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Marliére NP, Lorenzo MG, Martínez Villegas LE, Guarneri AA. Co-existing locomotory activity and gene expression profiles in a kissing-bug vector of Chagas disease. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 122:104021. [PMID: 32035953 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2020.104021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The triatomine bug Rhodnius prolixus is a main vector of Chagas disease, which affects several million people in Latin-America. These nocturnal insects spend most of their locomotory activity during the first hours of the scotophase searching for suitable hosts. In this study we used multivariate analysis to characterize spontaneous locomotory activity profiles presented by 5th instar nymphs. In addition, we investigated whether sex and the expression of the foraging (Rpfor) gene could modulate this behavioral trait. Hierarchical Clustering and Redundancy Analyses detected individuals with distinct locomotory profiles. In addition to a great variation in locomotory intensity, we found that a proportion of nymphs walked during unusual time intervals. Locomotory activity profiles were mostly affected by the cumulative activity expressed by the nymphs. These effects promoted by cumulative activity were in turn influenced by nymph sex. Sex and the Rpfor expression had a significant influence on the profiles, as well as in the levels of total activity. In conclusion, the locomotory profiles evinced by the multivariate analyses suggest the co-existence of different foraging strategies in bugs. Additionally, we report sex-specific effects on the locomotion patterns of 5th instar R. prolixus, which are apparently modulated by the differential expression of the Rpfor gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Newmar Pinto Marliére
- Vector Behaviour and Pathogen Interaction Group, Instituto René Rachou, Avenida Augusto de Lima, 1715, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP 30190-009, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Gustavo Lorenzo
- Vector Behaviour and Pathogen Interaction Group, Instituto René Rachou, Avenida Augusto de Lima, 1715, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP 30190-009, Brazil
| | - Luis Eduardo Martínez Villegas
- Vector Behaviour and Pathogen Interaction Group, Instituto René Rachou, Avenida Augusto de Lima, 1715, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP 30190-009, Brazil
| | - Alessandra Aparecida Guarneri
- Vector Behaviour and Pathogen Interaction Group, Instituto René Rachou, Avenida Augusto de Lima, 1715, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP 30190-009, Brazil.
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52
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Goossens S, Wybouw N, Van Leeuwen T, Bonte D. The physiology of movement. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2020; 8:5. [PMID: 32042434 PMCID: PMC7001223 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-020-0192-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Movement, from foraging to migration, is known to be under the influence of the environment. The translation of environmental cues to individual movement decision making is determined by an individual's internal state and anticipated to balance costs and benefits. General body condition, metabolic and hormonal physiology mechanistically underpin this internal state. These physiological determinants are tightly, and often genetically linked with each other and hence central to a mechanistic understanding of movement. We here synthesise the available evidence of the physiological drivers and signatures of movement and review (1) how physiological state as measured in its most coarse way by body condition correlates with movement decisions during foraging, migration and dispersal, (2) how hormonal changes underlie changes in these movement strategies and (3) how these can be linked to molecular pathways. We reveale that a high body condition facilitates the efficiency of routine foraging, dispersal and migration. Dispersal decision making is, however, in some cases stimulated by a decreased individual condition. Many of the biotic and abiotic stressors that induce movement initiate a physiological cascade in vertebrates through the production of stress hormones. Movement is therefore associated with hormone levels in vertebrates but also insects, often in interaction with factors related to body or social condition. The underlying molecular and physiological mechanisms are currently studied in few model species, and show -in congruence with our insights on the role of body condition- a central role of energy metabolism during glycolysis, and the coupling with timing processes during migration. Molecular insights into the physiological basis of movement remain, however, highly refractory. We finalise this review with a critical reflection on the importance of these physiological feedbacks for a better mechanistic understanding of movement and its effects on ecological dynamics at all levels of biological organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Goossens
- Department of Biology, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nicky Wybouw
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Thomas Van Leeuwen
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dries Bonte
- Department of Biology, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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53
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Pennekamp F, Clobert J, Schtickzelle N. The interplay between movement, morphology and dispersal in Tetrahymena ciliates. PeerJ 2019; 7:e8197. [PMID: 31871838 PMCID: PMC6924321 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how and why individual movement translates into dispersal between populations is a long-term goal in ecology. Movement is broadly defined as ‘any change in the spatial location of an individual’, whereas dispersal is more narrowly defined as a movement that may lead to gene flow. Because the former may create the condition for the latter, behavioural decisions that lead to dispersal may be detectable in underlying movement behaviour. In addition, dispersing individuals also have specific sets of morphological and behavioural traits that help them coping with the costs of movement and dispersal, and traits that mitigate costs should be under selection and evolve if they have a genetic basis. Here, we experimentally study the relationships between movement behaviour, morphology and dispersal across 44 genotypes of the actively dispersing unicellular, aquatic model organism Tetrahymena thermophila. We used two-patch populations to quantify individual movement trajectories, as well as activity, morphology and dispersal rate. First, we studied variation in movement behaviour among and within genotypes (i.e. between dispersers and residents) and tested whether this variation can be explained by morphology. Then, we addressed how much the dispersal rate is driven by differences in the underlying movement behaviour. Genotypes revealed clear differences in terms of movement speed and linearity. We also detected marked movement differences between resident and dispersing individuals, mediated by the genotype. Movement variation was partly explained by morphological properties such as cell size and shape, with larger cells consistently showing higher movement speed and higher linearity. Genetic differences in activity and movement were positively related to the observed dispersal and jointly explained 47% of the variation in dispersal rate. Our study shows that a detailed understanding of the interplay between morphology, movement and dispersal may have potential to improve dispersal predictions over broader spatio-temporal scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Pennekamp
- Earth and Life Institute & Biodiversity Research Centre, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jean Clobert
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, CNRS, Moulis, France
| | - Nicolas Schtickzelle
- Earth and Life Institute & Biodiversity Research Centre, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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54
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Lei Y, Zhou Y, Lü L, He Y. Rhythms in Foraging Behavior and Expression Patterns of the Foraging Gene in Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in relation to Photoperiod. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 112:2923-2930. [PMID: 31237954 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toz175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The foraging gene (for) is associated with foraging and other associated behaviors in social insect species. Photoperiod is known to entrain the rhythmic biological functions of ants; however, how photoperiod might influence the intensity and duration of foraging, and the expression of for, remains unexplored. This study determined the correlation between rhythm in foraging behavior and expression of the foraging gene (Sifor) mRNA in red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren. Foragers were exposed to three photoperiod conditions (12:12 [L:D], 24:0 [L:D], and 0:24 [L:D]) in the laboratory and foraging activities were recorded using a video-computer recording system. Sifor expression in the foragers was tested using real-time reverse-transcription quantitative PCR. Results revealed that foraging activity rhythm and Sifor expression profile were unimodal under all three photoperiod conditions. Levels of foraging activity were associated with photoperiodic modification, a stable phase difference between the onset of activity and the onset of gene expression was discovered. Light-dark transients stimulated foraging activity in 12:12 (L:D). There were significant daily oscillations (amplitude of 0.21 ± 0.08 for 12:12 [L:D], 0.12 ± 0.02 for 24:0 [L:D], and 0.09 ± 0.01 for 0:24 [L:D]) in the expression of Sifor. A positive relationship (r = 0.5903, P < 0.01) was found between the expression level of Sifor and foraging activity, which indicated that Sifor is linked to some extent to foraging behavior. Our results demonstrated that foragers could adjust the rhythms in foraging behavior according to light-dark cycle and suggested that Sifor may play an important role in the response of S. invicta to photoperiod.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyuan Lei
- Plant Protection Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Yangyang Zhou
- College of Agriculture, South China Agriculture University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Lihua Lü
- Plant Protection Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Yurong He
- College of Agriculture, South China Agriculture University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
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55
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Abstract
The Drosophila melanogaster foraging (for) gene is a well-established example of a gene with major effects on behavior and natural variation. This gene is best known for underlying the behavioral strategies of rover and sitter foraging larvae, having been mapped and named for this phenotype. Nevertheless, in the last three decades an extensive array of studies describing for's role as a modifier of behavior in a wide range of phenotypes, in both Drosophila and other organisms, has emerged. Furthermore, recent work reveals new insights into the genetic and molecular underpinnings of how for affects these phenotypes. In this article, we discuss the history of the for gene and its role in natural variation in behavior, plasticity, and behavioral pleiotropy, with special attention to recent findings on the molecular structure and transcriptional regulation of this gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ina Anreiter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B2, Canada;
| | - Marla B Sokolowski
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B2, Canada;
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56
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Mahneva O, Caplan SL, Ivko P, Dawson-Scully K, Milton SL. NO/cGMP/PKG activation protects Drosophila cells subjected to hypoxic stress. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2019; 223:106-114. [PMID: 31150868 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2019.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2019] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The anoxia-tolerant fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has routinely been used to examine cellular mechanisms responsible for anoxic and oxidative stress resistance. Nitric oxide (NO), an important cellular signaling molecule, and its downstream activation of cGMP-dependent protein kinase G (PKG) has been implicated as a protective mechanism against ischemic injury in diverse animal models from insects to mammals. In Drosophila, increased PKG signaling results in increased survival of animals exposed to anoxic stress. To determine if activation of the NO/cGMP/PKG pathway is protective at the cellular level, the present study employed a pharmacological protocol to mimic hypoxic injury in Drosophila S2 cells. The commonly used S2 cell line was derived from a primary culture of late stage (20-24 h old) Drosophila melanogaster embryos. Hypoxic stress was induced by exposure to either sodium azide (NaN3) or cobalt chloride (CoCl2). During chemical hypoxic stress, NO/cGMP/PKG activation protected against cell death and this mechanism involved modulation of downstream mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium ion channels (mitoKATP). The cellular protection afforded by NO/cGMP/PKG activation during ischemia-like stress may be an adaptive cytoprotective mechanism and modulation of this signaling cascade could serve as a potential therapeutic target for protection against hypoxia or ischemia-induced cellular injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olena Mahneva
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA.
| | - Stacee Lee Caplan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA.
| | - Polina Ivko
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA.
| | - Ken Dawson-Scully
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA.
| | - Sarah L Milton
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA.
