1
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Cowley BR, Calhoun AJ, Rangarajan N, Ireland E, Turner MH, Pillow JW, Murthy M. Mapping model units to visual neurons reveals population code for social behaviour. Nature 2024; 629:1100-1108. [PMID: 38778103 PMCID: PMC11136655 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07451-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
The rich variety of behaviours observed in animals arises through the interplay between sensory processing and motor control. To understand these sensorimotor transformations, it is useful to build models that predict not only neural responses to sensory input1-5 but also how each neuron causally contributes to behaviour6,7. Here we demonstrate a novel modelling approach to identify a one-to-one mapping between internal units in a deep neural network and real neurons by predicting the behavioural changes that arise from systematic perturbations of more than a dozen neuronal cell types. A key ingredient that we introduce is 'knockout training', which involves perturbing the network during training to match the perturbations of the real neurons during behavioural experiments. We apply this approach to model the sensorimotor transformations of Drosophila melanogaster males during a complex, visually guided social behaviour8-11. The visual projection neurons at the interface between the optic lobe and central brain form a set of discrete channels12, and prior work indicates that each channel encodes a specific visual feature to drive a particular behaviour13,14. Our model reaches a different conclusion: combinations of visual projection neurons, including those involved in non-social behaviours, drive male interactions with the female, forming a rich population code for behaviour. Overall, our framework consolidates behavioural effects elicited from various neural perturbations into a single, unified model, providing a map from stimulus to neuronal cell type to behaviour, and enabling future incorporation of wiring diagrams of the brain15 into the model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin R Cowley
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA.
| | - Adam J Calhoun
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | - Elise Ireland
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Maxwell H Turner
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan W Pillow
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Mala Murthy
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
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2
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Castaneda AN, Huda A, Whitaker IBM, Reilly JE, Shelby GS, Bai H, Ni L. Functional labeling of individualized postsynaptic neurons using optogenetics and trans-Tango in Drosophila (FLIPSOT). PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011190. [PMID: 38483970 PMCID: PMC10965055 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
A population of neurons interconnected by synapses constitutes a neural circuit, which performs specific functions upon activation. It is essential to identify both anatomical and functional entities of neural circuits to comprehend the components and processes necessary for healthy brain function and the changes that characterize brain disorders. To date, few methods are available to study these two aspects of a neural circuit simultaneously. In this study, we developed FLIPSOT, or functional labeling of individualized postsynaptic neurons using optogenetics and trans-Tango. FLIPSOT uses (1) trans-Tango to access postsynaptic neurons genetically, (2) optogenetic approaches to activate (FLIPSOTa) or inhibit (FLIPSOTi) postsynaptic neurons in a random and sparse manner, and (3) fluorescence markers tagged with optogenetic genes to visualize these neurons. Therefore, FLIPSOT allows using a presynaptic driver to identify the behavioral function of individual postsynaptic neurons. It is readily applied to identify functions of individual postsynaptic neurons and has the potential to be adapted for use in mammalian circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison N. Castaneda
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Ainul Huda
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Iona B. M. Whitaker
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Julianne E. Reilly
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Grace S. Shelby
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Hua Bai
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Lina Ni
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
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3
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Merrill RM, Arenas-Castro H, Feller AF, Harenčár J, Rossi M, Streisfeld MA, Kay KM. Genetics and the Evolution of Prezygotic Isolation. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2024; 16:a041439. [PMID: 37848246 PMCID: PMC10835618 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
The significance of prezygotic isolation for speciation has been recognized at least since the Modern Synthesis. However, fundamental questions remain. For example, how are genetic associations between traits that contribute to prezygotic isolation maintained? What is the source of genetic variation underlying the evolution of these traits? And how do prezygotic barriers affect patterns of gene flow? We address these questions by reviewing genetic features shared across plants and animals that influence prezygotic isolation. Emerging technologies increasingly enable the identification and functional characterization of the genes involved, allowing us to test established theoretical expectations. Embedding these genes in their developmental context will allow further predictions about what constrains the evolution of prezygotic isolation. Ongoing improvements in statistical and computational tools will reveal how pre- and postzygotic isolation may differ in how they influence gene flow across the genome. Finally, we highlight opportunities for progress by combining theory with appropriate data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard M Merrill
- Faculty of Biology, Division of Evolutionary Biology, LMU Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Henry Arenas-Castro
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Anna F Feller
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
- Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts 02131, USA
| | - Julia Harenčár
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95060, USA
| | - Matteo Rossi
- Faculty of Biology, Division of Evolutionary Biology, LMU Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Matthew A Streisfeld
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403-5289, USA
| | - Kathleen M Kay
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95060, USA
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4
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Roemschied FA, Pacheco DA, Aragon MJ, Ireland EC, Li X, Thieringer K, Pang R, Murthy M. Flexible circuit mechanisms for context-dependent song sequencing. Nature 2023; 622:794-801. [PMID: 37821705 PMCID: PMC10600009 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06632-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Sequenced behaviours, including locomotion, reaching and vocalization, are patterned differently in different contexts, enabling animals to adjust to their environments. How contextual information shapes neural activity to flexibly alter the patterning of actions is not fully understood. Previous work has indicated that this could be achieved via parallel motor circuits, with differing sensitivities to context1,2. Here we demonstrate that a single pathway operates in two regimes dependent on recent sensory history. We leverage the Drosophila song production system3 to investigate the role of several neuron types4-7 in song patterning near versus far from the female fly. Male flies sing 'simple' trains of only one mode far from the female fly but complex song sequences comprising alternations between modes when near her. We find that ventral nerve cord (VNC) circuits are shaped by mutual inhibition and rebound excitability8 between nodes driving the two song modes. Brief sensory input to a direct brain-to-VNC excitatory pathway drives simple song far from the female, whereas prolonged input enables complex song production via simultaneous recruitment of functional disinhibition of VNC circuitry. Thus, female proximity unlocks motor circuit dynamics in the correct context. We construct a compact circuit model to demonstrate that the identified mechanisms suffice to replicate natural song dynamics. These results highlight how canonical circuit motifs8,9 can be combined to enable circuit flexibility required for dynamic communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederic A Roemschied
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- European Neuroscience Institute, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Diego A Pacheco
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Max J Aragon
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Elise C Ireland
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Xinping Li
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Kyle Thieringer
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Rich Pang
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Mala Murthy
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
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5
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Salzberg Y, Haque R, Oren-Suissa M. The synaptic basis for sexual dimorphism in the invertebrate nervous system. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 82:102757. [PMID: 37572555 PMCID: PMC10506627 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
Many animal behaviors are manifested differently in the two sexes of a given species, but how such sexual dimorphism is imprinted in the nervous system is not always clear. One mechanism involved is synaptic dimorphism, by which the same neurons exist in the two sexes, but form synapses that differ in features such as anatomy, molecular content or fate. While some evidence for synaptic dimorphism exists in humans and mammals, identifying these mechanisms in invertebrates has proven simpler, due to their smaller nervous systems and absence of external regulation by sex hormones. This review aims to present the current status of the field in invertebrates, the available toolkit for the study of synaptic dimorphism, and the standing questions that still remain incompletely answered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yehuda Salzberg
- Department of Brain Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Rizwanul Haque
- Department of Brain Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Meital Oren-Suissa
- Department of Brain Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel.
