1
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Yoshii T, Saito A, Yokosako T. A four-oscillator model of seasonally adapted morning and evening activities in Drosophila melanogaster. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2024; 210:527-534. [PMID: 37217625 PMCID: PMC11226490 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-023-01639-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster exhibits two activity peaks, one in the morning and another in the evening. Because the two peaks change phase depending on the photoperiod they are exposed to, they are convenient for studying responses of the circadian clock to seasonal changes. To explain the phase determination of the two peaks, Drosophila researchers have employed the two-oscillator model, in which two oscillators control the two peaks. The two oscillators reside in different subsets of neurons in the brain, which express clock genes, the so-called clock neurons. However, the mechanism underlying the activity of the two peaks is complex and requires a new model for mechanistic exploration. Here, we hypothesize a four-oscillator model that controls the bimodal rhythms. The four oscillators that reside in different clock neurons regulate activity in the morning and evening and sleep during the midday and at night. In this way, bimodal rhythms are formed by interactions among the four oscillators (two activity and two sleep oscillators), which may judiciously explain the flexible waveform of activity rhythms under different photoperiod conditions. Although still hypothetical, this model would provide a new perspective on the seasonal adaptation of the two activity peaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taishi Yoshii
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Tsushima-Naka 3-1, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan.
| | - Aika Saito
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Tsushima-Naka 3-1, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Yokosako
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Tsushima-Naka 3-1, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan
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2
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Tabuchi M. Dynamic neuronal instability generates synaptic plasticity and behavior: Insights from Drosophila sleep. Neurosci Res 2024; 198:1-7. [PMID: 37385545 PMCID: PMC11033711 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2023.06.009] [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: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
How do neurons encode the information that underlies cognition, internal states, and behavior? This review focuses on the neural circuit mechanisms underlying sleep in Drosophila and, to illustrate the power of addressing neural coding in this system, highlights a specific circuit mediating the circadian regulation of sleep quality. This circuit exhibits circadian cycling of sleep quality, which depends solely on the pattern (not the rate) of spiking. During the night, the stability of spike waveforms enhances the reliability of spike timing in these neurons to promote sleep quality. During the day, instability of the spike waveforms leads to uncertainty of spike timing, which remarkably produces synaptic plasticity to induce arousal. Investigation of the molecular and biophysical basis of these changes was greatly facilitated by its study in Drosophila, revealing direct connections between genes, molecules, spike biophysical properties, neural codes, synaptic plasticity, and behavior. Furthermore, because these patterns of neural activity change with aging, this model system holds promise for understanding the interplay between the circadian clock, aging, and sleep quality. It is proposed here that neurophysiological investigations of the Drosophila brain present an exceptional opportunity to tackle some of the most challenging questions related to neural coding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masashi Tabuchi
- Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, United States.
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3
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Zhou F, Tichy AM, Imambocus BN, Sakharwade S, Rodriguez Jimenez FJ, González Martínez M, Jahan I, Habib M, Wilhelmy N, Burre V, Lömker T, Sauter K, Helfrich-Förster C, Pielage J, Grunwald Kadow IC, Janovjak H, Soba P. Optimized design and in vivo application of optogenetically functionalized Drosophila dopamine receptors. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8434. [PMID: 38114457 PMCID: PMC10730509 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43970-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuromodulatory signaling via G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) plays a pivotal role in regulating neural network function and animal behavior. The recent development of optogenetic tools to induce G protein-mediated signaling provides the promise of acute and cell type-specific manipulation of neuromodulatory signals. However, designing and deploying optogenetically functionalized GPCRs (optoXRs) with accurate specificity and activity to mimic endogenous signaling in vivo remains challenging. Here we optimize the design of optoXRs by considering evolutionary conserved GPCR-G protein interactions and demonstrate the feasibility of this approach using two Drosophila Dopamine receptors (optoDopRs). These optoDopRs exhibit high signaling specificity and light sensitivity in vitro. In vivo, we show receptor and cell type-specific effects of dopaminergic signaling in various behaviors, including the ability of optoDopRs to rescue the loss of the endogenous receptors. This work demonstrates that optoXRs can enable optical control of neuromodulatory receptor-specific signaling in functional and behavioral studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangmin Zhou
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
- LIMES Institute, Department of Molecular Brain Physiology and Behavior, University of Bonn, Carl-Troll-Str. 31, 53115, Bonn, Germany
- Neuronal Patterning and Connectivity laboratory, Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Alexandra-Madelaine Tichy
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI), Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, 3800, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory Australia (EMBL Australia), Monash University, 3800, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Bibi Nusreen Imambocus
- LIMES Institute, Department of Molecular Brain Physiology and Behavior, University of Bonn, Carl-Troll-Str. 31, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Shreyas Sakharwade
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
- LIMES Institute, Department of Molecular Brain Physiology and Behavior, University of Bonn, Carl-Troll-Str. 31, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Francisco J Rodriguez Jimenez
- Institute of Physiology II, University Clinic Bonn (UKB), University of Bonn, 53115, Bonn, Germany
- ZIEL-Institute of Life and Health, Technical University of Munich, School of Life Sciences, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Marco González Martínez
- Institute of Physiology II, University Clinic Bonn (UKB), University of Bonn, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Ishrat Jahan
- Institute of Physiology II, University Clinic Bonn (UKB), University of Bonn, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Margarita Habib
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Nina Wilhelmy
- Division of Neurobiology and Zoology, RPTU University of Kaiserslautern, 67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Vanessa Burre
- Division of Neurobiology and Zoology, RPTU University of Kaiserslautern, 67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Tatjana Lömker
- Neuronal Patterning and Connectivity laboratory, Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Kathrin Sauter
- Neuronal Patterning and Connectivity laboratory, Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Jan Pielage
- Division of Neurobiology and Zoology, RPTU University of Kaiserslautern, 67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Ilona C Grunwald Kadow
- Institute of Physiology II, University Clinic Bonn (UKB), University of Bonn, 53115, Bonn, Germany
- ZIEL-Institute of Life and Health, Technical University of Munich, School of Life Sciences, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Harald Janovjak
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI), Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, 3800, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory Australia (EMBL Australia), Monash University, 3800, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, 5042, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
| | - Peter Soba
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
- LIMES Institute, Department of Molecular Brain Physiology and Behavior, University of Bonn, Carl-Troll-Str. 31, 53115, Bonn, Germany.
- Neuronal Patterning and Connectivity laboratory, Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251, Hamburg, Germany.
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4
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Xiao N, Xu S, Li ZK, Tang M, Mao R, Yang T, Ma SX, Wang PH, Li MT, Sunilkumar A, Rouyer F, Cao LH, Luo DG. A single photoreceptor splits perception and entrainment by cotransmission. Nature 2023; 623:562-570. [PMID: 37880372 PMCID: PMC10651484 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06681-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Vision enables both image-forming perception, driven by a contrast-based pathway, and unconscious non-image-forming circadian photoentrainment, driven by an irradiance-based pathway1,2. Although two distinct photoreceptor populations are specialized for each visual task3-6, image-forming photoreceptors can additionally contribute to photoentrainment of the circadian clock in different species7-15. However, it is unknown how the image-forming photoreceptor pathway can functionally implement the segregation of irradiance signals required for circadian photoentrainment from contrast signals required for image perception. Here we report that the Drosophila R8 photoreceptor separates image-forming and irradiance signals by co-transmitting two neurotransmitters, histamine and acetylcholine. This segregation is further established postsynaptically by histamine-receptor-expressing unicolumnar retinotopic neurons and acetylcholine-receptor-expressing multicolumnar integration neurons. The acetylcholine transmission from R8 photoreceptors is sustained by an autocrine negative feedback of the cotransmitted histamine during the light phase of light-dark cycles. At the behavioural level, elimination of histamine and acetylcholine transmission impairs R8-driven motion detection and circadian photoentrainment, respectively. Thus, a single type of photoreceptor can achieve the dichotomy of visual perception and circadian photoentrainment as early as the first visual synapses, revealing a simple yet robust mechanism to segregate and translate distinct sensory features into different animal behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ze-Kai Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Min Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Renbo Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Tian Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Si-Xing Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Peng-Hao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Meng-Tong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ajay Sunilkumar
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - François Rouyer
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Li-Hui Cao
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Dong-Gen Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China.
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5
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Kobayashi R, Nakane S, Tomita J, Funato H, Yanagisawa M, Kume K. A phosphorylation-deficient mutant of Sik3, a homolog of Sleepy, alters circadian sleep regulation by PDF neurons in Drosophila. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1181555. [PMID: 37662102 PMCID: PMC10469759 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1181555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Sleep behavior has been observed from non-vertebrates to humans. Sleepy mutation in mice resulted in a notable increase in sleep and was identified as an exon-skipping mutation of the salt-inducible kinase 3 (Sik3) gene, conserved among animals. The skipped exon includes a serine residue that is phosphorylated by protein kinase A. Overexpression of a mutant gene with the conversion of this serine into alanine (Sik3-SA) increased sleep in both mice and the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. However, the mechanism by which Sik3-SA increases sleep remains unclear. Here, we found that Sik3-SA overexpression in all neurons increased sleep under both light-dark (LD) conditions and constant dark (DD) conditions in Drosophila. Additionally, overexpression of Sik3-SA only in PDF neurons, which are a cluster of clock neurons regulating the circadian rhythm, increased sleep during subjective daytime while decreasing the amplitude of circadian rhythm. Furthermore, suppressing Sik3-SA overexpression specifically in PDF neurons in flies overexpressing Sik3-SA in all neurons reversed the sleep increase during subjective daytime. These results indicate that Sik3-SA alters the circadian function of PDF neurons and leads to an increase in sleep during subjective daytime under constant dark conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riho Kobayashi
- Department of Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Shin Nakane
- Department of Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Jun Tomita
- Department of Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hiromasa Funato
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
- School of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masashi Yanagisawa
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Kume
- Department of Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Japan
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6
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Richhariya S, Shin D, Le JQ, Rosbash M. Dissecting neuron-specific functions of circadian genes using modified cell-specific CRISPR approaches. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2303779120. [PMID: 37428902 PMCID: PMC10629539 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2303779120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Circadian behavioral rhythms in Drosophila melanogaster are regulated by about 75 pairs of brain neurons. They all express the core clock genes but have distinct functions and gene expression profiles. To understand the importance of these distinct molecular programs, neuron-specific gene manipulations are essential. Although RNAi based methods are standard to manipulate gene expression in a cell-specific manner, they are often ineffective, especially in assays involving smaller numbers of neurons or weaker Gal4 drivers. We and others recently exploited a neuron-specific CRISPR-based method to mutagenize genes within circadian neurons. Here, we further explore this approach to mutagenize three well-studied clock genes: the transcription factor gene vrille, the photoreceptor gene Cryptochrome (cry), and the neuropeptide gene Pdf (pigment dispersing factor). The CRISPR-based strategy not only reproduced their known phenotypes but also assigned cry function for different light-mediated phenotypes to discrete, different subsets of clock neurons. We further tested two recently published methods for temporal regulation in adult neurons, inducible Cas9 and the auxin-inducible gene expression system. The results were not identical, but both approaches successfully showed that the adult-specific knockout of the neuropeptide Pdf reproduces the canonical loss-of-function mutant phenotypes. In summary, a CRISPR-based strategy is a highly effective, reliable, and general method to temporally manipulate gene function in specific adult neurons.