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57
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Helms SJ, Rozemuller WM, Costa AC, Avery L, Stephens GJ, Shimizu TS. Modelling the ballistic-to-diffusive transition in nematode motility reveals variation in exploratory behaviour across species. J R Soc Interface 2019; 16:20190174. [PMID: 31455164 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2019.0174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A quantitative understanding of organism-level behaviour requires predictive models that can capture the richness of behavioural phenotypes, yet are simple enough to connect with underlying mechanistic processes. Here, we investigate the motile behaviour of nematodes at the level of their translational motion on surfaces driven by undulatory propulsion. We broadly sample the nematode behavioural repertoire by measuring motile trajectories of the canonical laboratory strain Caenorhabditis elegans N2 as well as wild strains and distant species. We focus on trajectory dynamics over time scales spanning the transition from ballistic (straight) to diffusive (random) movement and find that salient features of the motility statistics are captured by a random walk model with independent dynamics in the speed, bearing and reversal events. We show that the model parameters vary among species in a correlated, low-dimensional manner suggestive of a common mode of behavioural control and a trade-off between exploration and exploitation. The distribution of phenotypes along this primary mode of variation reveals that not only the mean but also the variance varies considerably across strains, suggesting that these nematode lineages employ contrasting 'bet-hedging' strategies for foraging.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Antonio Carlos Costa
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Leon Avery
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Greg J Stephens
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna-son, Okinawa, Japan
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58
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Issa AR, Picao-Osorio J, Rito N, Chiappe ME, Alonso CR. A Single MicroRNA-Hox Gene Module Controls Equivalent Movements in Biomechanically Distinct Forms of Drosophila. Curr Biol 2019; 29:2665-2675.e4. [PMID: 31327720 PMCID: PMC6710004 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.06.082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Movement is the main output of the nervous system. It emerges during development to become a highly coordinated physiological process essential to survival and adaptation of the organism to the environment. Similar movements can be observed in morphologically distinct developmental stages of an organism, but it is currently unclear whether or not these movements have a common molecular cellular basis. Here we explore this problem in Drosophila, focusing on the roles played by the microRNA (miRNA) locus miR-iab4/8, which we previously showed to be essential for the normal corrective response displayed by the fruit fly larva when turned upside down (self-righting). Our study shows that miR-iab4 is required for normal self-righting across all three Drosophila larval stages. Unexpectedly, we also discover that this miRNA is essential for normal self-righting behavior in the adult fly, an organism with different morphology, neural constitution, and biomechanics. Through the combination of gene expression, optical imaging, and quantitative behavioral approaches, we provide evidence that miR-iab4 exerts its effects on adult self-righting behavior in part through repression of the Hox gene Ultrabithorax (Ubx) in a specific set of adult motor neurons, the NB2-3/lin15 neurons. Our results show that miRNA controls the function, rather than the morphology, of these neurons and demonstrate that post-developmental changes in Hox gene expression can modulate behavior in the adult. Our work reveals that a common miRNA-Hox genetic module can be re-deployed in different neurons to control functionally equivalent movements in biomechanically distinct organisms and describes a novel post-developmental role of the Hox genes in adult neural function. The fruit fly miRNA gene miR-iab4 controls the same behavior in the larva and adult miR-iab4 exerts its behavioral roles via repression of the Hox gene Ultrabithorax miRNA/Hox inputs affect the physiology and not the anatomy of specific motor neurons Conditional expression shows a novel role of the Hox genes in adult neural function
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Affiliation(s)
- A Raouf Issa
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Biology Road, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK
| | - João Picao-Osorio
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Biology Road, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Nuno Rito
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Brasília Avenue, Doca de Pedrouços, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - M Eugenia Chiappe
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Brasília Avenue, Doca de Pedrouços, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Claudio R Alonso
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Biology Road, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK.
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59
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George EA, Bröger A, Thamm M, Brockmann A, Scheiner R. Inter‐individual variation in honey bee dance intensity correlates with expression of the
foraging
gene. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2019; 19:e12592. [DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ebi A. George
- National Centre for Biological Sciences Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Bangalore India
| | - Ann‐Kathrin Bröger
- Behavioral Physiology & Sociobiology, Biocenter University of Würzburg Würzburg Germany
| | - Markus Thamm
- Behavioral Physiology & Sociobiology, Biocenter University of Würzburg Würzburg Germany
| | - Axel Brockmann
- National Centre for Biological Sciences Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Bangalore India
| | - Ricarda Scheiner
- Behavioral Physiology & Sociobiology, Biocenter University of Würzburg Würzburg Germany
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60
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Knockdown of the neuronal gene Lim3 at the early stages of development affects mitochondrial function and lifespan in Drosophila. Mech Ageing Dev 2019; 181:29-41. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2019.111121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2018] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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61
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Drosophila melanogaster foraging regulates a nociceptive-like escape behavior through a developmentally plastic sensory circuit. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 117:23286-23291. [PMID: 31213548 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1820840116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Painful or threatening experiences trigger escape responses that are guided by nociceptive neuronal circuitry. Although some components of this circuitry are known and conserved across animals, how this circuitry is regulated at the genetic and developmental levels is mostly unknown. To escape noxious stimuli, such as parasitoid wasp attacks, Drosophila melanogaster larvae generate a curling and rolling response. Rover and sitter allelic variants of the Drosophila foraging (for) gene differ in parasitoid wasp susceptibility, suggesting a link between for and nociception. By optogenetically activating cells associated with each of for's promoters (pr1-pr4), we show that pr1 cells regulate larval escape behavior. In accordance with rover and sitter differences in parasitoid wasp susceptibility, we found that rovers have higher pr1 expression and increased sensitivity to nociception relative to sitters. The for null mutants display impaired responses to thermal nociception, which are rescued by restoring for expression in pr1 cells. Conversely, knockdown of for in pr1 cells phenocopies the for null mutant. To gain insight into the circuitry underlying this response, we used an intersectional approach and activity-dependent GFP reconstitution across synaptic partners (GRASP) to show that pr1 cells in the ventral nerve cord (VNC) are required for the nociceptive response, and that multidendritic sensory nociceptive neurons synapse onto pr1 neurons in the VNC. Finally, we show that activation of the pr1 circuit during development suppresses the escape response. Our data demonstrate a role of for in larval nociceptive behavior. This function is specific to for pr1 neurons in the VNC, guiding a developmentally plastic escape response circuit.
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62
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Benowitz KM, Coleman JM, Matzkin LM. Assessing the Architecture of Drosophila mojavensis Locomotor Evolution with Bulk Segregant Analysis. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2019; 9:1767-1775. [PMID: 30926724 PMCID: PMC6505136 DOI: 10.1534/g3.119.400036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Behavior is frequently predicted to be especially important for evolution in novel environments. If these predictions are accurate, there might be particular patterns of genetic architecture associated with recently diverged behaviors. Specifically, it has been predicted that behaviors linked to population divergence should be underpinned by a few genes of relatively large effect, compared to architectures of intrapopulation behavioral variation, which is considered to be highly polygenic. More mapping studies of behavioral variation between recently diverged populations are needed to continue assessing the generality of these predictions. Here, we used a bulk segregant mapping approach to dissect the genetic architecture of a locomotor trait that has evolved between two populations of the cactophilic fly Drosophila mojavensis We created an F8 mapping population of 1,500 individuals from advanced intercross lines and sequenced the 10% of individuals with the highest and lowest levels of locomotor activity. Using three alternative statistical approaches, we found strong evidence for two relatively large-effect QTL that is localized in a region homologous to a region of densely packed behavior loci in Drosophila melanogaster, suggesting that clustering of behavior genes may display relatively deep evolutionary conservation. Broadly, our data are most consistent with a polygenic architecture, though with several loci explaining a high proportion of variation in comparison to similar behavioral traits. We further note the presence of several antagonistic QTL linked to locomotion and discuss these results in light of theories regarding behavioral evolution and the effect size and direction of QTL for diverging traits in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle M Benowitz
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
| | - Joshua M Coleman
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville AL 35899
| | - Luciano M Matzkin
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
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63
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Kelly SP, Dawson-Scully K. Natural polymorphism in protein kinase G modulates functional senescence in D rosophila melanogaster. J Exp Biol 2019; 222:jeb.199364. [PMID: 30910834 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.199364] [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: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The common fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is a well-characterized model for neurological disorders and is widely used to investigate the biology of aging, stress tolerance and pleiotropy. The foraging (for) gene encodes a cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG), which has been implicated in several behavioral phenotypes including feeding, sleep, learning and memory, and environmental stress tolerance. We used the well-established Drosophila activity monitor (DAM) to investigate the effects of the conserved NO/cGMP/PKG signaling pathway on functional senescence. Our results show that the polymorphic for gene confers protection during low oxygen stress at the expense of longevity and a decline in locomotor activity with age in D. melanogaster, which suggests a novel role for the PKG pathway in healthy aging and senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie P Kelly
- Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
| | - Ken Dawson-Scully
- Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
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64
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Abstract
Foraging is a goal-directed behavior that balances the need to explore the environment for resources with the need to exploit those resources. In Drosophila melanogaster, distinct phenotypes have been observed in relation to the foraging gene (for), labeled the rover and sitter. Adult rovers explore their environs more extensively than do adult sitters. We explored whether this distinction would be conserved in humans. We made use of a distinction from regulatory mode theory between those who "get on with it," so-called locomotors, and those who prefer to ensure they "do the right thing," so-called assessors. In this logic, rovers and locomotors share similarities in goal pursuit, as do sitters and assessors. We showed that genetic variation in PRKG1, the human ortholog of for, is associated with preferential adoption of a specific regulatory mode. Next, participants performed a foraging task to see whether genetic differences associated with distinct regulatory modes would be associated with distinct goal pursuit patterns. Assessors tended to hug the boundary of the foraging environment, much like behaviors seen in Drosophila adult sitters. In a patchy foraging environment, assessors adopted more cautious search strategies maximizing exploitation. These results show that distinct patterns of goal pursuit are associated with particular genotypes of PRKG1, the human ortholog of for.