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6
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Mabuchi Y, Cui X, Xie L, Kim H, Jiang T, Yapici N. Visual feedback neurons fine-tune Drosophila male courtship via GABA-mediated inhibition. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3896-3910.e7. [PMID: 37673068 PMCID: PMC10529139 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.08.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Many species of animals use vision to regulate their social behaviors. However, the molecular and circuit mechanisms underlying visually guided social interactions remain largely unknown. Here, we show that the Drosophila ortholog of the human GABAA-receptor-associated protein (GABARAP) is required in a class of visual feedback neurons, lamina tangential (Lat) cells, to fine-tune male courtship. GABARAP is a ubiquitin-like protein that maintains cell-surface levels of GABAA receptors. We demonstrate that knocking down GABARAP or GABAAreceptors in Lat neurons or hyperactivating them induces male courtship toward other males. Inhibiting Lat neurons, on the other hand, delays copulation by impairing the ability of males to follow females. Remarkably, the fly GABARAP protein and its human ortholog share a strong sequence identity, and the fly GABARAP function in Lat neurons can be rescued by its human ortholog. Using in vivo two-photon imaging and optogenetics, we reveal that Lat neurons are functionally connected to neural circuits that mediate visually guided courtship pursuits in males. Our work identifies a novel physiological function for GABARAP in regulating visually guided courtship pursuits in Drosophila males. Reduced GABAA signaling has been linked to social deficits observed in the autism spectrum and bipolar disorders. The functional similarity between the human and the fly GABARAP raises the possibility of a conserved role for this gene in regulating social behaviors across insects and mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Mabuchi
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Xinyue Cui
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Lily Xie
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Haein Kim
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Tianxing Jiang
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Nilay Yapici
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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7
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Coleman RT, Morantte I, Koreman GT, Cheng ML, Ding Y, Ruta V. A modular circuit architecture coordinates the diversification of courtship strategies in Drosophila. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.16.558080. [PMID: 37745588 PMCID: PMC10516016 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.16.558080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Identifying a mate is a central imperative for males of most species but poses the challenge of distinguishing a suitable partner from an array of potential male competitors or females of related species. Mate recognition systems are thus subject to strong selective pressures, driving the rapid coevolution of female sensory cues and male sensory preferences. Here we leverage the rapid evolution of female pheromones across the Drosophila genus to gain insight into how males coordinately adapt their detection and interpretation of these chemical cues to hone their mating strategies. While in some Drosophila species females produce unique pheromones that act to attract and arouse their conspecific males, the pheromones of most species are sexually monomorphic such that females possess no distinguishing chemosensory signatures that males can use for mate recognition. By comparing several close and distantly-related Drosophila species, we reveal that D. yakuba males have evolved the distinct ability to use a sexually-monomorphic pheromone, 7-tricosene (7-T), as an excitatory cue to promote courtship, a sensory innovation that enables D. yakuba males to court in the dark thereby expanding their reproductive opportunities. To gain insight into the neural adaptations that enable 7-T to act as an excitatory cue, we compared the functional properties of two key nodes within the pheromone circuits of D. yakuba and a subset of its closest relatives. We show that the instructive role of 7-T in D. yakuba arises from concurrent peripheral and central circuit changes: a distinct subpopulation of sensory neurons has acquired sensitivity to 7-T which in turn selectively signals to a distinct subset of P1 neurons in the central brain that trigger courtship behaviors. Such a modular circuit organization, in which different sensory inputs can independently couple to multiple parallel courtship control nodes, may facilitate the evolution of mate recognition systems by allowing males to take advantage of novel sensory modalities to become aroused. Together, our findings suggest how peripheral and central circuit adaptations can be flexibly linked to underlie the rapid evolution of mate recognition and courtship strategies across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory T. Coleman
- Laboatory of Neurophysiology and Behavior and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - Ianessa Morantte
- Laboatory of Neurophysiology and Behavior and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - Gabriel T. Koreman
- Laboatory of Neurophysiology and Behavior and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - Megan L. Cheng
- Laboatory of Neurophysiology and Behavior and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - Yun Ding
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Vanessa Ruta
- Laboatory of Neurophysiology and Behavior and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
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8
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Poe AR, Zhu L, Szuperak M, McClanahan PD, Anafi RC, Scholl B, Thum AS, Cavanaugh DJ, Kayser MS. Developmental emergence of sleep rhythms enables long-term memory in Drosophila. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadh2301. [PMID: 37683005 PMCID: PMC10491288 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh2301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
In adulthood, sleep-wake rhythms are one of the most prominent behaviors under circadian control. However, during early life, sleep is spread across the 24-hour day. The mechanism through which sleep rhythms emerge, and consequent advantage conferred to a juvenile animal, is unknown. In the second-instar Drosophila larvae (L2), like in human infants, sleep is not under circadian control. We identify the precise developmental time point when the clock begins to regulate sleep in Drosophila, leading to emergence of sleep rhythms in early third-instars (L3). At this stage, a cellular connection forms between DN1a clock neurons and arousal-promoting Dh44 neurons, bringing arousal under clock control to drive emergence of circadian sleep. Last, we demonstrate that L3 but not L2 larvae exhibit long-term memory (LTM) of aversive cues and that this LTM depends upon deep sleep generated once sleep rhythms begin. We propose that the developmental emergence of circadian sleep enables more complex cognitive processes, including the onset of enduring memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy R. Poe
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Lucy Zhu
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Milan Szuperak
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | | | - Ron C. Anafi
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Benjamin Scholl
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Andreas S. Thum
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Matthew S. Kayser
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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9
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Goncharova AA, Besedina NG, Bragina JV, Danilenkova LV, Kamysheva EA, Fedotov SA. Courtship suppression in Drosophila melanogaster: The role of mating failure. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0290048. [PMID: 37561803 PMCID: PMC10414572 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster is a popular model organism in the study of memory due to a wide arsenal of methods used to analyze neuronal activity. The most commonly used tests in research of behavioral plasticity are shock avoidance associated with chemosensory cues and courtship suppression after mating failure. Many authors emphasize the value of courtship suppression as a model of behavior most appropriate to natural conditions. However, researchers often investigate courtship suppression using immobilized and decapitated females as targets of courtship by males, which makes the data obtained from such flies less valuable. In our study, we evaluate courtship suppression towards immature mobile non-receptive females after training with mated or immature females combined with an aversive stimulus (quinine). We have shown that the previously described mechanisms of courtship suppression, as a result of the association of the courtship object with the repellent, as well as due to increased sensitivity to the anti-aphrodisiac cVA after mating failure, are not confirmed when immature mobile females are used. We discuss the reasons for the discrepancies between our results and literature data, define the conditions to be met in the courtship suppression test if the aim is to analyze the natural forms of behavioral plasticity, and present data on the test modifications to approximate conditions to natural ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna A. Goncharova
- Laboratory of Comparative Behavioral Genetics, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Natalia G. Besedina
- Laboratory of Comparative Behavioral Genetics, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Julia V. Bragina
- Laboratory of Comparative Behavioral Genetics, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Larisa V. Danilenkova
- Laboratory of Comparative Behavioral Genetics, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Elena A. Kamysheva
- Laboratory of Comparative Behavioral Genetics, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Sergei A. Fedotov
- Laboratory of Comparative Behavioral Genetics, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Laboratory of Toxinology and Molecular Systematics, L.A. Orbeli Institute of Physiology, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, Yerevan, Armenia
- Laboratory of Amyloid Biology, Saint Petersburg University, St. Petersburg, Russia
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10
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Lee SG, Sun D, Miao H, Wu Z, Kang C, Saad B, Nguyen KNH, Guerra-Phalen A, Bui D, Abbas AH, Trinh B, Malik A, Zeghal M, Auge AC, Islam ME, Wong K, Stern T, Lebedev E, Sherratt TN, Kim WJ. Taste and pheromonal inputs govern the regulation of time investment for mating by sexual experience in male Drosophila melanogaster. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010753. [PMID: 37216404 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Males have finite resources to spend on reproduction. Thus, males rely on a 'time investment strategy' to maximize their reproductive success. For example, male Drosophila melanogaster extends their mating duration when surrounded by conditions enriched with rivals. Here we report a different form of behavioral plasticity whereby male fruit flies exhibit a shortened duration of mating when they are sexually experienced; we refer to this plasticity as 'shorter-mating-duration (SMD)'. SMD is a plastic behavior and requires sexually dimorphic taste neurons. We identified several neurons in the male foreleg and midleg that express specific sugar and pheromone receptors. Using a cost-benefit model and behavioral experiments, we further show that SMD behavior exhibits adaptive behavioral plasticity in male flies. Thus, our study delineates the molecular and cellular basis of the sensory inputs required for SMD; this represents a plastic interval timing behavior that could serve as a model system to study how multisensory inputs converge to modify interval timing behavior for improved adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung Gee Lee
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Dongyu Sun
- The HIT Center for Life Sciences, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Hongyu Miao
- The HIT Center for Life Sciences, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Zekun Wu
- The HIT Center for Life Sciences, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Changku Kang
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Baraa Saad
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | | | - Adrian Guerra-Phalen
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Dorothy Bui
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Al-Hassan Abbas
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Brian Trinh
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Ashvent Malik
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Mahdi Zeghal
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Anne-Christine Auge
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Md Ehteshamul Islam
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Kyle Wong
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Tiffany Stern
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Lebedev
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | | | - Woo Jae Kim
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
- The HIT Center for Life Sciences, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
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11
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Sorkaç A, Moșneanu RA, Crown AM, Savaş D, Okoro AM, Memiş E, Talay M, Barnea G. retro-Tango enables versatile retrograde circuit tracing in Drosophila. eLife 2023; 12:e85041. [PMID: 37166114 PMCID: PMC10208638 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Transsynaptic tracing methods are crucial tools in studying neural circuits. Although a couple of anterograde tracing methods and a targeted retrograde tool have been developed in Drosophila melanogaster, there is still need for an unbiased, user-friendly, and flexible retrograde tracing system. Here, we describe retro-Tango, a method for transsynaptic, retrograde circuit tracing and manipulation in Drosophila. In this genetically encoded system, a ligand-receptor interaction at the synapse triggers an intracellular signaling cascade that results in reporter gene expression in presynaptic neurons. Importantly, panneuronal expression of the elements of the cascade renders this method versatile, enabling its use not only to test hypotheses but also to generate them. We validate retro-Tango in various circuits and benchmark it by comparing our findings with the electron microscopy reconstruction of the Drosophila hemibrain. Our experiments establish retro-Tango as a key method for circuit tracing in neuroscience research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Altar Sorkaç
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - Rareș A Moșneanu
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - Anthony M Crown
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - Doruk Savaş
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - Angel M Okoro
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - Ezgi Memiş
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - Mustafa Talay
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - Gilad Barnea
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
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12
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Zhang M, Hu Y, Liu J, Guan Z, Zhang W. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing of gustatory receptor NlugGr23a causes male sterility in the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 241:124612. [PMID: 37119891 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.124612] [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: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
Gustatory receptors (Grs) have an essential role in chemical recognition so as to evaluate food quality. Insect Grs also participate in non-gustatory functions, such as olfaction, temperature sensing, and mating. In this study, we knocked out NlugGr23a, a putative fecundity-related Gr, using the CRISPR/Cas9 system in the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens, a serious insect pest of rice. Surprisingly, homozygous NlugGr23a mutant (NlugGr23a-/-) males were sterile but their sperm were motile and morphologically normal. DAPI staining of mutant sperm inseminated eggs showed that most of NlugGr23a-/- sperm failed to fertilize eggs, even if they were capable of entering into the egg as a result of their arrested development prior to male pronucleus formation. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated the expression of NlugGr23a in testis. Moreover, prior mating by NlugGr23a-/- males suppressed female fertility. To our knowledge, it is the first report that a chemoreceptor is implicated in male sterility and provides a potential molecular target for genetic pest control alternatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
| | - Yutao Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Jiahui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Zhanwen Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Wenqing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
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13
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Zhang L, Sun H, Grosse-Wilde E, Zhang L, Hansson BS, Dweck HKM. Cross-generation pheromonal communication drives Drosophila oviposition site choice. Curr Biol 2023; 33:2095-2103.e3. [PMID: 37098339 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.03.090] [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: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/27/2023]
Abstract
In a heterogeneous and changing environment, oviposition site selection strongly affects the survival and fitness of the offspring.1,2 Similarly, competition between larvae affects their prospects.3 However, little is known about the involvement of pheromones in regulating these processes.4,5,6,7,8 Here, we show that mated females of Drosophila melanogaster prefer to lay eggs on substrates containing extracts of conspecific larvae. After analyzing these extracts chemically, we test each compound in an oviposition assay and find that mated females display a dose-dependent preference to lay eggs on substrates spiked with (Z)-9-octadecenoic acid ethyl ester (OE). This egg-laying preference relies on gustatory receptor Gr32a and tarsal sensory neurons expressing this receptor. The concentration of OE also regulates larval place choice in a dose-dependent manner. Physiologically, OE activates female tarsal Gr32a+ neurons. In conclusion, our results reveal a cross-generation communication strategy essential for oviposition site selection and regulation of larval density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liwei Zhang
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Rd. 2, Beijing 100193, China; Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, 07745 Jena, Germany.
