1
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Blackie L, Gaspar P, Mosleh S, Lushchak O, Kong L, Jin Y, Zielinska AP, Cao B, Mineo A, Silva B, Ameku T, Lim SE, Mao Y, Prieto-Godino L, Schoborg T, Varela M, Mahadevan L, Miguel-Aliaga I. The sex of organ geometry. Nature 2024; 630:392-400. [PMID: 38811741 PMCID: PMC11168936 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07463-4] [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: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Organs have a distinctive yet often overlooked spatial arrangement in the body1-5. We propose that there is a logic to the shape of an organ and its proximity to its neighbours. Here, by using volumetric scans of many Drosophila melanogaster flies, we develop methods to quantify three-dimensional features of organ shape, position and interindividual variability. We find that both the shapes of organs and their relative arrangement are consistent yet differ between the sexes, and identify unexpected interorgan adjacencies and left-right organ asymmetries. Focusing on the intestine, which traverses the entire body, we investigate how sex differences in three-dimensional organ geometry arise. The configuration of the adult intestine is only partially determined by physical constraints imposed by adjacent organs; its sex-specific shape is actively maintained by mechanochemical crosstalk between gut muscles and vascular-like trachea. Indeed, sex-biased expression of a muscle-derived fibroblast growth factor-like ligand renders trachea sexually dimorphic. In turn, tracheal branches hold gut loops together into a male or female shape, with physiological consequences. Interorgan geometry represents a previously unrecognized level of biological complexity which might enable or confine communication across organs and could help explain sex or species differences in organ function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Blackie
- MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Pedro Gaspar
- MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Salem Mosleh
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Natural Sciences, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD, USA
| | | | - Lingjin Kong
- MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Yuhong Jin
- MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Agata P Zielinska
- MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Boxuan Cao
- MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Alessandro Mineo
- MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Bryon Silva
- MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Tomotsune Ameku
- MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Shu En Lim
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, London, UK
- Institute for the Physics of Living Systems, University College London, London, UK
| | - Yanlan Mao
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, London, UK
- Institute for the Physics of Living Systems, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Todd Schoborg
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Marta Varela
- Faculty of Medicine, National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - L Mahadevan
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Departments of Physics and Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Irene Miguel-Aliaga
- MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, London, UK.
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
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2
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Whitehead SC, Sahai SY, Stonemetz J, Yapici N. Exploration-exploitation trade-off is regulated by metabolic state and taste value in Drosophila. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.13.594045. [PMID: 38798663 PMCID: PMC11118379 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.13.594045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Similar to other animals, the fly, Drosophila melanogaster, changes its foraging strategy from exploration to exploitation upon encountering a nutrient-rich food source. However, the impact of metabolic state or taste/nutrient value on exploration vs. exploitation decisions in flies is poorly understood. Here, we developed a one-source foraging assay that uses automated video tracking coupled with high-resolution measurements of food ingestion to investigate the behavioral variables flies use when foraging for food with different taste/caloric values and when in different metabolic states. We found that flies alter their foraging and ingestive behaviors based on their hunger state and the concentration of the sucrose solution. Interestingly, sugar-blind flies did not transition from exploration to exploitation upon finding a high-concentration sucrose solution, suggesting that taste sensory input, as opposed to post-ingestive nutrient feedback, plays a crucial role in determining the foraging decisions of flies. Using a Generalized Linear Model (GLM), we showed that hunger state and sugar volume ingested, but not the nutrient or taste value of the food, influence flies' radial distance to the food source, a strong indicator of exploitation. Our behavioral paradigm and theoretical framework offer a promising avenue for investigating the neural mechanisms underlying state and value-based foraging decisions in flies, setting the stage for systematically identifying the neuronal circuits that drive these behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel C. Whitehead
- Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY,14853, USA
- Current address: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Saumya Y. Sahai
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
- Current address: Amazon.com LLC, USA
| | - Jamie Stonemetz
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
- Current address: Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Nilay Yapici
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
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3
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Massey C, Nosker ME, Gale J, Scott S, Walker CJ, Cluff A, Wilcox S, Morrison A, Gottfredson Morgan SJ, Beltz J, Schmidt P, Chaston JM. Humidity determines penetrance of a latitudinal gradient in genetic selection on the microbiota by Drosophila melanogaster. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.02.591907. [PMID: 38746372 PMCID: PMC11092659 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.02.591907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is a model for understanding how hosts and their microbial partners interact as the host adapts to wild environments. These interactions are readily interrogated because of the low taxonomic and numeric complexity of the flies' bacterial communities. Previous work has established that host genotype, the environment, diet, and interspecies microbial interactions can all influence host fitness and microbiota composition, but the specific processes and characters mediating these processes are incompletely understood. Here, we compared the variation in microbiota composition between wild-derived fly populations when flies could choose between the microorganisms in their diets and when flies were reared under environmental perturbation (different humidities). We also compared the colonization of the resident and transient microorganisms. We show that the ability to choose between microorganisms in the diet and the environmental condition of the flies can influence the relative abundance of the microbiota. There were also key differences in the abundances of the resident and transient microbiota. However, the microbiota only differed between populations when the flies were reared at humidities at or above 50% relative humidity. We also show that elevated humidity determined the penetrance of a gradient in host genetic selection on the microbiota that is associated with the latitude the flies were collected from. Finally, we show that the treatment-dependent variation in microbiota composition is associated with variation in host stress survival. Together, these findings emphasize that host genetic selection on the microbiota composition of a model animal host can be patterned with the source geography, and that such variation has the potential to influence their survival in the wild. Importance The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is a model for understanding how hosts and their microbial partners interact as hosts adapt in wild environments. Our understanding of what causes geographic variation in the fruit fly microbiota remains incomplete. Previous work has shown that the D. melanogaster microbiota has relatively low numerical and taxonomic complexity. Variation in the fly microbiota composition can be attributed to environmental characters and host genetic variation, and variation in microbiota composition can be patterned with the source location of the flies. In this work we explored three possible causes of patterned variation in microbiota composition. We show that host feeding choices, the host niche colonized by the bacteria, and a single environmental character can all contribute to variation in microbiota composition. We also show that penetrance of latitudinally-patterned host genetic selection is only observed at elevated humidities. Together, these results identify several factors that influence microbiota composition in wild fly genotypes and emphasize the interplay between environmental and host genetic factors in determining the microbiota composition of these model hosts.
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4
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Çoban B, Poppinga H, Rachad EY, Geurten B, Vasmer D, Rodriguez Jimenez FJ, Gadgil Y, Deimel SH, Alyagor I, Schuldiner O, Grunwald Kadow IC, Riemensperger TD, Widmann A, Fiala A. The caloric value of food intake structurally adjusts a neuronal mushroom body circuit mediating olfactory learning in Drosophila. Learn Mem 2024; 31:a053997. [PMID: 38862177 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053997.124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Associative learning enables the adaptive adjustment of behavioral decisions based on acquired, predicted outcomes. The valence of what is learned is influenced not only by the learned stimuli and their temporal relations, but also by prior experiences and internal states. In this study, we used the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster to demonstrate that neuronal circuits involved in associative olfactory learning undergo restructuring during extended periods of low-caloric food intake. Specifically, we observed a decrease in the connections between specific dopaminergic neurons (DANs) and Kenyon cells at distinct compartments of the mushroom body. This structural synaptic plasticity was contingent upon the presence of allatostatin A receptors in specific DANs and could be mimicked optogenetically by expressing a light-activated adenylate cyclase in exactly these DANs. Importantly, we found that this rearrangement in synaptic connections influenced aversive, punishment-induced olfactory learning but did not impact appetitive, reward-based learning. Whether induced by prolonged low-caloric conditions or optogenetic manipulation of cAMP levels, this synaptic rearrangement resulted in a reduction of aversive associative learning. Consequently, the balance between positive and negative reinforcing signals shifted, diminishing the ability to learn to avoid odor cues signaling negative outcomes. These results exemplify how a neuronal circuit required for learning and memory undergoes structural plasticity dependent on prior experiences of the nutritional value of food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Büşra Çoban
- Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Haiko Poppinga
- Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - El Yazid Rachad
- Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Bart Geurten
- Department of Zoology, Otago University, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
| | - David Vasmer
- Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Yogesh Gadgil
- Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Idan Alyagor
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Oren Schuldiner
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | | | | | - Annekathrin Widmann
- Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - André Fiala
- Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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5
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Opoola M, Fitzgerald L, Hwangbo DS. Con-FLIC: concurrent measurement of feeding behaviors and food consumption in Drosophila at single-fly resolution. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2024; 2024:10.17912/micropub.biology.001128. [PMID: 38487478 PMCID: PMC10938163 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.001128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Accurate quantification of food intake and feeding behaviors are essential for understanding various biological processes, such as metabolism and aging. Currently, no methods allow for the concurrent measurement of both parameters for the same individual flies. Here, we couple Con-Ex ( Con sumption- Ex cretion) and FLIC ( F ly L iquid-Food I nteraction C ounter), previously developed to measure food consumption and various feeding behaviors, respectively, into a single platform that we named Con-FLIC. Using starvation as a known condition that changes food intake and feeding behaviors, we validate that Con-FLIC enables concurrent measurement of feeding behaviors and food intake in Drosophila at a single-fly resolution. We expect that Con-FLIC will be an easy non-invasive option to quantify food consumption and feeding behaviors concurrently in the same individual flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mubaraq Opoola
- Department of Biology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States
| | - Lucas Fitzgerald
- Department of Biology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States
| | - Dae-Sung Hwangbo
- Department of Biology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States
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6
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Henriques-Santos BM, Xiong C, Pietrantonio PV. Automated analysis of feeding behaviors of females of the mosquito Aedes aegypti using a modified flyPAD system. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20188. [PMID: 37980438 PMCID: PMC10657447 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47277-4] [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: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Mosquitoes present a global health challenge due to their ability to transmit human and animal pathogens upon biting and blood feeding. The investigation of tastants detected by mosquitoes and their associated feeding behaviors is needed to answer physiological and ecological questions that could lead to novel control methods. A high-throughput system originally developed for research in fruit flies feeding behavior, the flyPAD, was adapted and tested for behaviors associated with the interaction or consumption of liquid diets offered to females of the mosquito Aedes aegypti Liverpool strain. Females were given water, sucrose solution and sheep blood in choice and non-choice assays. The volume ingested was evaluated with fluorescein. The placement of the system on a heated surface allowed blood consumption, and without females puncturing a membrane. The flyPAD system recorded nine feeding behavioral variables, of which the number of sips and number of activity bouts correlated with meal volume ingested for both sucrose solution and blood. The adaptation to mosquitoes of the flyPAD system differentiated feeding behavior variables between two feeding deterrents, capsaicin, and caffeine. The flyPAD has potential to quickly assess diverse tastants in both sucrose and blood and may contribute to characterizing more precisely their mode of action.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Caixing Xiong