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65
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Dason JS, Allen AM, Vasquez OE, Sokolowski MB. Distinct functions of a cGMP-dependent protein kinase in nerve terminal growth and synaptic vesicle cycling. J Cell Sci 2019; 132:jcs.227165. [DOI: 10.1242/jcs.227165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Sustained neurotransmission requires the tight coupling of synaptic vesicle (SV) exocytosis and endocytosis. The mechanisms underlying this coupling are poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that a cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG), encoded by the foraging (for) gene in Drosophila melanogaster, is critical for this process using a for null mutant, genomic rescues, and tissue specific rescues. We uncoupled FOR's exocytic and endocytic functions in neurotransmission using a temperature-sensitive shibire mutant in conjunction with fluorescein-assisted light inactivation of FOR. We discovered a dual role for presynaptic FOR, where FOR inhibits SV exocytosis during low frequency stimulation by negatively regulating presynaptic Ca2+ levels and maintains neurotransmission during high frequency stimulation by facilitating SV endocytosis. Additionally, glial FOR negatively regulated nerve terminal growth through TGF-β signaling and this developmental effect was independent from FOR's effects on neurotransmission. Overall, FOR plays a critical role in coupling SV exocytosis and endocytosis, thereby balancing these two components to maintain sustained neurotransmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey S. Dason
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3B2, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Aaron M. Allen
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3B2, Canada
- Present Address: Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, OX1 3SR Oxford, UK
| | - Oscar E. Vasquez
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Marla B. Sokolowski
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3B2, Canada
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3B2, Canada
- Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1M1, Canada
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66
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Sehdev A, Mohammed YG, Tafrali C, Szyszka P. Social foraging extends associative odor-food memory expression in an automated learning assay for Drosophila. J Exp Biol 2019; 222:jeb.207241. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.207241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Animals socially interact during foraging and share information about the quality and location of food sources. The mechanisms of social information transfer during foraging have been mostly studied at the behavioral level, and its underlying neural mechanisms are largely unknown. Fruit flies have become a model for studying the neural bases of social information transfer, because they provide a large genetic toolbox to monitor and manipulate neuronal activity, and they show a rich repertoire of social behaviors. Fruit flies aggregate, they use social information for choosing a suitable mating partner and oviposition site, and they show better aversive learning when in groups. However, the effects of social interactions on associative odor-food learning have not yet been investigated. Here we present an automated learning and memory assay for walking flies that allows studying the effect of group size on social interactions and on the formation and expression of associative odor-food memories. We found that both inter-fly attraction and the duration of odor-food memory expression increase with group size. We discuss possible behavioral and neural mechanisms of this social effect on odor-food memory expression. This study opens up opportunities to investigate how social interactions during foraging are relayed in the neural circuitry of learning and memory expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aarti Sehdev
- University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, Neurobiology, Konstanz 78457, Germany
| | - Yunusa G. Mohammed
- University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, Neurobiology, Konstanz 78457, Germany
| | - Cansu Tafrali
- University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, Neurobiology, Konstanz 78457, Germany
| | - Paul Szyszka
- University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, Neurobiology, Konstanz 78457, Germany
- University of Otago, Department of Zoology, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
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67
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Page H, Sweeney A, Pilko A, Pinter-Wollman N. Underlying mechanisms and ecological context of variation in exploratory behavior of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile. J Exp Biol 2018; 221:jeb188722. [PMID: 30385482 PMCID: PMC6307874 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.188722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Uncovering how and why animals explore their environment is fundamental for understanding population dynamics, the spread of invasive species, species interactions, etc. In social animals, individuals within a group can vary in their exploratory behavior, and the behavioral composition of the group can determine its collective success. Workers of the invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) exhibit individual variation in exploratory behavior, which affects the colony's collective nest selection behavior. Here, we examine the mechanisms underlying this behavioral variation in exploratory behavior and determine its implications for the ecology of this species. We first establish that individual variation in exploratory behavior is repeatable and consistent across situations. We then show a relationship between exploratory behavior and the expression of genes that have been previously linked with other behaviors in social insects. Specifically, we found a negative relationship between exploratory behavior and the expression of the foraging (Lhfor) gene. Finally, we determine how colonies allocate exploratory individuals in natural conditions. We found that ants from inside the nest are the least exploratory individuals, whereas workers on newly formed foraging trails are the most exploratory individuals. Furthermore, we found temporal differences throughout the year: in early-mid spring, when new resources emerge, workers are more exploratory than at the end of winter, potentially allowing the colony to find and exploit new resources. These findings reveal the importance of individual variation in behavior for the ecology of social animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Page
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Andrew Sweeney
- Biocircuits Institute, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Anna Pilko
- Institute of Quantitative and Computational Biosciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Noa Pinter-Wollman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Institute of Quantitative and Computational Biosciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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68
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Thamm M, Sturm K, Schlossmann J, Scheiner R. Levels and activity of cyclic guanosine monophosphate-dependent protein kinase in nurse and forager honeybees. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 27:815-823. [PMID: 30040150 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Age-dependent division of labour in honeybees was shown to be connected to sensory response thresholds. Foragers show a higher gustatory responsiveness than nurse bees. It is generally assumed that nutrition-related signalling pathways underlie this behavioural plasticity. Here, one important candidate gene is the foraging gene, which encodes a cyclic guanosine monophosphate-dependent protein kinase (PKG). Several roles of members of this enzyme family were analysed in vertebrates. They own functions in important processes such as growth, secretion and neuronal adaptation. Honeybee foraging messenger RNA expression is upregulated in the brain of foragers. In vivo activation of PKG can modulate gustatory responsiveness. We present for the first time PKG protein level and activity data in the context of social behaviour and feeding. Protein level was significantly higher in brains of foragers than in those of nurse bees, substantiating the role of PKG in behavioural plasticity. However, enzyme activity did not differ between behavioural roles. The mediation of feeding status appears independent of PKG signalling. Neither PKG content nor enzyme activity differed between starved and satiated individuals. We suggest that even though nutrition-related pathways are surely involved in controlling behavioural plasticity, which involves changes in PKG signalling, mediation of satiety itself is independent of PKG.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Thamm
- Behavioral Physiology & Sociobiology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - K Sturm
- Behavioral Physiology & Sociobiology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - J Schlossmann
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Universität Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - R Scheiner
- Behavioral Physiology & Sociobiology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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69
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Gastropod parasitic nematodes ( Phasmarhabditis sp.) are attracted to hyaluronic acid in snail mucus by cGMP signalling. J Helminthol 2018; 94:e9. [PMID: 30428945 DOI: 10.1017/s0022149x18000986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita is a parasitic nematode of terrestrial gastropods that has been formulated into a biological control agent for farmers and gardeners to kill slugs and snails. In order to locate slugs it is attracted to mucus, faeces and volatile cues; however, there is no information about whether these nematodes are attracted to snail cues. It is also unknown how wild isolates of P. hermaphrodita or different Phasmarhabditis species behave when exposed to gastropod cues. Therefore, we investigated whether P. hermaphrodita (commercial and wild isolated strains), P. neopapillosa and P. californica were attracted to mucus from several common snail species (Cepaea nemoralis, Cepaea hortensis, Arianta arbustorum and Cornu aspersum). We also examined whether snails (C. aspersum) collected from different locations around the UK differed in their attractiveness to wild isolates of P. hermaphrodita. Furthermore, we also investigated what properties of snail mucus the nematodes were attracted to, including hyaluronic acid and metal salts (FeSO4, ZnSO4, CuSO4 and MgSO4). We found that the commercial strain of P. hermaphrodita responded poorly to snail mucus compared to wild isolated strains, and C. aspersum collected from different parts of the UK differed in their attractiveness to the nematodes. We found that Phasmarhabditis nematodes were weakly attracted to all metals tested but were strongly attracted to hyaluronic acid. In a final experiment we also showed that pharmacological manipulation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) increased chemoattraction to snail mucus, suggesting that the protein kinase EGL-4 may be responsible for Phasmarhabditis sp. chemoattraction.
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70
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Sun Q, Haynes KF, Zhou X. Managing the risks and rewards of death in eusocial insects. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20170258. [PMID: 30012744 PMCID: PMC6053982 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [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] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Eusocial insects frequently face death of colony members as a consequence of living in large groups where the success of the colony is not dependent on the fate of the individual. Whereas death of conspecifics commonly triggers aversion in many group-living species due to risk of pathogens, eusocial insects perform cooperative corpse management. The causes and social context of the death, as well as feeding and nesting ecology of the species, influence the way that corpses are treated. The corpse itself releases cues that dictate the colony's response. As a result, social insects exhibit behavioural responses that promote disease resistance, colony defence and nutrient recycling. Corpse management represents a unique adaption that enhances colony success, and is another factor that has enabled eusocial insects to be so successful. In this review, we summarize the causes of death, the sensory detection of death and corpse management strategies of social insects. In addition, we provide insights into the evolution of behavioural response to the dead and the ecological relevance of corpse management.This article is part of the theme issue 'Evolutionary thanatology: impacts of the dead on the living in humans and other animals'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Sun
- Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Centre North, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
| | - Kenneth F Haynes
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Centre North, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
| | - Xuguo Zhou
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Centre North, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
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71
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Probing behaviors and their plasticity for the aphid Sitobion avenae on three alternative host plants. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0203219. [PMID: 30183744 PMCID: PMC6124740 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects may develop different behavioral phenotypes in response to heterogeneous environments (e.g., host plants), but the plasticity of their feeding behaviors has been rarely explored. In order to address the issue, clones of the English grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (Fabricius), were collected from wheat, and their probing behaviors were recorded on three plants. Our results demonstrated that S. avenae individuals on the alternative plants (i.e., barley and oat) tended to have higher frequency of non-probing (Np), increased duration of the pathway phase, increased phloem salivation, and decreased phloem ingestion (E2), compared to those on the source plant (i.e., wheat), showing the resistance of barley and oat to this aphid's feeding. This aphid showed apparently high extents of plasticity for all test probing behaviors on barley or oat. Positive selection for higher extents of plasticity in E2 duration was identified on barley and oat. The factor 'clone' alone explained 30.6% to 70.1% of the total variance for each behavioral plasticity, suggesting that the divergence of probing behavior plasticity in S. avenae had a genetic basis. This aphid's fitness correlated positively with the plasticity of Np frequency and E2 frequency. Some behaviors and their corresponding plasticities (e.g., the frequency of xylem ingestion and its plasticity) were found to be correlated characters, probably reflecting the limits for the evolution of higher extents of behavioral plasticity in this aphid. The differential probing behaviors and their plasticity in S. avenae can have significant implications for the adaptation and management of aphids on different plants.