| | - Huiwen Sun
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Rd. 2, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Ewald Grosse-Wilde
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Long Zhang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Gongye North Rd. 202, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Bill S Hansson
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Hany K M Dweck
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
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14
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King BH, Gunathunga PB. Gustation in insects: taste qualities and types of evidence used to show taste function of specific body parts. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2023; 23:11. [PMID: 37014302 PMCID: PMC10072106 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iead018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The insect equivalent of taste buds are gustatory sensilla, which have been found on mouthparts, pharynxes, antennae, legs, wings, and ovipositors. Most gustatory sensilla are uniporous, but not all apparently uniporous sensilla are gustatory. Among sensilla containing more than one neuron, a tubular body on one dendrite is also indicative of a taste sensillum, with the tubular body adding tactile function. But not all taste sensilla are also tactile. Additional morphological criteria are often used to recognize if a sensillum is gustatory. Further confirmation of such criteria by electrophysiological or behavioral evidence is needed. The five canonical taste qualities to which insects respond are sweet, bitter, sour, salty, and umami. But not all tastants that insects respond to easily fit in these taste qualities. Categories of insect tastants can be based not only on human taste perception, but also on whether the response is deterrent or appetitive and on chemical structure. Other compounds that at least some insects taste include, but are not limited to: water, fatty acids, metals, carbonation, RNA, ATP, pungent tastes as in horseradish, bacterial lipopolysaccharides, and contact pheromones. We propose that, for insects, taste be defined not only as a response to nonvolatiles but also be restricted to responses that are, or are thought to be, mediated by a sensillum. This restriction is useful because some of the receptor proteins in gustatory sensilla are also found elsewhere.
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15
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Mabuchi Y, Cui X, Xie L, Kim H, Jiang T, Yapici N. GABA-mediated inhibition in visual feedback neurons fine-tunes Drosophila male courtship. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.25.525544. [PMID: 36747836 PMCID: PMC9900824 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.25.525544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Vision is critical for the regulation of mating behaviors in many species. Here, we discovered that the Drosophila ortholog of human GABA A -receptor-associated protein (GABARAP) is required to fine-tune male courtship by modulating the activity of visual feedback neurons, lamina tangential cells (Lat). GABARAP is a ubiquitin-like protein that regulates cell-surface levels of GABA A receptors. Knocking down GABARAP or GABA A receptors in Lat neurons or hyperactivating them induces male courtship toward other males. Inhibiting Lat neurons, on the other hand, delays copulation by impairing the ability of males to follow females. Remarkably, the human ortholog of Drosophila GABARAP restores function in Lat neurons. Using in vivo two-photon imaging and optogenetics, we show that Lat neurons are functionally connected to neural circuits that mediate visually-guided courtship pursuits in males. Our work reveals a novel physiological role for GABARAP in fine-tuning the activity of a visual circuit that tracks a mating partner during courtship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Mabuchi
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, 14853, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Xinyue Cui
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, 14853, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Lily Xie
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, 14853, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Haein Kim
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, 14853, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Tianxing Jiang
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, 14853, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Nilay Yapici
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, 14853, Ithaca, NY, USA
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16
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Ohashi TS, Ishikawa Y, Awasaki T, Su MP, Yoneyama Y, Morimoto N, Kamikouchi A. Evolutionary conservation and diversification of auditory neural circuits that process courtship songs in Drosophila. Sci Rep 2023; 13:383. [PMID: 36611081 PMCID: PMC9825394 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-27349-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Acoustic communication signals diversify even on short evolutionary time scales. To understand how the auditory system underlying acoustic communication could evolve, we conducted a systematic comparison of the early stages of the auditory neural circuit involved in song information processing between closely-related fruit-fly species. Male Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans produce different sound signals during mating rituals, known as courtship songs. Female flies from these species selectively increase their receptivity when they hear songs with conspecific temporal patterns. Here, we firstly confirmed interspecific differences in temporal pattern preferences; D. simulans preferred pulse songs with longer intervals than D. melanogaster. Primary and secondary song-relay neurons, JO neurons and AMMC-B1 neurons, shared similar morphology and neurotransmitters between species. The temporal pattern preferences of AMMC-B1 neurons were also relatively similar between species, with slight but significant differences in their band-pass properties. Although the shift direction of the response property matched that of the behavior, these differences are not large enough to explain behavioral differences in song preferences. This study enhances our understanding of the conservation and diversification of the architecture of the early-stage neural circuit which processes acoustic communication signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuro S. Ohashi
- grid.27476.300000 0001 0943 978XGraduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602 Japan
| | - Yuki Ishikawa
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8602, Japan.
| | - Takeshi Awasaki
- grid.411205.30000 0000 9340 2869School of Medicine, Kyorin University, Tokyo, 181-8611 Japan
| | - Matthew P. Su
- grid.27476.300000 0001 0943 978XGraduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602 Japan ,grid.27476.300000 0001 0943 978XInstitute for Advanced Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601 Japan
| | - Yusuke Yoneyama
- grid.27476.300000 0001 0943 978XGraduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602 Japan
| | - Nao Morimoto
- grid.39158.360000 0001 2173 7691Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0815 Japan
| | - Azusa Kamikouchi
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8602, Japan. .,Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8577, Japan.
