also show decreased activity upon sleep loss, in a Hugin peptide-dependent fashion. We propose that hugin + neurons integrate circadian and sleep signals to modulate circadian circuitry and regulate the timing of sleep.
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60
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Vrontou E, Groschner LN, Szydlowski S, Brain R, Krebbers A, Miesenböck G. Response competition between neurons and antineurons in the mushroom body. Curr Biol 2021; 31:4911-4922.e4. [PMID: 34610272 PMCID: PMC8612741 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
The mushroom bodies of Drosophila contain circuitry compatible with race models of perceptual choice. When flies discriminate odor intensity differences, opponent pools of αβ core Kenyon cells (on and off αβc KCs) accumulate evidence for increases or decreases in odor concentration. These sensory neurons and “antineurons” connect to a layer of mushroom body output neurons (MBONs) which bias behavioral intent in opposite ways. All-to-all connectivity between the competing integrators and their MBON partners allows for correct and erroneous decisions; dopaminergic reinforcement sets choice probabilities via reciprocal changes to the efficacies of on and off KC synapses; and pooled inhibition between αβc KCs can establish equivalence with the drift-diffusion formalism known to describe behavioral performance. The response competition network gives tangible form to many features envisioned in theoretical models of mammalian decision making, but it differs from these models in one respect: the principal variables—the fill levels of the integrators and the strength of inhibition between them—are represented by graded potentials rather than spikes. In pursuit of similar computational goals, a small brain may thus prioritize the large information capacity of analog signals over the robustness and temporal processing span of pulsatile codes. Mushroom body output neurons respond with excitation to odor on- and offset On and off responses reflect the convergence of oppositely tuned Kenyon cells (KCs) Opponent KCs compete by eliciting inhibitory feedback from a common interneuron pool KCs and interneurons communicate through graded potentials rather than spikes
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleftheria Vrontou
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | - Lukas N Groschner
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | - Susanne Szydlowski
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | - Ruth Brain
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | - Alina Krebbers
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | - Gero Miesenböck
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK.
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61
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Li Y, Walker LA, Zhao Y, Edwards EM, Michki NS, Cheng HPJ, Ghazzi M, Chen TY, Chen M, Roossien DH, Cai D. Bitbow Enables Highly Efficient Neuronal Lineage Tracing and Morphology Reconstruction in Single Drosophila Brains. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:732183. [PMID: 34744636 PMCID: PMC8564373 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.732183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying the cellular origins and mapping the dendritic and axonal arbors of neurons have been century old quests to understand the heterogeneity among these brain cells. Current Brainbow based transgenic animals take the advantage of multispectral labeling to differentiate neighboring cells or lineages, however, their applications are limited by the color capacity. To improve the analysis throughput, we designed Bitbow, a digital format of Brainbow which exponentially expands the color palette to provide tens of thousands of spectrally resolved unique labels. We generated transgenic Bitbow Drosophila lines, established statistical tools, and streamlined sample preparation, image processing, and data analysis pipelines to conveniently mapping neural lineages, studying neuronal morphology and revealing neural network patterns with unprecedented speed, scale, and resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Li
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Logan A Walker
- Biophysics LS&A, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Yimeng Zhao
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Erica M Edwards
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Nigel S Michki
- Biophysics LS&A, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Hon Pong Jimmy Cheng
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Marya Ghazzi
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Tiffany Y Chen
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Maggie Chen
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Douglas H Roossien
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Dawen Cai
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Biophysics LS&A, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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62
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Male-biased protein expression in primordial germ cells, identified through a comparative study of UAS vectors in Drosophila. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21482. [PMID: 34728669 PMCID: PMC8564522 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00729-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In Drosophila, three types of UAS vectors (UASt, UASp, and UASz) are currently available for use with the Gal4-UAS system. They have been used successfully in somatic cells and germline cells from ovaries. However, it remains unclear whether they are functional in the germline cells of embryos, larvae, and adult testes. In this study, we found that all three types of UAS vectors were functional in the germline cells of embryos and larvae and that the UASt and UASz vectors were active in the germline of the distal tip region in adult testes. Moreover, we observed that protein expression from the UAS vectors was male-biased in germline cells of late embryos, whereas their respective mRNA expression levels were not. Furthermore, O-propargyl-puromycin (OPP) staining revealed that protein synthesis was male-biased in these germline cells. In addition, GO terms related to translation and ribosomal maturation were significantly enriched in the male germline. These observations show that translational activity is higher in male than in female germline cells. Therefore, we propose that male-biased protein synthesis may be responsible for the sex differences observed in the early germline.
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63
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Li F, Yamamoto A, Belikoff EJ, Berger A, Griffith EH, Scott MJ. A conditional female lethal system for genetic suppression of the global fruit crop pest Drosophila suzukii. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2021; 77:4915-4922. [PMID: 34169646 DOI: 10.1002/ps.6530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931, Diptera: Drosophilidae) is a global pest of soft-skinned fruits such as blueberries, cherries and raspberries. Also known as spotted-wing drosophila, D. suzukii is native to Asia but is now widely distributed in the Americas and Europe, and presents a serious challenge for growers. Genetic control strategies offer an environmentally friendly approach for the control of D. suzukii. RESULTS In this study, we developed transgenic strains of D. suzukii that carry dominant conditional female lethal transgenes. When raised in the absence of tetracycline, female D. suzukii die. We show that repeated releases of an excess of transgenic males can suppress D. suzukii populations in laboratory cage trials. CONCLUSION Our data suggest that the transgenic strain could provide an effective approach for control of this invasive pest of soft-skinned fruits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Li
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Akihiko Yamamoto
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Esther J Belikoff
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Amy Berger
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Emily H Griffith
- Department of Statistics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Maxwell J Scott
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
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64
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Kandul NP, Belikoff EJ, Liu J, Buchman A, Li F, Yamamoto A, Yang T, Shriner I, Scott MJ, Akbari OS. Genetically Encoded CRISPR Components Yield Efficient Gene Editing in the Invasive Pest Drosophila suzukii. CRISPR J 2021; 4:739-751. [PMID: 34661429 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2021.0032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Originally from Asia, Drosophila suzukii Matsumura is a global pest of economically important soft-skinned fruits. Also commonly known as spotted wing drosophila, it is largely controlled through repeated applications of broad-spectrum insecticides by which resistance has been observed in the field. There is a pressing need for a better understanding of D. suzukii biology and for developing alternative environmentally friendly methods of control. The RNA-guided Cas9 nuclease has revolutionized functional genomics and is an integral component of several recently developed genetic strategies for population control of insects. Here, we describe genetically modified strains that encode three different terminators and four different promoters to express Cas9 robustly in both the soma and/or germline of D. suzukii. The Cas9 strains were rigorously evaluated through genetic crossing to transgenic strains that encode single-guide RNAs targeting the conserved X-linked yellow body and white eye genes. We find that several Cas9/gRNA strains display remarkably high editing capacity. Going forward, these tools will be instrumental for evaluating gene function in D. suzukii and may even provide tools useful for the development of new genetic strategies for control of this invasive species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolay P Kandul
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA; and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Esther J Belikoff
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Junru Liu
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA; and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Anna Buchman
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA; and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Fang Li
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Akihiko Yamamoto
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ting Yang
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA; and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Isaiah Shriner
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA; and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Maxwell J Scott
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Omar S Akbari
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA; and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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65
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Gruntman E, Reimers P, Romani S, Reiser MB. Non-preferred contrast responses in the Drosophila motion pathways reveal a receptive field structure that explains a common visual illusion. Curr Biol 2021; 31:5286-5298.e7. [PMID: 34672960 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.09.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Diverse sensory systems, from audition to thermosensation, feature a separation of inputs into ON (increments) and OFF (decrements) signals. In the Drosophila visual system, separate ON and OFF pathways compute the direction of motion, yet anatomical and functional studies have identified some crosstalk between these channels. We used this well-studied circuit to ask whether the motion computation depends on ON-OFF pathway crosstalk. Using whole-cell electrophysiology, we recorded visual responses of T4 (ON) and T5 (OFF) cells, mapped their composite ON-OFF receptive fields, and found that they share a similar spatiotemporal structure. We fit a biophysical model to these receptive fields that accurately predicts directionally selective T4 and T5 responses to both ON and OFF moving stimuli. This model also provides a detailed mechanistic explanation for the directional preference inversion in response to the prominent reverse-phi illusion. Finally, we used the steering responses of tethered flying flies to validate the model's predicted effects of varying stimulus parameters on the behavioral turning inversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eyal Gruntman
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA, USA.
| | - Pablo Reimers
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Sandro Romani
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Michael B Reiser
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA, USA.