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72
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Allen AM, Anreiter I, Vesterberg A, Douglas SJ, Sokolowski MB. Pleiotropy of the Drosophila melanogaster foraging gene on larval feeding-related traits. J Neurogenet 2018; 32:256-266. [PMID: 30303018 PMCID: PMC6309726 DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2018.1500572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Little is known about the molecular underpinning of behavioral pleiotropy. The Drosophila melanogaster foraging gene is highly pleiotropic, affecting many independent larval and adult phenotypes. Included in foraging's multiple phenotypes are larval foraging path length, triglyceride levels, and food intake. foraging has a complex structure with four promoters and 21 transcripts that encode nine protein isoforms of a cGMP dependent protein kinase (PKG). We examined if foraging's complex molecular structure underlies the behavioral pleiotropy associated with this gene. Using a promotor analysis strategy, we cloned DNA fragments upstream of each of foraging's transcription start sites and generated four separate forpr-Gal4s. Supporting our hypothesis of modular function, they had discrete, restricted expression patterns throughout the larva. In the CNS, forpr1-Gal4 and forpr4-Gal4 were expressed in neurons while forpr2-Gal4 and forpr3-Gal4 were expressed in glia cells. In the gastric system, forpr1-Gal4 and forpr3-Gal4 were expressed in enteroendocrine cells of the midgut while forpr2-Gal4 was expressed in the stem cells of the midgut. forpr3-Gal4 was expressed in the midgut enterocytes, and midgut and hindgut visceral muscle. forpr4-Gal4's gastric system expression was restricted to the hindgut. We also found promoter specific expression in the larval fat body, salivary glands, and body muscle. The modularity of foraging's molecular structure was also apparent in the phenotypic rescues. We rescued larval path length, triglyceride levels (bordered on significance), and food intake of for0 null larvae using different forpr-Gal4s to drive UAS-forcDNA. In a foraging null genetic background, forpr1-Gal4 was the only promoter driven Gal4 to rescue larval path length, forpr3-Gal4 altered triglyceride levels, and forpr4-Gal4 rescued food intake. Our results refine the spatial expression responsible for foraging's associated phenotypes, as well as the sub-regions of the locus responsible for their expression. foraging's pleiotropy arises at least in part from the individual contributions of its four promoters.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. M. Allen
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3G5
- Current address: Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK, OX1 3SR
| | - I. Anreiter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3B2
- Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), MaRS Centre, West Tower, 661 University Ave., Suite 505, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 1M1
| | - A. Vesterberg
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3B2
| | - S. J. Douglas
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3G5
| | - M. B. Sokolowski
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3G5
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3B2
- Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), MaRS Centre, West Tower, 661 University Ave., Suite 505, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 1M1
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73
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Tung S, Mishra A, Gogna N, Aamir Sadiq M, Shreenidhi PM, Shree Sruti VR, Dorai K, Dey S. Evolution of dispersal syndrome and its corresponding metabolomic changes. Evolution 2018; 72:1890-1903. [PMID: 30075053 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Dispersal is one of the strategies for organisms to deal with climate change and habitat degradation. Therefore, investigating the effects of dispersal evolution on natural populations is of considerable interest to ecologists and conservation biologists. Although it is known that dispersal itself can evolve due to selection, the behavioral, life-history and metabolic consequences of dispersal evolution are not well understood. Here, we explore these issues by subjecting four outbred laboratory populations of Drosophila melanogaster to selection for increased dispersal. The dispersal-selected populations had similar values of body size, fecundity, and longevity as the nonselected lines (controls), but evolved significantly greater locomotor activity, exploratory tendency, and aggression. Untargeted metabolomic fingerprinting through NMR spectroscopy suggested that the selected flies evolved elevated cellular respiration characterized by greater amounts of glucose, AMP, and NAD. Concurrent evolution of higher level of Octopamine and other neurotransmitters indicate a possible mechanism for the behavioral changes in the selected lines. We discuss the generalizability of our findings in the context of observations from natural populations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the evolution of metabolome due to selection for dispersal and its connection to dispersal syndrome evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudipta Tung
- Population Biology Laboratory, Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Abhishek Mishra
- Population Biology Laboratory, Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Navdeep Gogna
- Department of Physical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Mohammed Aamir Sadiq
- Population Biology Laboratory, Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - P M Shreenidhi
- Population Biology Laboratory, Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - V R Shree Sruti
- Population Biology Laboratory, Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Kavita Dorai
- Department of Physical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Sutirth Dey
- Population Biology Laboratory, Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, Pune, Maharashtra, India
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74
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Kelly SP, Risley MG, Miranda LE, Dawson-Scully K. Contribution of a natural polymorphism in protein kinase G modulates electroconvulsive seizure recovery in Drosophila melanogaster. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.179747. [PMID: 29798846 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.179747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster is a well-characterized model for neurological disorders and is widely used for investigating causes of altered neuronal excitability leading to seizure-like behavior. One method used to analyze behavioral output of neuronal perturbance is recording the time to locomotor recovery from an electroconvulsive shock. Based on this behavior, we sought to quantify seizure susceptibility in larval D. melanogaster with differences in the enzymatic activity levels of a major protein, cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG). PKG, encoded by foraging, has two natural allelic variants and has previously been implicated in several important physiological characteristics including: foraging patterns, learning and memory, and environmental stress tolerance. The well-established NO/cGMP/PKG signaling pathway found in the fly, which potentially targets downstream K+ channel(s), ultimately impacts membrane excitability, leading to our hypothesis: altering PKG enzymatic activity modulates time to recovery from an electroconvulsive seizure. Our results show that by both genetically and pharmacologically increasing PKG enzymatic activity, we can decrease the locomotor recovery time from an electroconvulsive seizure in larval D. melanogaster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie P Kelly
- Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
| | - Monica G Risley
- Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA.,International Max-Planck Research School (IMPRS) for Brain and Behavior, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
| | - Leonor E Miranda
- Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
| | - Ken Dawson-Scully
- Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
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75
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Liou NF, Lin SH, Chen YJ, Tsai KT, Yang CJ, Lin TY, Wu TH, Lin HJ, Chen YT, Gohl DM, Silies M, Chou YH. Diverse populations of local interneurons integrate into the Drosophila adult olfactory circuit. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2232. [PMID: 29884811 PMCID: PMC5993751 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04675-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Drosophila olfactory local interneurons (LNs) in the antennal lobe are highly diverse and variable. How and when distinct types of LNs emerge, differentiate, and integrate into the olfactory circuit is unknown. Through systematic developmental analyses, we found that LNs are recruited to the adult olfactory circuit in three groups. Group 1 LNs are residual larval LNs. Group 2 are adult-specific LNs that emerge before cognate sensory and projection neurons establish synaptic specificity, and Group 3 LNs emerge after synaptic specificity is established. Group 1 larval LNs are selectively reintegrated into the adult circuit through pruning and re-extension of processes to distinct regions of the antennal lobe, while others die during metamorphosis. Precise temporal control of this pruning and cell death shapes the global organization of the adult antennal lobe. Our findings provide a road map to understand how LNs develop and contribute to constructing the olfactory circuit. Local interneurons (LNs) in the Drosophila olfactory system are highly diverse. Here, the authors labeled different LN types and described how different LN subtypes are integrated into the developing circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan-Fu Liou
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Han Lin
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Jun Chen
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Kuo-Ting Tsai
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Jen Yang
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Tzi-Yang Lin
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan.,Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter, Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ting-Han Wu
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Ju Lin
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Yuh-Tarng Chen
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Daryl M Gohl
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.,University of Minnesota Genomics Center, 1-210 CCRB, 2231 6th Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Marion Silies
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.,European Neuroscience Institute, University Medical Center Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 5, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ya-Hui Chou
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan. .,Neuroscience Program of Academia Sinica, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan.
