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Li N, Dong R, Zeng H, Zhang Y, Huang R, Liu W, Cao F, Yu J, Liao M, Chen J, Zhang W, Huang Z, Wang J, Li L, Zhu S, Huang D, Li Z, Zhang X, Yuan D, Chen N, Fan Y, Wang G, Schal C, Pan Y, Li S. Two sex pheromone receptors for sexual communication in the American cockroach. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2024; 67:1455-1467. [PMID: 38523236 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-023-2548-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Volatile sex pheromones are vital for sexual communication between males and females. Females of the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana, produce and emit two sex pheromone components, periplanone-A (PA) and periplanone-B (PB). Although PB is the major sex attractant and can attract males, how it interacts with PA in regulating sexual behaviors is still unknown. In this study, we found that in male cockroaches, PA counteracted PB attraction. We identified two odorant receptors (ORs), OR53 and OR100, as PB/PA and PA receptors, respectively. OR53 and OR100 were predominantly expressed in the antennae of sexually mature males, and their expression levels were regulated by the sex differentiation pathway and nutrition-responsive signals. Cellular localization of OR53 and OR100 in male antennae further revealed that two types of sensilla coordinate a complex two-pheromone-two-receptor pathway in regulating cockroach sexual behaviors. These findings indicate distinct functions of the two sex pheromone components, identify their receptors and possible regulatory mechanisms underlying the male-specific and age-dependent sexual behaviors, and can guide novel strategies for pest management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China.
- Guangmeiyuan R&D Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, South China Normal University, Meizhou, 514589, China.
| | - Renke Dong
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
- Guangmeiyuan R&D Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, South China Normal University, Meizhou, 514589, China
| | - Huanchao Zeng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
- Guangmeiyuan R&D Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, South China Normal University, Meizhou, 514589, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Lingnan Guangdong Laboratory of Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Run Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Lingnan Guangdong Laboratory of Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Fengming Cao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Jincong Yu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Mingtao Liao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Jingyou Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Wenlei Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Zejian Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Jiahui Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Li Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Shen Zhu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
- Guangmeiyuan R&D Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, South China Normal University, Meizhou, 514589, China
| | - Danyan Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Zining Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Xiaoshuai Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Dongwei Yuan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Nan Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Yongliang Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Guirong Wang
- Lingnan Guangdong Laboratory of Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Coby Schal
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, 27695, USA
| | - Yufeng Pan
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China.
| | - Sheng Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China.
- Guangmeiyuan R&D Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, South China Normal University, Meizhou, 514589, China.
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2
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Ellis KE, Bervoets S, Smihula H, Ganguly I, Vigato E, Auer TO, Benton R, Litwin-Kumar A, Caron SJC. Evolution of connectivity architecture in the Drosophila mushroom body. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4872. [PMID: 38849331 PMCID: PMC11161526 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48839-4] [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: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Brain evolution has primarily been studied at the macroscopic level by comparing the relative size of homologous brain centers between species. How neuronal circuits change at the cellular level over evolutionary time remains largely unanswered. Here, using a phylogenetically informed framework, we compare the olfactory circuits of three closely related Drosophila species that differ in their chemical ecology: the generalists Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila simulans and Drosophila sechellia that specializes on ripe noni fruit. We examine a central part of the olfactory circuit that, to our knowledge, has not been investigated in these species-the connections between projection neurons and the Kenyon cells of the mushroom body-and identify species-specific connectivity patterns. We found that neurons encoding food odors connect more frequently with Kenyon cells, giving rise to species-specific biases in connectivity. These species-specific connectivity differences reflect two distinct neuronal phenotypes: in the number of projection neurons or in the number of presynaptic boutons formed by individual projection neurons. Finally, behavioral analyses suggest that such increased connectivity enhances learning performance in an associative task. Our study shows how fine-grained aspects of connectivity architecture in an associative brain center can change during evolution to reflect the chemical ecology of a species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sven Bervoets
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Hayley Smihula
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Ishani Ganguly
- Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Eva Vigato
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Thomas O Auer
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Richard Benton
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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3
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Yan W, Li Y, Louis EJ, Kyriacou CP, Hu Y, Cordell RL, Xie X. Quantitative genetic analysis of attractiveness of yeast products to Drosophila. Genetics 2024; 227:iyae048. [PMID: 38560786 PMCID: PMC11151935 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyae048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
An attractive perfume is a complex mixture of compounds, some of which may be unpleasant on their own. This is also true for the volatile combinations from yeast fermentation products in vineyards and orchards when assessed by Drosophila. Here, we used crosses between a yeast strain with an attractive fermentation profile and another strain with a repulsive one and tested fly responses using a T-maze. QTL analysis reveals allelic variation in four yeast genes, namely PTC6, SAT4, YFL040W, and ARI1, that modulated expression levels of volatile compounds [assessed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)] and in different combinations, generated various levels of attractiveness. The parent strain that is more attractive to Drosophila has repulsive alleles at two of the loci, while the least attractive parent has attractive alleles. Behavioral assays using artificial mixtures mimicking the composition of odors from fermentation validated the results of GC-MS and QTL mapping, thereby directly connecting genetic variation in yeast to attractiveness in flies. This study can be used as a basis for dissecting the combination of olfactory receptors that mediate the attractiveness/repulsion of flies to yeast volatiles and may also serve as a model for testing the attractiveness of pest species such as Drosophila suzukii to their host fruit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiru Yan
- Institute of Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
- Department of Genetics & Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Yishen Li
- Department of Genetics & Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Edward J Louis
- Department of Genetics & Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | | | - Yue Hu
- Department of Genetics & Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Rebecca L Cordell
- School of Chemistry, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Xiaodong Xie
- Institute of Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
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4
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Xu L, Jiang HB, Yu JL, Wang JJ. Plasticity of the olfactory behaviors in Bactrocera dorsalis under various physiological states and environmental conditions. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 63:101196. [PMID: 38555081 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2024.101196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Insects rely heavily on their olfactory system for various behaviors, including foraging, mating, and oviposition. Numerous studies have demonstrated that insects can adjust their olfactory behaviors in response to different physiological states and environmental conditions. This flexibility allows them to perceive and process odorants according to different conditions. The Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis, is a highly destructive and invasive pest causing significant economic losses to fruit and vegetable crops worldwide. The olfactory behavior of B. dorsalis exhibits strong plasticity, resulting in its successful invasion. To enhance our understanding of B. dorsalis' olfactory behavior and explore potential strategies for behavior control, we have reviewed recent literature on its olfactory plasticity and potential molecular mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Xu
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Hong-Bo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jie-Ling Yu
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jin-Jun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Entomology and Pest Control Engineering, College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
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5
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Baker CA, Guan XJ, Choi M, Murthy M. The role of fruitless in specifying courtship behaviors across divergent Drosophila species. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk1273. [PMID: 38478605 PMCID: PMC10936877 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk1273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Sex-specific behaviors are critical for reproduction and species survival. The sex-specifically spliced transcription factor fruitless (fru) helps establish male courtship behaviors in invertebrates. Forcing male-specific fru (fruM) splicing in Drosophila melanogaster females produces male-typical behaviors while disrupting female-specific behaviors. However, whether fru's joint role in specifying male and inhibiting female behaviors is conserved across species is unknown. We used CRISPR-Cas9 to force FruM expression in female Drosophila virilis, a species in which males and females produce sex-specific songs. In contrast to D. melanogaster, in which one fruM allele is sufficient to generate male behaviors in females, two alleles are needed in D. virilis females. D. virilis females expressing FruM maintain the ability to sing female-typical song as well as lay eggs, whereas D. melanogaster FruM females cannot lay eggs. These results reveal potential differences in fru function between divergent species and underscore the importance of studying diverse behaviors and species for understanding the genetic basis of sex differences.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xiao-Juan Guan
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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6
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Peedikayil-Kurien S, Setty H, Oren-Suissa M. Environmental experiences shape sexually dimorphic neuronal circuits and behaviour. FEBS J 2024; 291:1080-1101. [PMID: 36582142 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Dimorphic traits, shaped by both natural and sexual selection, ensure optimal fitness and survival of the organism. This includes neuronal circuits that are largely affected by different experiences and environmental conditions. Recent evidence suggests that sexual dimorphism of neuronal circuits extends to different levels such as neuronal activity, connectivity and molecular topography that manifest in response to various experiences, including chemical exposures, starvation and stress. In this review, we propose some common principles that govern experience-dependent sexually dimorphic circuits in both vertebrate and invertebrate organisms. While sexually dimorphic neuronal circuits are predetermined, they have to maintain a certain level of fluidity to be adaptive to different experiences. The first layer of dimorphism is at the level of the neuronal circuit, which appears to be dictated by sex-biased transcription factors. This could subsequently lead to differences in the second layer of regulation namely connectivity and synaptic properties. The third regulator of experience-dependent responses is the receptor level, where dimorphic expression patterns determine the primary sensory encoding. We also highlight missing pieces in this field and propose future directions that can shed light onto novel aspects of sexual dimorphism with potential benefits to sex-specific therapeutic approaches. Thus, sexual identity and experience simultaneously determine behaviours that ultimately result in the maximal survival success.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hagar Setty
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Meital Oren-Suissa
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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7
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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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8
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Simpson JH. Descending control of motor sequences in Drosophila. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2024; 84:102822. [PMID: 38096757 PMCID: PMC11215313 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102822] [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: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
The descending neurons connecting the fly's brain to its ventral nerve cord respond to sensory stimuli and evoke motor programs of varying complexity. Anatomical characterization of the descending neurons and their synaptic connections suggests how these circuits organize movements, while optogenetic manipulation of their activity reveals what behaviors they can induce. Monitoring their responses to sensory stimuli or during behavior performance indicates what information they may encode. Recent advances in all three approaches make the descending neurons an excellent place to better understand the sensorimotor integration and transformation required for nervous systems to govern the motor sequences that constitute animal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie H Simpson
- Dept. Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology and Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, USA.