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66
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Gamez S, Vesga LC, Mendez-Sanchez SC, Akbari OS. Spatial control of gene expression in flies using bacterially derived binary transactivation systems. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 30:461-471. [PMID: 33963794 PMCID: PMC8459377 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Controlling gene expression is an instrumental tool for biotechnology, as it enables the dissection of gene function, affording precise spatial-temporal resolution. To generate this control, binary transactivational systems have been used employing a modular activator consisting of a DNA binding domain(s) fused to activation domain(s). For fly genetics, many binary transactivational systems have been exploited in vivo; however, as the study of complex problems often requires multiple systems that can be used in parallel, there is a need to identify additional bipartite genetic systems. To expand this molecular genetic toolbox, we tested multiple bacterially derived binary transactivational systems in Drosophila melanogaster including the p-CymR operon from Pseudomonas putida, PipR operon from Streptomyces coelicolor, TtgR operon from Pseudomonas putida and the VanR operon from Caulobacter crescentus. Our work provides the first characterization of these systems in an animal model in vivo. For each system, we demonstrate robust tissue-specific spatial transactivation of reporter gene expression, enabling future studies to exploit these transactivational systems for molecular genetic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Gamez
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Luis C. Vesga
- Group for Research in Biochemistry and Microbiology (Grupo de Investigación en Bioquímica Y Microbiología-GIBIM), School of Chemistry, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia
| | - Stelia C. Mendez-Sanchez
- Group for Research in Biochemistry and Microbiology (Grupo de Investigación en Bioquímica Y Microbiología-GIBIM), School of Chemistry, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia
| | - Omar S. Akbari
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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67
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Behnke JA, Ye C, Moberg KH, Zheng JQ. A protocol to detect neurodegeneration in Drosophila melanogaster whole-brain mounts using advanced microscopy. STAR Protoc 2021; 2:100689. [PMID: 34382016 PMCID: PMC8339312 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2021.100689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster is an excellent model organism to study neurodegeneration. Assessing evident neurodegeneration within the fly brain involves the laborious preparation of thin-sectioned H&E-stained heads to visualize brain vacuole degeneration. Here, we present an advanced microscopy-based protocol, without the need for sectioning, to detect vacuole degeneration within whole fly brains by applying commonly used stains to reveal the brain parenchyma. This approach preserves the whole-brain architecture and enables rapid, reproducible, and quantitative analyses of vacuole-like degeneration associated with specific brain regions. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Behnke et al. (2021).
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A Behnke
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Changtian Ye
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Kenneth H Moberg
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - James Q Zheng
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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68
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Matinyan N, Karkhanis MS, Gonzalez Y, Jain A, Saltzman A, Malovannaya A, Sarrion-Perdigones A, Dierick HA, Venken KJT. Multiplexed drug-based selection and counterselection genetic manipulations in Drosophila. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109700. [PMID: 34525356 PMCID: PMC8480232 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The power of Drosophila melanogaster as a model system relies on tractable germline genetic manipulations. Despite Drosophila's expansive genetics toolbox, such manipulations are still accomplished one change at a time and depend predominantly on phenotypic screening. We describe a drug-based genetic platform consisting of four selection and two counterselection markers, eliminating the need to screen for modified progeny. These markers work reliably individually or in combination to produce specific genetic outcomes. We demonstrate three example applications of multiplexed drug-based genetics by generating (1) transgenic animals, expressing both components of binary overexpression systems in a single transgenesis step; (2) dual selectable and counterselectable balancer chromosomes; and (3) selectable, fluorescently tagged P[acman] bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) strains. We perform immunoprecipitation followed by proteomic analysis on one tagged BAC line, demonstrating our platform's applicability to biological discovery. Lastly, we provide a plasmid library resource to facilitate custom transgene design and technology transfer to other model systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick Matinyan
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Integrative Molecular Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Mansi S Karkhanis
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yezabel Gonzalez
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Antrix Jain
- Advanced Technology Cores, Mass Spectrometry Proteomics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Alexander Saltzman
- Advanced Technology Cores, Mass Spectrometry Proteomics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Anna Malovannaya
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Advanced Technology Cores, Mass Spectrometry Proteomics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Alejandro Sarrion-Perdigones
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Herman A Dierick
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Koen J T Venken
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Integrative Molecular Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; McNair Medical Institute at The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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69
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Beathard C, Mooney S, Al-Saharin R, Goyer A, Hellmann H. Characterization of Arabidopsis thaliana R2R3 S23 MYB Transcription Factors as Novel Targets of the Ubiquitin Proteasome-Pathway and Regulators of Salt Stress and Abscisic Acid Response. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:629208. [PMID: 34489986 PMCID: PMC8417012 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.629208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Rapid response to environmental changes and abiotic stress to coordinate developmental programs is critical for plants. To accomplish this, plants use the ubiquitin proteasome pathway as a flexible and efficient mechanism to control protein stability and to direct cellular reactions. Here, we show that all three members of the R2R3 S23 MYB transcription factor subfamily, MYB1, MYB25, and MYB109, are degraded by the 26S proteasome, likely facilitated by a CUL3-based E3 ligase that uses MATH-BTB/POZ proteins as substrate adaptors. A detailed description of MYB1, MYB25, and MYB109 expression shows their nuclear localization and specific tissue specific expression patterns. It further demonstrates that elevated expression of MYB25 reduces sensitivities toward abscisic acid, osmotic and salt stress in Arabidopsis, while downregulation of all S23 members results in hypersensitivities. Transcriptional profiling in root and shoot of seedlings overexpressing MYB25 shows that the transcription factor widely affects cellular stress pathways related to biotic and abiotic stress control. Overall, the work extends our knowledge on proteins targeted by CUL3-based E3 ligases that use MATH-BTB/POZ proteins as substrate adaptors and provides first information on all members of the MYB S23 subfamily.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chase Beathard
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Sutton Mooney
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Raed Al-Saharin
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
- Department of Applied Biology, Tafila Technical University, At-Tafilah, Jordan
| | - Aymeric Goyer
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Oregon State University, Hermiston, OR, United States
| | - Hanjo Hellmann
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
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70
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Keller JP, Marvin JS, Lacin H, Lemon WC, Shea J, Kim S, Lee RT, Koyama M, Keller PJ, Looger LL. In vivo glucose imaging in multiple model organisms with an engineered single-wavelength sensor. Cell Rep 2021; 35:109284. [PMID: 34161775 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucose is arguably the most important molecule in metabolism, and its dysregulation underlies diabetes. We describe a family of single-wavelength genetically encoded glucose sensors with a high signal-to-noise ratio, fast kinetics, and affinities varying over four orders of magnitude (1 μM to 10 mM). The sensors allow mechanistic characterization of glucose transporters expressed in cultured cells with high spatial and temporal resolution. Imaging of neuron/glia co-cultures revealed ∼3-fold faster glucose changes in astrocytes. In larval Drosophila central nervous system explants, intracellular neuronal glucose fluxes suggested a rostro-caudal transport pathway in the ventral nerve cord neuropil. In zebrafish, expected glucose-related physiological sequelae of insulin and epinephrine treatments were directly visualized. Additionally, spontaneous muscle twitches induced glucose uptake in muscle, and sensory and pharmacological perturbations produced large changes in the brain. These sensors will enable rapid, high-resolution imaging of glucose influx, efflux, and metabolism in behaving animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob P Keller
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA.
| | - Jonathan S Marvin
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Haluk Lacin
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - William C Lemon
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Jamien Shea
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Soomin Kim
- Harvard Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Richard T Lee
- Harvard Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Cambridge, MA, USA; The Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Minoru Koyama
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Philipp J Keller
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Loren L Looger
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA.