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17
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Roberts RJV, Pop S, Prieto-Godino LL. Evolution of central neural circuits: state of the art and perspectives. Nat Rev Neurosci 2022; 23:725-743. [DOI: 10.1038/s41583-022-00644-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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18
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Masuzzo A, Manière G, Grosjean Y, Kurz L, Royet J. Bacteria-Derived Peptidoglycan Triggers a Noncanonical Nuclear Factor-κB-Dependent Response in Drosophila Gustatory Neurons. J Neurosci 2022; 42:7809-7823. [PMID: 36414007 PMCID: PMC9581565 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2437-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Probing the external world is essential for eukaryotes to distinguish beneficial from pathogenic micro-organisms. If it is clear that the main part of this task falls to the immune cells, recent work shows that neurons can also detect microbes, although the molecules and mechanisms involved are less characterized. In Drosophila, detection of bacteria-derived peptidoglycan by pattern recognition receptors of the peptidoglycan recognition protein (PGRP) family expressed in immune cells triggers nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)/immune deficiency (IMD)-dependent signaling. We show here that one PGRP protein, called PGRP-LB, is expressed in bitter gustatory neurons of proboscises. In vivo calcium imaging in female flies reveals that the PGRP/IMD pathway is cell-autonomously required in these neurons to transduce the peptidoglycan signal. We finally show that NF-κB/IMD pathway activation in bitter-sensing gustatory neurons influences fly behavior. This demonstrates that a major immune response elicitor and signaling module are required in the peripheral nervous system to sense the presence of bacteria in the environment.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In addition to the classical immune response, eukaryotes rely on neuronally controlled mechanisms to detect microbes and engage in adapted behaviors. However, the mechanisms of microbe detection by the nervous system are poorly understood. Using genetic analysis and calcium imaging, we demonstrate here that bacteria-derived peptidoglycan can activate bitter gustatory neurons. We further show that this response is mediated by the PGRP-LC membrane receptor and downstream components of a noncanonical NF-κB signaling cascade. Activation of this signaling cascade triggers behavior changes. These data demonstrate that bitter-sensing neurons and immune cells share a common detection and signaling module to either trigger the production of antibacterial effectors or to modulate the behavior of flies that are in contact with bacteria. Because peptidoglycan detection doesn't mobilize the known gustatory receptors, it also demonstrates that taste perception is much more complex than anticipated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ambra Masuzzo
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille Université, Institut de Biologie du Developpement de Marseille, 13009 Marseille, France
| | - Gérard Manière
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement; Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, L'Institut Agro Dijon, Dijon 21000, France
| | - Yaël Grosjean
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement; Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, L'Institut Agro Dijon, Dijon 21000, France
| | - Léopold Kurz
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille Université, Institut de Biologie du Developpement de Marseille, 13009 Marseille, France
| | - Julien Royet
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille Université, Institut de Biologie du Developpement de Marseille, 13009 Marseille, France
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19
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Kopp A, Barmina O. Interspecific variation in sex-specific gustatory organs in Drosophila. J Comp Neurol 2022; 530:2439-2450. [PMID: 35603778 PMCID: PMC9339527 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Drosophila males use leg gustatory bristles to discriminate between male and female cuticular pheromones as an important part of courtship behavior. In Drosophila melanogaster, several male-specific gustatory bristles are present on the anterior surface of the first tarsal segment of the prothoracic leg, in addition to a larger set of gustatory bristles found in both sexes. These bristles are thought to be specialized for pheromone detection. Here, we report the number and location of sex-specific gustatory bristles in 27 other Drosophila species. Although some species have a pattern similar to D. melanogaster, others lack anterior male-specific bristles but have many dorsal male-specific gustatory bristles instead. Some species have both anterior and dorsal male-specific bristles, while others lack sexual dimorphism entirely. In several distantly related species, the number of gustatory bristles is much greater in males than in females due to a male-specific transformation of ancestrally mechanosensory bristles to a chemosensory identity. This variation in the extent and pattern of sexual dimorphism may affect the formation and function of neuronal circuits that control Drosophila courtship and contribute to the evolution of mating behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artyom Kopp
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis
| | - Olga Barmina
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis
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20
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Keesey IW. Sensory neuroecology and multimodal evolution across the genus Drosophila. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.932344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The neural basis and genetic mechanisms for sensory evolution are increasingly being explored in depth across many closely related members of the Drosophila genus. This has, in part, been achieved due to the immense efforts toward adapting gene-editing technologies for additional, non-model species. Studies targeting both peripheral sensory variations, as well as interspecies divergence in coding or neural connectivity, have generated numerous, tangible examples of how and where the evolution of sensory-driven animal behavior has occurred. Here, we review and discuss studies that each aim to identify the neurobiological and genetic components of sensory system evolution to provide a comparative overview of the types of functional variations observed across both perceptual input and behavioral output. In addition, we examined the roles neuroecology and neuroevolution play in speciation events, such as courtship and intraspecies communication, as well as those aspects related to behavioral divergence in host navigation or egg-laying preferences. Through the investigation of comparative, large-scale trends and correlations across diverse, yet closely related species within this highly ecologically variable genus of flies, we can begin to describe the underlying pressures, mechanisms, and constraints that have guided sensory and nervous system evolution within the natural environments of these organisms.
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21
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Das Chakraborty S, Chang H, Hansson BS, Sachse S. Higher-order olfactory neurons in the lateral horn support odor valence and odor identity coding in Drosophila. eLife 2022; 11:74637. [PMID: 35621267 PMCID: PMC9142144 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding neuronal representations of odor-evoked activities and their progressive transformation from the sensory level to higher brain centers features one of the major aims in olfactory neuroscience. Here, we investigated how odor information is transformed and represented in higher-order neurons of the lateral horn, one of the higher olfactory centers implicated in determining innate behavior, using Drosophila melanogaster. We focused on a subset of third-order glutamatergic lateral horn neurons (LHNs) and characterized their odor coding properties in relation to their presynaptic partner neurons, the projection neurons (PNs) by two-photon functional imaging. We show that odors evoke reproducible, stereotypic, and odor-specific response patterns in LHNs. Notably, odor-evoked responses in these neurons are valence-specific in a way that their response amplitude is positively correlated with innate odor preferences. We postulate that this valence-specific activity is the result of integrating inputs from multiple olfactory channels through second-order neurons. GRASP and micro-lesioning experiments provide evidence that glutamatergic LHNs obtain their major excitatory input from uniglomerular PNs, while they receive an odor-specific inhibition through inhibitory multiglomerular PNs. In summary, our study indicates that odor representations in glutamatergic LHNs encode hedonic valence and odor identity and primarily retain the odor coding properties of second-order neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hetan Chang
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Bill S Hansson
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Silke Sachse
- Research Group Olfactory Coding, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
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22
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Keesey IW, Zhang J, Depetris-Chauvin A, Obiero GF, Gupta A, Gupta N, Vogel H, Knaden M, Hansson BS. Functional olfactory evolution in Drosophila suzukii and the subgenus Sophophora. iScience 2022; 25:104212. [PMID: 35573203 PMCID: PMC9093017 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
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23
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Zhang L, Guo X, Zhang W. Nutrients and pheromones promote insulin release to inhibit courtship drive. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabl6121. [PMID: 35263128 PMCID: PMC8906733 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl6121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Food and reproduction are the fundamental needs for all animals. However, the neural mechanisms that orchestrate nutrient intake and sexual behaviors are not well understood. Here, we find that sugar feeding immediately suppresses sexual drive of male Drosophila, a regulation mediated by insulin that acts on insulin receptors on the courtship-promoting P1 neurons. The same pathway was co-opted by anaphrodisiac pheromones to suppress sexual hyperactivity to suboptimal mates. Activated by repulsive pheromones, male-specific PPK23 neurons on the leg tarsus release crustacean cardioactive peptide (CCAP) that acts on CCAP receptor on the insulin-producing cells in the brain to trigger insulin release, which then inhibits P1 neurons. Our results reveal how male flies avoid promiscuity by balancing the weight between aphrodisiac and anaphrodisiac inputs from multiple peripheral sensory pathways and nutritional states. Such a regulation enables male animals to make an appropriate mating decision under fluctuating feeding conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liwei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
- Corresponding author. (W.Z.); (L.Z.)
| | - Xuan Guo
- School of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
- Corresponding author. (W.Z.); (L.Z.)
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24
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Sneve MA, Piatkevich KD. Towards a Comprehensive Optical Connectome at Single Synapse Resolution via Expansion Microscopy. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2022; 13:754814. [PMID: 35115916 PMCID: PMC8803729 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2021.754814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Mapping and determining the molecular identity of individual synapses is a crucial step towards the comprehensive reconstruction of neuronal circuits. Throughout the history of neuroscience, microscopy has been a key technology for mapping brain circuits. However, subdiffraction size and high density of synapses in brain tissue make this process extremely challenging. Electron microscopy (EM), with its nanoscale resolution, offers one approach to this challenge yet comes with many practical limitations, and to date has only been used in very small samples such as C. elegans, tadpole larvae, fruit fly brain, or very small pieces of mammalian brain tissue. Moreover, EM datasets require tedious data tracing. Light microscopy in combination with tissue expansion via physical magnification-known as expansion microscopy (ExM)-offers an alternative approach to this problem. ExM enables nanoscale imaging of large biological samples, which in combination with multicolor neuronal and synaptic labeling offers the unprecedented capability to trace and map entire neuronal circuits in fully automated mode. Recent advances in new methods for synaptic staining as well as new types of optical molecular probes with superior stability, specificity, and brightness provide new modalities for studying brain circuits. Here we review advanced methods and molecular probes for fluorescence staining of the synapses in the brain that are compatible with currently available expansion microscopy techniques. In particular, we will describe genetically encoded probes for synaptic labeling in mice, zebrafish, Drosophila fruit flies, and C. elegans, which enable the visualization of post-synaptic scaffolds and receptors, presynaptic terminals and vesicles, and even a snapshot of the synaptic activity itself. We will address current methods for applying these probes in ExM experiments, as well as appropriate vectors for the delivery of these molecular constructs. In addition, we offer experimental considerations and limitations for using each of these tools as well as our perspective on emerging tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison A Sneve
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Kiryl D Piatkevich
- School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
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25
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Hugin + neurons provide a link between sleep homeostat and circadian clock neurons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2111183118. [PMID: 34782479 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2111183118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep is controlled by homeostatic mechanisms, which drive sleep after wakefulness, and a circadian clock, which confers the 24-h rhythm of sleep. These processes interact with each other to control the timing of sleep in a daily cycle as well as following sleep deprivation. However, the mechanisms by which they interact are poorly understood. We show here that hugin + neurons, previously identified as neurons that function downstream of the clock to regulate rhythms of locomotor activity, are also targets of the sleep homeostat. Sleep deprivation decreases activity of hugin + neurons, likely to suppress circadian-driven activity during recovery sleep, and ablation of hugin + neurons promotes sleep increases generated by activation of the homeostatic sleep locus, the dorsal fan-shaped body (dFB). Also, mutations in peptides produced by the hugin + locus increase recovery sleep following deprivation. Transsynaptic mapping reveals that hugin + neurons feed back onto central clock neurons, which also show decreased activity upon sleep loss, in a Hugin peptide-dependent fashion. We propose that hugin + neurons integrate circadian and sleep signals to modulate circadian circuitry and regulate the timing of sleep.