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-2475, USA
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7
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Salim S, Hussain S, Banu A, Gowda SBM, Ahammad F, Alwa A, Pasha M, Mohammad F. The ortholog of human ssDNA-binding protein SSBP3 influences neurodevelopment and autism-like behaviors in Drosophila melanogaster. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002210. [PMID: 37486945 PMCID: PMC10399856 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002210] [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: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
1p32.3 microdeletion/duplication is implicated in many neurodevelopmental disorders-like phenotypes such as developmental delay, intellectual disability, autism, macro/microcephaly, and dysmorphic features. The 1p32.3 chromosomal region harbors several genes critical for development; however, their validation and characterization remain inadequate. One such gene is the single-stranded DNA-binding protein 3 (SSBP3) and its Drosophila melanogaster ortholog is called sequence-specific single-stranded DNA-binding protein (Ssdp). Here, we investigated consequences of Ssdp manipulations on neurodevelopment, gene expression, physiological function, and autism-associated behaviors using Drosophila models. We found that SSBP3 and Ssdp are expressed in excitatory neurons in the brain. Ssdp overexpression caused morphological alterations in Drosophila wing, mechanosensory bristles, and head. Ssdp manipulations also affected the neuropil brain volume and glial cell number in larvae and adult flies. Moreover, Ssdp overexpression led to differential changes in synaptic density in specific brain regions. We observed decreased levels of armadillo in the heads of Ssdp overexpressing flies, as well as a decrease in armadillo and wingless expression in the larval wing discs, implicating the involvement of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway in Ssdp functionality. RNA sequencing revealed perturbation of oxidative stress-related pathways in heads of Ssdp overexpressing flies. Furthermore, Ssdp overexpressing brains showed enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS), altered neuronal mitochondrial morphology, and up-regulated fission and fusion genes. Flies with elevated levels of Ssdp exhibited heightened anxiety-like behavior, altered decisiveness, defective sensory perception and habituation, abnormal social interaction, and feeding defects, which were phenocopied in the pan-neuronal Ssdp knockdown flies, suggesting that Ssdp is dosage sensitive. Partial rescue of behavioral defects was observed upon normalization of Ssdp levels. Notably, Ssdp knockdown exclusively in adult flies did not produce behavioral and functional defects. Finally, we show that optogenetic manipulation of Ssdp-expressing neurons altered autism-associated behaviors. Collectively, our findings provide evidence that Ssdp, a dosage-sensitive gene in the 1p32.3 chromosomal region, is associated with various anatomical, physiological, and behavioral defects, which may be relevant to neurodevelopmental disorders like autism. Our study proposes SSBP3 as a critical gene in the 1p32.3 microdeletion/duplication genomic region and sheds light on the functional role of Ssdp in neurodevelopmental processes in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Safa Salim
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS), College of Health & Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar
| | - Sadam Hussain
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS), College of Health & Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar
| | - Ayesha Banu
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS), College of Health & Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar
| | - Swetha B. M. Gowda
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS), College of Health & Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar
| | - Foysal Ahammad
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS), College of Health & Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar
| | - Amira Alwa
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS), College of Health & Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar
| | - Mujaheed Pasha
- HBKU Core Labs, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU): Doha, Qatar
| | - Farhan Mohammad
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS), College of Health & Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar
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8
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Weaver KJ, Raju S, Rucker RA, Chakraborty T, Holt RA, Pletcher SD. Behavioral dissection of hunger states in Drosophila. eLife 2023; 12:RP84537. [PMID: 37326496 DOI: 10.7554/elife.84537] [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] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Hunger is a motivational drive that promotes feeding, and it can be generated by the physiological need to consume nutrients as well as the hedonic properties of food. Brain circuits and mechanisms that regulate feeding have been described, but which of these contribute to the generation of motive forces that drive feeding is unclear. Here, we describe our first efforts at behaviorally and neuronally distinguishing hedonic from homeostatic hunger states in Drosophila melanogaster and propose that this system can be used as a model to dissect the molecular mechanisms that underlie feeding motivation. We visually identify and quantify behaviors exhibited by hungry flies and find that increased feeding duration is a behavioral signature of hedonic feeding motivation. Using a genetically encoded marker of neuronal activity, we find that the mushroom body (MB) lobes are activated by hedonic food environments, and we use optogenetic inhibition to implicate a dopaminergic neuron cluster (protocerebral anterior medial [PAM]) to α'/β' MB circuit in hedonic feeding motivation. The identification of discrete hunger states in flies and the development of behavioral assays to measure them offers a framework to begin dissecting the molecular and circuit mechanisms that generate motivational states in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina J Weaver
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and Geriatrics Center, Biomedical Sciences and Research Building, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States
| | - Sonakshi Raju
- College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, Biomedical Sciences and Research Building, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States
| | - Rachel A Rucker
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States
| | - Tuhin Chakraborty
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and Geriatrics Center, Biomedical Sciences and Research Building, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States
| | - Robert A Holt
- College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, Biomedical Sciences and Research Building, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States
| | - Scott D Pletcher
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and Geriatrics Center, Biomedical Sciences and Research Building, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States
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9
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Jaime MDLA, Salem GH, Martinez DJ, Karott S, Flores A, Palmer CD, Mahadevaraju S, Krynitsky J, Garmendia-Cedillos M, Anderson S, Harbison S, Pohida TJ, Ludington WB, Oliver B. Whole Animal Feeding FLat (WAFFL): a complete and comprehensive validation of a novel, high-throughput fly experimentation system. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2023; 13:6989864. [PMID: 36650008 PMCID: PMC9997563 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Non-mammalian model organisms have been essential for our understanding of the mechanisms that control development, disease, and physiology, but they are underutilized in pharmacological and toxicological phenotypic screening assays due to their low throughput in comparison with cell-based screens. To increase the utility of using Drosophila melanogaster in screening, we designed the Whole Animal Feeding FLat (WAFFL), a novel, flexible, and complete system for feeding, monitoring, and assaying flies in a high-throughput format. Our 3D printed system is compatible with inexpensive and readily available, commercial 96-well plate consumables and equipment. Experimenters can change the diet at will during the experiment and video record for behavior analysis, enabling precise dosing, measurement of feeding, and analysis of behavior in a 96-well plate format.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria D L A Jaime
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.,Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 50 South Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Ghadi H Salem
- Instrument Development and Engineering Application Solutions, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, 12 South Dr, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Daniel J Martinez
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Sean Karott
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 50 South Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Alejandra Flores
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 50 South Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Cameron D Palmer
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 50 South Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Sharvani Mahadevaraju
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 50 South Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.,Laboratory of Biochemistry and Genetics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 50 South Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Jonathan Krynitsky
- Instrument Development and Engineering Application Solutions, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, 12 South Dr, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Marcial Garmendia-Cedillos
- Instrument Development and Engineering Application Solutions, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, 12 South Dr, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sarah Anderson
- Instrument Development and Engineering Application Solutions, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, 12 South Dr, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Susan Harbison
- Laboratory of Systems Genetics, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Thomas J Pohida
- Instrument Development and Engineering Application Solutions, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, 12 South Dr, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - William B Ludington
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.,Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Brian Oliver
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 50 South Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.,Laboratory of Biochemistry and Genetics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 50 South Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
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10
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Hoshino R, Sano H, Yoshinari Y, Nishimura T, Niwa R. Circulating fructose regulates a germline stem cell increase via gustatory receptor-mediated gut hormone secretion in mated Drosophila. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadd5551. [PMID: 36827377 PMCID: PMC9956130 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add5551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Oogenesis is influenced by multiple environmental factors. In the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, nutrition and mating have large impacts on an increase in female germline stem cells (GSCs). However, it is unclear whether these two factors affect this GSC increase interdependently. Here, we report that dietary sugars are crucial for the GSC increase after mating. Dietary glucose is required for mating-induced release of neuropeptide F (NPF) from enteroendocrine cells (EECs), followed by NPF-mediated enhancement of GSC niche signaling. Unexpectedly, dietary glucose does not directly act on NPF-positive EECs. Rather, it contributes to elevation of hemolymph fructose generated through the polyol pathway. Elevated fructose stimulates the fructose-specific gustatory receptor, Gr43a, in NPF-positive EECs, leading to NPF secretion. This study demonstrates that circulating fructose, derived from dietary sugars, is a prerequisite for the GSC increase that leads to enhancement of egg production after mating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Hoshino
- Degree Programs in Life and Earth Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba, Tennodai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
| | - Hiroko Sano
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Life Science, Kurume University, Kurume, Fukuoka 830-0011, Japan
| | - Yuto Yoshinari
- Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, 3-39-15 Showa-machi, Maebashi 371-8512, Japan
- Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA), University of Tsukuba, Tennodai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Takashi Nishimura
- Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, 3-39-15 Showa-machi, Maebashi 371-8512, Japan
| | - Ryusuke Niwa
- Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA), University of Tsukuba, Tennodai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
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11
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Deere JU, Sarkissian AA, Yang M, Uttley HA, Martinez Santana N, Nguyen L, Ravi K, Devineni AV. Selective integration of diverse taste inputs within a single taste modality. eLife 2023; 12:84856. [PMID: 36692370 PMCID: PMC9873257 DOI: 10.7554/elife.84856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
A fundamental question in sensory processing is how different channels of sensory input are processed to regulate behavior. Different input channels may converge onto common downstream pathways to drive the same behaviors, or they may activate separate pathways to regulate distinct behaviors. We investigated this question in the Drosophila bitter taste system, which contains diverse bitter-sensing cells residing in different taste organs. First, we optogenetically activated subsets of bitter neurons within each organ. These subsets elicited broad and highly overlapping behavioral effects, suggesting that they converge onto common downstream pathways, but we also observed behavioral differences that argue for biased convergence. Consistent with these results, transsynaptic tracing revealed that bitter neurons in different organs connect to overlapping downstream pathways with biased connectivity. We investigated taste processing in one type of downstream bitter neuron that projects to the higher brain. These neurons integrate input from multiple organs and regulate specific taste-related behaviors. We then traced downstream circuits, providing the first glimpse into taste processing in the higher brain. Together, these results reveal that different bitter inputs are selectively integrated early in the circuit, enabling the pooling of information, while the circuit then diverges into multiple pathways that may have different roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia U Deere