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71
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Heredia F, Volonté Y, Pereirinha J, Fernandez-Acosta M, Casimiro AP, Belém CG, Viegas F, Tanaka K, Menezes J, Arana M, Cardoso GA, Macedo A, Kotowicz M, Prado Spalm FH, Dibo MJ, Monfardini RD, Torres TT, Mendes CS, Garelli A, Gontijo AM. The steroid-hormone ecdysone coordinates parallel pupariation neuromotor and morphogenetic subprograms via epidermis-to-neuron Dilp8-Lgr3 signal induction. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3328. [PMID: 34099654 PMCID: PMC8184853 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23218-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Innate behaviors consist of a succession of genetically-hardwired motor and physiological subprograms that can be coupled to drastic morphogenetic changes. How these integrative responses are orchestrated is not completely understood. Here, we provide insight into these mechanisms by studying pupariation, a multi-step innate behavior of Drosophila larvae that is critical for survival during metamorphosis. We find that the steroid-hormone ecdysone triggers parallel pupariation neuromotor and morphogenetic subprograms, which include the induction of the relaxin-peptide hormone, Dilp8, in the epidermis. Dilp8 acts on six Lgr3-positive thoracic interneurons to couple both subprograms in time and to instruct neuromotor subprogram switching during behavior. Our work reveals that interorgan feedback gates progression between subunits of an innate behavior and points to an ancestral neuromodulatory function of relaxin signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiana Heredia
- CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Center, NOVA Medical School | Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Yanel Volonté
- CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Center, NOVA Medical School | Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- INIBIBB, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahia Blanca, Universidad Nacional del Sur - CONICET, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Joana Pereirinha
- CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Center, NOVA Medical School | Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Mainz, Germany
| | - Magdalena Fernandez-Acosta
- CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Center, NOVA Medical School | Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Andreia P Casimiro
- CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Center, NOVA Medical School | Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Cláudia G Belém
- CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Center, NOVA Medical School | Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Filipe Viegas
- CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Center, NOVA Medical School | Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kohtaro Tanaka
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciências, Oeiras, Portugal
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Juliane Menezes
- CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Center, NOVA Medical School | Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Maite Arana
- INIBIBB, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahia Blanca, Universidad Nacional del Sur - CONICET, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Gisele A Cardoso
- CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Center, NOVA Medical School | Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Laboratório de Genômica e Evolução de Artrópodes, Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- CBMEG, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - André Macedo
- CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Center, NOVA Medical School | Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Malwina Kotowicz
- CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Center, NOVA Medical School | Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- DZNE, Helmholtz Association, Bonn, Germany
| | - Facundo H Prado Spalm
- INIBIBB, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahia Blanca, Universidad Nacional del Sur - CONICET, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Marcos J Dibo
- INIBIBB, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahia Blanca, Universidad Nacional del Sur - CONICET, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Raquel D Monfardini
- CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Center, NOVA Medical School | Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Laboratório de Genômica e Evolução de Artrópodes, Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tatiana T Torres
- Laboratório de Genômica e Evolução de Artrópodes, Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - César S Mendes
- CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Center, NOVA Medical School | Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Andres Garelli
- CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Center, NOVA Medical School | Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
- INIBIBB, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahia Blanca, Universidad Nacional del Sur - CONICET, Bahía Blanca, Argentina.
| | - Alisson M Gontijo
- CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Center, NOVA Medical School | Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
- The Discoveries Centre for Regenerative and Precision Medicine, Lisbon Campus, Rua do Instituto Bacteriológico 5, 1150-190, Lisbon, Portugal.
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72
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Hintze M, Katsanos D, Shahrezaei V, Barkoulas M. Phenotypic Robustness of Epidermal Stem Cell Number in C. elegans Is Modulated by the Activity of the Conserved N-acetyltransferase nath-10/NAT10. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:640856. [PMID: 34084768 PMCID: PMC8168469 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.640856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Individual cells and organisms experience perturbations from internal and external sources, yet manage to buffer these to produce consistent phenotypes, a property known as robustness. While phenotypic robustness has often been examined in unicellular organisms, it has not been sufficiently studied in multicellular animals. Here, we investigate phenotypic robustness in Caenorhabditis elegans seam cells. Seam cells are stem cell-like epithelial cells along the lateral edges of the animal, which go through asymmetric and symmetric divisions contributing cells to the hypodermis and neurons, while replenishing the stem cell reservoir. The terminal number of seam cells is almost invariant in the wild-type population, allowing the investigation of how developmental precision is achieved. We report here that a loss-of-function mutation in the highly conserved N-acetyltransferase nath-10/NAT10 increases seam cell number variance in the isogenic population. RNA-seq analysis revealed increased levels of mRNA transcript variability in nath-10 mutant populations, which may have an impact on the phenotypic variability observed. Furthermore, we found disruption of Wnt signaling upon perturbing nath-10 function, as evidenced by changes in POP-1/TCF nuclear distribution and ectopic activation of its GATA transcription factor target egl-18. These results highlight that NATH-10/NAT-10 can influence phenotypic variability partly through modulation of the Wnt signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Hintze
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dimitris Katsanos
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Vahid Shahrezaei
- Department of Mathematics, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
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73
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Behnke JA, Ye C, Setty A, Moberg KH, Zheng JQ. Repetitive mild head trauma induces activity mediated lifelong brain deficits in a novel Drosophila model. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9738. [PMID: 33958652 PMCID: PMC8102574 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89121-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Mild head trauma, including concussion, can lead to chronic brain dysfunction and degeneration but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we developed a novel head impact system to investigate the long-term effects of mild head trauma on brain structure and function, as well as the underlying mechanisms in Drosophila melanogaster. We find that Drosophila subjected to repetitive head impacts develop long-term deficits, including impaired startle-induced climbing, progressive brain degeneration, and shortened lifespan, all of which are substantially exacerbated in female flies. Interestingly, head impacts elicit an elevation in neuronal activity and its acute suppression abrogates the detrimental effects in female flies. Together, our findings validate Drosophila as a suitable model system for investigating the long-term effects of mild head trauma, suggest an increased vulnerability to brain injury in female flies, and indicate that early altered neuronal excitability may be a key mechanism linking mild brain trauma to chronic degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A Behnke
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Changtian Ye
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Aayush Setty
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Kenneth H Moberg
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - James Q Zheng
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
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74
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Wan J, Peng W, Li X, Qian T, Song K, Zeng J, Deng F, Hao S, Feng J, Zhang P, Zhang Y, Zou J, Pan S, Shin M, Venton BJ, Zhu JJ, Jing M, Xu M, Li Y. A genetically encoded sensor for measuring serotonin dynamics. Nat Neurosci 2021; 24:746-752. [PMID: 33821000 PMCID: PMC8544647 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-00823-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Serotonin (5-HT) is a phylogenetically conserved monoamine neurotransmitter modulating important processes in the brain. To directly visualize the release of 5-HT, we developed a genetically encoded G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-activation-based 5-HT (GRAB5-HT) sensor with high sensitivity, high selectivity, subsecond kinetics and subcellular resolution. GRAB5-HT detects 5-HT release in multiple physiological and pathological conditions in both flies and mice and provides new insights into the dynamics and mechanisms of 5-HT signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinxia Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China,PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Wanling Peng
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xuelin Li
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Tongrui Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China,PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Kun Song