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7
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Tsuji M, Nishizuka Y, Emoto K. Threat gates visual aversion via theta activity in Tachykinergic neurons. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3987. [PMID: 37443364 PMCID: PMC10345120 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39667-z] [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: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals must adapt sensory responses to an ever-changing environment for survival. Such sensory modulation is especially critical in a threatening situation, in which animals often promote aversive responses to, among others, visual stimuli. Recently, threatened Drosophila has been shown to exhibit a defensive internal state. Whether and how threatened Drosophila promotes visual aversion, however, remains elusive. Here we report that mechanical threats to Drosophila transiently gate aversion from an otherwise neutral visual object. We further identified the neuropeptide tachykinin, and a single cluster of neurons expressing it ("Tk-GAL42 ∩ Vglut neurons"), that are responsible for gating visual aversion. Calcium imaging analysis revealed that mechanical threats are encoded in Tk-GAL42 ∩ Vglut neurons as elevated activity. Remarkably, we also discovered that a visual object is encoded in Tk-GAL42 ∩ Vglut neurons as θ oscillation, which is causally linked to visual aversion. Our data reveal how a single cluster of neurons adapt organismal sensory response to a threatening situation through a neuropeptide and a combination of rate/temporal coding schemes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masato Tsuji
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yuto Nishizuka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Kazuo Emoto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
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8
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Au DD, Liu JC, Park SJ, Nguyen TH, Dimalanta M, Foden AJ, Holmes TC. Drosophila photoreceptor systems converge in arousal neurons and confer light responsive robustness. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1160353. [PMID: 37274190 PMCID: PMC10235467 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1160353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Lateral ventral neurons (LNvs) in the fly circadian neural circuit mediate behaviors other than clock resetting, including light-activated acute arousal. Converging sensory inputs often confer functional redundancy. The LNvs have three distinct light input pathways: (1) cell autonomously expressed cryptochrome (CRY), (2) rhodopsin 7 (Rh7), and (3) synaptic inputs from the eyes and other external photoreceptors that express opsins and CRY. We explored the relative photoelectrical and behavioral input contributions of these three photoreceptor systems to determine their functional impact in flies. Patch-clamp electrophysiology measuring light evoked firing frequency (FF) was performed on large LNvs (l-LNvs) in response to UV (365 nm), violet (405 nm), blue (450 nm), or red (635 nm) LED light stimulation, testing controls versus mutants that lack photoreceptor inputs gl60j, cry-null, rh7-null, and double mutant gl60j-cry-null flies. For UV, violet, and blue short wavelength light inputs, all photoreceptor mutants show significantly attenuated action potential FF responses measured in the l-LNv. In contrast, red light FF responses are only significantly attenuated in double mutant gl60j-cry-null flies. We used a light-pulse arousal assay to compare behavioral responses to UV, violet, blue and red light of control and light input mutants, measuring the awakening arousal response of flies during subjective nighttime at two different intensities to capture potential threshold differences (10 and 400 μW/cm2). The light arousal behavioral results are similar to the electrophysiological results, showing significant attenuation of behavioral light responses for mutants compared to control. These results show that the different LNv convergent photoreceptor systems are integrated and together confer functional redundancy for light evoked behavioral arousal.
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Affiliation(s)
- David D. Au
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Jenny C. Liu
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Soo Jee Park
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Thanh H. Nguyen
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Mia Dimalanta
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Alexander J. Foden
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Todd C. Holmes
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Center for Neural Circuit Mapping, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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9
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Mishra S, Sharma N, Singh SK, Lone SR. Peculiar sleep features in sympatric species may contribute to the temporal segregation. J Comp Physiol B 2023; 193:57-70. [PMID: 36271924 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-022-01463-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Sleep is conserved in the animal kingdom and plays a pivotal role in the adaptation of species. Sleep in Drosophila melanogaster is defined as any continuous 5 min of quiescence, shows a prominent siesta, and consolidated nighttime sleep. Here, we analyzed the sleep of two other species D. malerkotliana (DMK) and D. ananassae (DA), and compared it with D. melanogaster (DM). The DMK males and females have siesta like DM. However, unlike DM, flies continue to sleep beyond siesta till the evening. DA has a less prominent siesta compared to DM and DMK. In the morning, DA took a longer time to respond to the lights ON and continued to sleep for at least half an hour. The nighttime sleep of the DA flies is higher than the other two species. Average length of sleep episode is three times more than that of DM and DMK with few wake episodes. Thus, the nighttime sleep of DA males and females is deep and needs exposure to more potent stimuli to wake up relative to the other two species. DA males and females show higher sleep rebound than the other two species, suggesting the robustness of sleep homeostasis. Although total sleep of DMK and DA is similar, DA is a day-active species with highly consolidated night sleep. DMK, like DM, is a crepuscular species with a midday siesta. Thus, our results suggest that temporal partitioning of sleep, in sympatric species may contribute to temporal segregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sukriti Mishra
- Department of Zoology, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab, 151001, India
| | - Nisha Sharma
- Department of Zoology, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab, 151001, India
| | - Sunil Kumar Singh
- Department of Zoology, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab, 151001, India
| | - Shahnaz Rahman Lone
- Department of Zoology, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab, 151001, India.
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10
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Lee H, Lim C. Circadian gating of light-induced arousal in Drosophila sleep. J Neurogenet 2022:1-11. [DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2022.2151596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hoyeon Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Chunghun Lim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, Republic of Korea
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11
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Au DD, Liu JC, Nguyen TH, Foden AJ, Park SJ, Dimalanta M, Yu Z, Holmes TC. Nocturnal mosquito Cryptochrome 1 mediates greater electrophysiological and behavioral responses to blue light relative to diurnal mosquito Cryptochrome 1. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1042508. [PMID: 36532283 PMCID: PMC9749892 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1042508] [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: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Nocturnal Anopheles mosquitoes exhibit strong behavioral avoidance to blue-light while diurnal Aedes mosquitoes are behaviorally attracted to blue-light and a wide range of other wavelengths of light. To determine the molecular mechanism of these effects, we expressed light-sensing Anopheles gambiae (AgCRY1) and Aedes aegypti (AeCRY1) Cryptochrome 1 (CRY) genes under a crypGAL4-24 driver line in a mutant Drosophila genetic background lacking native functional CRY, then tested behavioral and electrophysiological effects of mosquito CRY expression relative to positive and negative CRY control conditions. Neither mosquito CRY stops the circadian clock as shown by robust circadian behavioral rhythmicity in constant darkness in flies expressing either AgCRY1 or AeCRY1. AgCRY1 and AeCRY1 both mediate acute increases in large ventral lateral neuronal firing rate evoked by 450 nm blue-light, corresponding to CRY's peak absorbance in its base state, indicating that both mosquito CRYs are functional, however, AgCRY1 mediates significantly stronger sustained electrophysiological light-evoked depolarization in response to blue-light relative to AeCRY1. In contrast, neither AgCRY1 nor AeCRY1 expression mediates measurable increases in large ventral lateral neuronal firing rates in response to 405 nm violet-light, the peak of the Rhodopsin-7 photoreceptor that is co-expressed in the large lateral ventral neurons. These results are consistent with the known action spectra of type 1 CRYs and lack of response in cry-null controls. AgCRY1 and AeCRY1 expressing flies show behavioral attraction to low intensity blue-light, but AgCRY1 expressing flies show behavioral avoidance to higher intensity blue-light. These results show that nocturnal and diurnal mosquito Cryptochrome 1 proteins mediate differential physiological and behavioral responses to blue-light that are consistent with species-specific mosquito behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- David D. Au
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Jenny C. Liu
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Thanh H. Nguyen
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Alexander J. Foden
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Soo Jee Park
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Mia Dimalanta
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Zhaoxia Yu
- Department of Statistics, Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States,Center for Neural Circuit Mapping, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Todd C. Holmes
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States,Center for Neural Circuit Mapping, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States,*Correspondence: Todd C. Holmes,
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12
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Damulewicz M, Tyszka A, Pyza E. Light exposure during development affects physiology of adults in Drosophila melanogaster. Front Physiol 2022; 13:1008154. [PMID: 36505068 PMCID: PMC9732085 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.1008154] [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: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Light is one of most important factors synchronizing organisms to day/night cycles in the environment. In Drosophila it is received through compound eyes, Hofbauer-Buchner eyelet, ocelli, using phospholipase C-dependent phototransduction and by deep brain photoreceptors, like Cryptochrome. Even a single light pulse during early life induces larval-time memory, which synchronizes the circadian clock and maintains daily rhythms in adult flies. In this study we investigated several processes in adult flies after maintaining their embryos, larvae and pupae in constant darkness (DD) until eclosion. We found that the lack of external light during development affects sleep time, by reduction of night sleep, and in effect shift to the daytime. However, disruption of internal CRY- dependent photoreception annuls this effect. We also observed changes in the expression of genes encoding neurotransmitters and their receptors between flies kept in different light regime. In addition, the lack of light during development results in decreasing size of mushroom bodies, involved in sleep regulation. Taking together, our results show that presence of light during early life plays a key role in brain development and affects adult behavior.