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26
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Zweerus NL, van Wijk M, Schal C, Groot AT. Experimental evidence for female mate choice in a noctuid moth. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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27
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Montell C. Drosophila sensory receptors-a set of molecular Swiss Army Knives. Genetics 2021; 217:1-34. [PMID: 33683373 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyaa011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic approaches in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, have led to a major triumph in the field of sensory biology-the discovery of multiple large families of sensory receptors and channels. Some of these families, such as transient receptor potential channels, are conserved from animals ranging from worms to humans, while others, such as "gustatory receptors," "olfactory receptors," and "ionotropic receptors," are restricted to invertebrates. Prior to the identification of sensory receptors in flies, it was widely assumed that these proteins function in just one modality such as vision, smell, taste, hearing, and somatosensation, which includes thermosensation, light, and noxious mechanical touch. By employing a vast combination of genetic, behavioral, electrophysiological, and other approaches in flies, a major concept to emerge is that many sensory receptors are multitaskers. The earliest example of this idea was the discovery that individual transient receptor potential channels function in multiple senses. It is now clear that multitasking is exhibited by other large receptor families including gustatory receptors, ionotropic receptors, epithelial Na+ channels (also referred to as Pickpockets), and even opsins, which were formerly thought to function exclusively as light sensors. Genetic characterizations of these Drosophila receptors and the neurons that express them also reveal the mechanisms through which flies can accurately differentiate between different stimuli even when they activate the same receptor, as well as mechanisms of adaptation, amplification, and sensory integration. The insights gleaned from studies in flies have been highly influential in directing investigations in many other animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig Montell
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, The Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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Chen YCD, Menon V, Joseph RM, Dahanukar AA. Control of Sugar and Amino Acid Feeding via Pharyngeal Taste Neurons. J Neurosci 2021; 41:5791-5808. [PMID: 34031164 PMCID: PMC8265808 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1794-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Insect gustatory systems comprise multiple taste organs for detecting chemicals that signal palatable or noxious quality. Although much is known about how taste neurons sense various chemicals, many questions remain about how individual taste neurons in each taste organ control feeding. Here, we use the Drosophila pharynx as a model to investigate how taste information is encoded at the cellular level to regulate consumption of sugars and amino acids. We first generate taste-blind animals and establish a critical role for pharyngeal input in food selection. We then investigate feeding behavior of both male and female flies in which only selected classes of pharyngeal neurons are restored via binary choice feeding preference assays as well as Fly Liquid-Food Interaction Counter assays. We find instances of integration as well as redundancy in how pharyngeal neurons control behavioral responses to sugars and amino acids. Additionally, we find that pharyngeal neurons drive sugar feeding preference based on sweet taste but not on nutritional value. Finally, we demonstrate functional specialization of pharyngeal and external neurons using optogenetic activation. Overall, our genetic taste neuron protection system in a taste-blind background provides a powerful approach to elucidate principles of pharyngeal taste coding and demonstrates functional overlap and subdivision among taste neurons.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Dietary intake of nutritious chemicals such as sugars and amino acids is essential for the survival of an animal. In insects, distinct classes of taste neurons control acceptance or rejection of food sources. Here, we develop a genetic system to investigate how individual taste neurons in the Drosophila pharynx encode specific tastants, focusing on sugars and amino acids. By examining flies in which only a single class of taste neurons is active, we find evidence for functional overlap as well as redundancy in responses to sugars and amino acids. We also uncover a functional subdivision between pharyngeal and external neurons in driving feeding responses. Overall, we find that different pharyngeal neurons act together to control intake of the two categories of appetitive tastants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chieh David Chen
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California 92521
| | - Vaibhav Menon
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California 92521
| | - Ryan Matthew Joseph
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California 92521
| | - Anupama Arun Dahanukar
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California 92521
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California 92521
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Zhang SX, Glantz EH, Miner LE, Rogulja D, Crickmore MA. Hormonal control of motivational circuitry orchestrates the transition to sexuality in Drosophila. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabg6926. [PMID: 34134981 PMCID: PMC8208730 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg6926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Newborns and hatchlings can perform incredibly sophisticated behaviors, but many animals abstain from sexual activity at the beginning of life. Hormonal changes have long been known to drive both physical and behavioral changes during adolescence, leading to the largely untested assumption that sexuality emerges from organizational changes to neuronal circuitry. We show that the transition to sexuality in male Drosophila is controlled by hormonal changes, but this regulation is functional rather than structural. In very young males, a broadly acting hormone directly inhibits the activity of three courtship-motivating circuit elements, ensuring the complete suppression of sexual motivation and behavior. Blocking or overriding these inhibitory mechanisms evokes immediate and robust sexual behavior from very young and otherwise asexual males. Similarities to mammalian adolescence suggest a general principle in which hormonal changes gate the transition to sexuality not by constructing new circuitry but by permitting activity in otherwise latent motivational circuit elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen X Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ethan H Glantz
- FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Lauren E Miner
- FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Dragana Rogulja
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Michael A Crickmore
- FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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30
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Moscato EH, Dubowy C, Walker JA, Kayser MS. Social Behavioral Deficits with Loss of Neurofibromin Emerge from Peripheral Chemosensory Neuron Dysfunction. Cell Rep 2021; 32:107856. [PMID: 32640222 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with social and communicative disabilities. The cellular and circuit mechanisms by which loss of neurofibromin 1 (Nf1) results in social deficits are unknown. Here, we identify social behavioral dysregulation with Nf1 loss in Drosophila. These deficits map to primary dysfunction of a group of peripheral sensory neurons. Nf1 regulation of Ras signaling in adult ppk23+ chemosensory cells is required for normal social behaviors in flies. Loss of Nf1 attenuates ppk23+ neuronal activity in response to pheromones, and circuit-specific manipulation of Nf1 expression or neuronal activity in ppk23+ neurons rescues social deficits. This disrupted sensory processing gives rise to persistent changes in behavior beyond the social interaction, indicating a sustained effect of an acute sensory misperception. Together our data identify a specific circuit mechanism through which Nf1 regulates social behaviors and suggest social deficits in NF1 arise from propagation of sensory misinformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilia H Moscato
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Christine Dubowy
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - James A Walker
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Matthew S Kayser
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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31
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Olafson PU, Aksoy S, Attardo GM, Buckmeier G, Chen X, Coates CJ, Davis M, Dykema J, Emrich SJ, Friedrich M, Holmes CJ, Ioannidis P, Jansen EN, Jennings EC, Lawson D, Martinson EO, Maslen GL, Meisel RP, Murphy TD, Nayduch D, Nelson DR, Oyen KJ, Raszick TJ, Ribeiro JMC, Robertson HM, Rosendale AJ, Sackton TB, Saelao P, Swiger SL, Sze SH, Tarone AM, Taylor DB, Warren WC, Waterhouse RM, Weirauch MT, Werren JH, Wilson RK, Zdobnov EM, Benoit JB. The genome of the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans, reveals potential mechanisms underlying reproduction, host interactions, and novel targets for pest control. BMC Biol 2021; 19:41. [PMID: 33750380 PMCID: PMC7944917 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-00975-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans, is a major blood-feeding pest of livestock that has near worldwide distribution, causing an annual cost of over $2 billion for control and product loss in the USA alone. Control of these flies has been limited to increased sanitary management practices and insecticide application for suppressing larval stages. Few genetic and molecular resources are available to help in developing novel methods for controlling stable flies. Results This study examines stable fly biology by utilizing a combination of high-quality genome sequencing and RNA-Seq analyses targeting multiple developmental stages and tissues. In conjunction, 1600 genes were manually curated to characterize genetic features related to stable fly reproduction, vector host interactions, host-microbe dynamics, and putative targets for control. Most notable was characterization of genes associated with reproduction and identification of expanded gene families with functional associations to vision, chemosensation, immunity, and metabolic detoxification pathways. Conclusions The combined sequencing, assembly, and curation of the male stable fly genome followed by RNA-Seq and downstream analyses provide insights necessary to understand the biology of this important pest. These resources and new data will provide the groundwork for expanding the tools available to control stable fly infestations. The close relationship of Stomoxys to other blood-feeding (horn flies and Glossina) and non-blood-feeding flies (house flies, medflies, Drosophila) will facilitate understanding of the evolutionary processes associated with development of blood feeding among the Cyclorrhapha. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-021-00975-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia U Olafson
- Livestock Arthropod Pests Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Kerrville, TX, USA.