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Jianzhi Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China,PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Fei Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China,PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Suyu Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China,PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jiesi Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China,PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Yajun Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Jing Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China,PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China,Department of Biological Sciences, Neurobiology Section, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Sunlei Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China,PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Mimi Shin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - B. Jill Venton
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - J. Julius Zhu
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Miao Jing
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Min Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China,PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China,Manuscript correspondence: Yulong Li ()
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75
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Tyrrell JJ, Wilbourne JT, Omelchenko AA, Yoon J, Ni L. Ionotropic Receptor-dependent cool cells control the transition of temperature preference in Drosophila larvae. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009499. [PMID: 33826603 PMCID: PMC8055001 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Temperature sensation guides animals to avoid temperature extremes and to seek their optimal temperatures. The larval stage of Drosophila development has a dramatic effect on temperature preference. While early-stage Drosophila larvae pursue a warm temperature, late-stage larvae seek a significantly lower temperature. Previous studies suggest that this transition depends on multiple rhodopsins at the late larval stage. Here, we show that early-stage larvae, in which dorsal organ cool cells (DOCCs) are functionally blocked, exhibit similar cool preference to that of wild type late-stage larvae. The molecular thermoreceptors in DOCCs are formed by three members of the Ionotropic Receptor (IR) family, IR21a, IR93a, and IR25a. Early-stage larvae of each Ir mutant pursue a cool temperature, similar to that of wild type late-stage larvae. At the late larval stage, DOCCs express decreased IR proteins and exhibit reduced cool responses. Importantly, late-stage larvae that overexpress IR21a, IR93a, and IR25a in DOCCs exhibit similar warm preference to that of wild type early-stage larvae. These data suggest that IR21a, IR93a, and IR25a in DOCCs navigate early-stage larvae to avoid cool temperatures and the reduction of these IR proteins in DOCCs results in animals remaining in cool regions during the late larval stage. Together with previous studies, we conclude that multiple temperature-sensing systems are regulated for the transition of temperature preference in fruit fly larvae. Animals depend on their temperature-sensing systems to avoid noxious temperature extremes and to seek optimal temperatures to survive, mate, and reproduce. Some animals pursue different optimal temperatures during development. We use fruit flies as a model to investigate how temperature-sensing systems are modulated to guide animals to distinct optimal temperatures during development. While early-stage fruit fly larvae pursue a warm temperature, late-stage larvae seek a lower temperature. Previous studies find that this transition depends on multiple rhodopsin molecules. In this study, we find an additional mechanism that also contributes to this transition. At the early larval stage, a set of cool-sensing cells express a high level of cool responsive molecules, respond strongly to low temperatures, and drive animals to avoid cool regions. At the late larval stage, these cool-sensing cells become less sensitive to low temperatures due to the decreased expression of cool responsive molecules and, thus, animals remain in cool regions. Together with previous studies, we conclude that multiple temperature-sensing systems are regulated for the transition of temperature preference in fruit fly larvae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan J. Tyrrell
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Jackson T. Wilbourne
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Alisa A. Omelchenko
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Jin Yoon
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Lina Ni
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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76
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Pooryasin A, Maglione M, Schubert M, Matkovic-Rachid T, Hasheminasab SM, Pech U, Fiala A, Mielke T, Sigrist SJ. Unc13A and Unc13B contribute to the decoding of distinct sensory information in Drosophila. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1932. [PMID: 33771998 PMCID: PMC7997984 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22180-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The physical distance between presynaptic Ca2+ channels and the Ca2+ sensors triggering the release of neurotransmitter-containing vesicles regulates short-term plasticity (STP). While STP is highly diversified across synapse types, the computational and behavioral relevance of this diversity remains unclear. In the Drosophila brain, at nanoscale level, we can distinguish distinct coupling distances between Ca2+ channels and the (m)unc13 family priming factors, Unc13A and Unc13B. Importantly, coupling distance defines release components with distinct STP characteristics. Here, we show that while Unc13A and Unc13B both contribute to synaptic signalling, they play distinct roles in neural decoding of olfactory information at excitatory projection neuron (ePN) output synapses. Unc13A clusters closer to Ca2+ channels than Unc13B, specifically promoting fast phasic signal transfer. Reduction of Unc13A in ePNs attenuates responses to both aversive and appetitive stimuli, while reduction of Unc13B provokes a general shift towards appetitive values. Collectively, we provide direct genetic evidence that release components of distinct nanoscopic coupling distances differentially control STP to play distinct roles in neural decoding of sensory information. The physical distance between synaptic Ca2+ channels and sensors modulates short-term plasticity (STP). Here, the authors show that synaptic release factors Unc13A and Unc13B distinctly couple with Ca2+ channels and contribute to the neural decoding of distinct sensory information in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atefeh Pooryasin
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marta Maglione
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marco Schubert
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Sayed-Mohammad Hasheminasab
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany.,CCU Translational Radiation Oncology, DKTK, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ulrike Pech
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Laboratory of Neuronal Communication, VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, K.U.Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - André Fiala
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Thorsten Mielke
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Microscopy and Cryo-Electron Microscopy Group, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stephan J Sigrist
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany. .,NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany.
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77
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Axonal chemokine-like Orion induces astrocyte infiltration and engulfment during mushroom body neuronal remodeling. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1849. [PMID: 33758182 PMCID: PMC7988174 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22054-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The remodeling of neurons is a conserved fundamental mechanism underlying nervous system maturation and function. Astrocytes can clear neuronal debris and they have an active role in neuronal remodeling. Developmental axon pruning of Drosophila memory center neurons occurs via a degenerative process mediated by infiltrating astrocytes. However, how astrocytes are recruited to the axons during brain development is unclear. Using an unbiased screen, we identify the gene requirement of orion, encoding for a chemokine-like protein, in the developing mushroom bodies. Functional analysis shows that Orion is necessary for both axonal pruning and removal of axonal debris. Orion performs its functions extracellularly and bears some features common to chemokines, a family of chemoattractant cytokines. We propose that Orion is a neuronal signal that elicits astrocyte infiltration and astrocyte-driven axonal engulfment required during neuronal remodeling in the Drosophila developing brain. Astrocytes can engulf axonal debris in the developing brain. However, the mechanisms regulating astrocyte recruitment to the proper axons is unclear. Here, the authors identify Orion as a signal for astrocyte infiltration and engulfment to the mushroom bodies in the Drosophila developing brain.
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78
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Keleş MF, Hardcastle BJ, Städele C, Xiao Q, Frye MA. Inhibitory Interactions and Columnar Inputs to an Object Motion Detector in Drosophila. Cell Rep 2021; 30:2115-2124.e5. [PMID: 32075756 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.01.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The direction-selective T4/T5 cells innervate optic-flow processing projection neurons in the lobula plate of the fly that mediate the visual control of locomotion. In the lobula, visual projection neurons coordinate complex behavioral responses to visual features, however, the input circuitry and computations that bestow their feature-detecting properties are less clear. Here, we study a highly specialized small object motion detector, LC11, and demonstrate that its responses are suppressed by local background motion. We show that LC11 expresses GABA-A receptors that serve to sculpt responses to small objects but are not responsible for the rejection of background motion. Instead, LC11 is innervated by columnar T2 and T3 neurons that are themselves highly sensitive to small static or moving objects, insensitive to wide-field motion and, unlike T4/T5, respond to both ON and OFF luminance steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet F Keleş
- University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, 610 Charles Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7239, USA
| | - Ben J Hardcastle
- University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, 610 Charles Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7239, USA
| | - Carola Städele
- University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, 610 Charles Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7239, USA
| | - Qi Xiao
- University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, 610 Charles Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7239, USA; University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Biological Chemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Mark A Frye
- University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, 610 Charles Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7239, USA.