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | | | - Meifeng Yang
- Department of Biology, Emory UniversityAtlantaUnited States
| | - Hannah A Uttley
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | | | - Lam Nguyen
- Department of Biology, Emory UniversityAtlantaUnited States
| | - Kaushiki Ravi
- Department of Biology, Emory UniversityAtlantaUnited States
| | - Anita V Devineni
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia UniversityNew YorkUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Emory UniversityAtlantaUnited States
- Department of Biology, Emory UniversityAtlantaUnited States
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12
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Banu A, Gowda SBM, Salim S, Mohammad F. Serotonergic control of feeding microstructure in Drosophila. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 16:1105579. [PMID: 36733453 PMCID: PMC9887136 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1105579] [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: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
To survive, animals maintain energy homeostasis by seeking out food. Compared to freely feeding animals, food-deprived animals may choose different strategies to balance both energy and nutrition demands, per the metabolic state of the animal. Serotonin mediates internal states, modifies existing neural circuits, and regulates animal feeding behavior, including in humans and fruit flies. However, an in-depth study on the neuromodulatory effects of serotonin on feeding microstructure has been held back for several technical reasons. Firstly, most feeding assays lack the precision of manipulating neuronal activity only when animals start feeding, which does not separate neuronal effects on feeding from foraging and locomotion. Secondly, despite the availability of optogenetic tools, feeding in adult fruit flies has primarily been studied using thermogenetic systems, which are confounded with heat. Thirdly, most feeding assays have used food intake as a measurement, which has a low temporal resolution to dissect feeding at the microstructure level. To circumvent these problems, we utilized OptoPAD assay, which provides the precision of optogenetics to control neural activity contingent on the ongoing feeding behavior. We show that manipulating the serotonin circuit optogenetically affects multiple feeding parameters state-dependently. Food-deprived flies with optogenetically activated and suppressed serotonin systems feed with shorter and longer sip durations and longer and shorter inter-sip intervals, respectively. We further show that serotonin suppresses and enhances feeding via 5-HT1B and 5-HT7 receptors, respectively.
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13
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Yu J, Guo X, Zheng S, Zhang W. A dedicate sensorimotor circuit enables fine texture discrimination by active touch. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010562. [PMID: 36649336 PMCID: PMC9882754 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Active touch facilitates environments exploration by voluntary, self-generated movements. However, the neural mechanisms underlying sensorimotor control for active touch are poorly understood. During foraging and feeding, Drosophila gather information on the properties of food (texture, hardness, taste) by constant probing with their proboscis. Here we identify a group of neurons (sd-L neurons) on the fly labellum that are mechanosensitive to labellum displacement and synapse onto the sugar-sensing neurons via axo-axonal synapses to induce preference to harder food. These neurons also feed onto the motor circuits that control proboscis extension and labellum spreading to provide on-line sensory feedback critical for controlling the probing processes, thus facilitating ingestion of less liquified food. Intriguingly, this preference was eliminated in mated female flies, reflecting an elevated need for softer food. Our results propose a sensorimotor circuit composed of mechanosensory, gustatory and motor neurons that enables the flies to select ripe yet not over-rotten food by active touch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Yu
- School of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xuan Guo
- School of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shen Zheng
- School of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
- * E-mail:
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14
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Fischer FP, Karge RA, Weber YG, Koch H, Wolking S, Voigt A. Drosophila melanogaster as a versatile model organism to study genetic epilepsies: An overview. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1116000. [PMID: 36873106 PMCID: PMC9978166 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1116000] [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: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is one of the most prevalent neurological disorders, affecting more than 45 million people worldwide. Recent advances in genetic techniques, such as next-generation sequencing, have driven genetic discovery and increased our understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms behind many epilepsy syndromes. These insights prompt the development of personalized therapies tailored to the genetic characteristics of an individual patient. However, the surging number of novel genetic variants renders the interpretation of pathogenetic consequences and of potential therapeutic implications ever more challenging. Model organisms can help explore these aspects in vivo. In the last decades, rodent models have significantly contributed to our understanding of genetic epilepsies but their establishment is laborious, expensive, and time-consuming. Additional model organisms to investigate disease variants on a large scale would be desirable. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has been used as a model organism in epilepsy research since the discovery of "bang-sensitive" mutants more than half a century ago. These flies respond to mechanical stimulation, such as a brief vortex, with stereotypic seizures and paralysis. Furthermore, the identification of seizure-suppressor mutations allows to pinpoint novel therapeutic targets. Gene editing techniques, such as CRISPR/Cas9, are a convenient way to generate flies carrying disease-associated variants. These flies can be screened for phenotypic and behavioral abnormalities, shifting of seizure thresholds, and response to anti-seizure medications and other substances. Moreover, modification of neuronal activity and seizure induction can be achieved using optogenetic tools. In combination with calcium and fluorescent imaging, functional alterations caused by mutations in epilepsy genes can be traced. Here, we review Drosophila as a versatile model organism to study genetic epilepsies, especially as 81% of human epilepsy genes have an orthologous gene in Drosophila. Furthermore, we discuss newly established analysis techniques that might be used to further unravel the pathophysiological aspects of genetic epilepsies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian P Fischer
- Department of Epileptology and Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Robin A Karge
- Department of Epileptology and Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Yvonne G Weber
- Department of Epileptology and Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,Department of Neurology and Epileptology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Henner Koch
- Department of Epileptology and Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Stefan Wolking
- Department of Epileptology and Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Aaron Voigt
- Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,JARA-BRAIN Institute Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH and RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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15
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Malita A, Kubrak O, Koyama T, Ahrentløv N, Texada MJ, Nagy S, Halberg KV, Rewitz K. A gut-derived hormone suppresses sugar appetite and regulates food choice in Drosophila. Nat Metab 2022; 4:1532-1550. [PMID: 36344765 PMCID: PMC9684077 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-022-00672-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Animals must adapt their dietary choices to meet their nutritional needs. How these needs are detected and translated into nutrient-specific appetites that drive food-choice behaviours is poorly understood. Here we show that enteroendocrine cells of the adult female Drosophila midgut sense nutrients and in response release neuropeptide F (NPF), which is an ortholog of mammalian neuropeptide Y-family gut-brain hormones. Gut-derived NPF acts on glucagon-like adipokinetic hormone (AKH) signalling to induce sugar satiety and increase consumption of protein-rich food, and on adipose tissue to promote storage of ingested nutrients. Suppression of NPF-mediated gut signalling leads to overconsumption of dietary sugar while simultaneously decreasing intake of protein-rich yeast. Furthermore, gut-derived NPF has a female-specific function in promoting consumption of protein-containing food in mated females. Together, our findings suggest that gut NPF-to-AKH signalling modulates specific appetites and regulates food choice to ensure homeostatic consumption of nutrients, providing insight into the hormonal mechanisms that underlie nutrient-specific hungers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Malita
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Olga Kubrak
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Takashi Koyama
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nadja Ahrentløv
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michael J Texada
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Stanislav Nagy
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kenneth V Halberg
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kim Rewitz
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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16
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Masuzzo A, Manière G, Grosjean Y, Kurz L, Royet J. Bacteria-Derived Peptidoglycan Triggers a Noncanonical Nuclear Factor-κB-Dependent Response in Drosophila Gustatory Neurons. J Neurosci 2022; 42:7809-7823. [PMID: 36414007 PMCID: PMC9581565 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2437-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Probing the external world is essential for eukaryotes to distinguish beneficial from pathogenic micro-organisms. If it is clear that the main part of this task falls to the immune cells, recent work shows that neurons can also detect microbes, although the molecules and mechanisms involved are less characterized. In Drosophila, detection of bacteria-derived peptidoglycan by pattern recognition receptors of the peptidoglycan recognition protein (PGRP) family expressed in immune cells triggers nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)/immune deficiency (IMD)-dependent signaling. We show here that one PGRP protein, called PGRP-LB, is expressed in bitter gustatory neurons of proboscises. In vivo calcium imaging in female flies reveals that the PGRP/IMD pathway is cell-autonomously required in these neurons to transduce the peptidoglycan signal. We finally show that NF-κB/IMD pathway activation in bitter-sensing gustatory neurons influences fly behavior. This demonstrates that a major immune response elicitor and signaling module are required in the peripheral nervous system to sense the presence of bacteria in the environment.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In addition to the classical immune response, eukaryotes rely on neuronally controlled mechanisms to detect microbes and engage in adapted behaviors. However, the mechanisms of microbe detection by the nervous system are poorly understood. Using genetic analysis and calcium imaging, we demonstrate here that bacteria-derived peptidoglycan can activate bitter gustatory neurons. We further show that this response is mediated by the PGRP-LC membrane receptor and downstream components of a noncanonical NF-κB signaling cascade. Activation of this signaling cascade triggers behavior changes. These data demonstrate that bitter-sensing neurons and immune cells share a common detection and signaling module to either trigger the production of antibacterial effectors or to modulate the behavior of flies that are in contact with bacteria. Because peptidoglycan detection doesn't mobilize the known gustatory receptors, it also demonstrates that taste perception is much more complex than anticipated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ambra Masuzzo
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille Université, Institut de Biologie du Developpement de Marseille, 13009 Marseille, France
| | - Gérard Manière
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement; Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, L'Institut Agro Dijon, Dijon 21000, France
| | - Yaël Grosjean
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement; Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, L'Institut Agro Dijon, Dijon 21000, France
| | - Léopold Kurz
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille Université, Institut de Biologie du Developpement de Marseille, 13009 Marseille, France
| | - Julien Royet
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille Université, Institut de Biologie du Developpement de Marseille, 13009 Marseille, France
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17
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Low-Cost Platform for Multianimal Chronic Local Field Potential Video Monitoring with Graphical User Interface (GUI) for Seizure Detection and Behavioral Scoring. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0283-22.2022. [PMID: 36192155 PMCID: PMC9581574 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0283-22.2022] [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: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Experiments employing chronic monitoring of neurophysiological signals and video are commonly used in studies of epilepsy to characterize behavioral correlates of seizures. Our objective was to design a low-cost platform that enables chronic monitoring of several animals simultaneously, synchronizes bilateral local field potential (LFP) and video streams in real time, and parses recorded data into manageable file sizes. We present a hardware solution leveraging Intan and Open Ephys acquisition systems and a software solution implemented in Bonsai. The platform was tested in 48-h continuous recordings simultaneously from multiple mice (male and female) with chronic epilepsy. To enable seizure detection and scoring, we developed a graphical user interface (GUI) that reads the data produced by our workflow and allows a user with no coding expertise to analyze events. Our Bonsai workflow was designed to maximize flexibility for a wide variety of experimental applications, and our use of the Open Ephys acquisition board would allow for scaling recordings up to 128 channels per animal.