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9
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Chang H, Unni AP, Tom MT, Cao Q, Liu Y, Wang G, Llorca LC, Brase S, Bucks S, Weniger K, Bisch-Knaden S, Hansson BS, Knaden M. Odorant detection in a locust exhibits unusually low redundancy. Curr Biol 2023; 33:5427-5438.e5. [PMID: 38070506 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Olfactory coding, from insects to humans, is canonically considered to involve considerable across-fiber coding already at the peripheral level, thereby allowing recognition of vast numbers of odor compounds. We show that the migratory locust has evolved an alternative strategy built on highly specific odorant receptors feeding into a complex primary processing center in the brain. By collecting odors from food and different life stages of the locust, we identified 205 ecologically relevant odorants, which we used to deorphanize 48 locust olfactory receptors via ectopic expression in Drosophila. Contrary to the often broadly tuned olfactory receptors of other insects, almost all locust receptors were found to be narrowly tuned to one or very few ligands. Knocking out a single receptor using CRISPR abolished physiological and behavioral responses to the corresponding ligand. We conclude that the locust olfactory system, with most olfactory receptors being narrowly tuned, differs from the so-far described olfactory systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hetan Chang
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans Knoell Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany; Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Afairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Anjana P Unni
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans Knoell Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Megha Treesa Tom
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans Knoell Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Qian Cao
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Guirong Wang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Afairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Lucas Cortés Llorca
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans Knoell Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Sabine Brase
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans Knoell Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Sascha Bucks
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans Knoell Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Kerstin Weniger
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans Knoell Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Sonja Bisch-Knaden
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans Knoell Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Bill S Hansson
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans Knoell Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Markus Knaden
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans Knoell Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany.
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10
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Amin H, Nolte SS, Swain B, von Philipsborn AC. GABAergic signaling shapes multiple aspects of Drosophila courtship motor behavior. iScience 2023; 26:108069. [PMID: 37860694 PMCID: PMC10583093 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhibitory neurons are essential for orchestrating and structuring behavior. We use one of the best studied behaviors in Drosophila, male courtship, to analyze how inhibitory, GABAergic neurons shape the different steps of this multifaceted motor sequence. RNAi-mediated knockdown of the GABA-producing enzyme GAD1 and the ionotropic receptor Rdl in sex specific, fruitless expressing neurons in the ventral nerve cord causes uncoordinated and futile copulation attempts, defects in wing extension choice and severe alterations of courtship song. Altered song of GABA depleted males fails to stimulate female receptivity, but rescue of song patterning alone is not sufficient to rescue male mating success. Knockdown of GAD1 and Rdl in male brain circuits abolishes courtship conditioning. We characterize the around 220 neurons coexpressing GAD1 and Fruitless in the Drosophila male nervous system and propose inhibitory circuit motifs underlying key features of courtship behavior based on the observed phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoger Amin
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and Department of Biomedicine, Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE), Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Stella S. Nolte
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and Department of Biomedicine, Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE), Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Bijayalaxmi Swain
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and Department of Biomedicine, Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE), Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Anne C. von Philipsborn
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and Department of Biomedicine, Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE), Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Neuroscience and Movement Science, Medicine Section, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
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11
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Jouandet GC, Alpert MH, Simões JM, Suhendra R, Frank DD, Levy JI, Para A, Kath WL, Gallio M. Rapid threat assessment in the Drosophila thermosensory system. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7067. [PMID: 37923719 PMCID: PMC10624821 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42864-5] [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: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurons that participate in sensory processing often display "ON" responses, i.e., fire transiently at the onset of a stimulus. ON transients are widespread, perhaps universal to sensory coding, yet their function is not always well-understood. Here, we show that ON responses in the Drosophila thermosensory system extrapolate the trajectory of temperature change, priming escape behavior if unsafe thermal conditions are imminent. First, we show that second-order thermosensory projection neurons (TPN-IIIs) and their Lateral Horn targets (TLHONs), display ON responses to thermal stimuli, independent of direction of change (heating or cooling) and of absolute temperature. Instead, they track the rate of temperature change, with TLHONs firing exclusively to rapid changes (>0.2 °C/s). Next, we use connectomics to track TLHONs' output to descending neurons that control walking and escape, and modeling and genetic silencing to demonstrate how ON transients can flexibly amplify aversive responses to small thermal change. Our results suggest that, across sensory systems, ON transients may represent a general mechanism to systematically anticipate and respond to salient or dangerous conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael H Alpert
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | | | - Richard Suhendra
- Department of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Dominic D Frank
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joshua I Levy
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Alessia Para
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - William L Kath
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Department of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- National Institute for Theory and Mathematics in Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Marco Gallio
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
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12
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Xiao N, Xu S, Li ZK, Tang M, Mao R, Yang T, Ma SX, Wang PH, Li MT, Sunilkumar A, Rouyer F, Cao LH, Luo DG. A single photoreceptor splits perception and entrainment by cotransmission. Nature 2023; 623:562-570. [PMID: 37880372 PMCID: PMC10651484 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06681-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Vision enables both image-forming perception, driven by a contrast-based pathway, and unconscious non-image-forming circadian photoentrainment, driven by an irradiance-based pathway1,2. Although two distinct photoreceptor populations are specialized for each visual task3-6, image-forming photoreceptors can additionally contribute to photoentrainment of the circadian clock in different species7-15. However, it is unknown how the image-forming photoreceptor pathway can functionally implement the segregation of irradiance signals required for circadian photoentrainment from contrast signals required for image perception. Here we report that the Drosophila R8 photoreceptor separates image-forming and irradiance signals by co-transmitting two neurotransmitters, histamine and acetylcholine. This segregation is further established postsynaptically by histamine-receptor-expressing unicolumnar retinotopic neurons and acetylcholine-receptor-expressing multicolumnar integration neurons. The acetylcholine transmission from R8 photoreceptors is sustained by an autocrine negative feedback of the cotransmitted histamine during the light phase of light-dark cycles. At the behavioural level, elimination of histamine and acetylcholine transmission impairs R8-driven motion detection and circadian photoentrainment, respectively. Thus, a single type of photoreceptor can achieve the dichotomy of visual perception and circadian photoentrainment as early as the first visual synapses, revealing a simple yet robust mechanism to segregate and translate distinct sensory features into different animal behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ze-Kai Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Min Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Renbo Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Tian Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Si-Xing Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Peng-Hao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Meng-Tong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ajay Sunilkumar
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - François Rouyer
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Li-Hui Cao
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Dong-Gen Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China.
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13
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Sun M, Ma M, Deng B, Li N, Peng Q, Pan Y. A neural pathway underlying hunger modulation of sexual receptivity in Drosophila females. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113243. [PMID: 37819758 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Accepting or rejecting a mate is one of the most crucial decisions a female will make, especially when faced with food shortage. Previous studies have identified the core neural circuity from sensing male courtship or mating status to decision-making for sexual receptivity in Drosophila females, but how hunger and satiety states modulate female receptivity is poorly understood. Here, we identify the neural circuit and its neuromodulation underlying the hunger modulation of female receptivity. We find that adipokinetic hormone receptor (AkhR)-expressing neurons inhibit sexual receptivity in a starvation-dependent manner. AkhR neurons are octopaminergic and act on a subset of Octβ1R-expressing LH421 neurons. Knocking down Octβ1R expression in LH421 neurons eliminates starvation-induced suppression of female receptivity. We further find that LH421 neurons inhibit the sex-promoting pC1 neurons via GABA-resistant to dieldrin (Rdl) signaling. pC1 neurons also integrate courtship stimulation and mating status and thus serve as a common integrator of multiple internal and external cues for decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengshi Sun
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Mingze Ma
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Bowen Deng
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Na Li
- Guangmeiyuan R&D Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, South China Normal University, Meizhou 514779, China
| | - Qionglin Peng
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Yufeng Pan
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China; Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, China.