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79
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Kandul NP, Liu J, Bennett JB, Marshall JM, Akbari OS. A confinable home-and-rescue gene drive for population modification. eLife 2021; 10:e65939. [PMID: 33666174 PMCID: PMC7968924 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Homing-based gene drives, engineered using CRISPR/Cas9, have been proposed to spread desirable genes throughout populations. However, invasion of such drives can be hindered by the accumulation of resistant alleles. To limit this obstacle, we engineer a confinable population modification home-and-rescue (HomeR) drive in Drosophila targeting an essential gene. In our experiments, resistant alleles that disrupt the target gene function were recessive lethal and therefore disadvantaged. We demonstrate that HomeR can achieve an increase in frequency in population cage experiments, but that fitness costs due to the Cas9 insertion limit drive efficacy. Finally, we conduct mathematical modeling comparing HomeR to contemporary gene drive architectures for population modification over wide ranges of fitness costs, transmission rates, and release regimens. HomeR could potentially be adapted to other species, as a means for safe, confinable, modification of wild populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolay P Kandul
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Junru Liu
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Jared B Bennett
- Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - John M Marshall
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Omar S Akbari
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
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80
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Zandawala M, Nguyen T, Balanyà Segura M, Johard HAD, Amcoff M, Wegener C, Paluzzi JP, Nässel DR. A neuroendocrine pathway modulating osmotic stress in Drosophila. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009425. [PMID: 33684132 PMCID: PMC7971876 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental factors challenge the physiological homeostasis in animals, thereby evoking stress responses. Various mechanisms have evolved to counter stress at the organism level, including regulation by neuropeptides. In recent years, much progress has been made on the mechanisms and neuropeptides that regulate responses to metabolic/nutritional stress, as well as those involved in countering osmotic and ionic stresses. Here, we identified a peptidergic pathway that links these types of regulatory functions. We uncover the neuropeptide Corazonin (Crz), previously implicated in responses to metabolic stress, as a neuroendocrine factor that inhibits the release of a diuretic hormone, CAPA, and thereby modulates the tolerance to osmotic and ionic stress. Both knockdown of Crz and acute injections of Crz peptide impact desiccation tolerance and recovery from chill-coma. Mapping of the Crz receptor (CrzR) expression identified three pairs of Capa-expressing neurons (Va neurons) in the ventral nerve cord that mediate these effects of Crz. We show that Crz acts to restore water/ion homeostasis by inhibiting release of CAPA neuropeptides via inhibition of cAMP production in Va neurons. Knockdown of CrzR in Va neurons affects CAPA signaling, and consequently increases tolerance for desiccation, ionic stress and starvation, but delays chill-coma recovery. Optogenetic activation of Va neurons stimulates excretion and simultaneous activation of Crz and CAPA-expressing neurons reduces this response, supporting the inhibitory action of Crz. Thus, Crz inhibits Va neurons to maintain osmotic and ionic homeostasis, which in turn affects stress tolerance. Earlier work demonstrated that systemic Crz signaling restores nutrient levels by promoting food search and feeding. Here we additionally propose that Crz signaling also ensures osmotic homeostasis by inhibiting release of CAPA neuropeptides and suppressing diuresis. Thus, Crz ameliorates stress-associated physiology through systemic modulation of both peptidergic neurosecretory cells and the fat body in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meet Zandawala
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Thomas Nguyen
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marta Balanyà Segura
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Würzburg Insect Research (WIR), Theodor-Boveri-Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Germany
| | | | - Mirjam Amcoff
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christian Wegener
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Würzburg Insect Research (WIR), Theodor-Boveri-Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Germany
| | | | - Dick R Nässel
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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81
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Brovkina MV, Duffié R, Burtis AEC, Clowney EJ. Fruitless decommissions regulatory elements to implement cell-type-specific neuronal masculinization. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009338. [PMID: 33600447 PMCID: PMC7924761 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, male-specific splicing and translation of the Fruitless transcription factor (FruM) alters the presence, anatomy, and/or connectivity of >60 types of central brain neurons that interconnect to generate male-typical behaviors. While the indispensable function of FruM in sex-specific behavior has been understood for decades, the molecular mechanisms underlying its activity remain unknown. Here, we take a genome-wide, brain-wide approach to identifying regulatory elements whose activity depends on the presence of FruM. We identify 436 high-confidence genomic regions differentially accessible in male fruitless neurons, validate candidate regions as bona fide, differentially regulated enhancers, and describe the particular cell types in which these enhancers are active. We find that individual enhancers are not activated universally but are dedicated to specific fru+ cell types. Aside from fru itself, genes are not dedicated to or common across the fru circuit; rather, FruM appears to masculinize each cell type differently, by tweaking expression of the same effector genes used in other circuits. Finally, we find FruM motifs enriched among regulatory elements that are open in the female but closed in the male. Together, these results suggest that FruM acts cell-type-specifically to decommission regulatory elements in male fruitless neurons. Courtship behavior in male Drosophila melanogaster is controlled by a well-defined neural circuit that is labeled by the male-specific transcription factor Fruitless (FruM). While FruM is known to change the number, anatomy and connectivity of neurons which comprise the circuit and has been suggested to repress the expression of a few gene targets, the mechanism of how FruM regulates genes across many different kinds of neurons is unknown. Using an approach to identify gene regulatory elements based on their chromatin accessibility states (ATAC-seq), we identified a large set of chromatin accessibility changes downstream of Fruitless. By examining the activity of these regulatory elements in vivo, we found that their activity was 1) sexually dimorphic and 2) specific to a single class of FruM neurons, suggesting that FruM acts on different chromatin targets in different neuron classes comprising the courtship circuit. Further, we found a known FruM-regulated enhancer of the FruM-repressed gene Lgr3 to have closed chromatin specifically in FruM neurons. Combined with an enrichment of FruM motifs in regions which are closed in FruM neurons, we present a mechanism where FruM directs the decommissioning of sex-shared regulatory elements to masculinize neurons in a cell-type specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita V. Brovkina
- Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Rachel Duffié
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Abbigayl E. C. Burtis
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - E. Josephine Clowney
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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82
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Scaplen KM, Talay M, Fisher JD, Cohn R, Sorkaç A, Aso Y, Barnea G, Kaun KR. Transsynaptic mapping of Drosophila mushroom body output neurons. eLife 2021; 10:e63379. [PMID: 33570489 PMCID: PMC7877909 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The mushroom body (MB) is a well-characterized associative memory structure within the Drosophila brain. Analyzing MB connectivity using multiple approaches is critical for understanding the functional implications of this structure. Using the genetic anterograde transsynaptic tracing tool, trans-Tango, we identified divergent projections across the brain and convergent downstream targets of the MB output neurons (MBONs). Our analysis revealed at least three separate targets that receive convergent input from MBONs: other MBONs, the fan-shaped body (FSB), and the lateral accessory lobe (LAL). We describe, both anatomically and functionally, a multilayer circuit in which inhibitory and excitatory MBONs converge on the same genetic subset of FSB and LAL neurons. This circuit architecture enables the brain to update and integrate information with previous experience before executing appropriate behavioral responses. Our use of trans-Tango provides a genetically accessible anatomical framework for investigating the functional relevance of components within these complex and interconnected circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin M Scaplen
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
- Department of Psychology, Bryant UniversitySmithfieldUnited States
- Center for Health and Behavioral Sciences, Bryant UniversitySmithfieldUnited States
| | - Mustafa Talay
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - John D Fisher
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - Raphael Cohn
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Altar Sorkaç
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - Yoshi Aso
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
| | - Gilad Barnea
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - Karla R Kaun
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
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83
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Kanno M, Hiramatsu S, Kondo S, Tanimoto H, Ichinose T. Voluntary intake of psychoactive substances is regulated by the dopamine receptor Dop1R1 in Drosophila. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3432. [PMID: 33564023 PMCID: PMC7873259 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82813-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysregulated motivation to consume psychoactive substances leads to addictive behaviors that often result in serious health consequences. Understanding the neuronal mechanisms that drive drug consumption is crucial for developing new therapeutic strategies. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster offers a unique opportunity to approach this problem with a battery of sophisticated neurogenetic tools available, but how they consume these drugs remains largely unknown. Here, we examined drug self-administration behavior of Drosophila and the underlying neuronal mechanisms. We measured the preference of flies for five different psychoactive substances using a two-choice feeding assay and monitored its long-term changes. We found that flies show acute preference for ethanol and methamphetamine, but not for cocaine, caffeine or morphine. Repeated intake of ethanol, but not methamphetamine, increased over time. Preference for methamphetamine and the long-term escalation of ethanol preference required the dopamine receptor Dop1R1 in the mushroom body. The protein level of Dop1R1 increased after repeated intake of ethanol, but not methamphetamine, which correlates with the acquired preference. Genetic overexpression of Dop1R1 enhanced ethanol preference. These results reveal a striking diversity of response to individual drugs in the fly and the role of dopamine signaling and its plastic changes in controlling voluntary intake of drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mai Kanno
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan
| | - Shun Hiramatsu
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan
| | - Shu Kondo
- Invertebrate Genetics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, 411-8540, Japan
| | - Hiromu Tanimoto
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan
| | - Toshiharu Ichinose
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan. .,Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan. .,Center for Transdisciplinary Research, Niigata University, Niigata, 950-2181, Japan. .,Department of Neuropharmacology, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, 467-8603, Japan.
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84
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Statistical Validation Verifies That Enantiomorphic States of Chiral Cells Are Determinant Dictating the Left- or Right-Handed Direction of the Hindgut Rotation in Drosophila. Symmetry (Basel) 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/sym12121991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In the left–right (LR) asymmetric development of invertebrates, cell chirality is crucial. A left- or right-handed cell structure directs morphogenesis with corresponding LR-asymmetry. In Drosophila, cell chirality is thought to drive the LR-asymmetric development of the embryonic hindgut and other organs. This hypothesis is supported only by an apparent concordance between the LR-directionality of cell chirality and hindgut rotation and by computer simulations that connect the two events. In this article, we mathematically evaluated the causal relationship between the chirality of the hindgut epithelial cells and the LR-direction of hindgut rotation. Our logistic model, drawn from several Drosophila genotypes, significantly explained the correlation between the enantiomorphic (sinistral or dextral) state of chiral cells and the LR-directionality of hindgut rotation—even in individual live mutant embryos with stochastically determined cell chirality and randomized hindgut rotation, suggesting that the mechanism by which cell chirality forms is irrelevant to the direction of hindgut rotation. Thus, our analysis showed that cell chirality, which forms before hindgut rotation, is both sufficient and required for the subsequent rotation, validating the hypothesis that cell chirality causally defines the LR-directionality of hindgut rotation.