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18
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Bacterial Metabolism and Transport Genes Are Associated with the Preference of Drosophila melanogaster for Dietary Yeast. Appl Environ Microbiol 2022; 88:e0072022. [PMID: 35913151 PMCID: PMC9397100 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00720-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Many animal traits are influenced by their associated microorganisms ("microbiota"). To expand our understanding of the relationship between microbial genotype and host phenotype, we report an analysis of the influence of the microbiota on the dietary preference of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. First, we confirmed through experiments on flies reared bacteria-free ("axenic") or in monoassociation with two different strains of bacteria that the microbiota significantly influences fruit fly dietary preference across a range of ratios of dietary yeast:dietary glucose. Then, focusing on microbiota-dependent changes in fly dietary preference for yeast (DPY), we performed a metagenome-wide association (MGWA) study to define microbial species specificity for this trait and to predict bacterial genes that influence it. In a subsequent mutant analysis, we confirmed that disrupting a subset of the MGWA-predicted genes influences fly DPY, including for genes involved in thiamine biosynthesis and glucose transport. Follow-up tests revealed that the bacterial influence on fly DPY did not depend on bacterial modification of the glucose or protein content of the fly diet, suggesting that the bacteria mediate their effects independent of the fly diet or through more specific dietary changes than broad ratios of protein and glucose. Together, these findings provide additional insight into bacterial determinants of host nutrition and behavior by revealing specific genetic disruptions that influence D. melanogaster DPY. IMPORTANCE Associated microorganisms ("microbiota") impact the physiology and behavior of their hosts, and defining the mechanisms underlying these interactions is a major gap in the field of host-microbe interactions. This study expands our understanding of how the microbiota can influence dietary preference for yeast (DPY) of a model host, Drosophila melanogaster. First, we show that fly preferences for a range of different dietary yeast:dietary glucose ratios vary significantly with the identity of the microbes that colonize the fruit flies. We then performed a metagenome-wide association study to identify candidate bacterial genes that contributed to some of these bacterial influences. We confirmed that disrupting some of the predicted genes, including genes involved in glucose transport and thiamine biosynthesis, resulted in changes to fly DPY and show that the influence of two of these genes is not through changes in dietary ratios of protein to glucose. Together, these efforts expand our understanding of the bacterial genetic influences on a feeding behavior of a model animal host.
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19
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Disproportionate investment in Spiralin B production limits in-host growth and favors the vertical transmission of Spiroplasma insect endosymbionts. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2208461119. [PMID: 35858432 PMCID: PMC9335233 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2208461119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Insects frequently harbor endosymbionts, which are bacteria housed within host tissues. These associations are stably maintained over evolutionary timescales through vertical transmission of endosymbionts from host mothers to their offspring. Some endosymbionts manipulate host reproduction to facilitate spread within natural populations. Consequently, such infections have major impacts on insect physiology and evolution. However, technical hurdles have limited our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying such insect-endosymbiont interactions. Here, we investigate the nutritional interactions between endosymbiotic partners using the tractable insect Drosophila melanogaster and its natural endosymbiont Spiroplasma poulsonii. Using a combination of functional assays, metabolomics, and proteomics, we show that the abundance and amino acid composition of a single Spiroplasma membrane lectin, Spiralin B (SpiB), dictates the amino acid requirements of the endosymbiont and determines its proliferation within host tissues. Ectopically increasing SpiB levels in host tissues disrupts localization of endosymbionts in the fly egg chambers and decreases vertical transmission. We find that SpiB is likely to be required by the endosymbiont to enter host oocytes, which may explain the massive investment of S. poulsonii in SpiB synthesis. SpiB both permits vertical transmission of the symbiont and limits its growth in nutrient-limiting conditions for the host; therefore, a single protein plays a pivotal role in ensuring durability of the interaction in a variable environment.
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20
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The neuronal logic of how internal states control food choice. Nature 2022; 607:747-755. [DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04909-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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21
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Aryal B, Dhakal S, Shrestha B, Sang J, Nhuchhen Pradhan R, Lee Y. Protocol for binary food choice assays using Drosophila melanogaster. STAR Protoc 2022; 3:101410. [PMID: 35620079 PMCID: PMC9127214 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Food preference is a fundamental behavior for animals to choose nutritious foods while rejecting foods containing toxins. Here, we describe binary food choice assays using Drosophila melanogaster, which are straightforward approaches for the characterization of two-way choice tastants. We detail the preparation of flies and dye-containing food, followed by the binary-choice feeding assays and the determination of the preference index (PI). This protocol is simple, sensitive, and reproducible in qualitatively detecting attractive or aversive characteristics toward any two-way choice tastants. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Aryal et al. (2022). Protocol for qualitatively analyzing food preferences in Drosophila A simple, sensitive, and reproducible binary food choice assay Determination of preference index using dye-containing foods Appropriate for any behavioral taste analysis of fly models
Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binod Aryal
- Department of Bio & Fermentation Convergence Technology, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea
| | - Subash Dhakal
- Department of Bio & Fermentation Convergence Technology, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea
| | - Bhanu Shrestha
- Department of Bio & Fermentation Convergence Technology, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiun Sang
- Department of Bio & Fermentation Convergence Technology, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea
| | - Roshani Nhuchhen Pradhan
- Department of Bio & Fermentation Convergence Technology, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea
| | - Youngseok Lee
- Department of Bio & Fermentation Convergence Technology, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea
- Corresponding author
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22
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de Bivort B, Buchanan S, Skutt-Kakaria K, Gajda E, Ayroles J, O’Leary C, Reimers P, Akhund-Zade J, Senft R, Maloney R, Ho S, Werkhoven Z, Smith MAY. Precise Quantification of Behavioral Individuality From 80 Million Decisions Across 183,000 Flies. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:836626. [PMID: 35692381 PMCID: PMC9178272 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.836626] [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: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual animals behave differently from each other. This variability is a component of personality and arises even when genetics and environment are held constant. Discovering the biological mechanisms underlying behavioral variability depends on efficiently measuring individual behavioral bias, a requirement that is facilitated by automated, high-throughput experiments. We compiled a large data set of individual locomotor behavior measures, acquired from over 183,000 fruit flies walking in Y-shaped mazes. With this data set we first conducted a "computational ethology natural history" study to quantify the distribution of individual behavioral biases with unprecedented precision and examine correlations between behavioral measures with high power. We discovered a slight, but highly significant, left-bias in spontaneous locomotor decision-making. We then used the data to evaluate standing hypotheses about biological mechanisms affecting behavioral variability, specifically: the neuromodulator serotonin and its precursor transporter, heterogametic sex, and temperature. We found a variety of significant effects associated with each of these mechanisms that were behavior-dependent. This indicates that the relationship between biological mechanisms and behavioral variability may be highly context dependent. Going forward, automation of behavioral experiments will likely be essential in teasing out the complex causality of individuality.