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14
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Sato K, Yamamoto D. Molecular and cellular origins of behavioral sex differences: a tiny little fly tells a lot. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1284367. [PMID: 37928065 PMCID: PMC10622783 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1284367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Behavioral sex differences primarily derive from the sexually dimorphic organization of neural circuits that direct the behavior. In Drosophila melanogaster, the sex-determination genes fruitless (fru) and doublesex (dsx) play pivotal roles in producing the sexual dimorphism of neural circuits for behavior. Here we examine three neural groups expressing fru and/or dsx, i.e., the P1 cluster, aSP-f and aSP-g cluster pairs and aDN cluster, in which causal relationships between the dimorphic behavior and dimorphic neural characteristics are best illustrated. aSP-f, aSP-g and aDN clusters represent examples where fru or dsx switches cell-autonomously their neurite structures between the female-type and male-type. Processed sensory inputs impinging on these neurons may result in outputs that encode different valences, which culminate in the execution of distinct behavior according to the sex. In contrast, the P1 cluster is male-specific as its female counterpart undergoes dsx-driven cell death, which lowers the threshold for the induction of male-specific behaviors. We propose that the products of fru and dsx genes, as terminal selectors in sexually dimorphic neuronal wiring, induce and maintain the sex-typical chromatin state at postembryonic stages, orchestrating the transcription of effector genes that shape single neuron structures and govern cell survival and death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosei Sato
- Neuro-ICT Laboratory, Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe, Japan
| | - Daisuke Yamamoto
- Neuro-ICT Laboratory, Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe, Japan
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15
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Ellis KE, Bervoets S, Smihula H, Ganguly I, Vigato E, Auer TO, Benton R, Litwin-Kumar A, Caron SJC. Evolution of connectivity architecture in the Drosophila mushroom body. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.10.528036. [PMID: 36798335 PMCID: PMC9934700 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.10.528036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Brain evolution has primarily been studied at the macroscopic level by comparing the relative size of homologous brain centers between species. How neuronal circuits change at the cellular level over evolutionary time remains largely unanswered. Here, using a phylogenetically informed framework, we compare the olfactory circuits of three closely related Drosophila species that differ radically in their chemical ecology: the generalists Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila simulans that feed on fermenting fruit, and Drosophila sechellia that specializes on ripe noni fruit. We examine a central part of the olfactory circuit that has not yet been investigated in these species - the connections between the projection neurons of the antennal lobe and the Kenyon cells of the mushroom body, an associative brain center - to identify species-specific connectivity patterns. We found that neurons encoding food odors - the DC3 neurons in D. melanogaster and D. simulans and the DL2d neurons in D. sechellia - connect more frequently with Kenyon cells, giving rise to species-specific biases in connectivity. These species-specific differences in connectivity reflect two distinct neuronal phenotypes: in the number of projection neurons or in the number of presynaptic boutons formed by individual projection neurons. Finally, behavioral analyses suggest that such increased connectivity enhances learning performance in an associative task. Our study shows how fine-grained aspects of connectivity architecture in an associative brain center can change during evolution to reflect the chemical ecology of a species.
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16
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Ahmed M, Rajagopalan AE, Pan Y, Li Y, Williams DL, Pedersen EA, Thakral M, Previero A, Close KC, Christoforou CP, Cai D, Turner GC, Clowney EJ. Input density tunes Kenyon cell sensory responses in the Drosophila mushroom body. Curr Biol 2023; 33:2742-2760.e12. [PMID: 37348501 PMCID: PMC10529417 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.05.064] [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: 02/05/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
The ability to discriminate sensory stimuli with overlapping features is thought to arise in brain structures called expansion layers, where neurons carrying information about sensory features make combinatorial connections onto a much larger set of cells. For 50 years, expansion coding has been a prime topic of theoretical neuroscience, which seeks to explain how quantitative parameters of the expansion circuit influence sensory sensitivity, discrimination, and generalization. Here, we investigate the developmental events that produce the quantitative parameters of the arthropod expansion layer, called the mushroom body. Using Drosophila melanogaster as a model, we employ genetic and chemical tools to engineer changes to circuit development. These allow us to produce living animals with hypothesis-driven variations on natural expansion layer wiring parameters. We then test the functional and behavioral consequences. By altering the number of expansion layer neurons (Kenyon cells) and their dendritic complexity, we find that input density, but not cell number, tunes neuronal odor selectivity. Simple odor discrimination behavior is maintained when the Kenyon cell number is reduced and augmented by Kenyon cell number expansion. Animals with increased input density to each Kenyon cell show increased overlap in Kenyon cell odor responses and become worse at odor discrimination tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Ahmed
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Adithya E Rajagopalan
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Yijie Pan
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Ye Li
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USA
| | - Donnell L Williams
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Erik A Pedersen
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Manav Thakral
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Angelica Previero
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Kari C Close
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | | | - Dawen Cai
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USA; Biophysics LS&A, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Michigan Neuroscience Institute Affiliate, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Glenn C Turner
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - E Josephine Clowney
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Michigan Neuroscience Institute Affiliate, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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17
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Singh P, Goyal S, Gupta S, Garg S, Tiwari A, Rajput V, Bates AS, Gupta AK, Gupta N. Combinatorial encoding of odors in the mosquito antennal lobe. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3539. [PMID: 37322224 PMCID: PMC10272161 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39303-w] [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: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Among the cues that a mosquito uses to find a host for blood-feeding, the smell of the host plays an important role. Previous studies have shown that host odors contain hundreds of chemical odorants, which are detected by different receptors on the peripheral sensory organs of mosquitoes. But how individual odorants are encoded by downstream neurons in the mosquito brain is not known. We developed an in vivo preparation for patch-clamp electrophysiology to record from projection neurons and local neurons in the antennal lobe of Aedes aegypti. Combining intracellular recordings with dye-fills, morphological reconstructions, and immunohistochemistry, we identify different sub-classes of antennal lobe neurons and their putative interactions. Our recordings show that an odorant can activate multiple neurons innervating different glomeruli, and that the stimulus identity and its behavioral preference are represented in the population activity of the projection neurons. Our results provide a detailed description of the second-order olfactory neurons in the central nervous system of mosquitoes and lay a foundation for understanding the neural basis of their olfactory behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pranjul Singh
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
| | - Shefali Goyal
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
| | - Smith Gupta
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
| | - Sanket Garg
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
- Department of Economic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
| | - Abhinav Tiwari
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
| | - Varad Rajput
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
| | - Alexander Shakeel Bates
- Department of Neurobiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Arjit Kant Gupta
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
| | - Nitin Gupta
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India.
- Mehta Family Center for Engineering in Medicine, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India.