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76
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Edelsparre AH, Shahid A, Fitzpatrick MJ. Habitat connectivity is determined by the scale of habitat loss and dispersal strategy. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:5508-5514. [PMID: 29938069 PMCID: PMC6010807 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Revised: 02/11/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding factors that ameliorate the impact of habitat loss is a major focus of conservation research. One key factor influencing species persistence and evolution is the ability to disperse across increasingly patchy landscapes. Here we ask whether interpatch distance (a proxy for habitat loss) and dispersal strategy can interact to form thresholds where connectivity breaks down. We assayed dispersal across a range of interpatch distances in fruit flies carrying allelic variants of a gene known to underlie differences in dispersal strategy. Dispersal-limited flies experienced a distinct negative threshold in connectivity at greater interpatch distances, and this was not observed in more dispersive flies. Consequently, this differential response of dispersal-limited and more dispersive flies to decreasing connectivity suggests that habitat loss could have important implications on the evolution and maintenance of genetic variation underlying dispersal strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan H. Edelsparre
- Department of Biological SciencesIntegrative Behaviour and Neuroscience GroupUniversity of Toronto ScarboroughTorontoOntario
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntario
| | - Ashif Shahid
- Department of Biological SciencesIntegrative Behaviour and Neuroscience GroupUniversity of Toronto ScarboroughTorontoOntario
| | - Mark J. Fitzpatrick
- Department of Biological SciencesIntegrative Behaviour and Neuroscience GroupUniversity of Toronto ScarboroughTorontoOntario
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntario
- Department of Cell and Systems BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntario
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77
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Rohde PD, Østergaard S, Kristensen TN, Sørensen P, Loeschcke V, Mackay TFC, Sarup P. Functional Validation of Candidate Genes Detected by Genomic Feature Models. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2018; 8:1659-1668. [PMID: 29519937 PMCID: PMC5940157 DOI: 10.1534/g3.118.200082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the genetic underpinnings of complex traits requires knowledge of the genetic variants that contribute to phenotypic variability. Reliable statistical approaches are needed to obtain such knowledge. In genome-wide association studies, variants are tested for association with trait variability to pinpoint loci that contribute to the quantitative trait. Because stringent genome-wide significance thresholds are applied to control the false positive rate, many true causal variants can remain undetected. To ameliorate this problem, many alternative approaches have been developed, such as genomic feature models (GFM). The GFM approach tests for association of set of genomic markers, and predicts genomic values from genomic data utilizing prior biological knowledge. We investigated to what degree the findings from GFM have biological relevance. We used the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel to investigate locomotor activity, and applied genomic feature prediction models to identify gene ontology (GO) categories predictive of this phenotype. Next, we applied the covariance association test to partition the genomic variance of the predictive GO terms to the genes within these terms. We then functionally assessed whether the identified candidate genes affected locomotor activity by reducing gene expression using RNA interference. In five of the seven candidate genes tested, reduced gene expression altered the phenotype. The ranking of genes within the predictive GO term was highly correlated with the magnitude of the phenotypic consequence of gene knockdown. This study provides evidence for five new candidate genes for locomotor activity, and provides support for the reliability of the GFM approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Palle Duun Rohde
- Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, 8830 Tjele, Denmark
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Integrative Sequencing, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Solveig Østergaard
- Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, 8830 Tjele, Denmark
| | - Torsten Nygaard Kristensen
- Section for Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Section for Biology and Environmental Science, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Peter Sørensen
- Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, 8830 Tjele, Denmark
| | - Volker Loeschcke
- Section for Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Trudy F C Mackay
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
- Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
- W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
| | - Pernille Sarup
- Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, 8830 Tjele, Denmark
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78
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Ahmad M, Keebaugh ES, Tariq M, Ja WW. Evolutionary responses of Drosophila melanogaster under chronic malnutrition. Front Ecol Evol 2018; 6. [PMID: 31286000 DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Drosophila species have successfully spread and adapted to diverse climates across the globe. For D. melanogaster, rotting vegetative matter provides the primary substrate for mating and oviposition, and also acts as a nutritional resource for developing larvae and adult flies. The transitory nature of decaying vegetation exposes D. melanogaster to rapidly changing nutrient availability. As evidenced by their successful global spread, flies are capable of dealing with fluctuating nutritional reserves within their respective ecological niches. Therefore, D. melanogaster populations might contain standing genetic variation to support survival during periods of nutrient scarcity. The natural history and genetic tractability of D. melanogaster make the fly an ideal model for studies on the genetic basis of resistance to nutritional stress. We review artificial selection studies on nutritionally-deprived D. melanogaster and summarize the phenotypic outcomes of selected animals. Many of the reported evolved traits phenocopy mutants of the nutrient-sensing PI3K/Akt pathway. Given that the PI3K/Akt pathway is also responsive to acute nutritional stress, the PI3K/Akt pathway might underlie traits evolved under chronic nutritional deprivation. Future studies that directly test for the genetic mechanisms driving evolutionary responses to nutritional stress will take advantage of the ease in manipulating fly nutrient availability in the laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Ahmad
- Department of Biology, SBA School of Science and Engineering, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.,Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida, USA.,Center on Aging, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida, USA
| | - Erin S Keebaugh
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida, USA.,Center on Aging, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida, USA
| | - Muhammad Tariq
- Department of Biology, SBA School of Science and Engineering, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - William W Ja
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida, USA.,Center on Aging, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida, USA
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79
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Hughson BN, Anreiter I, Jackson Chornenki NL, Murphy KR, Ja WW, Huber R, Sokolowski MB. The adult foraging assay (AFA) detects strain and food-deprivation effects in feeding-related traits of Drosophila melanogaster. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 106:20-29. [PMID: 28860037 PMCID: PMC5832525 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2017.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2017] [Revised: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 08/26/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We introduce a high-resolution adult foraging assay (AFA) that relates pre- and post-ingestive walking behavior to individual instances of food consumption. We explore the utility of the AFA by taking advantage of established rover and sitter strains known to differ in a number of feeding-related traits. The AFA allows us to effectively distinguish locomotor behavior in Fed and Food-Deprived (FD) rover and sitter foragers. We found that rovers exhibit more exploratory behavior into the center of an arena containing sucrose drops compared to sitters who hug the edges of the arena and exhibit thigmotaxic behavior. Rovers also discover and ingest more sucrose drops than sitters. Sitters become more exploratory with increasing durations of food deprivation and the number of ingestion events also increases progressively with prolonged fasting for both strains. AFA results are matched by strain differences in sucrose responsiveness, starvation resistance, and lipid levels, suggesting that under the same feeding condition, rovers are more motivated to forage than sitters. These findings demonstrate the AFA's ability to effectively discriminate movement and food ingestion patterns of different strains and feeding treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryon N Hughson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Ina Anreiter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B2, Canada; Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), 180 Dundas St. West, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1Z8, Canada
| | - Nicholas L Jackson Chornenki
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Keith R Murphy
- Program in Integrative Biology and Neuroscience, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA; Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, 130 Scripps Way 3B3, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA; Center on Aging, The Scripps Research Institute, 130 Scripps Way 3B3, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - William W Ja
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, 130 Scripps Way 3B3, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA; Center on Aging, The Scripps Research Institute, 130 Scripps Way 3B3, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Robert Huber
- JP Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind & Behavior, Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43614, USA; Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University, 10 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Marla B Sokolowski
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B2, Canada; Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), 180 Dundas St. West, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1Z8, Canada.
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80
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Ma W, Jiang Y, Meng J, Zhao H, Song H, Shen J. Expression Characterization and Localization of the foraging Gene in the Chinese Bee, Apis cerana cerana (Hymenoptera: Apidae). JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2018; 18:4986474. [PMID: 29718508 PMCID: PMC5917781 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iey034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In social insects, the foraging gene (for) regulates insect age- and task-based foraging behaviors. We studied the expression and localization of the for gene (Acfor) in Apis cerana cerana workers to explore whether the differential regulation of this gene is associated with the behaviors of nurses and foragers. The expression profiles of Acfor in different tissues and at different ages were examined using real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Cellular localization in the brain was detected using in situ hybridization. Acfor transcripts in different ages workers showed that Acfor expression was detected in all the heads of 1- to 30-d-old worker bees. Acfor expression reached a peak at 25 d of age, and then declined with increasing age. The results showed that Acfor gene expression in five tissues was respectively significantly higher in foragers than in nurses. In nurses, the relative expression of Acfor was the highest in the antennae. There was a highly significant difference in expression between antennae, legs, and the other three tissues. In foragers, Acfor expression was the highest in the thorax, which was significantly different from all other tissues. In situ hybridization showed that Acfor was highly expressed in the lamina of the optic lobes, in a central column of Kenyon cells in the mushroom bodies of the brain of workers, and in the antennal lobes. This suggested that Acfor expression affects age-related foraging behavior in Apis cerana cerana, and that it may be related to flight activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- WeiHua Ma
- Institute of Horticulture, Shanxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi, China
| | - YuSuo Jiang
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi, China
| | - Jiao Meng
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi, China
| | - HuiTing Zhao
- College of Life Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi, China
| | - HuaiLei Song
- Institute of Horticulture, Shanxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - JinShan Shen
- Institute of Horticulture, Shanxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
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81
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Malé PJG, Turner KM, Doha M, Anreiter I, Allen AM, Sokolowski MB, Frederickson ME. An ant-plant mutualism through the lens of cGMP-dependent kinase genes. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.0896. [PMID: 28904134 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In plant-animal mutualisms, how an animal forages often determines how much benefit its plant partner receives. In many animals, foraging behaviour changes in response to foraging gene expression or activation of the cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) that foraging encodes. Here, we show that this highly conserved molecular mechanism affects the outcome of a plant-animal mutualism. We studied the two PKG genes of Allomerus octoarticulatus, an Amazonian ant that defends the ant-plant Cordia nodosa against herbivores. Some ant colonies are better 'bodyguards' than others. Working in the field in Peru, we found that colonies fed with a PKG activator recruited more workers to attack herbivores than control colonies. This resulted in less herbivore damage. PKG gene expression in ant workers correlated with whether an ant colony discovered an herbivore and how much damage herbivores inflicted on leaves in a complex way; natural variation in expression levels of the two genes had significant interaction effects on ant behaviour and herbivory. Our results suggest a molecular basis for ant protection of plants in this mutualism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre-Jean G Malé
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3B2
| | - Kyle M Turner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3B2
| | - Manjima Doha
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3B2
| | - Ina Anreiter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3B2.,Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), MaRS Centre, West Tower, 661 University Avenue, Suite 505, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1M1
| | - Aaron M Allen
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G5
| | - Marla B Sokolowski
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3B2.,Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), MaRS Centre, West Tower, 661 University Avenue, Suite 505, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1M1
| | - Megan E Frederickson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3B2
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82
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Examination of Clock and Adcyap1 gene variation in a neotropical migratory passerine. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0190859. [PMID: 29324772 PMCID: PMC5764313 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex behavioral traits, such as those making up a migratory phenotype, are regulated by multiple environmental factors and multiple genes. We investigated possible relationships between microsatellite variation at two candidate genes implicated in the control of migratory behavior, Clock and Adcyap1, and several aspects of migratory life-history and evolutionary divergence in the Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris), a species that shows wide variation in migratory and molting strategies across a disjunct distribution. We focused on Clock and Adcyap1 microsatellite variation across three Painted Bunting populations in Oklahoma, Louisiana, and North Carolina, and for the Oklahoma breeding population we used published migration tracking data on adult males to explore phenotypic variation in individual migratory behavior. We found no correlation between microsatellite allele size within either Clock and Adcyap1 relative to the initiation or duration of fall migration in adult males breeding in Oklahoma. We also show the lack of significant correlations with aspects of the migratory phenotype for the Louisiana population. Our research highlights the limitations of studying microsatellite allelic mutations that are of undetermined functional influence relative to complex behavioral phenotypes.