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23
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Lin HH, Kuang MC, Hossain I, Xuan Y, Beebe L, Shepherd AK, Rolandi M, Wang JW. A nutrient-specific gut hormone arbitrates between courtship and feeding. Nature 2022; 602:632-638. [PMID: 35140404 PMCID: PMC9271372 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04408-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Animals must set behavioural priority in a context-dependent manner and switch from one behaviour to another at the appropriate moment1-3. Here we probe the molecular and neuronal mechanisms that orchestrate the transition from feeding to courtship in Drosophila melanogaster. We find that feeding is prioritized over courtship in starved males, and the consumption of protein-rich food rapidly reverses this order within a few minutes. At the molecular level, a gut-derived, nutrient-specific neuropeptide hormone-Diuretic hormone 31 (Dh31)-propels a switch from feeding to courtship. We further address the underlying kinetics with calcium imaging experiments. Amino acids from food acutely activate Dh31+ enteroendocrine cells in the gut, increasing Dh31 levels in the circulation. In addition, three-photon functional imaging of intact flies shows that optogenetic stimulation of Dh31+ enteroendocrine cells rapidly excites a subset of brain neurons that express Dh31 receptor (Dh31R). Gut-derived Dh31 excites the brain neurons through the circulatory system within a few minutes, in line with the speed of the feeding-courtship behavioural switch. At the circuit level, there are two distinct populations of Dh31R+ neurons in the brain, with one population inhibiting feeding through allatostatin-C and the other promoting courtship through corazonin. Together, our findings illustrate a mechanism by which the consumption of protein-rich food triggers the release of a gut hormone, which in turn prioritizes courtship over feeding through two parallel pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Hao Lin
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Meihua Christina Kuang
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Imran Hossain
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Yinan Xuan
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Laura Beebe
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Andrew K Shepherd
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Marco Rolandi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Jing W Wang
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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24
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Phenotyping of Drosophila melanogaster—A Nutritional Perspective. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12020221. [PMID: 35204721 PMCID: PMC8961528 DOI: 10.3390/biom12020221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The model organism Drosophila melanogaster was increasingly applied in nutrition research in recent years. A range of methods are available for the phenotyping of D. melanogaster, which are outlined in the first part of this review. The methods include determinations of body weight, body composition, food intake, lifespan, locomotor activity, reproductive capacity and stress tolerance. In the second part, the practical application of the phenotyping of flies is demonstrated via a discussion of obese phenotypes in response to high-sugar diet (HSD) and high-fat diet (HFD) feeding. HSD feeding and HFD feeding are dietary interventions that lead to an increase in fat storage and affect carbohydrate-insulin homeostasis, lifespan, locomotor activity, reproductive capacity and stress tolerance. Furthermore, studies regarding the impacts of HSD and HFD on the transcriptome and metabolome of D. melanogaster are important for relating phenotypic changes to underlying molecular mechanisms. Overall, D. melanogaster was demonstrated to be a valuable model organism with which to examine the pathogeneses and underlying molecular mechanisms of common chronic metabolic diseases in a nutritional context.
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Bugs on Drugs: A Drosophila melanogaster Gut Model to Study In Vivo Antibiotic Tolerance of E. coli. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10010119. [PMID: 35056568 PMCID: PMC8780219 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10010119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
With an antibiotic crisis upon us, we need to boost antibiotic development and improve antibiotics’ efficacy. Crucial is knowing how to efficiently kill bacteria, especially in more complex in vivo conditions. Indeed, many bacteria harbor antibiotic-tolerant persisters, variants that survive exposure to our most potent antibiotics and catalyze resistance development. However, persistence is often only studied in vitro as we lack flexible in vivo models. Here, I explored the potential of using Drosophila melanogaster as a model for antimicrobial research, combining methods in Drosophila with microbiology techniques: assessing fly development and feeding, generating germ-free or bacteria-associated Drosophila and in situ microscopy. Adult flies tolerate antibiotics at high doses, although germ-free larvae show impaired development. Orally presented E. coli associates with Drosophila and mostly resides in the crop. E. coli shows an overall high antibiotic tolerance in vivo potentially resulting from heterogeneity in growth rates. The hipA7 high-persistence mutant displays an increased antibiotic survival while the expected low persistence of ΔrelAΔspoT and ΔrpoS mutants cannot be confirmed in vivo. In conclusion, a Drosophila model for in vivo antibiotic tolerance research shows high potential and offers a flexible system to test findings from in vitro assays in a broader, more complex condition.
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Hoshino R, Niwa R. Regulation of Mating-Induced Increase in Female Germline Stem Cells in the Fruit Fly Drosophila melanogaster. Front Physiol 2021; 12:785435. [PMID: 34950056 PMCID: PMC8689587 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.785435] [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: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
In many insect species, mating stimuli can lead to changes in various behavioral and physiological responses, including feeding, mating refusal, egg-laying behavior, energy demand, and organ remodeling, which are collectively known as the post-mating response. Recently, an increase in germline stem cells (GSCs) has been identified as a new post-mating response in both males and females of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. We have extensively studied mating-induced increase in female GSCs of D. melanogaster at the molecular, cellular, and systemic levels. After mating, the male seminal fluid peptide [e.g. sex peptide (SP)] is transferred to the female uterus. This is followed by binding to the sex peptide receptor (SPR), which evokes post-mating responses, including increase in number of female GSCs. Downstream of SP-SPR signaling, the following three hormones and neurotransmitters have been found to act on female GSC niche cells to regulate mating-induced increase in female GSCs: (1) neuropeptide F, a peptide hormone produced in enteroendocrine cells; (2) octopamine, a monoaminergic neurotransmitter synthesized in ovary-projecting neurons; and (3) ecdysone, a steroid hormone produced in ovarian follicular cells. These humoral factors are secreted from each organ and are received by ovarian somatic cells and regulate the strength of niche signaling in female GSCs. This review provides an overview of the latest findings on the inter-organ relationship to regulate mating-induced female GSC increase in D. melanogaster as a model. We also discuss the remaining issues that should be addressed in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Hoshino
- Degree Programs in Life and Earth Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Ryusuke Niwa
- Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
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Mollá-Albaladejo R, Sánchez-Alcañiz JA. Behavior Individuality: A Focus on Drosophila melanogaster. Front Physiol 2021; 12:719038. [PMID: 34916952 PMCID: PMC8670942 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.719038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Among individuals, behavioral differences result from the well-known interplay of nature and nurture. Minute differences in the genetic code can lead to differential gene expression and function, dramatically affecting developmental processes and adult behavior. Environmental factors, epigenetic modifications, and gene expression and function are responsible for generating stochastic behaviors. In the last decade, the advent of high-throughput sequencing has facilitated studying the genetic basis of behavior and individuality. We can now study the genomes of multiple individuals and infer which genetic variations might be responsible for the observed behavior. In addition, the development of high-throughput behavioral paradigms, where multiple isogenic animals can be analyzed in various environmental conditions, has again facilitated the study of the influence of genetic and environmental variations in animal personality. Mainly, Drosophila melanogaster has been the focus of a great effort to understand how inter-individual behavioral differences emerge. The possibility of using large numbers of animals, isogenic populations, and the possibility of modifying neuronal function has made it an ideal model to search for the origins of individuality. In the present review, we will focus on the recent findings that try to shed light on the emergence of individuality with a particular interest in D. melanogaster.
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Musso PY, Junca P, Gordon MD. A neural circuit linking two sugar sensors regulates satiety-dependent fructose drive in Drosophila. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabj0186. [PMID: 34851668 PMCID: PMC8635442 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj0186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
In flies, neuronal sensors detect prandial changes in circulating fructose levels and either sustain or terminate feeding, depending on internal state. Here, we describe a three-part neural circuit that imparts satiety-dependent modulation of fructose sensing. We show that dorsal fan-shaped body neurons display oscillatory calcium activity when hemolymph glucose is high and that these oscillations require glutamatergic input from SLP-AB or “Janus” neurons projecting from the protocerebrum to the asymmetric body. Suppression of activity in this circuit, either by starvation or by genetic silencing, promotes specific drive for fructose ingestion. This is achieved through neuropeptidergic signaling by tachykinin, which is released from the fan-shaped body when glycemia is high. Tachykinin, in turn, signals to Gr43a-positive fructose sensors to modulate their response to fructose. Together, our results demonstrate how a three-layer neural circuit links the detection of two sugars to produce precise satiety-dependent control of feeding behavior.
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29
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Yang T, Yuan Z, Liu C, Liu T, Zhang W. A neural circuit integrates pharyngeal sensation to control feeding. Cell Rep 2021; 37:109983. [PMID: 34758309 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Swallowing is an essential step of eating and drinking. However, how the quality of a food bolus is sensed by pharyngeal neurons is largely unknown. Here we find that mechanical receptors along the Drosophila pharynx are required for control of meal size, especially for food of high viscosity. The mechanical force exerted by the bolus passing across the pharynx is detected by neurons expressing the mechanotransduction channel NOMPC (no mechanoreceptor potential C) and is relayed, together with gustatory information, to IN1 neurons in the subesophageal zone (SEZ) of the brain. IN1 (ingestion neurons) neurons act directly upstream of a group of peptidergic neurons that encode satiety. Prolonged activation of IN1 neurons suppresses feeding. IN1 neurons receive inhibition from DSOG1 (descending subesophageal neurons) neurons, a group of GABAergic neurons that non-selectively suppress feeding. Our results reveal the function of pharyngeal mechanoreceptors and their downstream neural circuits in the control of food ingestion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Zixuan Yuan
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Chenxi Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ting Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China.