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13
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Tang M, Cao LH, Yang T, Ma SX, Jing BY, Xiao N, Xu S, Leng KR, Yang D, Li MT, Luo DG. An extra-clock ultradian brain oscillator sustains circadian timekeeping. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo5506. [PMID: 36054358 PMCID: PMC10848952 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo5506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The master circadian clock generates 24-hour rhythms to orchestrate daily behavior, even running freely under constant conditions. Traditionally, the master clock is considered self-sufficient in sustaining free-running timekeeping via its cell-autonomous molecular clocks and interneuronal communications within the circadian neural network. Here, we find a set of bona fide ultradian oscillators in the Drosophila brain that support free-running timekeeping, despite being located outside the master clock circuit and lacking clock gene expression. These extra-clock electrical oscillators (xCEOs) generate cell-autonomous ultradian bursts, pacing widespread burst firing and promoting rhythmic resting membrane potentials in clock neurons via parallel monosynaptic connections. Silencing xCEOs disrupts daily electrical rhythms in clock neurons and impairs cycling of neuropeptide pigment dispersing factor, leading to the loss of free-running locomotor rhythms. Together, we conclude that the master clock is not self-sufficient to sustain free-running behavior rhythms but requires additional endogenous inputs to the clock from the extra-clock ultradian brain oscillators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- PTN Graduate Program, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Li-Hui Cao
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Tian Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Si-Xing Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Bi-Yang Jing
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Na Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Shuang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Kang-Rui Leng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Dong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Meng-Tong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Dong-Gen Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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14
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Dopamine and GPCR-mediated modulation of DN1 clock neurons gates the circadian timing of sleep. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2206066119. [PMID: 35969763 PMCID: PMC9407311 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2206066119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuromodulation is essential for adaptive animal behaviors among other physiological processes. It is essential to reliably manipulate neuromodulator pathways to understand their functions in animal physiology. In this study, we generated a CRISPR-Cas9-based guide library to target every G-Protein Coupled Receptor (GPCR) in the Drosophila genome and applied it to the well-studied clock neuron network. Notably, these GPCRs are highly enriched and differentially expressed in this small network, making it an ideal candidate to investigate their function. We cell-type specifically mutated GPCRs highly efficiently with no background gene editing detected. Applying this strategy to a specific node of the clock network revealed a role for dopamine in prolonging daytime sleep, suggesting network-specific functions of dopamine receptors in sleep-wake regulation. The metronome-like circadian regulation of sleep timing must still adapt to an uncertain environment. Recent studies in Drosophila indicate that neuromodulation not only plays a key role in clock neuron synchronization but also affects interactions between the clock network and brain sleep centers. We show here that the targets of neuromodulators, G Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCRs), are highly enriched in the fly brain circadian clock network. Single-cell sequencing indicates that they are not only enriched but also differentially expressed and contribute to clock neuron identity. We generated a comprehensive guide library to mutagenize individual GPCRs in specific neurons and verified the strategy by introducing a targeted sequencing approach. Combined with a behavioral screen, the mutagenesis strategy revealed a role of dopamine in sleep regulation by identifying two dopamine receptors and a clock neuron subpopulation that gate the timing of sleep.
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15
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Inami S, Sato T, Sakai T. Circadian Neuropeptide-Expressing Clock Neurons as Regulators of Long-Term Memory: Molecular and Cellular Perspectives. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:934222. [PMID: 35909447 PMCID: PMC9326319 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.934222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The neuropeptide pigment-dispersing factor (Pdf) is critically involved in the regulation of circadian rhythms in various insects. The function of Pdf in circadian rhythms has been best studied in the fruitfly, i.e., Drosophila melanogaster. Drosophila Pdf is produced in a small subset of circadian clock neurons in the adult brain and functions as a circadian output signal. Recently, however, Pdf has been shown to play important roles not only in regulating circadian rhythms but also in innate and learned behaviors in Drosophila. In this mini-review, we will focus on the current findings that Pdf signaling and Pdf-producing neurons are essential for consolidating and maintaining long-term memory induced by the courtship conditioning in Drosophila and discuss the mechanisms of courtship memory processing through Pdf-producing neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Show Inami
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Tomohito Sato
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takaomi Sakai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
- *Correspondence: Takaomi Sakai
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16
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Liu Z, Jiang L, Li C, Li C, Yang J, Yu J, Mao R, Rao Y. LKB1 Is Physiologically Required for Sleep from Drosophila melanogaster to the Mus musculus. Genetics 2022; 221:6586797. [PMID: 35579349 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Liver Kinase B1 (LKB1) is known as a master kinase for 14 kinases related to the adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Two of them salt inducible kinase 3 (SIK3) and AMPKα have previously been implicated in sleep regulation. We generated loss-of-function (LOF) mutants for Lkb1 in both Drosophila and mice. Sleep, but not circadian rhythms, was reduced in Lkb1-mutant flies and in flies with neuronal deletion of Lkb1. Genetic interactions between Lkb1 and Threonine to Alanine mutation at residue 184 of AMPK in Drosophila sleep or those between Lkb1 and Threonine to Glutamic Acid mutation at residue 196 of SIK3 in Drosophila viability have been observed. Sleep was reduced in mice after virally mediated reduction of Lkb1 in the brain. Electroencephalography (EEG) analysis showed that non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and sleep need were both reduced in Lkb1-mutant mice. These results indicate that LKB1 plays a physiological role in sleep regulation conserved from flies to mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyi Liu
- Peking University-Tsinghua University-National Institute of Biological Sciences Joint Graduate Program, School of Life Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
- Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing, China
| | - Lifen Jiang
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Chaoyi Li
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Chengang Li
- Peking University-Tsinghua University-National Institute of Biological Sciences Joint Graduate Program, School of Life Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
- Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing, China
| | - Jingqun Yang
- Peking University-Tsinghua University-National Institute of Biological Sciences Joint Graduate Program, School of Life Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
- Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing, China
| | - Jianjun Yu
- Peking University-Tsinghua University-National Institute of Biological Sciences Joint Graduate Program, School of Life Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
- Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing, China
| | - Renbo Mao
- Peking University-Tsinghua University-National Institute of Biological Sciences Joint Graduate Program, School of Life Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
- Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Rao
- Peking University-Tsinghua University-National Institute of Biological Sciences Joint Graduate Program, School of Life Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
- Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing, China
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17
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Chaturvedi R, Stork T, Yuan C, Freeman MR, Emery P. Astrocytic GABA transporter controls sleep by modulating GABAergic signaling in Drosophila circadian neurons. Curr Biol 2022; 32:1895-1908.e5. [PMID: 35303417 PMCID: PMC9090989 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.02.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A precise balance between sleep and wakefulness is essential to sustain a good quality of life and optimal brain function. GABA is known to play a key and conserved role in sleep control, and GABAergic tone should, therefore, be tightly controlled in sleep circuits. Here, we examined the role of the astrocytic GABA transporter (GAT) in sleep regulation using Drosophila melanogaster. We found that a hypomorphic gat mutation (gat33-1) increased sleep amount, decreased sleep latency, and increased sleep consolidation at night. Interestingly, sleep defects were suppressed when gat33-1 was combined with a mutation disrupting wide-awake (wake), a gene that regulates the cell-surface levels of the GABAA receptor resistance to dieldrin (RDL) in the wake-promoting large ventral lateral neurons (l-LNvs). Moreover, RNAi knockdown of rdl and its modulators dnlg4 and wake in these circadian neurons also suppressed gat33-1 sleep phenotypes. Brain immunohistochemistry showed that GAT-expressing astrocytes were located near RDL-positive l-LNv cell bodies and dendritic processes. We concluded that astrocytic GAT decreases GABAergic tone and RDL activation in arousal-promoting LNvs, thus determining proper sleep amount and quality in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ratna Chaturvedi
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Tobias Stork
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA; Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Chunyan Yuan
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Marc R Freeman
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA; Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Patrick Emery
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
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18
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Buhl E, Kim YA, Parsons T, Zhu B, Santa-Maria I, Lefort R, Hodge JJ. Effects of Eph/ephrin signalling and human Alzheimer's disease-associated EphA1 on behaviour and neurophysiology. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 170:105752. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
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19
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Yang N, Srivastav SP, Rahman R, Ma Q, Dayama G, Li S, Chinen M, Lei EP, Rosbash M, Lau NC. Transposable element landscapes in aging Drosophila. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010024. [PMID: 35239675 PMCID: PMC8893327 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic mechanisms that repress transposable elements (TEs) in young animals decline during aging, as reflected by increased TE expression in aged animals. Does increased TE expression during aging lead to more genomic TE copies in older animals? To address this question, we quantified TE Landscapes (TLs) via whole genome sequencing of young and aged Drosophila strains of wild-type and mutant backgrounds. We quantified TLs in whole flies and dissected brains and validated the feasibility of our approach in detecting new TE insertions in aging Drosophila genomes when small RNA and RNA interference (RNAi) pathways are compromised. We also describe improved sequencing methods to quantify extra-chromosomal DNA circles (eccDNAs) in Drosophila as an additional source of TE copies that accumulate during aging. Lastly, to combat the natural progression of aging-associated TE expression, we show that knocking down PAF1, a conserved transcription elongation factor that antagonizes RNAi pathways, may bolster suppression of TEs during aging and extend lifespan. Our study suggests that in addition to a possible influence by different genetic backgrounds, small RNA and RNAi mechanisms may mitigate genomic TL expansion despite the increase in TE transcripts during aging. Transposable elements, also called transposons, are genetic parasites found in all animal genomes. Normally, transposons are compacted away in silent chromatin in young animals. But, as animals age and transposon-silencing defense mechanisms break down, transposon RNAs accumulate to significant levels in old animals like fruit flies. An open question is whether the increased levels of transposon RNAs in older animals also correspond to increased genomic copies of transposons. This study approached this question by sequencing the whole genomes of young and old wild-type and mutant flies lacking a functional RNA interference (RNAi) pathway, which naturally silences transposon RNAs. Although the wild-type flies with intact RNAi activity had little new accumulation of transposon copies, the sequencing approach was able to detect several transposon accumulation occurrences in some RNAi mutants. In addition, we found that some fly transposon families can also accumulate as extra-chromosomal circular DNA copies. Lastly, we showed that genetically augmenting the expression of RNAi factors can counteract the rising transposon RNA levels in aging and promote longevity. This study improves our understanding of the animal host genome relationship with transposons during natural aging processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nachen Yang
- Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Satyam P. Srivastav
- Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Reazur Rahman
- Brandeis University, Department of Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Waltham, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Qicheng Ma
- Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Gargi Dayama
- Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sizheng Li
- Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Madoka Chinen
- Nuclear Organization and Gene Expression Section, NIDDK, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Elissa P. Lei
- Nuclear Organization and Gene Expression Section, NIDDK, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Michael Rosbash
- Brandeis University, Department of Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Waltham, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Nelson C. Lau
- Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Boston University Genome Science Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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20
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Hasebe M, Kotaki T, Shiga S. Pigment-dispersing factor is involved in photoperiodic control of reproduction in the brown-winged green bug, Plautia stali. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 137:104359. [PMID: 35041845 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2022.104359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Animals in temperate regions breed in the appropriate season by sensing seasonal changes through photoperiodism. Many studies suggest the involvement of a circadian clock system in the photoperiodic regulation of reproduction. Pigment-dispersing factor (PDF) is a known brain neuropeptide involved in the circadian control in various insects. Here, we investigated the localization and projection of PDF neurons in the brain and their involvement in the photoperiodic control of reproduction in the females of the brown-winged green bug, Plautia stali. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed a dense cluster of PDF-immunoreactive cells localized in the proximal medulla of the optic lobe, which corresponded to the cluster known as PDFMe cells. PDF-immunoreactive cells projected their fibers to the lamina through the medulla surface. PDF-immunoreactive fibers were also found in the protocerebrum and seemed to connect both PDF cell bodies in the optic lobes. RNA interference-mediated knockdown of pdf inhibited oviposition arrest induced by the transfer from long- to short-day conditions. Additionally, the knockdown of pdf delayed oviposition onset after the change from short- to long-day conditions. In conclusion, the study results indicate that PDF is locally expressed in a cell cluster at the proximal medulla and involved in the photoperiodic control of reproduction in P. stali females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaharu Hasebe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan.