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83
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Lee YCG, Yang Q, Chi W, Turkson SA, Du WA, Kemkemer C, Zeng ZB, Long M, Zhuang X. Genetic Architecture of Natural Variation Underlying Adult Foraging Behavior That Is Essential for Survival of Drosophila melanogaster. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 9:1357-1369. [PMID: 28472322 PMCID: PMC5452641 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evx089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Foraging behavior is critical for the fitness of individuals. However, the genetic basis of variation in foraging behavior and the evolutionary forces underlying such natural variation have rarely been investigated. We developed a systematic approach to assay the variation in survival rate in a foraging environment for adult flies derived from a wild Drosophila melanogaster population. Despite being such an essential trait, there is substantial variation of foraging behavior among D. melanogaster strains. Importantly, we provided the first evaluation of the potential caveats of using inbred Drosophila strains to perform genome-wide association studies on life-history traits, and concluded that inbreeding depression is unlikely a major contributor for the observed large variation in adult foraging behavior. We found that adult foraging behavior has a strong genetic component and, unlike larval foraging behavior, depends on multiple loci. Identified candidate genes are enriched in those with high expression in adult heads and, demonstrated by expression knock down assay, are involved in maintaining normal functions of the nervous system. Our study not only identified candidate genes for foraging behavior that is relevant to individual fitness, but also shed light on the initial stage underlying the evolution of the behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuh Chwen G Lee
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.,Present address: Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Department of Molecular Biology and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley
| | - Qian Yang
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Wanhao Chi
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.,Present address: Committee on Genetics, Genomics & Systems Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Susie A Turkson
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Wei A Du
- Department of Biology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
| | - Claus Kemkemer
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Zhao-Bang Zeng
- Department of Statistical Genetics and Bioinformatics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Manyuan Long
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Xiaoxi Zhuang
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
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84
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A genome-wide gene-by-trauma interaction study of alcohol misuse in two independent cohorts identifies PRKG1 as a risk locus. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:154-160. [PMID: 28265120 PMCID: PMC5589475 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Revised: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Traumatic life experiences are associated with alcohol use problems, an association that is likely to be moderated by genetic predisposition. To understand these interactions, we conducted a gene-by-environment genome-wide interaction study (GEWIS) of alcohol use problems in two independent samples, the Army STARRS (STARRS, N=16 361) and the Yale-Penn (N=8084) cohorts. Because the two cohorts were assessed using different instruments, we derived separate dimensional alcohol misuse scales and applied a proxy-phenotype study design. In African-American subjects, we identified an interaction of PRKG1 rs1729578 with trauma exposure in the STARRS cohort and replicated its interaction with trauma exposure in the Yale-Penn cohort (discovery-replication meta-analysis: z=5.64, P=1.69 × 10-8). PRKG1 encodes cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase 1, which is involved in learning, memory and circadian rhythm regulation. Considering the loci identified in stage-1 that showed same effect directions in stage-2, the gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis showed several significant results, including calcium-activated potassium channels (GO:0016286; P=2.30 × 10-5), cognition (GO:0050890; P=1.90 × 10-6), locomotion (GO:0040011; P=6.70 × 10-5) and Stat3 protein regulation (GO:0042517; P=6.4 × 10-5). To our knowledge, this is the largest GEWIS performed in psychiatric genetics, and the first GEWIS examining risk for alcohol misuse. Our results add to a growing body of literature highlighting the dynamic impact of experience on individual genetic risk.
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85
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Ingram KK, Gordon DM, Friedman DA, Greene M, Kahler J, Peteru S. Context-dependent expression of the foraging gene in field colonies of ants: the interacting roles of age, environment and task. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.0841. [PMID: 27581876 PMCID: PMC5013789 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2016] [Accepted: 08/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Task allocation among social insect workers is an ideal framework for studying the molecular mechanisms underlying behavioural plasticity because workers of similar genotype adopt different behavioural phenotypes. Elegant laboratory studies have pioneered this effort, but field studies involving the genetic regulation of task allocation are rare. Here, we investigate the expression of the foraging gene in harvester ant workers from five age- and task-related groups in a natural population, and we experimentally test how exposure to light affects foraging expression in brood workers and foragers. Results from our field study show that the regulation of the foraging gene in harvester ants occurs at two time scales: levels of foraging mRNA are associated with ontogenetic changes over weeks in worker age, location and task, and there are significant daily oscillations in foraging expression in foragers. The temporal dissection of foraging expression reveals that gene expression changes in foragers occur across a scale of hours and the level of expression is predicted by activity rhythms: foragers have high levels of foraging mRNA during daylight hours when they are most active outside the nests. In the experimental study, we find complex interactions in foraging expression between task behaviour and light exposure. Oscillations occur in foragers following experimental exposure to 13 L : 11 D (LD) conditions, but not in brood workers under similar conditions. No significant differences were seen in foraging expression over time in either task in 24 h dark (DD) conditions. Interestingly, the expression of foraging in both undisturbed field and experimentally treated foragers is also significantly correlated with the expression of the circadian clock gene, cycle. Our results provide evidence that the regulation of this gene is context-dependent and associated with both ontogenetic and daily behavioural plasticity in field colonies of harvester ants. Our results underscore the importance of assaying temporal patterns in behavioural gene expression and suggest that gene regulation is an integral mechanism associated with behavioural plasticity in harvester ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krista K Ingram
- Department of Biology, Colgate University, 13 Oak Drive, Hamilton, NY 13346, USA
| | - Deborah M Gordon
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Gilbert Biological Science Building, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Daniel A Friedman
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Gilbert Biological Science Building, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Michael Greene
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado, Campus Box 171, PO Box 176634, Denver, CO 80217-3364, USA
| | - John Kahler
- Department of Biology, Colgate University, 13 Oak Drive, Hamilton, NY 13346, USA
| | - Swetha Peteru
- Department of Geography, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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86
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Kenmoku H, Hori A, Kuraishi T, Kurata S. A novel mode of induction of the humoral innate immune response in Drosophila larvae. Dis Model Mech 2017; 10:271-281. [PMID: 28250052 PMCID: PMC5374318 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.027102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Drosophila adults have been utilized as a genetically tractable model organism to decipher the molecular mechanisms of humoral innate immune responses. In an effort to promote the utility of Drosophila larvae as an additional model system, in this study, we describe a novel aspect of an induction mechanism for innate immunity in these larvae. By using a fine tungsten needle created for manipulating semi-conductor devices, larvae were subjected to septic injury. However, although Toll pathway mutants were susceptible to infection with Gram-positive bacteria as had been shown for Drosophila adults, microbe clearance was not affected in the mutants. In addition, Drosophila larvae were found to be sensitive to mechanical stimuli with respect to the activation of a sterile humoral response. In particular, pinching with forceps to a degree that might cause minor damage to larval tissues could induce the expression of the antifungal peptide gene Drosomycin; notably, this induction was partially independent of the Toll and immune deficiency pathways. We therefore propose that Drosophila larvae might serve as a useful model to analyze the infectious and non-infectious inflammation that underlies various inflammatory diseases such as ischemia, atherosclerosis and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Kenmoku
- Department of Molecular Biopharmacy and Genetics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
| | - Aki Hori
- Department of Molecular Biopharmacy and Genetics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578, Japan.,Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Takayuki Kuraishi
- Department of Molecular Biopharmacy and Genetics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578, Japan .,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.,Faculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan.,PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Tokyo 102-0076, Japan
| | - Shoichiro Kurata
- Department of Molecular Biopharmacy and Genetics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
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87
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Epigenetic switch turns on genetic behavioral variations. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:12365-12367. [PMID: 29114044 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1717376114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
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88
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Epigenetic mechanisms modulate differences in Drosophila foraging behavior. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:12518-12523. [PMID: 29078350 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1710770114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about how genetic variation and epigenetic marks interact to shape differences in behavior. The foraging (for) gene regulates behavioral differences between the rover and sitter Drosophila melanogaster strains, but the molecular mechanisms through which it does so have remained elusive. We show that the epigenetic regulator G9a interacts with for to regulate strain-specific adult foraging behavior through allele-specific histone methylation of a for promoter (pr4). Rovers have higher pr4 H3K9me dimethylation, lower pr4 RNA expression, and higher foraging scores than sitters. The rover-sitter differences disappear in the presence of G9a null mutant alleles, showing that G9a is necessary for these differences. Furthermore, rover foraging scores can be phenocopied by transgenically reducing pr4 expression in sitters. This compelling evidence shows that genetic variation can interact with an epigenetic modifier to produce differences in gene expression, establishing a behavioral polymorphism in Drosophila.