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18
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Taisz I, Donà E, Münch D, Bailey SN, Morris BJ, Meechan KI, Stevens KM, Varela-Martínez I, Gkantia M, Schlegel P, Ribeiro C, Jefferis GSXE, Galili DS. Generating parallel representations of position and identity in the olfactory system. Cell 2023; 186:2556-2573.e22. [PMID: 37236194 PMCID: PMC10403364 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.04.038] [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: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
In Drosophila, a dedicated olfactory channel senses a male pheromone, cis-vaccenyl acetate (cVA), promoting female courtship while repelling males. Here, we show that separate cVA-processing streams extract qualitative and positional information. cVA sensory neurons respond to concentration differences in a 5-mm range around a male. Second-order projection neurons encode the angular position of a male by detecting inter-antennal differences in cVA concentration, which are amplified through contralateral inhibition. At the third circuit layer, we identify 47 cell types with diverse input-output connectivity. One population responds tonically to male flies, a second is tuned to olfactory looming, while a third integrates cVA and taste to coincidentally promote female mating. The separation of olfactory features resembles the mammalian what and where visual streams; together with multisensory integration, this enables behavioral responses appropriate to specific ethological contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- István Taisz
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Erika Donà
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | - Billy J Morris
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Katie M Stevens
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Marina Gkantia
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Philipp Schlegel
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK; Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Gregory S X E Jefferis
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK; Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Dana S Galili
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
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19
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Zung JL, Kotb SM, McBride CS. Exploring natural odour landscapes: A case study with implications for human-biting insects. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.08.539789. [PMID: 37398328 PMCID: PMC10312452 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.08.539789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
The natural world is full of odours-blends of volatile chemicals emitted by potential sources of food, social partners, predators, and pathogens. Animals rely heavily on these signals for survival and reproduction. Yet we remain remarkably ignorant of the composition of the chemical world. How many compounds do natural odours typically contain? How often are those compounds shared across stimuli? What are the best statistical strategies for discrimination? Answering these questions will deliver crucial insight into how brains can most efficiently encode olfactory information. Here, we undertake the first large-scale survey of vertebrate body odours, a set of stimuli relevant to blood-feeding arthropods. We quantitatively characterize the odour of 64 vertebrate species (mostly mammals), representing 29 families and 13 orders. We confirm that these stimuli are complex blends of relatively common, shared compounds and show that they are much less likely to contain unique components than are floral odours-a finding with implications for olfactory coding in blood feeders and floral visitors. We also find that vertebrate body odours carry little phylogenetic information, yet show consistency within a species. Human odour is especially unique, even compared to the odour of other great apes. Finally, we use our newfound understanding of odour-space statistics to make specific predictions about olfactory coding, which align with known features of mosquito olfactory systems. Our work provides one of the first quantitative descriptions of a natural odour space and demonstrates how understanding the statistics of sensory environments can provide novel insight into sensory coding and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L. Zung
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA 08544
| | | | - Carolyn S. McBride
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA 08544
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20
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Tolassy V, Cazalé-Debat L, Houot B, Reynaud R, Heydel JM, Ferveur JF, Everaerts C. Drosophila Free-Flight Odor Tracking is Altered in a Sex-Specific Manner By Preimaginal Sensory Exposure. J Chem Ecol 2023; 49:179-194. [PMID: 36881326 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-023-01416-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
In insects such as Drosophila melanogaster, flight guidance is based on converging sensory information provided by several modalities, including chemoperception. Drosophila flies are particularly attracted by complex odors constituting volatile molecules from yeast, pheromones and microbe-metabolized food. Based on a recent study revealing that adult male courtship behavior can be affected by early preimaginal exposure to maternally transmitted egg factors, we wondered whether a similar exposure could affect free-flight odor tracking in flies of both sexes. Our main experiment consisted of testing flies differently conditioned during preimaginal development in a wind tunnel. Each fly was presented with a dual choice of food labeled by groups of each sex of D. melanogaster or D. simulans flies. The combined effect of food with the cis-vaccenyl acetate pheromone (cVA), which is involved in aggregation behavior, was also measured. Moreover, we used the headspace method to determine the "odorant" identity of the different labeled foods tested. We also measured the antennal electrophysiological response to cVA in females and males resulting from the different preimaginal conditioning procedures. Our data indicate that flies differentially modulated their flight response (take off, flight duration, food landing and preference) according to sex, conditioning and food choice. Our headspace analysis revealed that many food-derived volatile molecules diverged between sexes and species. Antennal responses to cVA showed clear sex-specific variation for conditioned flies but not for control flies. In summary, our study indicates that preimaginal conditioning can affect Drosophila free flight behavior in a sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Tolassy
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS UMR6265, INRAE, UMR1324, Université de Bourgogne, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Laurie Cazalé-Debat
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS UMR6265, INRAE, UMR1324, Université de Bourgogne, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France.,School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston Park Road, B15 2TT, Birmingham, UK
| | - Benjamin Houot
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS UMR6265, INRAE, UMR1324, Université de Bourgogne, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France.,Institut Gustave Roussel, 114, rue Edouard Vaillant, 94805, Villejuif Cedex, France
| | - Rémy Reynaud
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS UMR6265, INRAE, UMR1324, Université de Bourgogne, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Jean-Marie Heydel
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS UMR6265, INRAE, UMR1324, Université de Bourgogne, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Jean-François Ferveur
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS UMR6265, INRAE, UMR1324, Université de Bourgogne, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Claude Everaerts
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS UMR6265, INRAE, UMR1324, Université de Bourgogne, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France.
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21
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Palmateer CM, Artikis C, Brovero SG, Friedman B, Gresham A, Arbeitman MN. Single-cell transcriptome profiles of Drosophila fruitless-expressing neurons from both sexes. eLife 2023; 12:e78511. [PMID: 36724009 PMCID: PMC9891730 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster reproductive behaviors are orchestrated by fruitless neurons. We performed single-cell RNA-sequencing on pupal neurons that produce sex-specifically spliced fru transcripts, the fru P1-expressing neurons. Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP) with clustering generates an atlas containing 113 clusters. While the male and female neurons overlap in UMAP space, more than half the clusters have sex differences in neuron number, and nearly all clusters display sex-differential expression. Based on an examination of enriched marker genes, we annotate clusters as circadian clock neurons, mushroom body Kenyon cell neurons, neurotransmitter- and/or neuropeptide-producing, and those that express doublesex. Marker gene analyses also show that genes that encode members of the immunoglobulin superfamily of cell adhesion molecules, transcription factors, neuropeptides, neuropeptide receptors, and Wnts have unique patterns of enriched expression across the clusters. In vivo spatial gene expression links to the clusters are examined. A functional analysis of fru P1 circadian neurons shows they have dimorphic roles in activity and period length. Given that most clusters are comprised of male and female neurons indicates that the sexes have fru P1 neurons with common gene expression programs. Sex-specific expression is overlaid on this program, to build the potential for vastly different sex-specific behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen M Palmateer
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, College of MedicineTallahasseeUnited States
| | - Catherina Artikis
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, College of MedicineTallahasseeUnited States
| | - Savannah G Brovero
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, College of MedicineTallahasseeUnited States
| | - Benjamin Friedman
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, College of MedicineTallahasseeUnited States
| | - Alexis Gresham
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, College of MedicineTallahasseeUnited States
| | - Michelle N Arbeitman
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, College of MedicineTallahasseeUnited States
- Program of Neuroscience, Florida State UniversityTallahasseeUnited States
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22
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Ahmed M, Rajagopalan AE, Pan Y, Li Y, Williams DL, Pedersen EA, Thakral M, Previero A, Close KC, Christoforou CP, Cai D, Turner GC, Clowney EJ. Hacking brain development to test models of sensory coding. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.25.525425. [PMID: 36747712 PMCID: PMC9900841 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.25.525425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Animals can discriminate myriad sensory stimuli but can also generalize from learned experience. You can probably distinguish the favorite teas of your colleagues while still recognizing that all tea pales in comparison to coffee. Tradeoffs between detection, discrimination, and generalization are inherent at every layer of sensory processing. During development, specific quantitative parameters are wired into perceptual circuits and set the playing field on which plasticity mechanisms play out. A primary goal of systems neuroscience is to understand how material properties of a circuit define the logical operations-computations--that it makes, and what good these computations are for survival. A cardinal method in biology-and the mechanism of evolution--is to change a unit or variable within a system and ask how this affects organismal function. Here, we make use of our knowledge of developmental wiring mechanisms to modify hard-wired circuit parameters in the Drosophila melanogaster mushroom body and assess the functional and behavioral consequences. By altering the number of expansion layer neurons (Kenyon cells) and their dendritic complexity, we find that input number, but not cell number, tunes odor selectivity. Simple odor discrimination performance is maintained when Kenyon cell number is reduced and augmented by Kenyon cell expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Ahmed
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Adithya E. Rajagopalan
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Yijie Pan
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Ye Li
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USA
| | - Donnell L. Williams
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Erik A. Pedersen
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Manav Thakral
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Angelica Previero
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Kari C. Close
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | | | - Dawen Cai
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USA
- Biophysics LS&A, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute Affiliate
| | - Glenn C. Turner
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - E. Josephine Clowney
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute Affiliate
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23
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Seeing Neurodegeneration in a New Light Using Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Biosensors and iPSCs. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021766. [PMID: 36675282 PMCID: PMC9861453 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases present a progressive loss of neuronal structure and function, leading to cell death and irrecoverable brain atrophy. Most have disease-modifying therapies, in part because the mechanisms of neurodegeneration are yet to be defined, preventing the development of targeted therapies. To overcome this, there is a need for tools that enable a quantitative assessment of how cellular mechanisms and diverse environmental conditions contribute to disease. One such tool is genetically encodable fluorescent biosensors (GEFBs), engineered constructs encoding proteins with novel functions capable of sensing spatiotemporal changes in specific pathways, enzyme functions, or metabolite levels. GEFB technology therefore presents a plethora of unique sensing capabilities that, when coupled with induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), present a powerful tool for exploring disease mechanisms and identifying novel therapeutics. In this review, we discuss different GEFBs relevant to neurodegenerative disease and how they can be used with iPSCs to illuminate unresolved questions about causes and risks for neurodegenerative disease.