| | - Toyomi Kotaki
- Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Owashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8634, Japan
| | - Sakiko Shiga
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
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21
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Suzuki Y, Kurata Y, Sakai T. Dorsal‐lateral clock neurons modulate consolidation and maintenance of long‐term memory in
Drosophila. Genes Cells 2022; 27:266-279. [DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Suzuki
- Department of Biological Sciences Tokyo Metropolitan University Tokyo 192‐0397 Japan
| | - Yuto Kurata
- Department of Biological Sciences Tokyo Metropolitan University Tokyo 192‐0397 Japan
| | - Takaomi Sakai
- Department of Biological Sciences Tokyo Metropolitan University Tokyo 192‐0397 Japan
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22
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Li Q, Jang H, Lim KY, Lessing A, Stavropoulos N. insomniac links the development and function of a sleep-regulatory circuit. eLife 2021; 10:65437. [PMID: 34908527 PMCID: PMC8758140 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Although many genes are known to influence sleep, when and how they impact sleep-regulatory circuits remain ill-defined. Here, we show that insomniac (inc), a conserved adaptor for the autism-associated Cul3 ubiquitin ligase, acts in a restricted period of neuronal development to impact sleep in adult Drosophila. The loss of inc causes structural and functional alterations within the mushroom body (MB), a center for sensory integration, associative learning, and sleep regulation. In inc mutants, MB neurons are produced in excess, develop anatomical defects that impede circuit assembly, and are unable to promote sleep when activated in adulthood. Our findings link neurogenesis and postmitotic development of sleep-regulatory neurons to their adult function and suggest that developmental perturbations of circuits that couple sensory inputs and sleep may underlie sleep dysfunction in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuling Li
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Hyunsoo Jang
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Kayla Y Lim
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Alexie Lessing
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Nicholas Stavropoulos
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
- Waksman Institute, Rutgers UniversityPiscatawayUnited States
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23
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Consolidation and maintenance of long-term memory involve dual functions of the developmental regulator Apterous in clock neurons and mushroom bodies in the Drosophila brain. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001459. [PMID: 34860826 PMCID: PMC8641882 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Memory is initially labile but can be consolidated into stable long-term memory (LTM) that is stored in the brain for extended periods. Despite recent progress, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the intriguing neurobiological processes of LTM remain incompletely understood. Using the Drosophila courtship conditioning assay as a memory paradigm, here, we show that the LIM homeodomain (LIM-HD) transcription factor Apterous (Ap), which is known to regulate various developmental events, is required for both the consolidation and maintenance of LTM. Interestingly, Ap is involved in these 2 memory processes through distinct mechanisms in different neuronal subsets in the adult brain. Ap and its cofactor Chip (Chi) are indispensable for LTM maintenance in the Drosophila memory center, the mushroom bodies (MBs). On the other hand, Ap plays a crucial role in memory consolidation in a Chi-independent manner in pigment dispersing factor (Pdf)-containing large ventral–lateral clock neurons (l-LNvs) that modulate behavioral arousal and sleep. Since disrupted neurotransmission and electrical silencing in clock neurons impair memory consolidation, Ap is suggested to contribute to the stabilization of memory by ensuring the excitability of l-LNvs. Indeed, ex vivo imaging revealed that a reduced function of Ap, but not Chi, results in exaggerated Cl− responses to the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in l-LNvs, indicating that wild-type (WT) Ap maintains high l-LNv excitability by suppressing the GABA response. Consistently, enhancing the excitability of l-LNvs by knocking down GABAA receptors compensates for the impaired memory consolidation in ap null mutants. Overall, our results revealed unique dual functions of the developmental regulator Ap for LTM consolidation in clock neurons and LTM maintenance in MBs. A neurogenetic study using Drosophila reveals that the centrally expressed LIM-homeodomain transcription factor Apterous plays a crucial neuron-type-dependent role in two different memory processes - consolidation and maintenance of long-term memory.
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24
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Hugin + neurons provide a link between sleep homeostat and circadian clock neurons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2111183118. [PMID: 34782479 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2111183118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep is controlled by homeostatic mechanisms, which drive sleep after wakefulness, and a circadian clock, which confers the 24-h rhythm of sleep. These processes interact with each other to control the timing of sleep in a daily cycle as well as following sleep deprivation. However, the mechanisms by which they interact are poorly understood. We show here that hugin + neurons, previously identified as neurons that function downstream of the clock to regulate rhythms of locomotor activity, are also targets of the sleep homeostat. Sleep deprivation decreases activity of hugin + neurons, likely to suppress circadian-driven activity during recovery sleep, and ablation of hugin + neurons promotes sleep increases generated by activation of the homeostatic sleep locus, the dorsal fan-shaped body (dFB). Also, mutations in peptides produced by the hugin + locus increase recovery sleep following deprivation. Transsynaptic mapping reveals that hugin + neurons feed back onto central clock neurons, which also show decreased activity upon sleep loss, in a Hugin peptide-dependent fashion. We propose that hugin + neurons integrate circadian and sleep signals to modulate circadian circuitry and regulate the timing of sleep.
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25
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Mechanosensory Stimulation via Nanchung Expressing Neurons Can Induce Daytime Sleep in Drosophila. J Neurosci 2021; 41:9403-9418. [PMID: 34635540 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0400-21.2021] [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: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The neuronal and genetic bases of sleep, a phenomenon considered crucial for well-being of organisms, has been under investigation using the model organism Drosophila melanogaster Although sleep is a state where sensory threshold for arousal is greater, it is known that certain kinds of repetitive sensory stimuli, such as rocking, can indeed promote sleep in humans. Here we report that orbital motion-aided mechanosensory stimulation promotes sleep of male and female Drosophila, independent of the circadian clock, but controlled by the homeostatic system. Mechanosensory receptor nanchung (Nan)-expressing neurons in the chordotonal organs mediate this sleep induction: flies in which these neurons are either silenced or ablated display significantly reduced sleep induction on mechanosensory stimulation. Transient activation of the Nan-expressing neurons also enhances sleep levels, confirming the role of these neurons in sleep induction. We also reveal that certain regions of the antennal mechanosensory and motor center in the brain are involved in conveying information from the mechanosensory structures to the sleep centers. Thus, we show, for the first time, that a circadian clock-independent pathway originating from peripherally distributed mechanosensors can promote daytime sleep of flies Drosophila melanogaster SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Our tendency to fall asleep in moving vehicles or the practice of rocking infants to sleep suggests that slow rhythmic movement can induce sleep, although we do not understand the mechanistic basis of this phenomenon. We find that gentle orbital motion can induce behavioral quiescence even in flies, a highly genetically tractable system for sleep studies. We demonstrate that this is indeed true sleep based on its rapid reversibility by sensory stimulation, enhanced arousal threshold, and homeostatic control. Furthermore, we demonstrate that mechanosensory neurons expressing a TRPV channel nanchung, located in the antennae and chordotonal organs, mediate orbital motion-induced sleep by communicating with antennal mechanosensory motor centers, which in turn may project to sleep centers in the brain.