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89
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Fischer EK, O'Connell LA. Modification of feeding circuits in the evolution of social behavior. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 220:92-102. [PMID: 28057832 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.143859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Adaptive trade-offs between foraging and social behavior intuitively explain many aspects of individual decision-making. Given the intimate connection between social behavior and feeding/foraging at the behavioral level, we propose that social behaviors are linked to foraging on a mechanistic level, and that modifications of feeding circuits are crucial in the evolution of complex social behaviors. In this Review, we first highlight the overlap between mechanisms underlying foraging and parental care and then expand this argument to consider the manipulation of feeding-related pathways in the evolution of other complex social behaviors. We include examples from diverse taxa to highlight that the independent evolution of complex social behaviors is a variation on the theme of feeding circuit modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva K Fischer
- Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Lauren A O'Connell
- Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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90
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Wagle M, Nguyen J, Lee S, Zaitlen N, Guo S. Heritable natural variation of an anxiety-like behavior in larval zebrafish. J Neurogenet 2017; 31:138-148. [PMID: 28678579 DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2017.1343827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Complex behaviors are often observed at a spectrum in the population, and psychiatric disorders represent extremes of such behavioral spectra. While grasping the underlying cellular and molecular basis of these disorders represents a major challenge, it is believed that studies of complex behaviors in model organisms, where genotyping and phenotyping can be more conveniently carried out and cause-effect relationships can be further discerned, will help address this challenge. Here we report the characterization of a natural dark aversion behavior in larval zebrafish, which is previously shown to be fear or anxiety-associated. Phenotyping ∼200 individuals using a light/dark choice assay uncovered that, while a majority of individuals displayed medium level of dark aversion (mda), a small number of individuals exhibited strong dark aversion (sda), and a third small cohort showed variable dark aversion (vda). Through selective breeding and phenotyping of the next generation, we demonstrated that both the sda and vda traits are heritable, with sda being invariable while vda being highly variable across multiple trials. Additionally, sda appears to be recessive and vda appears to be dominant over the common allele(s) in the population. Moreover, compared to vda, sda showed increased thigmotaxis (preference for the walls in an open field), another measure of anxiety. Together, these findings reveal a naturally heritable variation of anxiety-like behavior in a tractable model organism, thereby laying foundation for future dissection of the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahendra Wagle
- a Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, Programs in Human Genetics and Biological Sciences, Wheeler Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction , University of California , San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - Juliana Nguyen
- a Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, Programs in Human Genetics and Biological Sciences, Wheeler Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction , University of California , San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - Shinwoo Lee
- a Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, Programs in Human Genetics and Biological Sciences, Wheeler Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction , University of California , San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - Noah Zaitlen
- b Department of Medicine , University of California , San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - Su Guo
- a Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, Programs in Human Genetics and Biological Sciences, Wheeler Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction , University of California , San Francisco , CA , USA
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91
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McConnell MW, Fitzpatrick MJ. 'Foraging' for a place to lay eggs: A genetic link between foraging behaviour and oviposition preferences. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0179362. [PMID: 28622389 PMCID: PMC5473555 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Gravid female arthropods in search of egg-laying substrates embark on foraging-like forays: they survey the environment assessing multiple patches, tasting each with their tarsi and proboscis, and then, if interested, they deposit an egg (or eggs). In fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster, allelic variation in the foraging gene (for) underlies the rover/sitter foraging behaviour polymorphism. Rover flies (forR) are more active foragers (both within and between food patches) compared to sitters (fors). In nematodes, Caenorhabditis elegans, a mutation in egl-4, the ortholog of for, leads to aberrations in egg laying. Given this and the notion that females may 'forage' for a place to oviposit, we hypothesized that for may underlie egg-laying decisions in the fruit fly. Indeed, when given a choice between patches of low- and high-nutrient availability, rovers lay significantly more eggs on the low-nutrient patches than sitters and also a sitter mutant (fors2). We confirm the role of for by inducing rover-like oviposition preferences in a sitter fly using the transgenic overexpression of for-mRNA in the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murray W. McConnell
- Integrative Behaviour & Neuroscience Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mark J. Fitzpatrick
- Integrative Behaviour & Neuroscience Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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92
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Terbot JW, Gaynor RL, Linnen CR. Gregariousness does not vary with geography, developmental stage, or group relatedness in feeding redheaded pine sawfly larvae. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:3689-3702. [PMID: 28616166 PMCID: PMC5468130 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Revised: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Aggregations are widespread across the animal kingdom, yet the underlying proximate and ultimate causes are still largely unknown. An ideal system to investigate this simple, social behavior is the pine sawfly genus Neodiprion, which is experimentally tractable and exhibits interspecific variation in larval gregariousness. To assess intraspecific variation in this trait, we characterized aggregative tendency within a single widespread species, the redheaded pine sawfly (N. lecontei). To do so, we developed a quantitative assay in which we measured interindividual distances over a 90‐min video. This assay revealed minimal behavioral differences: (1) between early‐feeding and late‐feeding larval instars, (2) among larvae derived from different latitudes, and (3) between groups composed of kin and those composed of nonkin. Together, these results suggest that, during the larval feeding period, the benefits individuals derive from aggregating outweigh the costs and that this cost‐to‐benefit ratio does not vary dramatically across space (geography) or ontogeny (developmental stage). In contrast to the feeding larvae, our assay revealed a striking reduction in gregariousness following the final larval molt in N. lecontei. We also found some intriguing interspecific variation: While N. lecontei and N. maurus feeding larvae exhibit significant aggregative tendencies, feeding N. compar larvae do not aggregate at all. These results set the stage for future work investigating the proximate and ultimate mechanisms underlying developmental and interspecific variation in larval gregariousness across Neodiprion.
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Affiliation(s)
- John W Terbot
- Department of Biology University of Kentucky Lexington KY USA
| | - Ryan L Gaynor
- Department of Biology University of Kentucky Lexington KY USA
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93
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Wang S, Sokolowski MB. Aggressive behaviours, food deprivation and the foraging gene. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:170042. [PMID: 28484630 PMCID: PMC5414267 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
A pleiotropic gene governs multiple traits, which might constrain the evolution of complexity due to conflicting selection on these traits. However, if the pleiotropic effect is modular, then this can facilitate synergistic responses to selection on functionally related traits, thereby leveraging the evolution of complexity. To understand the evolutionary consequence of pleiotropy, the relation among functionally different traits governed by the same gene is key. We examined a pleiotropic function of the foraging (for) gene with its rover and sitter allelic variants in fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. We measured for's effect on adult male aggressive behaviours and whether this effect was shaped by for's known role in food-related traits. Rover exhibited higher levels of offensive behaviour than sitters and s2, a sitter-like mutant on rover genetic background. With a Markov chain model, we estimated the rate of aggression escalation, and found that the rover pattern of aggressive escalation more rapidly intensified fights. Subsequent analysis revealed that this was not caused by for's effect on food-related traits, suggesting that for might directly regulate aggressive behaviours. Food deprivation did not elevate aggression, but reduced intermediate-level aggressive behaviours. Aggression and other foraging-related behaviour might comprise a synergistic trait module underlaid by this pleiotropic gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silu Wang
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaV6T 1Z4
| | - Marla B. Sokolowski
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaM5S 3B2
- Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), 180 Dundas Street West, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaM5G 1Z8
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94
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Banerjee N, Bhattacharya R, Gorczyca M, Collins KM, Francis MM. Local neuropeptide signaling modulates serotonergic transmission to shape the temporal organization of C. elegans egg-laying behavior. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1006697. [PMID: 28384151 PMCID: PMC5398689 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Revised: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal behaviors are often composed of distinct alternating behavioral states. Neuromodulatory signals are thought to be critical for establishing stable behavioral states and for orchestrating transitions between them. However, we have only a limited understanding of how neuromodulatory systems act in vivo to alter circuit performance and shape behavior. To address these questions, we have investigated neuromodulatory signaling in the context of Caenorhabditis elegans egg-laying. Egg-laying activity cycles between discrete states-short bursts of egg deposition (active phases) that alternate with prolonged quiescent periods (inactive phases). Here using genetic, pharmacological and optogenetic approaches for cell-specific activation and inhibition, we show that a group of neurosecretory cells (uv1) located in close spatial proximity to the egg-laying neuromusculature direct the temporal organization of egg-laying by prolonging the duration of inactive phases. We demonstrate that the modulatory effects of the uv1 cells are mediated by peptides encoded by the nlp-7 and flp-11 genes that act locally to inhibit circuit activity, primarily by inhibiting vesicular release of serotonin from HSN motor neurons. This peptidergic inhibition is achieved, at least in part, by reducing synaptic vesicle abundance in the HSN motor neurons. By linking the in vivo actions of specific neuropeptide signaling systems with the generation of stable behavioral outcomes, our study reveals how cycles of neuromodulation emanating from non-neuronal cells can fundamentally shape the organization of a behavioral program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Navonil Banerjee
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA United States of America
| | - Raja Bhattacharya
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA United States of America
| | - Michael Gorczyca
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA United States of America
| | - Kevin M. Collins
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL United States of America
| | - Michael M. Francis
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA United States of America
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95
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Hou L, Yang P, Jiang F, Liu Q, Wang X, Kang L. The neuropeptide F/nitric oxide pathway is essential for shaping locomotor plasticity underlying locust phase transition. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28346142 PMCID: PMC5400507 DOI: 10.7554/elife.22526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Behavioral plasticity is widespread in swarming animals, but little is known about its underlying neural and molecular mechanisms. Here, we report that a neuropeptide F (NPF)/nitric oxide (NO) pathway plays a critical role in the locomotor plasticity of swarming migratory locusts. The transcripts encoding two related neuropeptides, NPF1a and NPF2, show reduced levels during crowding, and the transcript levels of NPF1a and NPF2 receptors significantly increase during locust isolation. Both NPF1a and NPF2 have suppressive effects on phase-related locomotor activity. A key downstream mediator for both NPFs is nitric oxide synthase (NOS), which regulates phase-related locomotor activity by controlling NO synthesis in the locust brain. Mechanistically, NPF1a and NPF2 modify NOS activity by separately suppressing its phosphorylation and by lowering its transcript level, effects that are mediated by their respective receptors. Our results uncover a hierarchical neurochemical mechanism underlying behavioral plasticity in the swarming locust and provide insights into the NPF/NO axis. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.22526.001 Migratory locusts are widespread throughout the Eastern Hemisphere, especially in Asia, Australia and Africa. Although usually solitary insects, locusts can also form swarms made up of millions of individuals, which can devastate crops. Swarming can be studied on a smaller scale in the laboratory by forcing locusts to crowd together. This causes the locusts to enter a so-called gregarious state in which they are more active and sociable, which in turn promotes swarming. Isolating individual locusts has the opposite effect, causing the insects to enter a solitary state in which they are less active. Chemicals in the locust brain called neuropeptides control phase transitions between solitary and gregarious behavior. Neuropeptides bind to specific proteins called receptors in the outer membranes of neurons and initiate unique signaling cascades inside cells. However, exactly how neuropeptides regulate the changes in locust behavior that affect swarming was not clear. Hou et al. now reveal the role that two related neuropeptides, NPF1a and NPF2, play in this process. Crowding causes the levels of NPF1a and NPF2 in the locust brain to decrease, whereas isolating individual locusts causes the levels of two NPF receptors to increase. Both neuropeptides reduce levels of a molecule called nitric oxide in the brain. NPF1a does this by reducing the activity of the enzyme that produces nitric oxide, whereas NPF2 reduces the production of this enzyme. The reduction in nitric oxide in turn makes the locusts less active. Similar NPF neuropeptides had previously been shown to affect activity levels in other invertebrates, such as roundworms and fruit flies. This, combined with the results now presented by Hou et al., suggests that the NPF/nitric oxide pathway may regulate activity in insects in general. Future work should investigate this possibility, as well as whether the NPF/nitric oxide pathway controls changes in other insect behaviors such as feeding and mating. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.22526.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Pengcheng Yang