| | - Serap Aksoy
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Geoffrey M Attardo
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California - Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Greta Buckmeier
- Livestock Arthropod Pests Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Kerrville, TX, USA
| | - Xiaoting Chen
- The Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Craig J Coates
- Department of Entomology, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Megan Davis
- Livestock Arthropod Pests Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Kerrville, TX, USA
| | - Justin Dykema
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Scott J Emrich
- Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Markus Friedrich
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Christopher J Holmes
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Panagiotis Ioannidis
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Evan N Jansen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Emily C Jennings
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Daniel Lawson
- The European Molecular Biology Laboratory, The European Bioinformatics Institute, The Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SD, UK
| | | | - Gareth L Maslen
- The European Molecular Biology Laboratory, The European Bioinformatics Institute, The Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Richard P Meisel
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Terence D Murphy
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Dana Nayduch
- Arthropod-borne Animal Diseases Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - David R Nelson
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Kennan J Oyen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Tyler J Raszick
- Department of Entomology, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - José M C Ribeiro
- Section of Vector Biology, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Hugh M Robertson
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | | | - Timothy B Sackton
- Informatics Group, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Perot Saelao
- Livestock Arthropod Pests Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Kerrville, TX, USA
| | - Sonja L Swiger
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Stephenville, TX, USA
| | - Sing-Hoi Sze
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Aaron M Tarone
- Department of Entomology, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - David B Taylor
- Agroecosystem Management Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Wesley C Warren
- University of Missouri, Bond Life Sciences Center, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Robert M Waterhouse
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Matthew T Weirauch
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Divisions of Biomedical Informatics and Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - John H Werren
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Richard K Wilson
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.,College of Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Evgeny M Zdobnov
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Joshua B Benoit
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
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32
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Ni L. Genetic Transsynaptic Techniques for Mapping Neural Circuits in Drosophila. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:749586. [PMID: 34675781 PMCID: PMC8524129 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.749586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
A neural circuit is composed of a population of neurons that are interconnected by synapses and carry out a specific function when activated. It is the structural framework for all brain functions. Its impairments often cause diseases in the nervous system. To understand computations and functions in a brain circuit, it is of crucial importance to identify how neurons in this circuit are connected. Genetic transsynaptic techniques provide opportunities to efficiently answer this question. These techniques label synapses or across synapses to unbiasedly label synaptic partners. They allow for mapping neural circuits with high reproducibility and throughput, as well as provide genetic access to synaptically connected neurons that enables visualization and manipulation of these neurons simultaneously. This review focuses on three recently developed Drosophila genetic transsynaptic tools for detecting chemical synapses, highlights their advantages and potential pitfalls, and discusses the future development needs of these techniques.
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Rajpurohit S, Vrkoslav V, Hanus R, Gibbs AG, Cvačka J, Schmidt PS. Post-eclosion temperature effects on insect cuticular hydrocarbon profiles. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:352-364. [PMID: 33437434 PMCID: PMC7790616 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The insect cuticle is the interface between internal homeostasis and the often harsh external environment. Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are key constituents of this hard cuticle and are associated with a variety of functions including stress response and communication. CHC production and deposition on the insect cuticle vary among natural populations and are affected by developmental temperature; however, little is known about CHC plasticity in response to the environment experienced following eclosion, during which time the insect cuticle undergoes several crucial changes. We targeted this crucial to important phase and studied post-eclosion temperature effects on CHC profiles in two natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster. A forty-eight hour post-eclosion exposure to three different temperatures (18, 25, and 30°C) significantly affected CHCs in both ancestral African and more recently derived North American populations of D. melanogaster. A clear shift from shorter to longer CHCs chain length was observed with increasing temperature, and the effects of post-eclosion temperature varied across populations and between sexes. The quantitative differences in CHCs were associated with variation in desiccation tolerance among populations. Surprisingly, we did not detect any significant differences in water loss rate between African and North American populations. Overall, our results demonstrate strong genetic and plasticity effects in CHC profiles in response to environmental temperatures experienced at the adult stage as well as associations with desiccation tolerance, which is crucial in understanding holometabolan responses to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhash Rajpurohit
- Division of Biological and Life SciencesSchool of Arts and SciencesAhmedabad UniversityAhmedabadIndia
- Department of BiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Vladimír Vrkoslav
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CRPragueCzech Republic
| | - Robert Hanus
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CRPragueCzech Republic
| | - Allen G. Gibbs
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of NevadaLas VegasNVUSA
| | - Josef Cvačka
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CRPragueCzech Republic
| | - Paul S Schmidt
- Department of BiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
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Sato K, Yamamoto D. Contact-Chemosensory Evolution Underlying Reproductive Isolation in Drosophila Species. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:597428. [PMID: 33343311 PMCID: PMC7746553 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.597428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The main theme of the review is how changes in pheromone biochemistry and the sensory circuits underlying pheromone detection contribute to mate choice and reproductive isolation. The review focuses primarily on gustatory and non-volatile signals in Drosophila. Premating isolation is prevalent among closely related species. In Drosophila, preference for conspecifics against other species in mate choice underlies premating isolation, and such preference relies on contact chemosensory communications between a female and male along with other biological factors. For example, although D. simulans and D. melanogaster are sibling species that yield hybrids, their premating isolation is maintained primarily by the contrasting effects of 7,11-heptacosadiene (7,11-HD), a predominant female pheromone in D. melanogaster, on males of the two species: it attracts D. melanogaster males and repels D. simulans males. The contrasting preference for 7,11-HD in males of these two species is mainly ascribed to opposite effects of 7,11-HD on neural activities in the courtship decision-making neurons in the male brain: 7,11-HD provokes both excitatory and inhibitory inputs in these neurons and differences in the balance between the two counteracting inputs result in the contrasting preference for 7,11-HD, i.e., attraction in D. melanogaster and repulsion in D. simulans. Introduction of two double bonds is a key step in 7,11-HD biosynthesis and is mediated by the desaturase desatF, which is active in D. melanogaster females but transcriptionally inactivated in D. simulans females. Thus, 7,11-HD biosynthesis diversified in females and 7,11-HD perception diversified in males, yet it remains elusive how concordance of the changes in the two sexes was attained in evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daisuke Yamamoto
- Neuro-Network Evolution Project, Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe, Japan
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35
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Duhart JM, Herrero A, de la Cruz G, Ispizua JI, Pírez N, Ceriani MF. Circadian Structural Plasticity Drives Remodeling of E Cell Output. Curr Biol 2020; 30:5040-5048.e5. [PMID: 33065014 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.09.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral outputs arise as a result of highly regulated yet flexible communication among neurons. The Drosophila circadian network includes 150 neurons that dictate the temporal organization of locomotor activity; under light-dark (LD) conditions, flies display a robust bimodal pattern. The pigment-dispersing factor (PDF)-positive small ventral lateral neurons (sLNv) have been linked to the generation of the morning activity peak (the "M cells"), whereas the Cryptochrome (CRY)-positive dorsal lateral neurons (LNds) and the PDF-negative sLNv are necessary for the evening activity peak (the "E cells") [1, 2]. While each group directly controls locomotor output pathways [3], an interplay between them along with a third dorsal cluster (the DN1ps) is necessary for the correct timing of each peak and for adjusting behavior to changes in the environment [4-7]. M cells set the phase of roughly half of the circadian neurons (including the E cells) through PDF [5, 8-10]. Here, we show the existence of synaptic input provided by the evening oscillator onto the M cells. Both structural and functional approaches revealed that E-to-M cell connectivity changes across the day, with higher excitatory input taking place before the day-to-night transition. We identified two different neurotransmitters, acetylcholine and glutamate, released by E cells that are relevant for robust circadian output. Indeed, we show that acetylcholine is responsible for the excitatory input from E cells to M cells, which show preferential responsiveness to acetylcholine during the evening. Our findings provide evidence of an excitatory feedback between circadian clusters and unveil an important plastic remodeling of the E cells' synaptic connections.
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Affiliation(s)
- José M Duhart
- Laboratorio de Genética del Comportamiento, Fundación Instituto Leloir, IIBBA-CONICET, Av. Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires 1405-BWE, Argentina
| | - Anastasia Herrero
- Laboratorio de Genética del Comportamiento, Fundación Instituto Leloir, IIBBA-CONICET, Av. Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires 1405-BWE, Argentina
| | - Gabriel de la Cruz
- Laboratorio de Genética del Comportamiento, Fundación Instituto Leloir, IIBBA-CONICET, Av. Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires 1405-BWE, Argentina
| | - Juan I Ispizua
- Laboratorio de Genética del Comportamiento, Fundación Instituto Leloir, IIBBA-CONICET, Av. Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires 1405-BWE, Argentina
| | - Nicolás Pírez
- Laboratorio de Genética del Comportamiento, Fundación Instituto Leloir, IIBBA-CONICET, Av. Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires 1405-BWE, Argentina
| | - M Fernanda Ceriani
- Laboratorio de Genética del Comportamiento, Fundación Instituto Leloir, IIBBA-CONICET, Av. Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires 1405-BWE, Argentina.
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36
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Rossi M, Hausmann AE, Thurman TJ, Montgomery SH, Papa R, Jiggins CD, McMillan WO, Merrill RM. Visual mate preference evolution during butterfly speciation is linked to neural processing genes. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4763. [PMID: 32958765 PMCID: PMC7506007 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18609-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Many animal species remain separate not because their individuals fail to produce viable hybrids but because they "choose" not to mate. However, we still know very little of the genetic mechanisms underlying changes in these mate preference behaviours. Heliconius butterflies display bright warning patterns, which they also use to recognize conspecifics. Here, we couple QTL for divergence in visual preference behaviours with population genomic and gene expression analyses of neural tissue (central brain, optic lobes and ommatidia) across development in two sympatric Heliconius species. Within a region containing 200 genes, we identify five genes that are strongly associated with divergent visual preferences. Three of these have previously been implicated in key components of neural signalling (specifically an ionotropic glutamate receptor and two regucalcins), and overall our candidates suggest shifts in behaviour involve changes in visual integration or processing. This would allow preference evolution without altering perception of the wider environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Rossi
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, LMU, Munich, Germany.