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24
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Abstract
Among the many wonders of nature, the sense of smell of the fly Drosophila melanogaster might seem, at first glance, of esoteric interest. Nevertheless, for over a century, the 'nose' of this insect has been an extraordinary system to explore questions in animal behaviour, ecology and evolution, neuroscience, physiology and molecular genetics. The insights gained are relevant for our understanding of the sensory biology of vertebrates, including humans, and other insect species, encompassing those detrimental to human health. Here, I present an overview of our current knowledge of D. melanogaster olfaction, from molecules to behaviours, with an emphasis on the historical motivations of studies and illustration of how technical innovations have enabled advances. I also highlight some of the pressing and long-term questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Benton
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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25
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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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26
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Cortot J, Farine JP, Cobb M, Everaerts C, Ferveur JF. Factors affecting the biosynthesis and emission of a Drosophila pheromone. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:275647. [PMID: 35678110 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The most studied pheromone in Drosophila melanogaster, cis-vaccenyl acetate (cVA), is synthesized in the male ejaculatory bulb and transferred to the female during copulation. Combined with other chemicals, cVA can modulate fly aggregation, courtship, mating and fighting. We explored the mechanisms underlying both cVA biosynthesis and emission in males of two wild types and a pheromonal mutant line. The effects of ageing, adult social interaction, and maternally transmitted cVA and microbes - both associated with the egg chorion - on cVA biosynthesis and emission were measured. While ageing and genotype changed both biosynthesis and emission in similar ways, early developmental exposure to maternally transmitted cVA and microbes strongly decreased cVA emission but not the biosynthesis of this molecule. This indicates that the release - but not the biosynthesis - of this sex pheromone strongly depends on early developmental context. The mechanism by which the preimaginal effects occur is unknown, but reinforces the significance of development in determining adult physiology and behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Cortot
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, UMR6265 CNRS, UMR1324 INRA, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Jean-Pierre Farine
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, UMR6265 CNRS, UMR1324 INRA, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Matthew Cobb
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Claude Everaerts
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, UMR6265 CNRS, UMR1324 INRA, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Jean-François Ferveur
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, UMR6265 CNRS, UMR1324 INRA, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France
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27
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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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28
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Chen SL, Liu BT, Lee WP, Liao SB, Deng YB, Wu CL, Ho SM, Shen BX, Khoo GH, Shiu WC, Chang CH, Shih HW, Wen JK, Lan TH, Lin CC, Tsai YC, Tzeng HF, Fu TF. WAKE-mediated modulation of cVA perception via a hierarchical neuro-endocrine axis in Drosophila male-male courtship behaviour. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2518. [PMID: 35523813 PMCID: PMC9076693 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30165-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The nervous and endocrine systems coordinate with each other to closely influence physiological and behavioural responses in animals. Here we show that WAKE (encoded by wide awake, also known as wake) modulates membrane levels of GABAA receptor Resistance to Dieldrin (Rdl), in insulin-producing cells of adult male Drosophila melanogaster. This results in changes to secretion of insulin-like peptides which is associated with changes in juvenile hormone biosynthesis in the corpus allatum, which in turn leads to a decrease in 20-hydroxyecdysone levels. A reduction in ecdysone signalling changes neural architecture and lowers the perception of the male-specific sex pheromone 11-cis-vaccenyl acetate by odorant receptor 67d olfactory neurons. These finding explain why WAKE-deficient in Drosophila elicits significant male-male courtship behaviour. The authors show that the Drosophila master regulator WAKE modulates the secretion of insulin-like peptides, triggering a decrease in 20-hydroxyecdysone levels. This lowers the perception of a male-specific sex pheromone and explains why WAKE-deficient Drosophila flies show male-male courtship behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiu-Ling Chen
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan
| | - Bo-Ting Liu
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan
| | - Wang-Pao Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Sin-Bo Liao
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan.,Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Yao-Bang Deng
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Lin Wu
- Department of Biochemistry and Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan.,Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Shuk-Man Ho
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan
| | - Bing-Xian Shen
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan
| | - Guan-Hock Khoo
- Department of Life Science and Life Science Center, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Chiang Shiu
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Hsuan Chang
- Department of Life Science and Life Science Center, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.,National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Wen Shih
- Department of Life Science and Life Science Center, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Jung-Kun Wen
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tsuo-Hung Lan
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Tsaotun Psychiatric Center, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Nantou, Taiwan.,Department of Psychiatry, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.,Center for Neuropsychiatric Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Chien Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chen Tsai
- Department of Life Science and Life Science Center, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan.
| | - Huey-Fen Tzeng
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan.
| | - Tsai-Feng Fu
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan.
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29
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Zhao Z, Zung JL, Hinze A, Kriete AL, Iqbal A, Younger MA, Matthews BJ, Merhof D, Thiberge S, Ignell R, Strauch M, McBride CS. Mosquito brains encode unique features of human odour to drive host seeking. Nature 2022; 605:706-712. [PMID: 35508661 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04675-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
A globally invasive form of the mosquito Aedes aegypti specializes in biting humans, making it an efficient disease vector1. Host-seeking female mosquitoes strongly prefer human odour over the odour of animals2,3, but exactly how they distinguish between the two is not known. Vertebrate odours are complex blends of volatile chemicals with many shared components4-7, making discrimination an interesting sensory coding challenge. Here we show that human and animal odours evoke activity in distinct combinations of olfactory glomeruli within the Ae. aegypti antennal lobe. One glomerulus in particular is strongly activated by human odour but responds weakly, or not at all, to animal odour. This human-sensitive glomerulus is selectively tuned to the long-chain aldehydes decanal and undecanal, which we show are consistently enriched in human odour and which probably originate from unique human skin lipids. Using synthetic blends, we further demonstrate that signalling in the human-sensitive glomerulus significantly enhances long-range host-seeking behaviour in a wind tunnel, recapitulating preference for human over animal odours. Our research suggests that animal brains may distil complex odour stimuli of innate biological relevance into simple neural codes and reveals targets for the design of next-generation mosquito-control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhilei Zhao
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA. .,Bezos Center for Neural Circuit Dynamics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA. .,Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA. .,Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
| | - Jessica L Zung
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.,Bezos Center for Neural Circuit Dynamics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.,Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Annika Hinze
- Unit of Chemical Ecology, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Alexis L Kriete
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.,Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.,Graduate Program in Entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Azwad Iqbal
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.,Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.,Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Meg A Younger
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Benjamin J Matthews
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Dorit Merhof
- Institute of Imaging & Computer Vision, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Stephan Thiberge
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.,Bezos Center for Neural Circuit Dynamics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Rickard Ignell
- Unit of Chemical Ecology, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Martin Strauch
- Institute of Imaging & Computer Vision, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Carolyn S McBride
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA. .,Bezos Center for Neural Circuit Dynamics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA. .,Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
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30
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Recurrent circadian circuitry regulates central brain activity to maintain sleep. Neuron 2022; 110:2139-2154.e5. [PMID: 35525241 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Animal brains have discrete circadian neurons, but little is known about how they are coordinated to influence and maintain sleep. Here, through a systematic optogenetic screening, we identified a subtype of uncharacterized circadian DN3 neurons that is strongly sleep promoting in Drosophila. These anterior-projecting DN3s (APDN3s) receive signals from DN1 circadian neurons and then output to newly identified noncircadian "claw" neurons (CLs). CLs have a daily Ca2+ cycle, which peaks at night and correlates with DN1 and DN3 Ca2+ cycles. The CLs feedback onto a subset of DN1s to form a positive recurrent loop that maintains sleep. Using trans-synaptic photoactivatable green fluorescent protein (PA-GFP) tracing and functional in vivo imaging, we demonstrated that the CLs drive sleep by interacting with and releasing acetylcholine onto the mushroom body γ lobe. Taken together, the data identify a novel self-reinforcing loop within the circadian network and a new sleep-promoting neuropile that are both essential for maintaining normal sleep.
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31
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Endo K, Kazama H. Central organization of a high-dimensional odor space. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 73:102528. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2022.102528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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32
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Dickinson SY, Kelly DA, Padilla SL, Bergan JF. From Reductionism Toward Integration: Understanding How Social Behavior Emerges From Integrated Circuits. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:862437. [PMID: 35431824 PMCID: PMC9010670 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.862437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex social behaviors are emergent properties of the brain's interconnected and overlapping neural networks. Questions aimed at understanding how brain circuits produce specific and appropriate behaviors have changed over the past half century, shifting from studies of gross anatomical and behavioral associations, to manipulating and monitoring precisely targeted cell types. This technical progression has enabled increasingly deep insights into the regulation of perception and behavior with remarkable precision. The capacity of reductionist approaches to identify the function of isolated circuits is undeniable but many behaviors require rapid integration of diverse inputs. This review examines progress toward understanding integrative social circuits and focuses on specific nodes of the social behavior network including the medial amygdala, ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) and medial preoptic area of the hypothalamus (MPOA) as examples of broad integration between multiple interwoven brain circuits. Our understanding of mechanisms for producing social behavior has deepened in conjunction with advances in technologies for visualizing and manipulating specific neurons and, here, we consider emerging strategies to address brain circuit function in the context of integrative anatomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Y. Dickinson
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Diane A. Kelly
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Stephanie L. Padilla
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Joseph F. Bergan
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
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33
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Wiesel E, Kaltofen S, Hansson BS, Wicher D. Homeostasis of Mitochondrial Ca2+ Stores Is Critical for Signal Amplification in Drosophila melanogaster Olfactory Sensory Neurons. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13030270. [PMID: 35323568 PMCID: PMC8953358 DOI: 10.3390/insects13030270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Insects detect volatile chemosignals with olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) that express olfactory receptors. Among them, the most sensitive receptors are the odorant receptors (ORs), which form cation channels passing Ca2+. OSNs expressing different groups of ORs show varying optimal odor concentration ranges according to environmental needs. Certain types of OSNs, usually attuned to high odor concentrations, allow for the detection of even low signals through the process of sensitization. By increasing the sensitivity of OSNs upon repetitive subthreshold odor stimulation, Drosophila melanogaster can detect even faint and turbulent odor traces during flight. While the influx of extracellular Ca2+ has been previously shown to be a cue for sensitization, our study investigates the importance of intracellular Ca2+ management. Using an open antenna preparation that allows observation and pharmacological manipulation of OSNs, we performed Ca2+ imaging to determine the role of Ca2+ storage in mitochondria. By disturbing the mitochondrial resting potential and induction of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP), we show that effective storage of Ca2+ in the mitochondria is vital for sensitization to occur, and release of Ca2+ from the mitochondria to the cytoplasm promptly abolishes sensitization. Our study shows the importance of cellular Ca2+ management for sensitization in an effort to better understand the underlying mechanics of OSN modulation.