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Niu M, Zhang X, Li W, Wang J, Li Y. dFRAME: A Video Recording-Based Analytical Method for Studying Feeding Rhythm in Drosophila. Front Genet 2021; 12:763200. [PMID: 34721548 PMCID: PMC8554052 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.763200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals, from insects to humans, exhibit obvious diurnal rhythmicity of feeding behavior. Serving as a genetic animal model, Drosophila has been reported to display feeding rhythms; however, related investigations are limited due to the lack of suitable and practical methods. Here, we present a video recording-based analytical method, namely, Drosophila Feeding Rhythm Analysis Method (dFRAME). Using our newly developed computer program, FlyFeeding, we extracted the movement track of individual flies and characterized their food-approaching behavior. To distinguish feeding and no-feeding events, we utilized high-magnification video recording to optimize our method by setting cut-off thresholds to eliminate the interference of no-feeding events. Furthermore, we verified that this method is applicable to both female and male flies and for all periods of the day. Using this method, we analyzed long-term feeding status of wild-type and period mutant flies. The results recaptured previously reported feeding rhythms and revealed detailed profiles of feeding patterns in these flies under either light/dark cycles or constant dark environments. Together, our dFRAME method enables a long-term, stable, reliable, and subtle analysis of feeding behavior in Drosophila. High-throughput studies in this powerful genetic animal model will gain great insights into the molecular and neural mechanisms of feeding rhythms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengxia Niu
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.,Institute of Biophysics, State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaohang Zhang
- Institute of Biophysics, State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Weihan Li
- Institute of Biophysics, State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jianxun Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Li
- Institute of Biophysics, State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Devineni AV, Deere JU, Sun B, Axel R. Individual bitter-sensing neurons in Drosophila exhibit both ON and OFF responses that influence synaptic plasticity. Curr Biol 2021; 31:5533-5546.e7. [PMID: 34731675 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.10.020] [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: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 09/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The brain generates internal representations that translate sensory stimuli into appropriate behavior. In the taste system, different tastes activate distinct populations of sensory neurons. We investigated the temporal properties of taste responses in Drosophila and discovered that different types of taste sensory neurons show striking differences in their response dynamics. Strong responses to stimulus onset (ON responses) and offset (OFF responses) were observed in bitter-sensing neurons in the labellum, whereas bitter neurons in the leg and other classes of labellar taste neurons showed only an ON response. Individual labellar bitter neurons generate both ON and OFF responses through a cell-intrinsic mechanism that requires canonical bitter receptors. A single receptor complex likely generates both ON and OFF responses to a given bitter ligand. These ON and OFF responses in the periphery are propagated to dopaminergic neurons that mediate aversive learning, and the presence of the OFF response impacts synaptic plasticity when bitter is used as a reinforcement cue. These studies reveal previously unknown features of taste responses that impact neural circuit function and may be important for behavior. Moreover, these studies show that OFF responses can dramatically influence timing-based synaptic plasticity, which is thought to underlie associative learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita V Devineni
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, 3227 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - Julia U Deere
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, 3227 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Bei Sun
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, 3227 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Richard Axel
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, 3227 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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32
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Cheriyamkunnel SJ, Rose S, Jacob PF, Blackburn LA, Glasgow S, Moorse J, Winstanley M, Moynihan PJ, Waddell S, Rezaval C. A neuronal mechanism controlling the choice between feeding and sexual behaviors in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2021; 31:4231-4245.e4. [PMID: 34358444 PMCID: PMC8538064 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.07.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Animals must express the appropriate behavior that meets their most pressing physiological needs and their environmental context. However, it is currently unclear how alternative behavioral options are evaluated and appropriate actions are prioritized. Here, we describe how fruit flies choose between feeding and courtship; two behaviors necessary for survival and reproduction. We show that sex- and food-deprived male flies prioritize feeding over courtship initiation, and manipulation of food quality or the animal's internal state fine-tunes this decision. We identify the tyramine signaling pathway as an essential mediator of this decision. Tyramine biosynthesis is regulated by the fly's nutritional state and acts as a satiety signal, favoring courtship over feeding. Tyramine inhibits a subset of feeding-promoting tyramine receptor (TyrR)-expressing neurons and activates P1 neurons, a known command center for courtship. Conversely, the perception of a nutritious food source activates TyrR neurons and inhibits P1 neurons. Therefore, TyrR and P1 neurons are oppositely modulated by starvation, via tyramine levels, and food availability. We propose that antagonistic co-regulation of neurons controlling alternative actions is key to prioritizing competing drives in a context- dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Saloni Rose
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Pedro F Jacob
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | | | - Shaleen Glasgow
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Jacob Moorse
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Mike Winstanley
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | | | - Scott Waddell
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | - Carolina Rezaval
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
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33
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Endocrine signals fine-tune daily activity patterns in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2021; 31:4076-4087.e5. [PMID: 34329588 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Animals need to balance competitive behaviors to maintain internal homeostasis. The underlying mechanisms are complex but typically involve neuroendocrine signaling. Using Drosophila, we systematically manipulated signaling between energy-mobilizing endocrine cells producing adipokinetic hormone (AKH), octopaminergic neurons, and the energy-storing fat body to assess whether this neuroendocrine axis involved in starvation-induced hyperactivity also balances activity levels under ad libitum access to food. Our results suggest that AKH signals via two divergent pathways that are mutually competitive in terms of activity and rest. AKH increases activity via the octopaminergic system during the day, while it prevents high activity levels during the night by signaling to the fat body. This regulation involves feedback signaling from octopaminergic neurons to AKH-producing cells (APCs). APCs are known to integrate a multitude of metabolic and endocrine signals. Our results add a new facet to the versatile regulatory functions of APCs by showing that their output contributes to shape the daily activity pattern under ad libitum access to food.
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34
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Lim WK, Kaur P, Huang H, Jo RS, Ramamoorthy A, Ng LF, Suresh J, Maisha FI, Mathuru AS, Tolwinski NS. Optogenetic approaches for understanding homeostatic and degenerative processes in Drosophila. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:5865-5880. [PMID: 34232330 PMCID: PMC8260576 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03836-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Many organs and tissues have an intrinsic ability to regenerate from a dedicated, tissue-specific stem cell pool. As organisms age, the process of self-regulation or homeostasis begins to slow down with fewer stem cells available for tissue repair. Tissues become more fragile and organs less efficient. This slowdown of homeostatic processes leads to the development of cellular and neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we highlight the recent use and future potential of optogenetic approaches to study homeostasis. Optogenetics uses photosensitive molecules and genetic engineering to modulate cellular activity in vivo, allowing precise experiments with spatiotemporal control. We look at applications of this technology for understanding the mechanisms governing homeostasis and degeneration as applied to widely used model organisms, such as Drosophila melanogaster, where other common tools are less effective or unavailable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Kin Lim
- Science Division, Yale-NUS College, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Prameet Kaur
- Science Division, Yale-NUS College, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Huanyan Huang
- Science Division, Yale-NUS College, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | | | - Li Fang Ng
- Science Division, Yale-NUS College, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jahnavi Suresh
- Science Division, Yale-NUS College, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Ajay S Mathuru
- Science Division, Yale-NUS College, Singapore, Singapore
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35
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Multidrug Resistance Like Protein 1 Activity in Malpighian Tubules Regulates Lipid Homeostasis in Drosophila. MEMBRANES 2021; 11:membranes11060432. [PMID: 34201304 PMCID: PMC8229909 DOI: 10.3390/membranes11060432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Multidrug resistance proteins (MRPs) are important for ion transport, toxin/xenobiotic secretion, and signal transduction. Although studies have been undertaken to understand their physiological function, it is not fully known how MRPs may regulate metabolism. We knocked down the expression of Drosophila multidrug-resistance like protein 1 (MRP) in several tissues central to metabolic regulation. Reducing MRP in Malpighian tubules, the functional equivalent to the human kidney, was sufficient to disrupt metabolic homeostasis, owing to abnormal lipid accumulation, as well as changes in feeding behavior. It also increased oxidative stress resistance in adult flies, possibly due to reduced levels of reactive oxygen species. Abstract Multidrug resistance proteins (MRPs), members of the ATP-binding cassette transporter (ABC transporter) family, are pivotal for transporting endo- and xenobiotics, which confer resistance to anticancer agents and contribute to the clearance of oxidative products. However, their function in many biological processes is still unclear. We investigated the role of an evolutionarily conserved MRP in metabolic homeostasis by knocking down the expression of Drosophila multidrug-resistance like protein 1 (MRP) in several tissues involved in regulating metabolism, including the gut, fat body, and Malpighian tubules. Interestingly, only suppression of MRP in the Malpighian tubules, the functional equivalent to the human kidney, was sufficient to cause abnormal lipid accumulation and disrupt feeding behavior. Furthermore, reduced Malpighian tubule MRP expression resulted in increased Hr96 (homolog of human pregnane X receptor) expression. Hr96 is known to play a role in detoxification and lipid metabolism processes. Reduced expression of MRP in the Malpighian tubules also conveyed resistance to oxidative stress, as well as reduced normal levels of reactive oxygen species in adult flies. This study reveals that an evolutionarily conserved MRP is required in Drosophila Malpighian tubules for proper metabolic homeostasis.