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85
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Tainton-Heap LAL, Kirszenblat LC, Notaras ET, Grabowska MJ, Jeans R, Feng K, Shaw PJ, van Swinderen B. A Paradoxical Kind of Sleep in Drosophila melanogaster. Curr Biol 2020; 31:578-590.e6. [PMID: 33238155 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.10.081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The dynamic nature of sleep in many animals suggests distinct stages that serve different functions. Genetic sleep induction methods in animal models provide a powerful way to disambiguate these stages and functions, although behavioral methods alone are insufficient to accurately identify what kind of sleep is being engaged. In Drosophila, activation of the dorsal fan-shaped body (dFB) promotes sleep, but it remains unclear what kind of sleep this is, how the rest of the fly brain is behaving, or if any specific sleep functions are being achieved. Here, we developed a method to record calcium activity from thousands of neurons across a volume of the fly brain during spontaneous sleep and compared this to dFB-induced sleep. We found that spontaneous sleep typically transitions from an active "wake-like" stage to a less active stage. In contrast, optogenetic activation of the dFB promotes sustained wake-like levels of neural activity even though flies become unresponsive to mechanical stimuli. When we probed flies with salient visual stimuli, we found that the activity of visually responsive neurons in the central brain was blocked by transient dFB activation, confirming an acute disconnect from the external environment. Prolonged optogenetic dFB activation nevertheless achieved a key sleep function by correcting visual attention defects brought on by sleep deprivation. These results suggest that dFB activation promotes a distinct form of sleep in Drosophila, where brain activity appears similar to wakefulness, but responsiveness to external sensory stimuli is profoundly suppressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy A L Tainton-Heap
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Leonie C Kirszenblat
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Eleni T Notaras
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Martyna J Grabowska
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Rhiannon Jeans
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Kai Feng
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Paul J Shaw
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Bruno van Swinderen
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
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86
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Kaufman RS, Price KL, Mannix KM, Ayers KM, Hudson AM, Cooley L. Drosophila sperm development and intercellular cytoplasm sharing through ring canals do not require an intact fusome. Development 2020; 147:dev.190140. [PMID: 33033119 DOI: 10.1242/dev.190140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Animal germ cells communicate directly with each other during gametogenesis through intercellular bridges, often called ring canals (RCs), that form as a consequence of incomplete cytokinesis during cell division. Developing germ cells in Drosophila have an additional specialized organelle connecting the cells called the fusome. Ring canals and the fusome are required for fertility in Drosophila females, but little is known about their roles during spermatogenesis. With live imaging, we directly observe the intercellular movement of GFP and a subset of endogenous proteins through RCs during spermatogenesis, from two-cell diploid spermatogonia to clusters of 64 post-meiotic haploid spermatids, demonstrating that RCs are stable and open to intercellular traffic throughout spermatogenesis. Disruption of the fusome, a large cytoplasmic structure that extends through RCs and is important during oogenesis, had no effect on spermatogenesis or male fertility under normal conditions. Our results reveal that male germline RCs allow the sharing of cytoplasmic information that might play a role in quality control surveillance during sperm development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronit S Kaufman
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Kari L Price
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Katelynn M Mannix
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Kathleen M Ayers
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Andrew M Hudson
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Lynn Cooley
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA .,Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.,Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
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87
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A sensitive mNeonGreen reporter system to measure transcriptional dynamics in Drosophila development. Commun Biol 2020; 3:663. [PMID: 33184447 PMCID: PMC7665215 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01375-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The gene regulatory network governing anterior–posterior axis formation in Drosophila is a well-established paradigm to study transcription in developmental biology. The rapid temporal dynamics of gene expression during early stages of development, however, are difficult to track with standard techniques. We optimized the bright and fast-maturing fluorescent protein mNeonGreen as a real-time, quantitative reporter of enhancer expression. We derive enhancer activity from the reporter fluorescence dynamics with high spatial and temporal resolution, using a robust reconstruction algorithm. By comparing our results with data obtained with the established MS2-MCP system, we demonstrate the higher detection sensitivity of our reporter. We used the reporter to quantify the activity of variants of a simple synthetic enhancer, and observe increased activity upon reduction of enhancer–promoter distance or addition of binding sites for the pioneer transcription factor Zelda. Our reporter system constitutes a powerful tool to study spatio-temporal gene expression dynamics in live embryos. Ceolin et al. optimise the fluorescent protein mNeonGreen to generate a reporter to measure enhancer expression in living Drosophila embryos. They also find that reduced enhancer–promoter distance or addition of binding sites for the pioneer transcription factor Zelda increases enhancer activity.
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88
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Cachero S, Gkantia M, Bates AS, Frechter S, Blackie L, McCarthy A, Sutcliffe B, Strano A, Aso Y, Jefferis GSXE. BAcTrace, a tool for retrograde tracing of neuronal circuits in Drosophila. Nat Methods 2020; 17:1254-1261. [PMID: 33139893 PMCID: PMC7610425 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-020-00989-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Animal behavior is encoded in neuronal circuits in the brain. To elucidate the function of these circuits, it is necessary to identify, record from and manipulate networks of connected neurons. Here we present BAcTrace (Botulinum Activated Tracer), a genetically encoded, retro-grade, transsynaptic labelling system. BAcTrace is based on C. botulinum neurotoxin A, Botox, which we have engineered to travel retrogradely between neurons to activate an otherwise silent transcription factor. We validate BAcTrace at three neuronal connections in the Drosophila olfactory system. We show that BAcTrace-mediated labeling allows electrophysiological recordings of connected neurons. Finally, in a challenging circuit with highly divergent connections, BAcTrace correctly identifies 12 out of 16 connections, which were previously observed by electron microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Cachero
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Marina Gkantia
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Alexander S Bates
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Shahar Frechter
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Laura Blackie
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.,MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Amy McCarthy
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.,Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Ben Sutcliffe
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Alessio Strano
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Cancer and Developmental Biology & Zayed Centre for Research into Rare Disease in Children, University College London, London, UK
| | - Yoshinori Aso
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
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89
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Das SR, Maselko M, Upadhyay A, Smanski MJ. Genetic engineering of sex chromosomes for batch cultivation of non-transgenic, sex-sorted males. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1009180. [PMID: 33137115 PMCID: PMC7660900 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The field performance of Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is improved by sex-sorting and releasing only sterile males. This can be accomplished by resource-intensive separation of males from females by morphology. Alternatively, sex-ratio biasing genetic constructs can be used to selectively remove one sex without the need for manual or automated sorting, but the resulting genetically engineered (GE) control agents would be subject to additional governmental regulation. Here we describe and demonstrate a genetic method for the batch production of non-GE males. This method could be applied to generate the heterogametic sex (XY, or WZ) in any organism with chromosomal sex determination. We observed up to 100% sex-selection with batch cultures of more than 103 individuals. Using a stringent transgene detection assay, we demonstrate the potential of mass production of transgene free males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siba R. Das
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, Saint Paul, MN, United States of America
- Biotechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, United States of America
| | - Maciej Maselko
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, Saint Paul, MN, United States of America
- Biotechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, United States of America
| | - Ambuj Upadhyay
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, Saint Paul, MN, United States of America
- Biotechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, United States of America
| | - Michael J. Smanski
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, Saint Paul, MN, United States of America
- Biotechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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90
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Valdes-Aleman J, Fetter RD, Sales EC, Heckman EL, Venkatasubramanian L, Doe CQ, Landgraf M, Cardona A, Zlatic M. Comparative Connectomics Reveals How Partner Identity, Location, and Activity Specify Synaptic Connectivity in Drosophila. Neuron 2020; 109:105-122.e7. [PMID: 33120017 PMCID: PMC7837116 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The mechanisms by which synaptic partners recognize each other and establish appropriate numbers of connections during embryonic development to form functional neural circuits are poorly understood. We combined electron microscopy reconstruction, functional imaging of neural activity, and behavioral experiments to elucidate the roles of (1) partner identity, (2) location, and (3) activity in circuit assembly in the embryonic nerve cord of Drosophila. We found that postsynaptic partners are able to find and connect to their presynaptic partners even when these have been shifted to ectopic locations or silenced. However, orderly positioning of axon terminals by positional cues and synaptic activity is required for appropriate numbers of connections between specific partners, for appropriate balance between excitatory and inhibitory connections, and for appropriate functional connectivity and behavior. Our study reveals with unprecedented resolution the fine connectivity effects of multiple factors that work together to control the assembly of neural circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Valdes-Aleman
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Richard D Fetter
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Emily C Sales
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Emily L Heckman
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | | | - Chris Q Doe
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Matthias Landgraf
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Albert Cardona
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Marta Zlatic
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK; MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK.