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34
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Liu TX, Davoudian PA, Lizbinski KM, Jeanne JM. Connectomic features underlying diverse synaptic connection strengths and subcellular computation. Curr Biol 2022; 32:559-569.e5. [PMID: 34914905 PMCID: PMC8825683 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.11.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Connectomes generated from electron microscopy images of neural tissue unveil the complex morphology of every neuron and the locations of every synapse interconnecting them. These wiring diagrams may also enable inference of synaptic and neuronal biophysics, such as the functional weights of synaptic connections, but this requires integration with physiological data to properly parameterize. Working with a stereotyped olfactory network in the Drosophila brain, we make direct comparisons of the anatomy and physiology of diverse neurons and synapses with subcellular and subthreshold resolution. We find that synapse density and location jointly predict the amplitude of the somatic postsynaptic potential evoked by a single presynaptic spike. Biophysical models fit to data predict that electrical compartmentalization allows axon and dendrite arbors to balance independent and interacting computations. These findings begin to fill the gap between connectivity maps and activity maps, which should enable new hypotheses about how network structure constrains network function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tony X. Liu
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University. 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06510,These authors contributed equally
| | - Pasha A. Davoudian
- MD/PhD Program, Yale School of Medicine. 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06510,These authors contributed equally
| | - Kristyn M. Lizbinski
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University. 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06510,These authors contributed equally
| | - James M. Jeanne
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University. 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06510,Lead contact,Correspondence: , Twitter: @neurojeanne
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35
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Borrero-Echeverry F, Solum M, Trona F, Becher PG, Wallin EA, Bengtsson M, Witzgall P, Lebreton S. The female sex pheromone (Z)-4-undecenal mediates flight attraction and courtship in Drosophila melanogaster. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 137:104355. [PMID: 35007554 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2022.104355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Specific mate communication and recognition underlies reproduction and hence speciation. Our study provides new insights in Drosophila melanogaster premating olfactory communication. Mate communication evolves during adaptation to ecological niches and makes use of social signals and habitat cues. Female-produced, species-specific volatile pheromone (Z)-4-undecenal (Z4-11Al) and male pheromone (Z)-11-octadecenyl acetate (cVA) interact with food odour in a sex-specific manner. Furthermore, Z4-11Al, which mediates upwind flight attraction in both sexes, also elicits courtship in experienced males. Two isoforms of the olfactory receptor Or69a are co-expressed in the same olfactory sensory neurons. Z4-11Al is perceived via Or69aB, while the food odorant (R)-linalool is a main ligand for the other variant, Or69aA. However, only Z4-11Al mediates courtship in experienced males, not (R)-linalool. Behavioural discrimination is reflected by calcium imaging of the antennal lobe, showing distinct glomerular activation patterns by these two compounds. Male sex pheromone cVA is known to affect male and female courtship at close range, but does not elicit upwind flight attraction as a single compound, in contrast to Z4-11Al. A blend of the food odour vinegar and cVA attracted females, while a blend of vinegar and female pheromone Z4-11Al attracted males, instead. Sex-specific upwind flight attraction to blends of food volatiles and male and female pheromone, respectively, adds a new element to Drosophila olfactory premating communication and is an unambiguous paradigm for identifying the behaviourally active components, towards a more complete concept of food-pheromone odour objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Borrero-Echeverry
- Chemical Ecology Unit, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 230 53 Alnarp, Sweden; Corporación Colombiana de Investgación Agropecuaria, Agrosavia, Mosquera, Colombia
| | - Marit Solum
- Chemical Ecology Unit, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 230 53 Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Federica Trona
- Chemical Ecology Unit, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 230 53 Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Paul G Becher
- Chemical Ecology Unit, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 230 53 Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Erika A Wallin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Mid Sweden University, Holmgatan 10, 85170 Sundsvall, Sweden
| | - Marie Bengtsson
- Chemical Ecology Unit, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 230 53 Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Peter Witzgall
- Chemical Ecology Unit, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 230 53 Alnarp, Sweden.
| | - Sebastien Lebreton
- Chemical Ecology Unit, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 230 53 Alnarp, Sweden; IRSEA, Research Institute for Semiochemistry and Applied Ethology, Quartier Salignan, 84400 Apt, France
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36
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Keesey IW, Hansson BS. Neuroecology of Alcohol Preference in Drosophila. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 67:261-279. [PMID: 34995092 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-070721-091828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In this review, we highlight sources of alcohols in nature, as well as the behavioral and ecological roles that these fermentation cues play in the short lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster. With a focus on neuroethology, we describe the olfactory detection of alcohol as well as ensuing neural signaling within the brain of the fly. We proceed to explain the plethora of behaviors related to alcohol, including attraction, feeding, and oviposition, as well as general effects on aggression and courtship. All of these behaviors are shaped by physiological state and social contexts. In a comparative perspective, we also discuss inter- and intraspecies differences related to alcohol tolerance and metabolism. Lastly, we provide corollaries with other dipteran and coleopteran insect species that also have olfactory systems attuned to ethanol detection and describe ecological and evolutionary directions for further studies of the natural history of alcohol and the fly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian W Keesey
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, USA;
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, D-07745 Jena, Germany;
| | - Bill S Hansson
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, D-07745 Jena, Germany;
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37
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Aymanns F, Chen CL, Ramdya P. Descending neuron population dynamics during odor-evoked and spontaneous limb-dependent behaviors. eLife 2022; 11:81527. [PMID: 36286408 PMCID: PMC9605690 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Deciphering how the brain regulates motor circuits to control complex behaviors is an important, long-standing challenge in neuroscience. In the fly, Drosophila melanogaster, this is coordinated by a population of ~ 1100 descending neurons (DNs). Activating only a few DNs is known to be sufficient to drive complex behaviors like walking and grooming. However, what additional role the larger population of DNs plays during natural behaviors remains largely unknown. For example, they may modulate core behavioral commands or comprise parallel pathways that are engaged depending on sensory context. We evaluated these possibilities by recording populations of nearly 100 DNs in individual tethered flies while they generated limb-dependent behaviors, including walking and grooming. We found that the largest fraction of recorded DNs encode walking while fewer are active during head grooming and resting. A large fraction of walk-encoding DNs encode turning and far fewer weakly encode speed. Although odor context does not determine which behavior-encoding DNs are recruited, a few DNs encode odors rather than behaviors. Lastly, we illustrate how one can identify individual neurons from DN population recordings by using their spatial, functional, and morphological properties. These results set the stage for a comprehensive, population-level understanding of how the brain’s descending signals regulate complex motor actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Aymanns
- Neuroengineering Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute & Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering, EPFLLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Chin-Lin Chen
- Neuroengineering Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute & Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering, EPFLLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Pavan Ramdya
- Neuroengineering Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute & Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering, EPFLLausanneSwitzerland
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38
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Wang PY, Sun Y, Axel R, Abbott LF, Yang GR. Evolving the olfactory system with machine learning. Neuron 2021; 109:3879-3892.e5. [PMID: 34619093 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.09.010] [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] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The convergent evolution of the fly and mouse olfactory system led us to ask whether the anatomic connectivity and functional logic of olfactory circuits would evolve in artificial neural networks trained to perform olfactory tasks. Artificial networks trained to classify odor identity recapitulate the connectivity inherent in the olfactory system. Input units are driven by a single receptor type, and units driven by the same receptor converge to form a glomerulus. Glomeruli exhibit sparse, unstructured connectivity onto a larger expansion layer of Kenyon cells. When trained to both classify odor identity and to impart innate valence onto odors, the network develops independent pathways for identity and valence classification. Thus, the defining features of fly and mouse olfactory systems also evolved in artificial neural networks trained to perform olfactory tasks. This implies that convergent evolution reflects an underlying logic rather than shared developmental principles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Y Wang
- The Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Yi Sun
- Department of Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Richard Axel
- The Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - L F Abbott
- The Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Guangyu Robert Yang
- The Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
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39
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Eschbach C, Fushiki A, Winding M, Afonso B, Andrade IV, Cocanougher BT, Eichler K, Gepner R, Si G, Valdes-Aleman J, Fetter RD, Gershow M, Jefferis GS, Samuel AD, Truman JW, Cardona A, Zlatic M. Circuits for integrating learned and innate valences in the insect brain. eLife 2021; 10:62567. [PMID: 34755599 PMCID: PMC8616581 DOI: 10.7554/elife.62567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal behavior is shaped both by evolution and by individual experience. Parallel brain pathways encode innate and learned valences of cues, but the way in which they are integrated during action-selection is not well understood. We used electron microscopy to comprehensively map with synaptic resolution all neurons downstream of all mushroom body (MB) output neurons (encoding learned valences) and characterized their patterns of interaction with lateral horn (LH) neurons (encoding innate valences) in Drosophila larva. The connectome revealed multiple convergence neuron types that receive convergent MB and LH inputs. A subset of these receives excitatory input from positive-valence MB and LH pathways and inhibitory input from negative-valence MB pathways. We confirmed functional connectivity from LH and MB pathways and behavioral roles of two of these neurons. These neurons encode integrated odor value and bidirectionally regulate turning. Based on this, we speculate that learning could potentially skew the balance of excitation and inhibition onto these neurons and thereby modulate turning. Together, our study provides insights into the circuits that integrate learned and innate valences to modify behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Eschbach
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Richmond, United Kingdom.,Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Akira Fushiki