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36
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Lau CKS, Jelen M, Gordon MD. A closed-loop optogenetic screen for neurons controlling feeding in Drosophila. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2021; 11:6170659. [PMID: 33714999 PMCID: PMC8104954 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Feeding is an essential part of animal life that is greatly impacted by the sense of taste. Although the characterization of taste-detection at the periphery has been extensive, higher order taste and feeding circuits are still being elucidated. Here, we use an automated closed-loop optogenetic activation screen to detect novel taste and feeding neurons in Drosophila melanogaster. Out of 122 Janelia FlyLight Project GAL4 lines preselected based on expression pattern, we identify six lines that acutely promote feeding and 35 lines that inhibit it. As proof of principle, we follow up on R70C07-GAL4, which labels neurons that strongly inhibit feeding. Using split-GAL4 lines to isolate subsets of the R70C07-GAL4 population, we find both appetitive and aversive neurons. Furthermore, we show that R70C07-GAL4 labels putative second-order taste interneurons that contact both sweet and bitter sensory neurons. These results serve as a resource for further functional dissection of fly feeding circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celia K S Lau
- Department of Zoology and Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Meghan Jelen
- Department of Zoology and Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Michael D Gordon
- Department of Zoology and Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
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37
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Mahishi D, Triphan T, Hesse R, Huetteroth W. The Panopticon-Assessing the Effect of Starvation on Prolonged Fly Activity and Place Preference. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:640146. [PMID: 33841109 PMCID: PMC8026880 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.640146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal behaviours are demonstrably governed by sensory stimulation, previous experience and internal states like hunger. With increasing hunger, priorities shift towards foraging and feeding. During foraging, flies are known to employ efficient path integration strategies. However, general long-term activity patterns for both hungry and satiated flies in conditions of foraging remain to be better understood. Similarly, little is known about how permanent contact chemosensory stimulation affects locomotion. To address these questions, we have developed a novel, simplistic fly activity tracking setup—the Panopticon. Using a 3D-printed Petri dish inset, our assay allows recording of walking behaviour, of several flies in parallel, with all arena surfaces covered by a uniform substrate layer. We tested two constellations of providing food: (i) in single patches and (ii) omnipresent within the substrate layer. Fly tracking is done with FIJI, further assessment, analysis and presentation is done with a custom-built MATLAB analysis framework. We find that starvation history leads to a long-lasting reduction in locomotion, as well as a delayed place preference for food patches which seems to be not driven by immediate hunger motivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepthi Mahishi
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tilman Triphan
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ricarda Hesse
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Wolf Huetteroth
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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Abstract
Dietary intervention has received considerable attention as an approach to extend lifespan and improve aging. However, questions remain regarding optimal dietary regimes and underlying mechanisms of lifespan extension. Here, we asked how an increase of glucose in a chemically defined diet extends the lifespan of adult Drosophila melanogaster We showed that glucose-dependent lifespan extension is not a result of diminished caloric intake, or changes to systemic insulin activity, two commonly studied mechanisms of lifespan extension. Instead, we found that flies raised on glucose-supplemented food increased the expression of cell-adhesion genes, delaying age-dependent loss of intestinal barrier integrity. Furthermore, we showed that chemical disruption of the gut barrier negated the lifespan extension associated with glucose treatment, suggesting that glucose-supplemented food prolongs adult viability by enhancing the intestinal barrier. We believe our data contribute to understanding intestinal homeostasis, and may assist efforts to develop preventative measures that limit effects of aging on health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Galenza
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2S2, Canada.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Edan Foley
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2S2, Canada
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39
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Backus EA, Guedes RNC, Reif KE. AC-DC electropenetrography: fundamentals, controversies, and perspectives for arthropod pest management. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2021; 77:1132-1149. [PMID: 32926581 DOI: 10.1002/ps.6087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Studying the intimate association of arthropods with their physical substrate is both important and challenging. It is important because substrate is a key determinant for organism fitness; challenging because the intricacies of this association are dynamic, and difficult to record and resolve. The advent of electropenetrography (EPG) and subsequent developments allowed researchers to overcome this challenge. Nonetheless, EPG research has been historically restricted to piercing-sucking hemipteran plant pests. Recently, its potential use has been greatly broadened for additional pests with instrument advances. Thus, blood-feeding arthropods and chewing feeders, as well as non-feeding behaviors like oviposition by both pests and parasitoids, are novel new targets for EPG research, with critical consequences for integrated pest management. EPG can explain mechanisms of crop damage, plant or animal pathogen transmission, and the effects of insecticides, antifeedants, repellents, or transgenic plants and animals, on specific behaviors of damage or transmission. This review broadly covers the principles and development of EPG technology, emphasizing controversies and challenges remaining with suggested research to overcome them. In addition, it summarizes 60+ years of basic and applied EPG research, and previews future directions for pest management. The goal is to stimulate new applications for this unique enabling technology. Published 2020. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine A Backus
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center, Parlier, CA, USA
| | | | - Kathryn E Reif
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
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40
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Mishra P, Yang SE, Montgomery AB, Reed AR, Rodan AR, Rothenfluh A. The fly liquid-food electroshock assay (FLEA) suggests opposite roles for neuropeptide F in avoidance of bitterness and shock. BMC Biol 2021; 19:31. [PMID: 33593351 PMCID: PMC7888162 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-00969-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Proper regulation of feeding is important for an organism’s well-being and survival and involves a motivational component directing the search for food. Dissecting the molecular and neural mechanisms of motivated feeding behavior requires assays that allow quantification of both motivation and food intake. Measurements of motivated behavior usually involve assessing physical effort or overcoming an aversive stimulus. Food intake in Drosophila can be determined in a number of ways, including by measuring the time a fly’s proboscis interacts with a food source associated with an electrical current in the fly liquid-food interaction counter (FLIC). Here, we show that electrical current flowing through flies during this interaction is aversive, and we describe a modified assay to measure motivation in Drosophila. Results Food intake is reduced during the interaction with FLIC when the electrical current is turned on, which provides a confounding variable in studies of motivated behavior. Based on the FLIC, we engineer a novel assay, the fly liquid-food electroshock assay (FLEA), which allows for current adjustments for each feeding well. Using the FLEA, we show that both external incentives and internal motivational state can serve as drivers for flies to overcome higher current (electric shock) to obtain superior food. Unlike similar assays in which bitterness is the aversive stimulus for the fly to overcome, we show that current perception is not discounted as flies become more food-deprived. Finally, we use genetically manipulated flies to show that neuropeptide F, an orthologue of mammalian NPY previously implicated in regulation of feeding motivation, is required for sensory processing of electrical current. Conclusion The FLEA is therefore a novel assay to accurately measure incentive motivation in Drosophila. Using the FLEA, we also show that neuropeptide F is required for proper perception or processing of an electroshock, a novel function for this neuropeptide involved in the processing of external and internal stimuli. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-021-00969-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Puskar Mishra
- Molecular Medicine Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Shany E Yang
- Molecular Medicine Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | | | - Addison R Reed
- Molecular Medicine Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Aylin R Rodan
- Molecular Medicine Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology & Hypertension, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Medical Service, Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Adrian Rothenfluh
- Molecular Medicine Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. .,Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. .,Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
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41
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Mack JO, Zhang YV. A Rapid Food-Preference Assay in Drosophila. JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS : JOVE 2021:10.3791/62051. [PMID: 33645577 PMCID: PMC9908510 DOI: 10.3791/62051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
To select food with nutritional value while avoiding the consumption of harmful agents, animals need a sophisticated and robust taste system to evaluate their food environment. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is a genetically tractable model organism that is widely used to decipher the molecular, cellular, and neural underpinnings of food preference. To analyze fly food preference, a robust feeding method is needed. Described here is a two-choice feeding assay, which is rigorous, cost-saving, and fast. The assay is Petri-dish-based and involves the addition of two different foods supplemented with blue or red dye to the two halves of the dish. Then, ~70 prestarved, 2-4-day-old flies are placed in the dish and allowed to choose between blue and red foods in the dark for about 90 min. Examination of the abdomen of each fly is followed by the calculation of the preference index. In contrast to multiwell plates, each Petri dish takes only ~20 s to fill and saves time and effort. This feeding assay can be employed to quickly determine whether flies like or dislike a particular food.
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Affiliation(s)
- John O. Mack
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
| | - Yali V. Zhang
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine,Department of Physiology, The Diabetes Research Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
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42
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May CE, Dus M. Confection Confusion: Interplay Between Diet, Taste, and Nutrition. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2021; 32:95-105. [PMID: 33384209 PMCID: PMC8021035 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2020.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Although genetics shapes our sense of taste to prefer some foods over others, taste sensation is plastic and changes with age, disease state, and nutrition. We have known for decades that diet composition can influence the way we perceive foods, but many questions remain unanswered, particularly regarding the effects of chemosensory plasticity on feeding behavior. Here, we review recent evidence on the effects of high-nutrient diets, especially high dietary sugar, on sweet taste in vinegar flies, rodents, and humans, and discuss open questions about molecular and neural mechanisms and research priorities. We also consider ways in which diet-dependent chemosensory plasticity may influence food intake and play a role in the etiology of obesity and metabolic disease. Understanding the interplay between nutrition, taste sensation, and feeding will help us define the role of the food environment in mediating chronic disease and design better public health strategies to combat it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina E May
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Monica Dus
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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43
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van Alphen B, Semenza ER, Yap M, van Swinderen B, Allada R. A deep sleep stage in Drosophila with a functional role in waste clearance. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/4/eabc2999. [PMID: 33523916 PMCID: PMC7817094 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abc2999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Sleep is a highly conserved state, suggesting that sleep's benefits outweigh the increased vulnerability it brings. Yet, little is known about how sleep fulfills its functions. Here, we used video tracking in tethered flies to identify a discrete deep sleep stage in Drosophila, termed proboscis extension sleep, that is defined by repeated stereotyped proboscis extensions and retractions. Proboscis extension sleep is accompanied by highly elevated arousal thresholds and decreased brain activity, indicative of a deep sleep state. Preventing proboscis extensions increases injury-related mortality and reduces waste clearance. Sleep deprivation reduces waste clearance and during subsequent rebound sleep, sleep, proboscis extensions, and waste clearance are increased. Together, these results provide evidence of a discrete deep sleep stage that is linked to a specific function and suggest that waste clearance is a core and ancient function of deep sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart van Alphen