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama.
| | | | - Timothy J Thurman
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Montana, USA
| | | | - Riccardo Papa
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Molecular Sciences and Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Chris D Jiggins
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - W Owen McMillan
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Richard M Merrill
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, LMU, Munich, Germany.
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama.
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37
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Liu C, Zhang B, Zhang L, Yang T, Zhang Z, Gao Z, Zhang W. A neural circuit encoding mating states tunes defensive behavior in Drosophila. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3962. [PMID: 32770059 PMCID: PMC7414864 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17771-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Social context can dampen or amplify the perception of touch, and touch in turn conveys nuanced social information. However, the neural mechanism behind social regulation of mechanosensation is largely elusive. Here we report that fruit flies exhibit a strong defensive response to mechanical stimuli to their wings. In contrast, virgin female flies being courted by a male show a compromised defensive response to the stimuli, but following mating the response is enhanced. This state-dependent switch is mediated by a functional reconfiguration of a neural circuit labelled with the Tmc-L gene in the ventral nerve cord. The circuit receives excitatory inputs from peripheral mechanoreceptors and coordinates the defensive response. While male cues suppress it via a doublesex (dsx) neuronal pathway, mating sensitizes it by stimulating a group of uterine neurons and consequently activating a leucokinin-dependent pathway. Such a modulation is crucial for the balance between defense against body contacts and sexual receptivity. Wing touching induces a defensive response in D. melanogaster. Here, the authors show that female flies change the defensive response during courtship and after mating. This switch is mediated by functional reconfiguration of a neural circuit in the ventral nerve cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenxi Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Bei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Liwei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Tingting Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Zhewei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Zihua Gao
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China.
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38
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Ahmed OM, Avila-Herrera A, Tun KM, Serpa PH, Peng J, Parthasarathy S, Knapp JM, Stern DL, Davis GW, Pollard KS, Shah NM. Evolution of Mechanisms that Control Mating in Drosophila Males. Cell Rep 2020; 27:2527-2536.e4. [PMID: 31141679 PMCID: PMC6646047 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.04.104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2018] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetically wired neural mechanisms inhibit mating between species
because even naive animals rarely mate with other species. These mechanisms can
evolve through changes in expression or function of key genes in sensory
pathways or central circuits. Gr32a is a gustatory chemoreceptor that, in
D. melanogaster, is essential to inhibit interspecies
courtship and sense quinine. Similar to D. melanogaster, we
find that D. simulans Gr32a is expressed in foreleg tarsi,
sensorimotor appendages that inhibit interspecies courtship, and it is required
to sense quinine. Nevertheless, Gr32a is not required to inhibit interspecies
mating by D. simulans males. However, and similar to its
function in D. melanogaster, Ppk25, a member of the Pickpocket
family, promotes conspecific courtship in D. simulans.
Together, we have identified distinct evolutionary mechanisms underlying
chemosensory control of taste and courtship in closely related
Drosophila species. Mechanisms that inhibit interspecies mating are critical to reproductive
isolation of species. Ahmed et al. show that Gr32a, a chemoreceptor that
inhibits interspecies courtship by D. melanogaster males, does
not inhibit this behavior in the closely related D. simulans,
indicating rapid evolution of peripheral sensory mechanisms that preclude
interspecies breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osama M Ahmed
- Program in Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Aram Avila-Herrera
- Integrative Program in Quantitative Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Computation Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA; Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Khin May Tun
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Paula H Serpa
- Integrative Program in Quantitative Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Justin Peng
- Integrative Program in Quantitative Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Srinivas Parthasarathy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; L.E.K. Consulting, 75 State Street, Boston, MA 02109, USA
| | - Jon-Michael Knapp
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Janelia Research Campus, HHMI Ashburn, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - David L Stern
- Janelia Research Campus, HHMI Ashburn, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Graeme W Davis
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Katherine S Pollard
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Nirao M Shah
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
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39
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Ishii K, Wohl M, DeSouza A, Asahina K. Sex-determining genes distinctly regulate courtship capability and target preference via sexually dimorphic neurons. eLife 2020; 9:e52701. [PMID: 32314964 PMCID: PMC7173972 DOI: 10.7554/elife.52701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
For successful mating, a male animal must execute effective courtship behaviors toward a receptive target sex, which is female. Whether the courtship execution capability and upregulation of courtship toward females are specified through separable sex-determining genetic pathways remains uncharacterized. Here, we found that one of the two Drosophila sex-determining genes, doublesex (dsx), specifies a male-specific neuronal component that serves as an execution mechanism for courtship behavior, whereas fruitless (fru) is required for enhancement of courtship behavior toward females. The dsx-dependent courtship execution mechanism includes a specific subclass within a neuronal cluster that co-express dsx and fru. This cluster contains at least another subclass that is specified cooperatively by both dsx and fru. Although these neuronal populations can also promote aggressive behavior toward male flies, this capacity requires fru-dependent mechanisms. Our results uncover how sex-determining genes specify execution capability and female-specific enhancement of courtship behavior through separable yet cooperative neurogenetic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenichi Ishii
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological StudiesLa JollaUnited States
| | - Margot Wohl
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological StudiesLa JollaUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Andre DeSouza
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological StudiesLa JollaUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Kenta Asahina
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological StudiesLa JollaUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
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40
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Dweck HKM, Carlson JR. Molecular Logic and Evolution of Bitter Taste in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2019; 30:17-30.e3. [PMID: 31839451 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Taste systems detect a vast diversity of toxins, which are perceived as bitter. When a species adapts to a new environment, its taste system must adapt to detect new death threats. We deleted each of six commonly expressed bitter gustatory receptors (Grs) from Drosophila melanogaster. Systematic analysis revealed that requirements for these Grs differed for the same tastant in different neurons and for different tastants in the same neuron. Responses to some tastants in some neurons required four Grs, including Gr39a. Deletions also produced increased or novel responses, supporting a model of Gr-Gr inhibitory interactions. Coexpression of four Grs conferred several bitter responses to a sugar neuron. We then examined bitter coding in three other Drosophila species. We found major evolutionary shifts. One shift depended on the concerted activity of seven Grs. This work shows how the complex logic of bitter coding provides the capacity to detect innumerable hazards and the flexibility to adapt to new ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hany K M Dweck
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - John R Carlson
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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41
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Luo Y, Zhang Y, Farine J, Ferveur J, Ramírez S, Kopp A. Evolution of sexually dimorphic pheromone profiles coincides with increased number of male-specific chemosensory organs in Drosophila prolongata. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:13608-13618. [PMID: 31871670 PMCID: PMC6912897 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Binary communication systems that involve sex-specific signaling and sex-specific signal perception play a key role in sexual selection and in the evolution of sexually dimorphic traits. The driving forces and genetic changes underlying such traits can be investigated in systems where sex-specific signaling and perception have emerged recently and show evidence of potential coevolution. A promising model is found in Drosophila prolongata, which exhibits a species-specific increase in the number of male chemosensory bristles. We show that this transition coincides with recent evolutionary changes in cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles. Long-chain CHCs that are sexually monomorphic in the closest relatives of D. prolongata (D. rhopaloa, D. carrolli, D. kurseongensis, and D. fuyamai) are strongly male-biased in this species. We also identify an intraspecific female-limited polymorphism, where some females have male-like CHC profiles. Both the origin of sexually dimorphic CHC profiles and the female-limited polymorphism in D. prolongata involve changes in the relative amounts of three mono-alkene homologs, 9-tricosene, 9-pentacosene, and 9-heptacosene, all of which share a common biosynthetic origin and point to a potentially simple genetic change underlying these traits. Our results suggest that pheromone synthesis may have coevolved with chemosensory perception and open the way for reconstructing the origin of sexual dimorphism in this communication system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yige Luo
- Department of Evolution and EcologyUniversity of California‐DavisDavisCAUSA
| | - Yunwei Zhang
- Department of StatisticsUniversity of California‐DavisDavisCAUSA
- Present address:
School of Mathematics and StatisticsUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Jean‐Pierre Farine
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'AlimentationUniversité de Bourgogne‐DijonDijonFrance
| | - Jean‐François Ferveur
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'AlimentationUniversité de Bourgogne‐DijonDijonFrance
| | - Santiago Ramírez
- Department of Evolution and EcologyUniversity of California‐DavisDavisCAUSA
| | - Artyom Kopp
- Department of Evolution and EcologyUniversity of California‐DavisDavisCAUSA
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42
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Deutsch D, Clemens J, Thiberge SY, Guan G, Murthy M. Shared Song Detector Neurons in Drosophila Male and Female Brains Drive Sex-Specific Behaviors. Curr Biol 2019; 29:3200-3215.e5. [PMID: 31564492 PMCID: PMC6885007 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Males and females often produce distinct responses to the same sensory stimuli. How such differences arise-at the level of sensory processing or in the circuits that generate behavior-remains largely unresolved across sensory modalities. We address this issue in the acoustic communication system of Drosophila. During courtship, males generate time-varying songs, and each sex responds with specific behaviors. We characterize male and female behavioral tuning for all aspects of song and show that feature tuning is similar between sexes, suggesting sex-shared song detectors drive divergent behaviors. We then identify higher-order neurons in the Drosophila brain, called pC2, that are tuned for multiple temporal aspects of one mode of the male's song and drive sex-specific behaviors. We thus uncover neurons that are specifically tuned to an acoustic communication signal and that reside at the sensory-motor interface, flexibly linking auditory perception with sex-specific behavioral responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Deutsch
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Jan Clemens
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA; European Neuroscience Institute Göttingen - A Joint Initiative of the University Medical Center Göttingen and the Max-Planck Society, Grisebachstrasse 5, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Stephan Y Thiberge
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA; Bezos Center for Neural Circuit Dynamics, Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton NJ 08540, USA
| | - Georgia Guan
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Mala Murthy
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA; Bezos Center for Neural Circuit Dynamics, Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton NJ 08540, USA.