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Feng Jiang
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xianhui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Le Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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96
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Xiao C, Robertson RM. White - cGMP Interaction Promotes Fast Locomotor Recovery from Anoxia in Adult Drosophila. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0168361. [PMID: 28060942 PMCID: PMC5218474 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence indicates that the white (w) gene in Drosophila possesses extra-retinal functions in addition to its classical role in eye pigmentation. We have previously shown that w+ promotes fast and consistent locomotor recovery from anoxia, but how w+ modulates locomotor recovery is largely unknown. Here we show that in the absence of w+, several PDE mutants, especially cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-specific PDE mutants, display wildtype-like fast locomotor recovery from anoxia, and that during the night time, locomotor recovery was light-sensitive in white-eyed mutant w1118, and light-insensitive in PDE mutants under w1118 background. Data indicate the involvement of cGMP in the modulation of recovery timing and presumably, light-evoked cGMP fluctuation is associated with light sensitivity of locomotor recovery. This was further supported by the observations that w-RNAi-induced delay of locomotor recovery was completely eliminated by upregulation of cGMP through multiple approaches, including PDE mutation, simultaneous overexpression of an atypical soluble guanylyl cyclase Gyc88E, or sildenafil feeding. Lastly, prolonged sildenafil feeding promoted fast locomotor recovery from anoxia in w1118. Taken together, these data suggest that a White-cGMP interaction modulates the timing of locomotor recovery from anoxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengfeng Xiao
- Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
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97
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Kohsaka H, Guertin PA, Nose A. Neural Circuits Underlying Fly Larval Locomotion. Curr Pharm Des 2017; 23:1722-1733. [PMID: 27928962 PMCID: PMC5470056 DOI: 10.2174/1381612822666161208120835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Locomotion is a complex motor behavior that may be expressed in different ways using a variety of strategies depending upon species and pathological or environmental conditions. Quadrupedal or bipedal walking, running, swimming, flying and gliding constitute some of the locomotor modes enabling the body, in all cases, to move from one place to another. Despite these apparent differences in modes of locomotion, both vertebrate and invertebrate species share, at least in part, comparable neural control mechanisms for locomotor rhythm and pattern generation and modulation. Significant advances have been made in recent years in studies of the genetic aspects of these control systems. Findings made specifically using Drosophila (fruit fly) models and preparations have contributed to further understanding of the key role of genes in locomotion. This review focuses on some of the main findings made in larval fruit flies while briefly summarizing the basic advantages of using this powerful animal model for studying the neural locomotor system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Kohsaka
- Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, University of Tokyo, Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8561, Japan
| | - Pierre A. Guertin
- Department of Psychiatry & Neurosciences, Laval University, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Akinao Nose
- Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, University of Tokyo, Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8561, Japan
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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98
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Sokolowski HM, Vasquez OE, Unternaehrer E, Sokolowski DJ, Biergans SD, Atkinson L, Gonzalez A, Silveira PP, Levitan R, O'Donnell KJ, Steiner M, Kennedy J, Meaney MJ, Fleming AS, Sokolowski MB. The Drosophila foraging gene human orthologue PRKG1 predicts individual differences in the effects of early adversity on maternal sensitivity. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2016; 42:62-73. [PMID: 28827895 DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2016.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
There is variation in the extent to which childhood adverse experience affects adult individual differences in maternal behavior. Genetic variation in the animal foraging gene, which encodes a cGMP-dependent protein kinase, contributes to variation in the responses of adult fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster, to early life adversity and is also known to play a role in maternal behavior in social insects. Here we investigate genetic variation in the human foraging gene (PRKG1) as a predictor of individual differences in the effects of early adversity on maternal behavior in two cohorts. We show that the PRKG1 genetic polymorphism rs2043556 associates with maternal sensitivity towards their infants. We also show that rs2043556 moderates the association between self-reported childhood adversity of the mother and her later maternal sensitivity. Mothers with the TT allele of rs2043556 appeared buffered from the effects of early adversity, whereas mothers with the presence of a C allele were not. Our study used the Toronto Longitudinal Cohort (N=288 mother-16 month old infant pairs) and the Maternal Adversity and Vulnerability and Neurodevelopment Cohort (N=281 mother-18 month old infant pairs). Our findings expand the literature on the contributions of both genetics and gene-environment interactions to maternal sensitivity, a salient feature of the early environment relevant for child neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Moriah Sokolowski
- Department of Psychology, Brain and Mind Institute, The University of Western Ontario, Westminster Hall, Room 325, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 3K7
| | - Oscar E Vasquez
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 25 Wilcocks St. University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3B2
| | - Eva Unternaehrer
- Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, 6875, Boulevard LaSalle, Montréal, Québec, Canada H4H 1R3
| | - Dustin J Sokolowski
- Department of Biology, University of Western, Ontario, Toronto, Canada, N6A 3K7
| | - Stephanie D Biergans
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 25 Wilcocks St. University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3B2
| | - Leslie Atkinson
- Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5B2K3
| | - Andrea Gonzalez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, McMaster University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster Innovation Park, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada, L8S 4K1
| | - Patricia P Silveira
- Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, 6875, Boulevard LaSalle, Montréal, Québec, Canada H4H 1R3
| | - Robert Levitan
- Women's Health Concerns Clinic, St. Joseph's Healthcare, 50 Charlton Avenue East, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, L8G 5E4
| | - Kieran J O'Donnell
- Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, 6875, Boulevard LaSalle, Montréal, Québec, Canada H4H 1R3.,Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), 180 Dundas St West, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario Canada M5G 1Z8
| | - Meir Steiner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, McMaster University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster Innovation Park, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada, L8S 4K1.,Women's Health Concerns Clinic, St. Joseph's Healthcare, 50 Charlton Avenue East, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, L8G 5E4
| | - James Kennedy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto and Centre for Addiction an Mental Health, 33 Russell St, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3M1
| | - Michael J Meaney
- Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, 6875, Boulevard LaSalle, Montréal, Québec, Canada H4H 1R3.,Singapore Institute for Clinical Science, Brenner Centre for Molecular Medicine 30 Medical Drive, Singapore 117609.,Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), 180 Dundas St West, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario Canada M5G 1Z8
| | - Alison S Fleming
- Department of Psychology, 100 St. George Street, Sidney Smith Hall Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G3
| | - Marla B Sokolowski
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 25 Wilcocks St. University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3B2.,Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), 180 Dundas St West, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario Canada M5G 1Z8
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99
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Feeding-Related Traits Are Affected by Dosage of the foraging Gene in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 2016; 205:761-773. [PMID: 28007892 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.116.197939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2016] [Accepted: 12/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Nutrient acquisition and energy storage are critical parts of achieving metabolic homeostasis. The foraging gene in Drosophila melanogaster has previously been implicated in multiple feeding-related and metabolic traits. Before foraging's functions can be further dissected, we need a precise genetic null mutant to definitively map its amorphic phenotypes. We used homologous recombination to precisely delete foraging, generating the for0 null allele, and used recombineering to reintegrate a full copy of the gene, generating the {forBAC} rescue allele. We show that a total loss of foraging expression in larvae results in reduced larval path length and food intake behavior, while conversely showing an increase in triglyceride levels. Furthermore, varying foraging gene dosage demonstrates a linear dose-response on these phenotypes in relation to foraging gene expression levels. These experiments have unequivocally proven a causal, dose-dependent relationship between the foraging gene and its pleiotropic influence on these feeding-related traits. Our analysis of foraging's transcription start sites, termination sites, and splicing patterns using rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) and full-length cDNA sequencing, revealed four independent promoters, pr1-4, that produce 21 transcripts with nine distinct open reading frames (ORFs). The use of alternative promoters and alternative splicing at the foraging locus creates diversity and flexibility in the regulation of gene expression, and ultimately function. Future studies will exploit these genetic tools to precisely dissect the isoform- and tissue-specific requirements of foraging's functions and shed light on the genetic control of feeding-related traits involved in energy homeostasis.
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100
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Philippe AS, Jeanson R, Pasquaretta C, Rebaudo F, Sueur C, Mery F. Genetic variation in aggregation behaviour and interacting phenotypes in Drosophila. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:20152967. [PMID: 27009219 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.2967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Accepted: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggregation behaviour is the tendency for animals to group together, which may have important consequences on individual fitness. We used a combination of experimental and simulation approaches to study how genetic variation and social environment interact to influence aggregation dynamics in Drosophila To do this, we used two different natural lines of Drosophila that arise from a polymorphism in the foraging gene (rovers and sitters). We placed groups of flies in a heated arena. Flies could freely move towards one of two small, cooler refuge areas. In groups of the same strain, sitters had a greater tendency to aggregate. The observed behavioural variation was based on only two parameters: the probability of entering a refuge and the likelihood of choosing a refuge based on the number of individuals present. We then directly addressed how different strains interact by mixing rovers and sitters within a group. Aggregation behaviour of each line was strongly affected by the presence of the other strain, without changing the decision rules used by each. Individuals obeying local rules shaped complex group dynamics via a constant feedback loop between the individual and the group. This study could help to identify the circumstances under which particular group compositions may improve individual fitness through underlying aggregation mechanisms under specific environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Sophie Philippe
- Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes, Comportement and Ecologie, CNRS, IRD, Université. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette 91198, France
| | - Raphael Jeanson
- Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse Cedex 9, France Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse Cedex 9, France
| | - Cristian Pasquaretta
- Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Strasbourg, France Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Francois Rebaudo
- Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes, Comportement and Ecologie, CNRS, IRD, Université. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette 91198, France Instituto de Ecología, Centro de Análisis Espacial, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz, Bolivia
| | - Cedric Sueur
- Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Strasbourg, France Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Frederic Mery
- Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes, Comportement and Ecologie, CNRS, IRD, Université. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette 91198, France
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