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26
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Ozturk N. Light-dependent reactions of animal circadian photoreceptor cryptochrome. FEBS J 2021; 289:6622-6639. [PMID: 34750956 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Circadian rhythms are endogenous autonomous 24-h oscillations that are generated by a transcription-translation feedback loop (TTFL). In the positive arm of the TTFL, two transcription factors activate the expression of two genes of the negative arm as well as circadian clock-regulated genes. The circadian clocks are reset through photoreceptor proteins by sunlight in the early morning to keep synchrony with the geological clock. Among animal circadian photoreceptors, Drosophila Cryptochrome (DmCRY) has some unique properties because Drosophila has a single cryptochrome (CRY) that appears to have functions which are specific to organs or tissues, or even to a subset of cells. In mammals, CRYs are not photoreceptors but function in the TTFL, while insects have a light-insensitive mammalian-like CRY or a Drosophila-like photoreceptor CRY (or both). Here, we postulate that as being just one CRY in Drosophila, DmCRY might play different roles in different tissues/organs in a context-dependent manner. In addition to being a circadian photoreceptor/protein, attributing also a magnetoreception function to DmCRY has increased its workload. Considering that DmCRY senses photons as a photoreceptor but also can regulate many different events in a light-dependent manner, differential protein-protein interactions (PPIs) of DmCRY might play a critical role in the generation of such diverse outputs. Therefore, we need to add novel approaches in addition to the current ones to study multiple and context-dependent functions of DmCRY by adopting recently developed techniques. Successful identification of transient/fast PPIs on a scale of minutes would enhance our understanding of light-dependent and/or magnetoreception-associated reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuri Ozturk
- Molecular Biology and Genetics, Gebze Technical University, Turkey
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27
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Krzeptowski W, Walkowicz L, Krzeptowska E, Motta E, Witek K, Szramel J, Al Abaquita T, Baster Z, Rajfur Z, Rosato E, Stratoulias V, Heino TI, Pyza EM. Mesencephalic Astrocyte-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Regulates Morphology of Pigment-Dispersing Factor-Positive Clock Neurons and Circadian Neuronal Plasticity in Drosophila melanogaster. Front Physiol 2021; 12:705183. [PMID: 34646147 PMCID: PMC8502870 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.705183] [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: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mesencephalic Astrocyte-derived Neurotrophic Factor (MANF) is one of a few neurotrophic factors described in Drosophila melanogaster (DmMANF) but its function is still poorly characterized. In the present study we found that DmMANF is expressed in different clusters of clock neurons. In particular, the PDF-positive large (l-LNv) and small (s-LNv) ventral lateral neurons, the CRYPTOCHROME-positive dorsal lateral neurons (LNd), the group 1 dorsal neurons posterior (DN1p) and different tim-positive cells in the fly's visual system. Importantly, DmMANF expression in the ventral lateral neurons is not controlled by the clock nor it affects its molecular mechanism. However, silencing DmMANF expression in clock neurons affects the rhythm of locomotor activity in light:dark and constant darkness conditions. Such phenotypes correlate with abnormal morphology of the dorsal projections of the s-LNv and with reduced arborizations of the l-LNv in the medulla of the optic lobe. Additionally, we show that DmMANF is important for normal morphology of the L2 interneurons in the visual system and for the circadian rhythm in the topology of their dendritic tree. Our results indicate that DmMANF is important not only for the development of neurites but also for maintaining circadian plasticity of neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wojciech Krzeptowski
- Department of Cell Biology and Imaging, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Lucyna Walkowicz
- Department of Cell Biology and Imaging, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Ewelina Krzeptowska
- Department of Cell Biology and Imaging, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Edyta Motta
- Department of Cell Biology and Imaging, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Kacper Witek
- Department of Cell Biology and Imaging, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Joanna Szramel
- Department of Cell Biology and Imaging, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Terence Al Abaquita
- Department of Cell Biology and Imaging, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Zbigniew Baster
- Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Zenon Rajfur
- Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.,Jagiellonian Center of Biomedical Imaging, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Ezio Rosato
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Vassilis Stratoulias
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tapio I Heino
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Elżbieta M Pyza
- Department of Cell Biology and Imaging, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.,Jagiellonian Center of Biomedical Imaging, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
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28
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Decapentaplegic Acutely Defines the Connectivity of Central Pacemaker Neurons in Drosophila. J Neurosci 2021; 41:8338-8350. [PMID: 34429376 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0397-21.2021] [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: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhythmic rest-activity cycles are controlled by an endogenous clock. In Drosophila, this clock resides in ∼150 neurons organized in clusters whose hierarchy changes in response to environmental conditions. The concerted activity of the circadian network is necessary for the adaptive responses to synchronizing environmental stimuli. Thus far, work was devoted to unravel the logic of the coordination of different clusters focusing on neurotransmitters and neuropeptides. We further explored communication in the adult male brain through ligands belonging to the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) pathway. Herein we show that the lateral ventral neurons (LNvs) express the small morphogen decapentaplegic (DPP). DPP expression in the large LNvs triggered a period lengthening phenotype, the downregulation of which caused reduced rhythmicity and affected anticipation at dawn and dusk, underscoring DPP per se conveys time-of-day relevant information. Surprisingly, DPP expression in the large LNvs impaired circadian remodeling of the small LNv axonal terminals, likely through local modulation of the guanine nucleotide exchange factor Trio. These findings open the provocative possibility that the BMP pathway is recruited to strengthen/reduce the connectivity among specific clusters along the day and thus modulate the contribution of the clusters to the circadian network.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The circadian clock relies on the communication between groups of so-called clock neurons to coordinate physiology and behavior to the optimal times across the day, predicting and adapting to a changing environment. The circadian network relies on neurotransmitters and neuropeptides to fine-tune connectivity among clock neurons and thus give rise to a coherent output. Herein we show that decapentaplegic, a ligand belonging to the BMP retrograde signaling pathway required for coordinated growth during development, is recruited by a group of circadian neurons in the adult brain to trigger structural remodeling of terminals on a daily basis.
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29
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Huang H, Possidente DR, Vecsey CG. Optogenetic activation of SIFamide (SIFa) neurons induces a complex sleep-promoting effect in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Physiol Behav 2021; 239:113507. [PMID: 34175361 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113507] [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: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Sleep is a universal and extremely complicated function. Sleep is regulated by two systems-sleep homeostasis and circadian rhythms. In a wide range of species, neuropeptides have been found to play a crucial role in the communication and synchronization between different components of both systems. In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, SIFamide (SIFa) is a neuropeptide that has been reported to be expressed in 4 neurons in the pars intercerebralis (PI) area of the brain. Previous work has shown that transgenic ablation of SIFa neurons, mutation of SIFa itself, or knockdown of SIFa receptors reduces sleep, suggesting that SIFa is sleep-promoting. However, those were all constitutive manipulations that could have affected development or resulted in compensation, so the role of SIFa signaling in sleep regulation during adulthood remains unclear. In the current study, we examined the sleep-promoting effect of SIFa through an optogenetic approach, which allowed for neuronal activation with high temporal resolution, while leaving development unaffected. We found that activation of the red-light sensor Chrimson in SIFa neurons promoted sleep in flies in a sexually dimorphic manner, where the magnitude of the sleep effect was greater in females than in males. Because neuropeptidergic neurons often also release other transmitters, we used RNA interference to knock down SIFa while also optogenetically activating SIFa neurons. SIFa knockdown only partially reduced the magnitude of the sleep effect, suggesting that release of other transmitters may contribute to the sleep induction when SIFa neurons are activated. Video-based analysis showed that activation of SIFa neurons for as brief a period as 1 second was able to decrease walking behavior for minutes after the stimulus. Future studies should aim to identify the transmitters that are utilized by SIFa neurons and characterize their upstream activators and downstream targets. It would also be of interest to determine how acute optogenetic activation of SIFa neurons alters other behaviors that have been linked to SIFa, such as mating and feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoyang Huang
- Neuroscience Program, Skidmore College, 815 N. Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
| | - Debra R Possidente
- Neuroscience Program, Skidmore College, 815 N. Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
| | - Christopher G Vecsey
- Neuroscience Program, Skidmore College, 815 N. Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.
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30
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Integrative Role of 14-3-3ε in Sleep Regulation. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22189748. [PMID: 34575915 PMCID: PMC8467329 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22189748] [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: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep is a crucial factor for health and survival in all animals. In this study, we found by proteomic analysis that some cancer related proteins were impacted by the circadian clock. The 14-3-3ε protein, expression of which is activated by the circadian transcription factor Clock, regulates adult sleep of Drosophila independent of circadian rhythm. Detailed analysis of the sleep regulatory mechanism shows that 14-3-3ε directly targets the Ultrabithorax (Ubx) gene to activate transcription of the pigment dispersing factor (PDF). The dopamine receptor (Dop1R1) and the octopamine receptor (Oamb), are also involved in the 14-3-3ε pathway, which in 14-3-3ε mutant flies causes increases in the dopR1 and OAMB, while downregulation of the DopR1 and Oamb can restore the sleep phenotype caused by the 14-3-3ε mutation. In conclusion, 14-3-3ε is necessary for sleep regulation in Drosophila.