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Richmond, United Kingdom.,Department of Neuroscience & Neurology, & Zuckerman Mind Brain Institute, Columbia University, New York, United States
| | - Michael Winding
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Richmond, United Kingdom.,Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Bruno Afonso
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Richmond, United Kingdom
| | - Ingrid V Andrade
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Richmond, United Kingdom.,Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Benjamin T Cocanougher
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Richmond, United Kingdom.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Katharina Eichler
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Richmond, United Kingdom.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ruben Gepner
- Department of Physics, New York University, New York, United States
| | - Guangwei Si
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Javier Valdes-Aleman
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Richmond, United Kingdom.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | | | - Marc Gershow
- Department of Physics, New York University, New York, United States.,Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, United States.,Neuroscience Institute, New York University, New York, United States
| | - Gregory Sxe Jefferis
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Aravinthan Dt Samuel
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - James W Truman
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Richmond, United Kingdom.,Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Albert Cardona
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Richmond, United Kingdom.,Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Physiology, Development & Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Marta Zlatic
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Richmond, United Kingdom.,Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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40
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Peng Q, Chen J, Pan Y. From fruitless to sex: On the generation and diversification of an innate behavior. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2021; 20:e12772. [PMID: 34672079 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Male sexual behavior in Drosophila melanogaster, largely controlled by the fruitless (fru) gene encoding the male specific FruM protein, is among the best studied animal behaviors. Although substantial studies suggest that FruM specifies a neuronal circuitry governing all aspects of male sexual behaviors, recent findings show that FruM is not absolutely necessary for such behaviors. We propose that another regulatory gene doublesex encoding the male-specific DsxM protein builds a core neuronal circuitry that possesses the potential for courtship, which could be either induced through adult social experience or innately manifested during development by FruM expression in a broader neuronal circuitry. FruM expression levels and patterns determine the modes of courtship behavior from innate heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, to learned courtship. We discuss how FruM expression is regulated by hormones and social experiences and tunes functional flexibility of the sex circuitry. We propose that regulatory genes hierarchically build the potential for innate and learned aspects of courtship behaviors, and expression changes of these regulatory genes among different individuals and species with different social experiences ultimately lead to behavioral diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qionglin Peng
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jie Chen
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yufeng Pan
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.,Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China
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41
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Bansal R, Nagel M, Stopkova R, Sofer Y, Kimchi T, Stopka P, Spehr M, Ben-Shaul Y. Do all mice smell the same? Chemosensory cues from inbred and wild mouse strains elicit stereotypic sensory representations in the accessory olfactory bulb. BMC Biol 2021; 19:133. [PMID: 34182994 PMCID: PMC8240315 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01064-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background For many animals, chemosensory cues are vital for social and defensive interactions and are primarily detected and processed by the vomeronasal system (VNS). These cues are often inherently associated with ethological meaning, leading to stereotyped behaviors. Thus, one would expect consistent representation of these stimuli across different individuals. However, individuals may express different arrays of vomeronasal sensory receptors and may vary in the pattern of connections between those receptors and projection neurons in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). In the first part of this study, we address the ability of individuals to form consistent representations despite these potential sources of variability. The second part of our study is motivated by the fact that the majority of research on VNS physiology involves the use of stimuli derived from inbred animals. Yet, it is unclear whether neuronal representations of inbred-derived stimuli are similar to those of more ethologically relevant wild-derived stimuli. Results First, we compared sensory representations to inbred, wild-derived, and wild urine stimuli in the AOBs of males from two distinct inbred strains, using them as proxies for individuals. We found a remarkable similarity in stimulus representations across the two strains. Next, we compared AOB neuronal responses to inbred, wild-derived, and wild stimuli, again using male inbred mice as subjects. Employing various measures of neuronal activity, we show that wild-derived and wild stimuli elicit responses that are broadly similar to those from inbred stimuli: they are not considerably stronger or weaker, they show similar levels of sexual dimorphism, and when examining population-level activity, cluster with inbred mouse stimuli. Conclusions Despite strain-specific differences and apparently random connectivity, the AOB can maintain stereotypic sensory representations for broad stimulus categories, providing a substrate for common stereotypical behaviors. In addition, despite many generations of inbreeding, AOB representations capture the key ethological features (i.e., species and sex) of wild-derived and wild counterparts. Beyond these broad similarities, representations of stimuli from wild mice are nevertheless distinct from those elicited by inbred mouse stimuli, suggesting that laboratory inbreeding has indeed resulted in marked modifications of urinary secretions. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-021-01064-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohini Bansal
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Medical Research Israel Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Maximilian Nagel
- Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Romana Stopkova
- BIOCEV group, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Yizhak Sofer
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Tali Kimchi
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Pavel Stopka
- BIOCEV group, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marc Spehr
- Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Yoram Ben-Shaul
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Medical Research Israel Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
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42
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Westerman EL, Bowman SEJ, Davidson B, Davis MC, Larson ER, Sanford CPJ. Deploying Big Data to Crack the Genotype to Phenotype Code. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 60:385-396. [PMID: 32492136 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaa055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanistically connecting genotypes to phenotypes is a longstanding and central mission of biology. Deciphering these connections will unite questions and datasets across all scales from molecules to ecosystems. Although high-throughput sequencing has provided a rich platform on which to launch this effort, tools for deciphering mechanisms further along the genome to phenome pipeline remain limited. Machine learning approaches and other emerging computational tools hold the promise of augmenting human efforts to overcome these obstacles. This vision paper is the result of a Reintegrating Biology Workshop, bringing together the perspectives of integrative and comparative biologists to survey challenges and opportunities in cracking the genotype to phenotype code and thereby generating predictive frameworks across biological scales. Key recommendations include promoting the development of minimum "best practices" for the experimental design and collection of data; fostering sustained and long-term data repositories; promoting programs that recruit, train, and retain a diversity of talent; and providing funding to effectively support these highly cross-disciplinary efforts. We follow this discussion by highlighting a few specific transformative research opportunities that will be advanced by these efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica L Westerman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Sarah E J Bowman
- High-Throughput Crystallization Screening Center, Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.,Department of Biochemistry, Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
| | - Bradley Davidson
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA 19081, USA
| | - Marcus C Davis
- Department of Biology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 22807, USA
| | - Eric R Larson
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Christopher P J Sanford
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA
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43
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Qi W, Wang G, Wang L. A novel satiety sensor detects circulating glucose and suppresses food consumption via insulin-producing cells in Drosophila. Cell Res 2021; 31:580-588. [PMID: 33273704 PMCID: PMC8089096 DOI: 10.1038/s41422-020-00449-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensing satiety is a crucial survival skill for all animal species including human. Despite the discovery of numerous neuromodulators that regulate food intake in Drosophila, the mechanism of satiety sensing remains largely elusive. Here, we investigated how neuropeptidergic circuitry conveyed satiety state to influence flies' food consumption. Drosophila tackykinin (DTK) and its receptor TAKR99D were identified in an RNAi screening as feeding suppressors. Two pairs of DTK+ neurons in the fly brain could be activated by elevated D-glucose in the hemolymph and imposed a suppressive effect on feeding. These DTK+ neurons formed a two-synapse circuitry targeting insulin-producing cells, a well-known feeding suppressor, via TAKR99D+ neurons, and this circuitry could be rapidly activated during food ingestion and cease feeding. Taken together, we identified a novel satiety sensor in the fly brain that could detect specific circulating nutrients and in turn modulate feeding, shedding light on the neural regulation of energy homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Qi
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058 China ,Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
| | - Gaohang Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058 China
| | - Liming Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058 China
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44
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Ishimoto H, Kamikouchi A. Molecular and neural mechanisms regulating sexual motivation of virgin female Drosophila. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:4805-4819. [PMID: 33837450 PMCID: PMC11071752 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03820-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
During courtship, multiple information sources are integrated in the brain to reach a final decision, i.e., whether or not to mate. The brain functions for this complex behavior can be investigated by genetically manipulating genes and neurons, and performing anatomical, physiological, and behavioral analyses. Drosophila is a powerful model experimental system for such studies, which need to be integrated from molecular and cellular levels to the behavioral level, and has enabled pioneering research to be conducted. In male flies, which exhibit a variety of characteristic sexual behaviors, we have accumulated knowledge of many genes and neural circuits that control sexual behaviors. On the other hand, despite the importance of the mechanisms of mating decision-making in females from an evolutionary perspective (such as sexual selection), research on the mechanisms that control sexual behavior in females has progressed somewhat slower. In this review, we focus on the pre-mating behavior of female Drosophila melanogaster, and introduce previous key findings on the neuronal and molecular mechanisms that integrate sensory information and selective expression of behaviors toward the courting male.