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43
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Zhang SX, Rogulja D, Crickmore MA. Recurrent Circuitry Sustains Drosophila Courtship Drive While Priming Itself for Satiety. Curr Biol 2019; 29:3216-3228.e9. [PMID: 31474539 PMCID: PMC6783369 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Motivations intensify over hours or days, promoting goals that are achieved in minutes or hours, causing satiety that persists for hours or days. Here we develop Drosophila courtship as a system to study these long-timescale motivational dynamics. We identify two neuronal populations engaged in a recurrent excitation loop, the output of which elevates a dopamine signal that increases the propensity to court. Electrical activity within the recurrent loop accrues with abstinence and, through the activity-dependent transcription factor CREB2, drives the production of activity-suppressing potassium channels. Loop activity is decremented by each mating to reduce subsequent courtship drive, and the inhibitory loop environment established by CREB2 during high motivation slows the reaccumulation of activity for days. Computational modeling reproduces these behavioral and physiological dynamics, generating predictions that we validate experimentally and illustrating a causal link between the motivation that drives behavior and the satiety that endures after goal achievement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen X Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Dragana Rogulja
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Michael A Crickmore
- FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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44
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Chen YCD, Ahmad S, Amin K, Dahanukar A. A subset of brain neurons controls regurgitation in adult Drosophila melanogaster. J Exp Biol 2019; 222:jeb210724. [PMID: 31511344 PMCID: PMC6806010 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.210724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Taste is essential for animals to evaluate food quality and make important decisions about food choice and intake. How complex brains process sensory information to produce behavior is an essential question in the field of sensory neurobiology. Currently, little is known about higher-order taste circuits in the brain as compared with those of other sensory systems. Here, we used the common vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster, to screen for candidate neurons labeled by different transgenic GAL4 lines in controlling feeding behaviors. We found that activation of one line (VT041723-GAL4) produces 'proboscis holding' behavior (extrusion of the mouthpart without withdrawal). Further analysis showed that the proboscis holding phenotype indicates an aversive response, as flies pre-fed with either sucrose or water prior to neuronal activation exhibited regurgitation. Anatomical characterization of VT041723-GAL4-labeled neurons suggests that they receive sensory input from peripheral taste neurons. Overall, our study identifies a subset of brain neurons labeled by VT041723-GAL4 that may be involved in a taste circuit that controls regurgitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chieh David Chen
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Sameera Ahmad
- Department of Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Kush Amin
- Department of Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Anupama Dahanukar
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
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45
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Raphael KA, Sved JA, Pearce S, Oakeshott JG, Gilchrist AS, Sherwin WB, Frommer M. Differences in gene regulation in a tephritid model of prezygotic reproductive isolation. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 28:689-702. [PMID: 30955213 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The two tephritid fruit fly pests, Bactrocera tryoni and Bactrocera neohumeralis, are unusually well suited to the study of the genetics of reproductive isolating mechanisms. Sequence difference between the species is no greater than between a pair of conspecific Drosophila melanogaster populations. The two species exist in close sympatry, yet do not hybridize in the field, apparently kept separate by a strong premating isolation mechanism involving the time of day at which mating occurs. This spurred us to search for key genes for which time of day expression is regulated differently between the species. Using replicated, quantitative transcriptomes from head tissues of males of the two species, sampled in the day and night, we identified 141 transcripts whose abundance showed a significant interaction between species and time of day, indicating a difference in gene regulation. The brain transcripts showing this interaction were enriched for genes with a neurone function and 90% of these were more abundant at night than day in B. tryoni. Features of the expression patterns suggest that there may be a difference in the regulation of sleep-wake cycles between the species. In particular several genes, which in D. melanogaster are expressed in circadian pacemaker cells, are promising candidates to further explore the genetic differentiation involved in this prezygotic reproductive isolation mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- K A Raphael
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - J A Sved
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - S Pearce
- CSIRO Land & Water Flagship, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - J G Oakeshott
- CSIRO Land & Water Flagship, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - A S Gilchrist
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - W B Sherwin
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - M Frommer
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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46
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El-Deeb O. Digest: The evolution of sex-specific mating preferences in Drosophila. Evolution 2019; 73:2024-2025. [PMID: 31429930 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Omar El-Deeb
- Department of Biology, Western University, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
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47
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Rice GR, Barmina O, Luecke D, Hu K, Arbeitman M, Kopp A. Modular tissue-specific regulation of doublesex underpins sexually dimorphic development in Drosophila. Development 2019; 146:dev178285. [PMID: 31285355 PMCID: PMC6679366 DOI: 10.1242/dev.178285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The ability of a single genome to produce distinct and often dramatically different male and female forms is one of the wonders of animal development. In Drosophila melanogaster, most sexually dimorphic traits are controlled by sex-specific isoforms of the doublesex (dsx) transcription factor, and dsx expression is mostly limited to cells that give rise to sexually dimorphic traits. However, it is unknown how this mosaic of sexually dimorphic and monomorphic organs arises. Here, we characterize the cis-regulatory sequences that control dsx expression in the foreleg, which contains multiple types of sex-specific sensory organs. We find that separate modular enhancers are responsible for dsx expression in each sexually dimorphic organ. Expression of dsx in the sex comb is co-regulated by two enhancers with distinct spatial and temporal specificities that are separated by a genitalia-specific enhancer. The sex comb-specific enhancer from D. willistoni, a species that primitively lacks sex combs, is not active in the foreleg. Thus, the mosaic of sexually dimorphic and monomorphic organs depends on modular regulation of dsx transcription by dedicated cell type-specific enhancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin R Rice
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Olga Barmina
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - David Luecke
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Kevin Hu
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Michelle Arbeitman
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Artyom Kopp
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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48
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Pedelacq JD, Cabantous S. Development and Applications of Superfolder and Split Fluorescent Protein Detection Systems in Biology. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20143479. [PMID: 31311175 PMCID: PMC6678664 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20143479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular engineering of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) into a robust and stable variant named Superfolder GFP (sfGFP) has revolutionized the field of biosensor development and the use of fluorescent markers in diverse area of biology. sfGFP-based self-associating bipartite split-FP systems have been widely exploited to monitor soluble expression in vitro, localization, and trafficking of proteins in cellulo. A more recent class of split-FP variants, named « tripartite » split-FP, that rely on the self-assembly of three GFP fragments, is particularly well suited for the detection of protein–protein interactions. In this review, we describe the different steps and evolutions that have led to the diversification of superfolder and split-FP reporter systems, and we report an update of their applications in various areas of biology, from structural biology to cell biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Denis Pedelacq
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale, IPBS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31077 Toulouse, France.
| | - Stéphanie Cabantous
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Toulouse (CRCT), Inserm, Université Paul Sabatier-Toulouse III, CNRS, 31037 Toulouse, France.
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49
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Abstract
Male moths compete to arrive first at a female releasing pheromone. A new study reveals that additional pheromone cues released only by younger females may prompt males to avoid them in favor of older but more fecund females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil J Vickers
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
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50
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Andrew DJ, Chen EH, Manoli DS, Ryner LC, Arbeitman MN. Sex and the Single Fly: A Perspective on the Career of Bruce S. Baker. Genetics 2019; 212:365-376. [PMID: 31167898 PMCID: PMC6553822 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.301928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bruce Baker, a preeminent Drosophila geneticist who made fundamental contributions to our understanding of the molecular genetic basis of sex differences, passed away July 1, 2018 at the age of 72. Members of Bruce's laboratory remember him as an intensely dedicated, rigorous, creative, deep-thinking, and fearless scientist. His trainees also remember his strong commitment to teaching students at every level. Bruce's career studying sex differences had three major epochs, where the laboratory was focused on: (1) sex determination and dosage compensation, (2) the development of sex-specific structures, and (3) the molecular genetic basis for sex differences in behavior. Several members of the Baker laboratory have come together to honor Bruce by highlighting some of the laboratory's major scientific contributions in these areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah J Andrew
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Elizabeth H Chen
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
- Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
| | - Devanand S Manoli
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158
- Weill Institute for Neuroscience, Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - Lisa C Ryner
- Development Sciences Division, Roche Genentech, South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Michelle N Arbeitman
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306
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