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31
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Dai X, Zhou E, Yang W, Mao R, Zhang W, Rao Y. Molecular resolution of a behavioral paradox: sleep and arousal are regulated by distinct acetylcholine receptors in different neuronal types in Drosophila. Sleep 2021; 44:6119684. [PMID: 33493349 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsab017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Sleep and arousal are both important for animals. The neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) has long been found to promote both sleep and arousal in mammals, an apparent paradox which has also been found to exist in flies, causing much confusion in understanding sleep and arousal. Here, we have systematically studied all 13 ACh receptors (AChRs) in Drosophila to understand mechanisms underlying ACh function in sleep and arousal. We found that exogenous stimuli-induced arousal was decreased in nAChRα3 mutants, whereas sleep was decreased in nAChRα2 and nAChRβ2 mutants. nAChRα3 functions in dopaminergic neurons to promote exogenous stimuli-induced arousal, whereas nAChRα2 and β2 function in octopaminergic neurons to promote sleep. Our studies have revealed that a single transmitter can promote endogenous sleep and exogenous stimuli-induced arousal through distinct receptors in different types of downstream neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xihuimin Dai
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
| | - Enxing Zhou
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Yang
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Renbo Mao
- Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.,National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wenxia Zhang
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Rao
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
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32
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Klose MK, Shaw PJ. Sleep drive reconfigures wake-promoting clock circuitry to regulate adaptive behavior. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001324. [PMID: 34191802 PMCID: PMC8277072 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Circadian rhythms help animals synchronize motivated behaviors to match environmental demands. Recent evidence indicates that clock neurons influence the timing of behavior by differentially altering the activity of a distributed network of downstream neurons. Downstream circuits can be remodeled by Hebbian plasticity, synaptic scaling, and, under some circumstances, activity-dependent addition of cell surface receptors; the role of this receptor respecification phenomena is not well studied. We demonstrate that high sleep pressure quickly reprograms the wake-promoting large ventrolateral clock neurons to express the pigment dispersing factor receptor (PDFR). The addition of this signaling input into the circuit is associated with increased waking and early mating success. The respecification of PDFR in both young and adult large ventrolateral neurons requires 2 dopamine (DA) receptors and activation of the transcriptional regulator nejire (cAMP response element-binding protein [CREBBP]). These data identify receptor respecification as an important mechanism to sculpt circuit function to match sleep levels with demand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus K. Klose
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Paul J. Shaw
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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33
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Nave C, Roberts L, Hwu P, Estrella JD, Vo TC, Nguyen TH, Bui TT, Rindner DJ, Pervolarakis N, Shaw PJ, Leise TL, Holmes TC. Weekend Light Shifts Evoke Persistent Drosophila Circadian Neural Network Desynchrony. J Neurosci 2021; 41:5173-5189. [PMID: 33931552 PMCID: PMC8211545 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3074-19.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We developed a method for single-cell resolution longitudinal bioluminescence imaging of PERIOD (PER) protein and TIMELESS (TIM) oscillations in cultured male adult Drosophila brains that captures circadian circuit-wide cycling under simulated day/night cycles. Light input analysis confirms that CRYPTOCHROME (CRY) is the primary circadian photoreceptor and mediates clock disruption by constant light (LL), and that eye light input is redundant to CRY; 3-h light phase delays (Friday) followed by 3-h light phase advances (Monday morning) simulate the common practice of staying up later at night on weekends, sleeping in later on weekend days then returning to standard schedule Monday morning [weekend light shift (WLS)]. PER and TIM oscillations are highly synchronous across all major circadian neuronal subgroups in unshifted light schedules for 11 d. In contrast, WLS significantly dampens PER oscillator synchrony and rhythmicity in most circadian neurons during and after exposure. Lateral ventral neuron (LNv) oscillations are the first to desynchronize in WLS and the last to resynchronize in WLS. Surprisingly, the dorsal neuron group-3 (DN3s) increase their within-group synchrony in response to WLS. In vivo, WLS induces transient defects in sleep stability, learning, and memory that temporally coincide with circuit desynchrony. Our findings suggest that WLS schedules disrupt circuit-wide circadian neuronal oscillator synchrony for much of the week, thus leading to observed behavioral defects in sleep, learning, and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ceazar Nave
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697
| | - Logan Roberts
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697
| | - Patrick Hwu
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697
| | - Jerson D Estrella
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697
| | - Thanh C Vo
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697
| | - Thanh H Nguyen
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697
| | - Tony Thai Bui
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697
| | - Daniel J Rindner
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697
| | - Nicholas Pervolarakis
- Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697
| | - Paul J Shaw
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Tanya L Leise
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts 01002
| | - Todd C Holmes
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697
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34
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Abstract
Circadian clocks are biochemical time-keeping machines that synchronize animal behavior and physiology with planetary rhythms. In Drosophila, the core components of the clock comprise a transcription/translation feedback loop and are expressed in seven neuronal clusters in the brain. Although it is increasingly evident that the clocks in each of the neuronal clusters are regulated differently, how these clocks communicate with each other across the circadian neuronal network is less clear. Here, we review the latest evidence that describes the physical connectivity of the circadian neuronal network . Using small ventral lateral neurons as a starting point, we summarize how one clock may communicate with another, highlighting the signaling pathways that are both upstream and downstream of these clocks. We propose that additional efforts are required to understand how temporal information generated in each circadian neuron is integrated across a neuronal circuit to regulate rhythmic behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myra Ahmad
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Wanhe Li
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Deniz Top
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
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Jin X, Tian Y, Zhang ZC, Gu P, Liu C, Han J. A subset of DN1p neurons integrates thermosensory inputs to promote wakefulness via CNMa signaling. Curr Biol 2021; 31:2075-2087.e6. [PMID: 33740429 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.02.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Sleep is an essential and evolutionarily conserved behavior that is modulated by many environmental factors. Ambient temperature shifting usually occurs during climatic or seasonal change or travel from high-latitude area to low-latitude area that affects animal physiology. Increasing ambient temperature modulates sleep in both humans and Drosophila. Although several thermosensory molecules and neurons have been identified, the neural mechanisms that integrate temperature sensation into the sleep neural circuit remain poorly understood. Here, we reveal that prolonged increasing of ambient temperature induces a reversible sleep reduction and impaired sleep consolidation in Drosophila via activating the internal thermosensory anterior cells (ACs). ACs form synaptic contacts with a subset of posterior dorsal neuron 1 (DN1p) neurons and release acetylcholine to promote wakefulness. Furthermore, we identify that this subset of DN1ps promotes wakefulness by releasing CNMamide (CNMa) neuropeptides to inhibit the Dh44-positive pars intercerebralis (PI) neurons through CNMa receptors. Our study demonstrates that the AC-DN1p-PI neural circuit is responsible for integrating thermosensory inputs into the sleep neural circuit. Moreover, we identify the CNMa signaling pathway as a newly recognized wakefulness-promoting DN1 pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Jin
- School of Life Science and Technology, the Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou Road, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Yao Tian
- School of Life Science and Technology, the Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou Road, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Zi Chao Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, the Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou Road, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Pengyu Gu
- School of Life Science and Technology, the Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou Road, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Chang Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Junhai Han
- School of Life Science and Technology, the Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou Road, Nanjing 210096, China; Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong 226021, China.
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Oh Y, Lai JSY, Min S, Huang HW, Liberles SD, Ryoo HD, Suh GSB. Periphery signals generated by Piezo-mediated stomach stretch and Neuromedin-mediated glucose load regulate the Drosophila brain nutrient sensor. Neuron 2021; 109:1979-1995.e6. [PMID: 34015253 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Nutrient sensors allow animals to identify foods rich in specific nutrients. The Drosophila nutrient sensor, diuretic hormone 44 (DH44) neurons, helps the fly to detect nutritive sugar. This sensor becomes operational during starvation; however, the mechanisms by which DH44 neurons or other nutrient sensors are regulated remain unclear. Here, we identified two satiety signals that inhibit DH44 neurons: (1) Piezo-mediated stomach/crop stretch after food ingestion and (2) Neuromedin/Hugin neurosecretory neurons in the ventral nerve cord (VNC) activated by an increase in the internal glucose level. A subset of Piezo+ neurons that express DH44 neuropeptide project to the crop. We found that DH44 neuronal activity and food intake were stimulated following a knockdown of piezo in DH44 neurons or silencing of Hugin neurons in the VNC, even in fed flies. Together, we propose that these two qualitatively distinct peripheral signals work in concert to regulate the DH44 nutrient sensor during the fed state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangkyun Oh
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, Department of Cell Biology, New York, NY 10016, USA; Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Jason Sih-Yu Lai
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, Department of Cell Biology, New York, NY 10016, USA; Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Soohong Min
- Harvard Medical School, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Cell Biology, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Huai-Wei Huang
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, Department of Cell Biology, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Stephen D Liberles
- Harvard Medical School, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Cell Biology, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Hyung Don Ryoo
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, Department of Cell Biology, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Greg S B Suh
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, Department of Cell Biology, New York, NY 10016, USA; Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea.