- The Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, 2205 Tech Drive, Hogan 2-160, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
| | - Evan R Semenza
- The Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, 2205 Tech Drive, Hogan 2-160, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
| | - Melvyn Yap
- The Queensland Brain Institute, QBI Building, 79, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Bruno van Swinderen
- The Queensland Brain Institute, QBI Building, 79, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Ravi Allada
- The Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, 2205 Tech Drive, Hogan 2-160, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
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44
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Kobler JM, Rodriguez Jimenez FJ, Petcu I, Grunwald Kadow IC. Immune Receptor Signaling and the Mushroom Body Mediate Post-ingestion Pathogen Avoidance. Curr Biol 2020; 30:4693-4709.e3. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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45
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Moulin TC, Covill LE, Itskov PM, Williams MJ, Schiöth HB. Rodent and fly models in behavioral neuroscience: An evaluation of methodological advances, comparative research, and future perspectives. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 120:1-12. [PMID: 33242563 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The assessment of behavioral outcomes is a central component of neuroscientific research, which has required continuous technological innovations to produce more detailed and reliable findings. In this article, we provide an in-depth review on the progress and future implications for three model organisms (mouse, rat, and Drosophila) essential to our current understanding of behavior. By compiling a comprehensive catalog of popular assays, we are able to compare the diversity of tasks and usage of these animal models in behavioral research. This compilation also allows for the evaluation of existing state-of-the-art methods and experimental applications, including optogenetics, machine learning, and high-throughput behavioral assays. We go on to discuss novel apparatuses and inter-species analyses for centrophobism, feeding behavior, aggression and mating paradigms, with the goal of providing a unique view on comparative behavioral research. The challenges and recent advances are evaluated in terms of their translational value, ethical procedures, and trustworthiness for behavioral research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago C Moulin
- Functional Pharmacology Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Laura E Covill
- Functional Pharmacology Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Center for Hematology and Regenerative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pavel M Itskov
- Functional Pharmacology Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacy, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia; Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Michael J Williams
- Functional Pharmacology Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Helgi B Schiöth
- Functional Pharmacology Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Institute for Translational Medicine and Biotechnology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
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46
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Hadjieconomou D, King G, Gaspar P, Mineo A, Blackie L, Ameku T, Studd C, de Mendoza A, Diao F, White BH, Brown AEX, Plaçais PY, Préat T, Miguel-Aliaga I. Enteric neurons increase maternal food intake during reproduction. Nature 2020; 587:455-459. [PMID: 33116314 PMCID: PMC7610780 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2866-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Reproduction induces increased food intake across females of many animal species1-4, providing a physiologically relevant paradigm for the exploration of appetite regulation. Here, by examining the diversity of enteric neurons in Drosophila melanogaster, we identify a key role for gut-innervating neurons with sex- and reproductive state-specific activity in sustaining the increased food intake of mothers during reproduction. Steroid and enteroendocrine hormones functionally remodel these neurons, which leads to the release of their neuropeptide onto the muscles of the crop-a stomach-like organ-after mating. Neuropeptide release changes the dynamics of crop enlargement, resulting in increased food intake, and preventing the post-mating remodelling of enteric neurons reduces both reproductive hyperphagia and reproductive fitness. The plasticity of enteric neurons is therefore key to reproductive success. Our findings provide a mechanism to attain the positive energy balance that sustains gestation, dysregulation of which could contribute to infertility or weight gain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dafni Hadjieconomou
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - George King
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Pedro Gaspar
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Alessandro Mineo
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Laura Blackie
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Tomotsune Ameku
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Chris Studd
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Alex de Mendoza
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Fengqiu Diao
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Benjamin H White
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - André E X Brown
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Pierre-Yves Plaçais
- Genes and Dynamics of Memory Systems, Brain Plasticity Unit, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Préat
- Genes and Dynamics of Memory Systems, Brain Plasticity Unit, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Irene Miguel-Aliaga
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK.
- Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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47
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Wang P, Jia Y, Liu T, Jan YN, Zhang W. Visceral Mechano-sensing Neurons Control Drosophila Feeding by Using Piezo as a Sensor. Neuron 2020; 108:640-650.e4. [PMID: 32910893 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 05/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Animal feeding is controlled by external sensory cues and internal metabolic states. Does it also depend on enteric neurons that sense mechanical cues to signal fullness of the digestive tract? Here, we identify a group of piezo-expressing neurons innervating the Drosophila crop (the fly equivalent of the stomach) that monitor crop volume to avoid food overconsumption. These neurons reside in the pars intercerebralis (PI), a neuro-secretory center in the brain involved in homeostatic control, and express insulin-like peptides with well-established roles in regulating food intake and metabolism. Piezo knockdown in these neurons of wild-type flies phenocopies the food overconsumption phenotype of piezo-null mutant flies. Conversely, expression of either fly Piezo or mammalian Piezo1 in these neurons of piezo-null mutants suppresses the overconsumption phenotype. Importantly, Piezo+ neurons at the PI are activated directly by crop distension, thus conveying a rapid satiety signal along the "brain-gut axis" to control feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pingping Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yinjun Jia
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Ting Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yuh-Nung Jan
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Departments of Physiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
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48
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Álvarez-Rendón JP, Riesgo-Escovar JR. Circadian and rhythmic-related behavioral co-morbidities of the diabetic state in Drosophila melanogaster. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 295:113477. [PMID: 32240709 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Circadian phenomena rule many activities of life on earth. Disruptions in circadian rhythmicity and rhythms have been recognized as a contributing factor for diseased states, for instance metabolic disruptions like diabetes. Diabetes develops as a consequence of faulty insulin pathway signaling, either by lack of insulin production (diabetes type I), or by loss of responsiveness in target tissues (diabetes type 2). In this work we use the model organism Drosophila melanogaster with three different mutant hypomorphic conditions at different levels of the insulin pathway. The insulin pathway is a very evolutionarily conserved pathway. We study these different diabetic conditions as a source of circadian rhythm abnormalities and circadian-related co-morbidities. We do so by studying circadian rhythmicity, activity, sleep and sleep structure, and feeding behavior. Results show that flies with impaired insulin signaling show circadian rhythm and rhythmic-related co-morbidities, especially female flies, as a consequence of the diabetic state. The most extreme disruptions occur in flies with impaired insulin receptor signaling, which stands at the beginning of the insulin pathway, in principle affecting most if not all aspects of this pathway. Our work shows that defective insulin signaling is a source of circadian rhythm and rhythmic related co-morbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Paloma Álvarez-Rendón
- Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus UNAM Juriquilla, 3001 Boulevard Juriquilla, Juriquilla, Querétaro, cp 76230, Mexico
| | - Juan Rafael Riesgo-Escovar
- Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus UNAM Juriquilla, 3001 Boulevard Juriquilla, Juriquilla, Querétaro, cp 76230, Mexico.
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49
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Carvalho-Santos Z, Cardoso-Figueiredo R, Elias AP, Tastekin I, Baltazar C, Ribeiro C. Cellular metabolic reprogramming controls sugar appetite in Drosophila. Nat Metab 2020; 2:958-973. [PMID: 32868922 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-020-0266-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cellular metabolic reprogramming is an important mechanism by which cells rewire their metabolism to promote proliferation and cell growth. This process has been mostly studied in the context of tumorigenesis, but less is known about its relevance for nonpathological processes and how it affects whole-animal physiology. Here, we show that metabolic reprogramming in Drosophila female germline cells affects nutrient preferences of animals. Egg production depends on the upregulation of the activity of the pentose phosphate pathway in the germline, which also specifically increases the animal's appetite for sugar, the key nutrient fuelling this metabolic pathway. We provide functional evidence that the germline alters sugar appetite by regulating the expression of the fat-body-secreted satiety factor Fit. Our findings demonstrate that the cellular metabolic program of a small set of cells is able to increase the animal's preference for specific nutrients through inter-organ communication to promote specific metabolic and cellular outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zita Carvalho-Santos
- Behavior and Metabolism Laboratory, Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Rita Cardoso-Figueiredo
- Behavior and Metabolism Laboratory, Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ana Paula Elias
- Behavior and Metabolism Laboratory, Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ibrahim Tastekin
- Behavior and Metabolism Laboratory, Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Célia Baltazar
- Behavior and Metabolism Laboratory, Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Carlos Ribeiro
- Behavior and Metabolism Laboratory, Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal.
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50
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Henriques SF, Dhakan DB, Serra L, Francisco AP, Carvalho-Santos Z, Baltazar C, Elias AP, Anjos M, Zhang T, Maddocks ODK, Ribeiro C. Metabolic cross-feeding in imbalanced diets allows gut microbes to improve reproduction and alter host behaviour. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4236. [PMID: 32843654 PMCID: PMC7447780 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18049-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The impact of commensal bacteria on the host arises from complex microbial-diet-host interactions. Mapping metabolic interactions in gut microbial communities is therefore key to understand how the microbiome influences the host. Here we use an interdisciplinary approach including isotope-resolved metabolomics to show that in Drosophila melanogaster, Acetobacter pomorum (Ap) and Lactobacillus plantarum (Lp) a syntrophic relationship is established to overcome detrimental host diets and identify Ap as the bacterium altering the host's feeding decisions. Specifically, we show that Ap uses the lactate produced by Lp to supply amino acids that are essential to Lp, allowing it to grow in imbalanced diets. Lactate is also necessary and sufficient for Ap to alter the fly's protein appetite. Our data show that gut bacterial communities use metabolic interactions to become resilient to detrimental host diets. These interactions also ensure the constant flow of metabolites used by the microbiome to alter reproduction and host behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sílvia F Henriques
- Behavior and Metabolism Laboratory, Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, 1400-038, Portugal
| | - Darshan B Dhakan
- Behavior and Metabolism Laboratory, Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, 1400-038, Portugal
| | - Lúcia Serra
- Behavior and Metabolism Laboratory, Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, 1400-038, Portugal
| | - Ana Patrícia Francisco
- Behavior and Metabolism Laboratory, Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, 1400-038, Portugal
| | - Zita Carvalho-Santos
- Behavior and Metabolism Laboratory, Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, 1400-038, Portugal
| | - Célia Baltazar
- Behavior and Metabolism Laboratory, Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, 1400-038, Portugal
| | - Ana Paula Elias
- Behavior and Metabolism Laboratory, Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, 1400-038, Portugal
| | - Margarida Anjos
- Behavior and Metabolism Laboratory, Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, 1400-038, Portugal
| | - Tong Zhang
- University of Glasgow Institute of Cancer Sciences, Switchback Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
| | - Oliver D K Maddocks
- University of Glasgow Institute of Cancer Sciences, Switchback Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
| | - Carlos Ribeiro
- Behavior and Metabolism Laboratory, Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, 1400-038, Portugal.
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