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Grants
- JP20H03355 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- JP20H04997 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- 19H04933 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- 17K19450 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- 15K07147 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- 18K06332 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- Naito Foundation
- Inamori Foundation
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Ishimoto
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8602, Japan.
| | - Azusa Kamikouchi
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8602, Japan.
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45
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Nojima T, Rings A, Allen AM, Otto N, Verschut TA, Billeter JC, Neville MC, Goodwin SF. A sex-specific switch between visual and olfactory inputs underlies adaptive sex differences in behavior. Curr Biol 2021; 31:1175-1191.e6. [PMID: 33508219 PMCID: PMC7987718 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.12.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Although males and females largely share the same genome and nervous system, they differ profoundly in reproductive investments and require distinct behavioral, morphological, and physiological adaptations. How can the nervous system, while bound by both developmental and biophysical constraints, produce these sex differences in behavior? Here, we uncover a novel dimorphism in Drosophila melanogaster that allows deployment of completely different behavioral repertoires in males and females with minimum changes to circuit architecture. Sexual differentiation of only a small number of higher order neurons in the brain leads to a change in connectivity related to the primary reproductive needs of both sexes-courtship pursuit in males and communal oviposition in females. This study explains how an apparently similar brain generates distinct behavioral repertoires in the two sexes and presents a fundamental principle of neural circuit organization that may be extended to other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuya Nojima
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | - Annika Rings
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | - Aaron M Allen
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | - Nils Otto
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | - Thomas A Verschut
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jean-Christophe Billeter
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Megan C Neville
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK.
| | - Stephen F Goodwin
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK.
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46
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Heinrich R, Hussein W, Berlin S. Photo-transformable genetically-encoded optical probes for functional highlighting in vivo. J Neurosci Methods 2021; 355:109129. [PMID: 33711357 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2021.109129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Studying the brain requires knowledge about both structure (i.e., connectome) and function of its constituents (neurons and glia alike). This need has prompted the development of novel tools and techniques, in particular optical techniques to examine cells remotely. Early works (1900's) led to the development of novel cell-staining techniques that, when combined with the use of a very simple light microscope, visualized individual neurons and their subcellular compartments in fixed tissues. Today, highlighting of structure and function can be performed on live cells, notably in vivo, owing to discovery of GFP and subsequent development of genetically encoded fluorescent optical tools. In this review, we focus our attention on a subset of optical biosensors, namely probes whose emission can be modified by light. We designate them photo-transformable genetically encoded probes. The family of photo-transformable probes embraces current probes that undergo photoactivation (PA), photoconversion (PC) or photoswitching (PS). We argue that these are particularly suited for studying multiple features of neurons, such as structure, connectivity and function concomitantly, for functional highlighting of neurons in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronit Heinrich
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Wessal Hussein
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Shai Berlin
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
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Abstract
Many genetically encoded tools, including large collections of GAL4 transgenic lines, can be used to visualize neurons of the Drosophila melanogaster brain. However, identifying transgenic lines that are expressed sparsely enough to label individual neurons, or groups of neurons that innervate a particular brain region, remains technically challenging. Here, we provide a detailed procedure in which we used broadly expressed transgenic lines and two-photon microscopy to photo-label neurons with specificity, thereby permitting their morphological characterization. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Li et al. (2020). Photo-labeling individual and groups of neurons in the Drosophila brain Visualizing the complete morphology of individual neurons Visualizing neurons innervating a common brain area
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48
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Zhan H, Li D, Dewer Y, Niu C, Li F, Luo C. Identification and functional characterization of odorant-binding proteins 69a and 76a of Drosophila suzukii. Heliyon 2021; 7:e06427. [PMID: 33748486 PMCID: PMC7970147 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The fruit fly Drosophila suzukii is a fruit crop pest that causes a severe economic threat to soft summer fruit worldwide. The male sex pheromone, cis-vaccenyl acetate (cVA) has multiple functions in intra-species communication in Drosophila melanogaster, which is required in male to suppress male-male courtship. D. suzukii males do not produce cVA; however, the odorant receptor for cVA (Or67d) is still functional. The lack of cVA in D. suzukii casts the question of whether this pheromone might have been replaced by another compound similar to cVA that disrupts mating in D. suzukii. In order to address this question, we cloned two D. suzukii adult antenna-specific odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) DsOBP69a and DsOBP76a and aligned with their D. melanogaster orthologues. Moreover, we examined the binding properties of the newly identified recombinant proteins against 26 potential ligands including cVA, using the fluorescence-based ligand binding assay. The alignment showed that DsOBP69a and DsOBP76a, have six conserved cysteines and belong to the classic OBP family. Furthermore, our results revealed that cVA did not bind to DsOBP69a or DsOBP76a proteins. Interestingly, the floral odorant β-ionone and the bitter substance berberine chloride and coumarin displayed high binding ability. It is also worth noting that DsOBP69a and DsOBP76a have different affinities to (Z)-7-Tricosene that may reflect different functional roles. These findings suggest that DsOBP69a and DsOBP76a are potentially involved in olfaction and gustation of D. suzukii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haixia Zhan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Environment Friendly Management on Fruit Diseases and Pests in North China, Institute of Plant and Environment Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Du Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Environment Friendly Management on Fruit Diseases and Pests in North China, Institute of Plant and Environment Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resource Application and Sustainable Pest Control, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Youssef Dewer
- Bioassay Research Department, Central Agricultural Pesticide Laboratory, Agricultural Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
| | - Changying Niu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Insect Resource Application and Sustainable Pest Control, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Fengqi Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Environment Friendly Management on Fruit Diseases and Pests in North China, Institute of Plant and Environment Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chen Luo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Environment Friendly Management on Fruit Diseases and Pests in North China, Institute of Plant and Environment Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
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49
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Brovkina MV, Duffié R, Burtis AEC, Clowney EJ. Fruitless decommissions regulatory elements to implement cell-type-specific neuronal masculinization. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009338. [PMID: 33600447 PMCID: PMC7924761 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, male-specific splicing and translation of the Fruitless transcription factor (FruM) alters the presence, anatomy, and/or connectivity of >60 types of central brain neurons that interconnect to generate male-typical behaviors. While the indispensable function of FruM in sex-specific behavior has been understood for decades, the molecular mechanisms underlying its activity remain unknown. Here, we take a genome-wide, brain-wide approach to identifying regulatory elements whose activity depends on the presence of FruM. We identify 436 high-confidence genomic regions differentially accessible in male fruitless neurons, validate candidate regions as bona fide, differentially regulated enhancers, and describe the particular cell types in which these enhancers are active. We find that individual enhancers are not activated universally but are dedicated to specific fru+ cell types. Aside from fru itself, genes are not dedicated to or common across the fru circuit; rather, FruM appears to masculinize each cell type differently, by tweaking expression of the same effector genes used in other circuits. Finally, we find FruM motifs enriched among regulatory elements that are open in the female but closed in the male. Together, these results suggest that FruM acts cell-type-specifically to decommission regulatory elements in male fruitless neurons. Courtship behavior in male Drosophila melanogaster is controlled by a well-defined neural circuit that is labeled by the male-specific transcription factor Fruitless (FruM). While FruM is known to change the number, anatomy and connectivity of neurons which comprise the circuit and has been suggested to repress the expression of a few gene targets, the mechanism of how FruM regulates genes across many different kinds of neurons is unknown. Using an approach to identify gene regulatory elements based on their chromatin accessibility states (ATAC-seq), we identified a large set of chromatin accessibility changes downstream of Fruitless. By examining the activity of these regulatory elements in vivo, we found that their activity was 1) sexually dimorphic and 2) specific to a single class of FruM neurons, suggesting that FruM acts on different chromatin targets in different neuron classes comprising the courtship circuit. Further, we found a known FruM-regulated enhancer of the FruM-repressed gene Lgr3 to have closed chromatin specifically in FruM neurons. Combined with an enrichment of FruM motifs in regions which are closed in FruM neurons, we present a mechanism where FruM directs the decommissioning of sex-shared regulatory elements to masculinize neurons in a cell-type specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita V. Brovkina
- Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Rachel Duffié
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Abbigayl E. C. Burtis
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - E. Josephine Clowney
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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50
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Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster males reduce courtship behaviour after mating failure. In the lab, such conditioned courtship suppression, aka 'courtship conditioning', serves as a complex learning and memory assay. Interestingly, variations in the courtship conditioning assay can establish different types of memory. Here, we review research investigating the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms that allow male flies to form memories of previous mating failures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Raun
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Spencer Jones
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Jamie M Kramer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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