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91
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Hu Y, Wang C, Yang L, Pan G, Liu H, Yu G, Ye B. A Neural Basis for Categorizing Sensory Stimuli to Enhance Decision Accuracy. Curr Biol 2020; 30:4896-4909.e6. [PMID: 33065003 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.09.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Sensory stimuli with graded intensities often lead to yes-or-no decisions on whether to respond to the stimuli. How this graded-to-binary conversion is implemented in the central nervous system (CNS) remains poorly understood. Here, we show that graded encodings of noxious stimuli are categorized in a decision-associated CNS region in Drosophila larvae, and then decoded by a group of peptidergic neurons for executing binary escape decisions. GABAergic inhibition gates weak nociceptive encodings from being decoded, whereas escalated amplification through the recruitment of second-order neurons boosts nociceptive encodings at intermediate intensities. These two modulations increase the detection accuracy by reducing responses to negligible stimuli whereas enhancing responses to intense stimuli. Our findings thus unravel a circuit mechanism that underlies accurate detection of harmful stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujia Hu
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Congchao Wang
- Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Arlington, VA 22203, USA
| | - Limin Yang
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; School of Medicine, Dalian University, Dalian, Liaoning 116622, China
| | - Geng Pan
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Hao Liu
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Guoqiang Yu
- Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Arlington, VA 22203, USA.
| | - Bing Ye
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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92
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Bostock MP, Prasad AR, Chaouni R, Yuen AC, Sousa-Nunes R, Amoyel M, Fernandes VM. An Immobilization Technique for Long-Term Time-Lapse Imaging of Explanted Drosophila Tissues. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:590094. [PMID: 33117817 PMCID: PMC7576353 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.590094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Time-lapse imaging is an essential tool to study dynamic biological processes that cannot be discerned from fixed samples alone. However, imaging cell- and tissue-level processes in intact animals poses numerous challenges if the organism is opaque and/or motile. Explant cultures of intact tissues circumvent some of these challenges, but sample drift remains a considerable obstacle. We employed a simple yet effective technique to immobilize tissues in medium-bathed agarose. We applied this technique to study multiple Drosophila tissues from first-instar larvae to adult stages in various orientations and with no evidence of anisotropic pressure or stress damage. Using this method, we were able to image fine features for up to 18 h and make novel observations. Specifically, we report that fibers characteristic of quiescent neuroblasts are inherited by their basal daughters during reactivation; that the lamina in the developing visual system is assembled roughly 2-3 columns at a time; that lamina glia positions are dynamic during development; and that the nuclear envelopes of adult testis cyst stem cells do not break down completely during mitosis. In all, we demonstrate that our protocol is well-suited for tissue immobilization and long-term live imaging, enabling new insights into tissue and cell dynamics in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew P. Bostock
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anadika R. Prasad
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rita Chaouni
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alice C. Yuen
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rita Sousa-Nunes
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marc Amoyel
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Vilaiwan M. Fernandes
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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93
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Marin EC, Büld L, Theiss M, Sarkissian T, Roberts RJV, Turnbull R, Tamimi IFM, Pleijzier MW, Laursen WJ, Drummond N, Schlegel P, Bates AS, Li F, Landgraf M, Costa M, Bock DD, Garrity PA, Jefferis GSXE. Connectomics Analysis Reveals First-, Second-, and Third-Order Thermosensory and Hygrosensory Neurons in the Adult Drosophila Brain. Curr Biol 2020; 30:3167-3182.e4. [PMID: 32619476 PMCID: PMC7443704 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Animals exhibit innate and learned preferences for temperature and humidity-conditions critical for their survival and reproduction. Leveraging a whole-brain electron microscopy volume, we studied the adult Drosophila melanogaster circuitry associated with antennal thermo- and hygrosensory neurons. We have identified two new target glomeruli in the antennal lobe, in addition to the five known ones, and the ventroposterior projection neurons (VP PNs) that relay thermo- and hygrosensory information to higher brain centers, including the mushroom body and lateral horn, seats of learned and innate behavior. We present the first connectome of a thermo- and hygrosensory neuropil, the lateral accessory calyx (lACA), by reconstructing neurons downstream of heating- and cooling-responsive VP PNs. A few mushroom body-intrinsic neurons solely receive thermosensory input from the lACA, while most receive additional olfactory and thermo- and/or hygrosensory PN inputs. Furthermore, several classes of lACA-associated neurons form a local network with outputs to other brain neuropils, suggesting that the lACA serves as a hub for thermo- and hygrosensory circuitry. For example, DN1a neurons link thermosensory PNs in the lACA to the circadian clock via the accessory medulla. Finally, we survey strongly connected downstream partners of VP PNs across the protocerebrum; these include a descending neuron targeted by dry-responsive VP PNs, meaning that just two synapses might separate hygrosensory inputs from motor circuits. These data provide a comprehensive first- and second-order layer analysis of Drosophila thermo- and hygrosensory systems and an initial survey of third-order neurons that could directly modulate behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth C Marin
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Laurin Büld
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Maria Theiss
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | | | | | - Robert Turnbull
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Imaan F M Tamimi
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Markus W Pleijzier
- Division of Neurobiology, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Willem J Laursen
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - Nik Drummond
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Philipp Schlegel
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK; Division of Neurobiology, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Alexander S Bates
- Division of Neurobiology, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Feng Li
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Matthias Landgraf
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Marta Costa
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Davi D Bock
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Paul A Garrity
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - Gregory S X E Jefferis
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK; Division of Neurobiology, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 0QH, UK.