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Song BJ, Sharp SJ, Rogulja D. Daily rewiring of a neural circuit generates a predictive model of environmental light. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/13/eabe4284. [PMID: 33762336 PMCID: PMC7990339 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe4284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral responsiveness to external stimulation is shaped by context. We studied how sensory information can be contextualized, by examining light-evoked locomotor responsiveness of Drosophila relative to time of day. We found that light elicits an acute increase in locomotion (startle) that is modulated in a time-of-day-dependent manner: Startle is potentiated during the nighttime, when light is unexpected, but is suppressed during the daytime. The internal daytime-nighttime context is generated by two interconnected and functionally opposing populations of circadian neurons-LNvs generating the daytime state and DN1as generating the nighttime state. Switching between the two states requires daily remodeling of LNv and DN1a axons such that the maximum presynaptic area in one population coincides with the minimum in the other. We propose that a dynamic model of environmental light resides in the shifting connectivities of the LNv-DN1a circuit, which helps animals evaluate ongoing conditions and choose a behavioral response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan J Song
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Slater J Sharp
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Dragana Rogulja
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Brovkina MV, Duffié R, Burtis AEC, Clowney EJ. Fruitless decommissions regulatory elements to implement cell-type-specific neuronal masculinization. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009338. [PMID: 33600447 PMCID: PMC7924761 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, male-specific splicing and translation of the Fruitless transcription factor (FruM) alters the presence, anatomy, and/or connectivity of >60 types of central brain neurons that interconnect to generate male-typical behaviors. While the indispensable function of FruM in sex-specific behavior has been understood for decades, the molecular mechanisms underlying its activity remain unknown. Here, we take a genome-wide, brain-wide approach to identifying regulatory elements whose activity depends on the presence of FruM. We identify 436 high-confidence genomic regions differentially accessible in male fruitless neurons, validate candidate regions as bona fide, differentially regulated enhancers, and describe the particular cell types in which these enhancers are active. We find that individual enhancers are not activated universally but are dedicated to specific fru+ cell types. Aside from fru itself, genes are not dedicated to or common across the fru circuit; rather, FruM appears to masculinize each cell type differently, by tweaking expression of the same effector genes used in other circuits. Finally, we find FruM motifs enriched among regulatory elements that are open in the female but closed in the male. Together, these results suggest that FruM acts cell-type-specifically to decommission regulatory elements in male fruitless neurons. Courtship behavior in male Drosophila melanogaster is controlled by a well-defined neural circuit that is labeled by the male-specific transcription factor Fruitless (FruM). While FruM is known to change the number, anatomy and connectivity of neurons which comprise the circuit and has been suggested to repress the expression of a few gene targets, the mechanism of how FruM regulates genes across many different kinds of neurons is unknown. Using an approach to identify gene regulatory elements based on their chromatin accessibility states (ATAC-seq), we identified a large set of chromatin accessibility changes downstream of Fruitless. By examining the activity of these regulatory elements in vivo, we found that their activity was 1) sexually dimorphic and 2) specific to a single class of FruM neurons, suggesting that FruM acts on different chromatin targets in different neuron classes comprising the courtship circuit. Further, we found a known FruM-regulated enhancer of the FruM-repressed gene Lgr3 to have closed chromatin specifically in FruM neurons. Combined with an enrichment of FruM motifs in regions which are closed in FruM neurons, we present a mechanism where FruM directs the decommissioning of sex-shared regulatory elements to masculinize neurons in a cell-type specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita V. Brovkina
- Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Rachel Duffié
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Abbigayl E. C. Burtis
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - E. Josephine Clowney
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Kratschmer P, Lowe SA, Buhl E, Chen KF, Kullmann DM, Pittman A, Hodge JJL, Jepson JEC. Impaired Pre-Motor Circuit Activity and Movement in a Drosophila Model of KCNMA1-Linked Dyskinesia. Mov Disord 2021; 36:1158-1169. [PMID: 33449381 PMCID: PMC8248399 DOI: 10.1002/mds.28479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Paroxysmal dyskinesias (PxDs) are characterized by involuntary movements and altered pre‐motor circuit activity. Causative mutations provide a means to understand the molecular basis of PxDs. Yet in many cases, animal models harboring corresponding mutations are lacking. Here we utilize the fruit fly, Drosophila, to study a PxD linked to a gain‐of‐function (GOF) mutation in the KCNMA1/hSlo1 BK potassium channel. Objectives We aimed to recreate the equivalent BK (big potassium) channel mutation in Drosophila. We sought to determine how this mutation altered action potentials (APs) and synaptic release in vivo; to test whether this mutation disrupted pre‐motor circuit function and locomotion; and to define neural circuits involved in locomotor disruption. Methods We generated a knock‐in Drosophila model using homologous recombination. We used electrophysiological recordings and calcium‐imaging to assess AP shape, neurotransmission, and the activity of the larval pre‐motor central pattern generator (CPG). We used video‐tracking and automated systems to measure movement, and developed a genetic method to limit BK channel expression to defined circuits. Results Neuronal APs exhibited reduced width and an enhanced afterhyperpolarization in the PxD model. We identified calcium‐dependent reductions in neurotransmitter release, dysfunction of the CPG, and corresponding alterations in movement, in model larvae. Finally, we observed aberrant locomotion and dyskinesia‐like movements in adult model flies, and partially mapped the impact of GOF BK channels on movement to cholinergic neurons. Conclusion Our model supports a link between BK channel GOF and hyperkinetic movements, and provides a platform to dissect the mechanistic basis of PxDs. © 2021 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Kratschmer
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Simon A Lowe
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Edgar Buhl
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Ko-Fan Chen
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Dimitri M Kullmann
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alan Pittman
- Genetics Research Centre, St George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - James J L Hodge
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - James E C Jepson
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
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High-Frequency Neuronal Bursting is Essential for Circadian and Sleep Behaviors in Drosophila. J Neurosci 2020; 41:689-710. [PMID: 33262246 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2322-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Circadian rhythms have been extensively studied in Drosophila; however, still little is known about how the electrical properties of clock neurons are specified. We have performed a behavioral genetic screen through the downregulation of candidate ion channels in the lateral ventral neurons (LNvs) and show that the hyperpolarization-activated cation current Ih is important for the behaviors that the LNvs influence: temporal organization of locomotor activity, analyzed in males, and sleep, analyzed in females. Using whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology we demonstrate that small LNvs (sLNvs) are bursting neurons, and that Ih is necessary to achieve the high-frequency bursting firing pattern characteristic of both types of LNvs in females. Since firing in bursts has been associated to neuropeptide release, we hypothesized that Ih would be important for LNvs communication. Indeed, herein we demonstrate that Ih is fundamental for the recruitment of pigment dispersing factor (PDF) filled dense core vesicles (DCVs) to the terminals at the dorsal protocerebrum and for their timed release, and hence for the temporal coordination of circadian behaviors.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Ion channels are transmembrane proteins with selective permeability to specific charged particles. The rich repertoire of parameters that may gate their opening state, such as voltage-sensitivity, modulation by second messengers and specific kinetics, make this protein family a determinant of neuronal identity. Ion channel structure is evolutionary conserved between vertebrates and invertebrates, making any discovery easily translatable. Through a screen to uncover ion channels with roles in circadian rhythms, we have identified the Ih channel as an important player in a subset of clock neurons of the fruit fly. We show that lateral ventral neurons (LNvs) need Ih to fire action potentials in a high-frequency bursting mode and that this is important for peptide transport and the control of behavior.
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41
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Blum ID, Keleş MF, Baz ES, Han E, Park K, Luu S, Issa H, Brown M, Ho MCW, Tabuchi M, Liu S, Wu MN. Astroglial Calcium Signaling Encodes Sleep Need in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2020; 31:150-162.e7. [PMID: 33186550 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Sleep is under homeostatic control, whereby increasing wakefulness generates sleep need and triggers sleep drive. However, the molecular and cellular pathways by which sleep need is encoded are poorly understood. In addition, the mechanisms underlying both how and when sleep need is transformed to sleep drive are unknown. Here, using ex vivo and in vivo imaging, we show in Drosophila that astroglial Ca2+ signaling increases with sleep need. We demonstrate that this signaling is dependent on a specific L-type Ca2+ channel and is necessary for homeostatic sleep rebound. Thermogenetically increasing Ca2+ in astrocytes induces persistent sleep behavior, and we exploit this phenotype to conduct a genetic screen for genes required for the homeostatic regulation of sleep. From this large-scale screen, we identify TyrRII, a monoaminergic receptor required in astrocytes for sleep homeostasis. TyrRII levels rise following sleep deprivation in a Ca2+-dependent manner, promoting further increases in astrocytic Ca2+ and resulting in a positive-feedback loop. Moreover, our findings suggest that astrocytes then transmit this sleep need to a sleep drive circuit by upregulating and releasing the interleukin-1 analog Spätzle, which then acts on Toll receptors on R5 neurons. These findings define astroglial Ca2+ signaling mechanisms encoding sleep need and reveal dynamic properties of the sleep homeostatic control system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian D Blum
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Mehmet F Keleş
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - El-Sayed Baz
- VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research and Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Emily Han
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Kristen Park
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Skylar Luu
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Habon Issa
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Matt Brown
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Margaret C W Ho
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Masashi Tabuchi
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Sha Liu
- VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research and Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium.
| | - Mark N Wu
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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Dopamine Signaling in Wake-Promoting Clock Neurons Is Not Required for the Normal Regulation of Sleep in Drosophila. J Neurosci 2020; 40:9617-9633. [PMID: 33172977 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1488-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine is a wake-promoting neuromodulator in mammals and fruit flies. In Drosophila melanogaster, the network of clock neurons that drives sleep/activity cycles comprises both wake-promoting and sleep-promoting cell types. The large ventrolateral neurons (l-LNvs) and small ventrolateral neurons (s-LNvs) have been identified as wake-promoting neurons within the clock neuron network. The l-LNvs are innervated by dopaminergic neurons, and earlier work proposed that dopamine signaling raises cAMP levels in the l-LNvs and thus induces excitatory electrical activity (action potential firing), which results in wakefulness and inhibits sleep. Here, we test this hypothesis by combining cAMP imaging and patch-clamp recordings in isolated brains. We find that dopamine application indeed increases cAMP levels and depolarizes the l-LNvs, but, surprisingly, it does not result in increased firing rates. Downregulation of the excitatory D1-like dopamine receptor (Dop1R1) in the l-LNvs and s-LNvs, but not of Dop1R2, abolished the depolarization of l-LNvs in response to dopamine. This indicates that dopamine signals via Dop1R1 to the l-LNvs. Downregulation of Dop1R1 or Dop1R2 in the l-LNvs and s-LNvs does not affect sleep in males. Unexpectedly, we find a moderate decrease of daytime sleep with downregulation of Dop1R1 and of nighttime sleep with downregulation of Dop1R2. Since the l-LNvs do not use Dop1R2 receptors and the s-LNvs also respond to dopamine, we conclude that the s-LNvs are responsible for the observed decrease in nighttime sleep. In summary, dopamine signaling in the wake-promoting LNvs is not required for daytime arousal, but likely promotes nighttime sleep via the s-LNvs.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In insect and mammalian brains, sleep-promoting networks are intimately linked to the circadian clock, and the mechanisms underlying sleep and circadian timekeeping are evolutionarily ancient and highly conserved. Here we show that dopamine, one important sleep modulator in flies and mammals, plays surprisingly complex roles in the regulation of sleep by clock-containing neurons. Dopamine inhibits neurons in a central brain sleep center to promote sleep and excites wake-promoting circadian clock neurons. It is therefore predicted to promote wakefulness through both of these networks. Nevertheless, our results reveal that dopamine acting on wake-promoting clock neurons promotes sleep, revealing a previously unappreciated complexity in the dopaminergic control of sleep.
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Mazzotta GM, Damulewicz M, Cusumano P. Better Sleep at Night: How Light Influences Sleep in Drosophila. Front Physiol 2020; 11:997. [PMID: 33013437 PMCID: PMC7498665 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Sleep-like states have been described in Drosophila and the mechanisms and factors that generate and define sleep-wake profiles in this model organism are being thoroughly investigated. Sleep is controlled by both circadian and homeostatic mechanisms, and environmental factors such as light, temperature, and social stimuli are fundamental in shaping and confining sleep episodes into the correct time of the day. Among environmental cues, light seems to have a prominent function in modulating the timing of sleep during the 24 h and, in this review, we will discuss the role of light inputs in modulating the distribution of the fly sleep-wake cycles. This phenomenon is of growing interest in the modern society, where artificial light exposure during the night is a common trait, opening the possibility to study Drosophila as a model organism for investigating shift-work disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Milena Damulewicz
- Department of Cell Biology and Imaging, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Paola Cusumano
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
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Damulewicz M, Ispizua JI, Ceriani MF, Pyza EM. Communication Among Photoreceptors and the Central Clock Affects Sleep Profile. Front Physiol 2020; 11:993. [PMID: 32848895 PMCID: PMC7431659 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Light is one of the most important factors regulating rhythmical behavior of Drosophila melanogaster. It is received by different photoreceptors and entrains the circadian clock, which controls sleep. The retina is known to be essential for light perception, as it is composed of specialized light-sensitive cells which transmit signal to deeper parts of the brain. In this study we examined the role of specific photoreceptor types and peripheral oscillators located in these cells in the regulation of sleep pattern. We showed that sleep is controlled by the visual system in a very complex way. Photoreceptors expressing Rh1, Rh3 are involved in night-time sleep regulation, while cells expressing Rh5 and Rh6 affect sleep both during the day and night. Moreover, Hofbauer-Buchner (HB) eyelets which can directly contact with s-LN v s and l-LN v s play a wake-promoting function during the day. In addition, we showed that L2 interneurons, which receive signal from R1-6, form direct synaptic contacts with l-LN v s, which provides new light input to the clock network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Damulewicz
- Department of Cell Biology and Imaging, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Juan I. Ispizua
- Laboratorio de Genética del Comportamiento, Fundación Instituto Leloir, IIBBA-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Maria F. Ceriani
- Laboratorio de Genética del Comportamiento, Fundación Instituto Leloir, IIBBA-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Elzbieta M. Pyza
- Department of Cell Biology and Imaging, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
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Dissel S. Drosophila as a Model to Study the Relationship Between Sleep, Plasticity, and Memory. Front Physiol 2020; 11:533. [PMID: 32547415 PMCID: PMC7270326 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans spend nearly a third of their life sleeping, yet, despite decades of research the function of sleep still remains a mystery. Sleep has been linked with various biological systems and functions, including metabolism, immunity, the cardiovascular system, and cognitive functions. Importantly, sleep appears to be present throughout the animal kingdom suggesting that it must provide an evolutionary advantage. Among the many possible functions of sleep, the relationship between sleep, and cognition has received a lot of support. We have all experienced the negative cognitive effects associated with a night of sleep deprivation. These can include increased emotional reactivity, poor judgment, deficit in attention, impairment in learning and memory, and obviously increase in daytime sleepiness. Furthermore, many neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s disease often have a sleep disorder component. In some cases, the sleep disorder can exacerbate the progression of the neurological disease. Thus, it is clear that sleep plays an important role for many brain functions. In particular, sleep has been shown to play a positive role in the consolidation of long-term memory while sleep deprivation negatively impacts learning and memory. Importantly, sleep is a behavior that is adapted to an individual’s need and influenced by many external and internal stimuli. In addition to being an adaptive behavior, sleep can also modulate plasticity in the brain at the level of synaptic connections between neurons and neuronal plasticity influences sleep. Understanding how sleep is modulated by internal and external stimuli and how sleep can modulate memory and plasticity is a key question in neuroscience. In order to address this question, several animal models have been developed. Among them, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster with its unparalleled genetics has proved to be extremely valuable. In addition to sleep, Drosophila has been shown to be an excellent model to study many complex behaviors, including learning, and memory. This review describes our current knowledge of the relationship between sleep, plasticity, and memory using the fly model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephane Dissel
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, United States
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46
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Fernandez MP, Pettibone HL, Bogart JT, Roell CJ, Davey CE, Pranevicius A, Huynh KV, Lennox SM, Kostadinov BS, Shafer OT. Sites of Circadian Clock Neuron Plasticity Mediate Sensory Integration and Entrainment. Curr Biol 2020; 30:2225-2237.e5. [PMID: 32386535 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Networks of circadian timekeeping in the brain display marked daily changes in neuronal morphology. In Drosophila melanogaster, the striking daily structural remodeling of the dorsal medial termini of the small ventral lateral neurons has long been hypothesized to mediate endogenous circadian timekeeping. To test this model, we have specifically abrogated these sites of daily neuronal remodeling through the reprogramming of neural development and assessed the effects on circadian timekeeping and clock outputs. Remarkably, the loss of these sites has no measurable effects on endogenous circadian timekeeping or on any of the major output functions of the small ventral lateral neurons. Rather, their loss reduces sites of glutamatergic sensory neurotransmission that normally encodes naturalistic time cues from the environment. These results support an alternative model: structural plasticity in critical clock neurons is the basis for proper integration of light and temperature and gates sensory inputs into circadian clock neuron networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria P Fernandez
- Advanced Science Research Center, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York City, NY 10031, USA; Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York City, NY 10027, USA.
| | - Hannah L Pettibone
- Advanced Science Research Center, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York City, NY 10031, USA; Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Joseph T Bogart
- Advanced Science Research Center, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York City, NY 10031, USA
| | - Casey J Roell
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Charles E Davey
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Ausra Pranevicius
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York City, NY 10027, USA
| | - Khang V Huynh
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Sara M Lennox
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Boyan S Kostadinov
- Mathematics Department, NYC College of Technology, City University of New York, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
| | - Orie T Shafer
- Advanced Science Research Center, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York City, NY 10031, USA; Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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47
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Luan H, Kuzin A, Odenwald WF, White BH. Cre-assisted fine-mapping of neural circuits using orthogonal split inteins. eLife 2020; 9:e53041. [PMID: 32286225 PMCID: PMC7217698 DOI: 10.7554/elife.53041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Existing genetic methods of neuronal targeting do not routinely achieve the resolution required for mapping brain circuits. New approaches are thus necessary. Here, we introduce a method for refined neuronal targeting that can be applied iteratively. Restriction achieved at the first step can be further refined in a second step, if necessary. The method relies on first isolating neurons within a targeted group (i.e. Gal4 pattern) according to their developmental lineages, and then intersectionally limiting the number of lineages by selecting only those in which two distinct neuroblast enhancers are active. The neuroblast enhancers drive expression of split Cre recombinase fragments. These are fused to non-interacting pairs of split inteins, which ensure reconstitution of active Cre when all fragments are expressed in the same neuroblast. Active Cre renders all neuroblast-derived cells in a lineage permissive for Gal4 activity. We demonstrate how this system can facilitate neural circuit-mapping in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haojiang Luan
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Mental Health, NIHBethesdaUnited States
| | - Alexander Kuzin
- Neural Cell-Fate Determinants Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIHBethesdaUnited States
| | - Ward F Odenwald
- Neural Cell-Fate Determinants Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIHBethesdaUnited States
| | - Benjamin H White
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Mental Health, NIHBethesdaUnited States
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48
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Menegazzi P, Beer K, Grebler V, Schlichting M, Schubert FK, Helfrich-Förster C. A Functional Clock Within the Main Morning and Evening Neurons of D. melanogaster Is Not Sufficient for Wild-Type Locomotor Activity Under Changing Day Length. Front Physiol 2020; 11:229. [PMID: 32273848 PMCID: PMC7113387 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A major challenge for all organisms that live in temperate and subpolar regions is to adapt physiology and activity to different photoperiods. A long-standing model assumes that there are morning (M) and evening (E) oscillators with different photoreceptive properties that couple to dawn and dusk, respectively, and by this way adjust activity to the different photoperiods. In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, M and E oscillators have been localized to specific circadian clock neurons in the brain. Here, we investigate under different photoperiods the activity pattern of flies expressing the clock protein PERIOD (PER) only in subsets of M and E oscillators. We found that all fly lines that expressed PER only in subsets of the clock neurons had difficulties to track the morning and evening in a wild-type manner. The lack of the E oscillators advanced M activity under short days, whereas the lack of the M oscillators delayed E activity under the same conditions. In addition, we found that flies expressing PER only in subsets of clock neurons showed higher activity levels at certain times of day or night, suggesting that M and E clock neurons might inhibit activity at specific moments throughout the 24 h. Altogether, we show that the proper interaction between all clock cells is important for adapting the flies’ activity to different photoperiods and discuss our findings in the light of the current literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Menegazzi
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Beer
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Verena Grebler
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Schlichting
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Frank K Schubert
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Charlotte Helfrich-Förster
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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49
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Chia J, Scott K. Activation of specific mushroom body output neurons inhibits proboscis extension and sucrose consumption. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0223034. [PMID: 31990947 PMCID: PMC6986700 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to modify behavior based on prior experience is essential to an animal's survival. For example, animals may become attracted to a previously neutral odor or reject a previously appetitive food source based on previous encounters. In Drosophila, the mushroom bodies (MBs) are critical for olfactory associative learning and conditioned taste aversion, but how the output of the MBs affects specific behavioral responses is unresolved. In conditioned taste aversion, Drosophila shows a specific behavioral change upon learning: proboscis extension to sugar is reduced after a sugar stimulus is paired with an aversive stimulus. While studies have identified MB output neurons (MBONs) that drive approach or avoidance behavior, whether the same MBONs impact innate proboscis extension behavior is unknown. Here, we tested the role of MB pathways in altering proboscis extension and identified MBONs that synapse onto multiple MB compartments that upon activation significantly decreased proboscis extension to sugar. Activating several of these lines also decreased sugar consumption, revealing that these MBONs have a general role in modifying feeding behavior beyond proboscis extension. The MBONs that decreased proboscis extension and ingestion are different from those that drive avoidance behavior in another context. These studies provide insight into how activation of MB output neurons decreases proboscis extension to taste compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Chia
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Kristin Scott
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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50
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King AN, Sehgal A. Molecular and circuit mechanisms mediating circadian clock output in the Drosophila brain. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 51:268-281. [PMID: 30059181 PMCID: PMC6353709 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
A central question in the circadian biology field concerns the mechanisms that translate ~24-hr oscillations of the molecular clock into overt rhythms. Drosophila melanogaster is a powerful system that provided the first understanding of how molecular clocks are generated and is now illuminating the neural basis of circadian behavior. The identity of ~150 clock neurons in the Drosophila brain and their roles in shaping circadian rhythms of locomotor activity have been described before. This review summarizes mechanisms that transmit time-of-day signals from the clock, within the clock network as well as downstream of it. We also discuss the identification of functional multisynaptic circuits between clock neurons and output neurons that regulate locomotor activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna N. King
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | - Amita Sehgal
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
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