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94
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Chen HM, Marques JG, Sugino K, Wei D, Miyares RL, Lee T. CAMIO: a transgenic CRISPR pipeline to create diverse targeted genome deletions in Drosophila. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:4344-4356. [PMID: 32187363 PMCID: PMC7192631 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The genome is the blueprint for an organism. Interrogating the genome, especially locating critical cis-regulatory elements, requires deletion analysis. This is conventionally performed using synthetic constructs, making it cumbersome and non-physiological. Thus, we created Cas9-mediated Arrayed Mutagenesis of Individual Offspring (CAMIO) to achieve comprehensive analysis of a targeted region of native DNA. CAMIO utilizes CRISPR that is spatially restricted to generate independent deletions in the intact Drosophila genome. Controlled by recombination, a single guide RNA is stochastically chosen from a set targeting a specific DNA region. Combining two sets increases variability, leading to either indels at 1–2 target sites or inter-target deletions. Cas9 restriction to male germ cells elicits autonomous double-strand-break repair, consequently creating offspring with diverse mutations. Thus, from a single population cross, we can obtain a deletion matrix covering a large expanse of DNA at both coarse and fine resolution. We demonstrate the ease and power of CAMIO by mapping 5′UTR sequences crucial for chinmo's post-transcriptional regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Min Chen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Jorge Garcia Marques
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Ken Sugino
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Dingjun Wei
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Rosa Linda Miyares
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Tzumin Lee
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
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95
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Sultana N, Hadas Y, Sharkar MTK, Kaur K, Magadum A, Kurian AA, Hossain N, Alburquerque B, Ahmed S, Chepurko E, Zangi L. Optimization of 5' Untranslated Region of Modified mRNA for Use in Cardiac or Hepatic Ischemic Injury. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2020; 17:622-633. [PMID: 32300609 PMCID: PMC7150433 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2020.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Modified mRNA (modRNA) is a gene-delivery platform for transiently introducing a single gene or several genes of interest to different cell types and tissues. modRNA is considered to be a safe vector for gene transfer, as it negligibly activates the innate immune system and does not compromise the genome integrity. The use of modRNA in basic and translational science is rising, due to the clinical potential of modRNA. We are currently using modRNA to induce cardiac regeneration post-ischemic injury. Major obstacles in using modRNA for cardiac ischemic disease include the need for the direct and single administration of modRNA to the heart and the inefficient translation of modRNA due to its short half-life. Modulation of the 5' untranslated region (5' UTR) to enhance translation efficiency in ischemic cardiac disease has great value, as it can reduce the amount of modRNA needed per delivery and will achieve higher and longer protein production post-single delivery. Here, we identified that 5' UTR, from the fatty acid metabolism gene carboxylesterase 1D (Ces1d), enhanced the translation of firefly luciferase (Luc) modRNA by 2-fold in the heart post-myocardial infarction (MI). Moreover, we identified, in the Ces1d, a specific RNA element (element D) that is responsible for the improvement of modRNA translation and leads to a 2.5-fold translation increment over Luc modRNA carrying artificial 5' UTR, post-MI. Importantly, we were able to show that 5' UTR Ces1d also enhances modRNA translation in the liver, but not in the kidney, post-ischemic injury, indicating that Ces1d 5' UTR and element D may play a wider role in translation of protein under an ischemic condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nishat Sultana
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Yoav Hadas
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Mohammad Tofael Kabir Sharkar
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Keerat Kaur
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Ajit Magadum
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Ann Anu Kurian
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Nadia Hossain
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Bremy Alburquerque
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Sakib Ahmed
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Elena Chepurko
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Lior Zangi
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
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96
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Scaplen KM, Talay M, Nunez KM, Salamon S, Waterman AG, Gang S, Song SL, Barnea G, Kaun KR. Circuits that encode and guide alcohol-associated preference. eLife 2020; 9:48730. [PMID: 32497004 PMCID: PMC7272191 DOI: 10.7554/elife.48730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A powerful feature of adaptive memory is its inherent flexibility. Alcohol and other addictive substances can remold neural circuits important for memory to reduce this flexibility. However, the mechanism through which pertinent circuits are selected and shaped remains unclear. We show that circuits required for alcohol-associated preference shift from population level dopaminergic activation to select dopamine neurons that predict behavioral choice in Drosophila melanogaster. During memory expression, subsets of dopamine neurons directly and indirectly modulate the activity of interconnected glutamatergic and cholinergic mushroom body output neurons (MBON). Transsynaptic tracing of neurons important for memory expression revealed a convergent center of memory consolidation within the mushroom body (MB) implicated in arousal, and a structure outside the MB implicated in integration of naïve and learned responses. These findings provide a circuit framework through which dopamine neuronal activation shifts from reward delivery to cue onset, and provide insight into the maladaptive nature of memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin M Scaplen
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, United States
| | - Mustafa Talay
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, United States
| | - Kavin M Nunez
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Brown University, Providence, United States
| | - Sarah Salamon
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Amanda G Waterman
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, United States
| | - Sydney Gang
- Department of Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, United States
| | - Sophia L Song
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, United States
| | - Gilad Barnea
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, United States
| | - Karla R Kaun
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, United States
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97
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Mondragon AA, Yalonetskaya A, Ortega AJ, Zhang Y, Naranjo O, Elguero J, Chung WS, McCall K. Lysosomal Machinery Drives Extracellular Acidification to Direct Non-apoptotic Cell Death. Cell Rep 2020; 27:11-19.e3. [PMID: 30943394 PMCID: PMC6613820 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.03.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Revised: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell death is a fundamental aspect of development, homeostasis, and disease; yet, our understanding of non-apoptotic forms of cell death is limited. One such form is phagoptosis, in which one cell utilizes phagocytosis machinery to kill another cell that would otherwise continue living. We have previously identified a non-autonomous requirement of phagocytosis machinery for the developmental programmed cell death of germline nurse cells in the Drosophila ovary; however, the precise mechanism of death remained elusive. Here, we show that lysosomal machinery acting in epithelial follicle cells is used to non-autonomously induce the death of nearby germline cells. Stretch follicle cells recruit V-ATPases and chloride channels to their plasma membrane to extracellularly acidify the germline and release cathepsins that destroy the nurse cells. Our results reveal a role for lysosomal machinery acting at the plasma membrane to cause the death of neighboring cells, providing insight into mechanisms driving non-autonomous cell death. Mondragon et al. show that V-ATPase proton pumps localize to the plasma membrane of follicle cells and promote extracellular acidification to eliminate adjacent nurse cells in the Drosophila ovary. The follicle cells subsequently release cathepsins by exocytosis into the nurse cells to promote their final degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert A Mondragon
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Program in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Alla Yalonetskaya
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Anthony J Ortega
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Yuanhang Zhang
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Oandy Naranjo
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Johnny Elguero
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Won-Suk Chung
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Kimberly McCall
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
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98
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Abstract
CRISPR-Cas genome editing technologies have revolutionized the fields of functional genetics and genome engineering, but with the recent discovery and optimization of RNA-targeting Cas ribonucleases, we may soon see a similar revolution in the study of RNA function and transcriptome engineering. However, to date, successful proof of principle for Cas ribonuclease RNA targeting in eukaryotic systems has been limited. Only recently has successful modification of RNA expression by a Cas ribonuclease been demonstrated in animal embryos. This previous work, however, did not evaluate endogenous expression of Cas ribonucleases and only focused on function in early developmental stages. A more comprehensive evaluation of this technology is needed to assess its potential impact. Here we report on our efforts to develop a programmable platform for RNA targeting using a Cas ribonuclease, CasRx, in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. By genetically encoding CasRx in flies, we demonstrate moderate transcript targeting of known phenotypic genes in addition to unexpected toxicity and lethality. We also report on the off-target effects following on-target transcript cleavage by CasRx. Taken together, our results present the current state and limitations of a genetically encoded programmable RNA-targeting Cas system in Drosophila melanogaster, paving the way for future optimization of the system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna B. Buchman
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Dan J. Brogan
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Ruichen Sun
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Ting Yang
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Patrick D. Hsu
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cell Biology, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Helmsley Center for Genomic Medicine, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Omar S. Akbari
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Tata Institute for Genetics and Society, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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99
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Premature termination codon readthrough in Drosophila varies in a developmental and tissue-specific manner. Sci Rep 2020; 10:8485. [PMID: 32444687 PMCID: PMC7244557 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65348-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite their essential function in terminating translation, readthrough of stop codons occurs more frequently than previously supposed. However, little is known about the regulation of stop codon readthrough by anatomical site and over the life cycle of animals. Here, we developed a set of reporters to measure readthrough in Drosophila melanogaster. A focused RNAi screen in whole animals identified upf1 as a mediator of readthrough, suggesting that the stop codons in the reporters were recognized as premature termination codons (PTCs). We found readthrough rates of PTCs varied significantly throughout the life cycle of flies, being highest in older adult flies. Furthermore, readthrough rates varied dramatically by tissue and, intriguingly, were highest in fly brains, specifically neurons and not glia. This was not due to differences in reporter abundance or nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) surveillance between these tissues. Readthrough rates also varied within neurons, with cholinergic neurons having highest readthrough compared with lowest readthrough rates in dopaminergic neurons. Overall, our data reveal temporal and spatial variation of PTC-mediated readthrough in animals, and suggest that readthrough may be a potential rescue mechanism for PTC-harboring transcripts when the NMD surveillance pathway is inhibited.
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100
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Kandul NP, Liu J, Hsu AD, Hay BA, Akbari OS. A drug-inducible sex-separation technique for insects. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2106. [PMID: 32355156 PMCID: PMC7193620 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16020-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we describe a drug-inducible genetic system for insect sex-separation that demonstrates proof-of-principle for positive sex selection in D. melanogaster. The system exploits the toxicity of commonly used broad-spectrum antibiotics geneticin and puromycin to kill the non-rescued sex. Sex-specific rescue is achieved by inserting sex-specific introns into the coding sequences of antibiotic-resistance genes. When raised on geneticin-supplemented food, the sex-sorter line establishes 100% positive selection for female progeny, while the food supplemented with puromycin positively selects 100% male progeny. Since the described system exploits conserved sex-specific splicing mechanisms and reagents, it has the potential to be adaptable to other insect species of medical and agricultural importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolay P Kandul
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92092, USA
| | - Junru Liu
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92092, USA
| | - Alexander D Hsu
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, MC 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Bruce A Hay
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, MC 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Omar S Akbari
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92092, USA.
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, MC 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA.
- Tata Institute for Genetics and Society-UCSD, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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