1
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Polizos NT, Dancausse S, Rios C, Klein M. Drosophila larvae form appetitive and aversive associative memory in response to thermal conditioning. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0303955. [PMID: 39316589 PMCID: PMC11421805 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 09/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Organisms have evolved the ability to detect, process, and respond to many different surrounding stimuli in order to successfully navigate their environments. Sensory experiences can also be stored and referenced in the form of memory. The Drosophila larva is a simple model organism that can store associative memories during classical conditioning, and is well-suited for studying learning and memory at a fundamental level. Much progress has been made in understanding larval learning behavior and the associated neural circuitry for olfactory conditioning, but other sensory systems are relatively unexplored. Here, we investigate memory formation in larvae treated with a temperature-based associative conditioning protocol, pairing normally neutral temperatures with appetitive (fructose, FRU) or aversive (salt, NaCl) stimuli. We test associative memory using thermal gradient geometries, and quantify navigation strength towards or away from conditioned temperatures. We find that larvae demonstrate short-term associative learning. They navigate towards warmer or cooler temperatures paired with FRU, and away from warmer or cooler temperatures paired with NaCl. These results, especially when combined with future investigations of thermal memory circuitry in larvae, should provide broader insight into how sensory stimuli are encoded and retrieved in insects and more complex systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos T. Polizos
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America
- Department of Physics University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America
| | - Stephanie Dancausse
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America
- Department of Physics University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America
| | - Consuelo Rios
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America
- Department of Physics University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America
| | - Mason Klein
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America
- Department of Physics University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America
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2
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Bai H, Naidu T, Anderson JB, Montemayor H, Do C, Ni L. The impacts of hypertonic conditions on Drosophila larval cool cells. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1347460. [PMID: 39381503 PMCID: PMC11459462 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1347460] [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: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2024] [Indexed: 10/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster exhibits multiple highly sophisticated temperature-sensing systems, enabling its effective response and navigation to temperature changes. Previous research has identified three dorsal organ cool cells (DOCCs) in fly larvae, consisting of two A-type and one B-type cell with distinct calcium dynamics. When subjected to hypertonic conditions, calcium imaging shows that A-type DOCCs maintain their responses to cool temperatures. In contrast, a subset of B-type DOCCs does not exhibit detectable GCaMP baseline signals, and the remaining detectable B-type DOCCs exhibit reduced temperature responses. The activation of both A-type and B-type DOCCs depends on the same members of the ionotropic receptor (IR) family: IR21a, IR93a, and IR25a. A-type DOCCs exhibit a higher somal level of IR93a than B-type DOCCs. Overexpression of Ir93a restores B-type calcium responses to cool temperatures, but not the proportion of B-type cells with a detectable GCaMP baseline, in a hypertonic environment, suggesting a selective role of IR93a in maintaining the temperature responses under hypertonic conditions. Our findings identify a novel function of B-type DOCCs in integrating temperature and tonic stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Lina Ni
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States
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3
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Liénard MA, Baez-Nieto D, Tsai CC, Valencia-Montoya WA, Werin B, Johanson U, Lassance JM, Pan JQ, Yu N, Pierce NE. TRPA5 encodes a thermosensitive ankyrin ion channel receptor in a triatomine insect. iScience 2024; 27:109541. [PMID: 38577108 PMCID: PMC10993193 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109541] [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: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
As ectotherms, insects need heat-sensitive receptors to monitor environmental temperatures and facilitate thermoregulation. We show that TRPA5, a class of ankyrin transient receptor potential (TRP) channels absent in dipteran genomes, may function as insect heat receptors. In the triatomine bug Rhodnius prolixus (order: Hemiptera), a vector of Chagas disease, the channel RpTRPA5B displays a uniquely high thermosensitivity, with biophysical determinants including a large channel activation enthalpy change (72 kcal/mol), a high temperature coefficient (Q10 = 25), and in vitro temperature-induced currents from 53°C to 68°C (T0.5 = 58.6°C), similar to noxious TRPV receptors in mammals. Monomeric and tetrameric ion channel structure predictions show reliable parallels with fruit fly dTRPA1, with structural uniqueness in ankyrin repeat domains, the channel selectivity filter, and potential TRP functional modulator regions. Overall, the finding of a member of TRPA5 as a temperature-activated receptor illustrates the diversity of insect molecular heat detectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjorie A. Liénard
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - David Baez-Nieto
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Cheng-Chia Tsai
- Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Wendy A. Valencia-Montoya
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Balder Werin
- Division of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Urban Johanson
- Division of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Jean-Marc Lassance
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Neuroethology, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Jen Q. Pan
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Nanfang Yu
- Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Naomi E. Pierce
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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4
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Li Q, Chen L, Yang L, Zhang P. FA2H controls cool temperature sensing through modifying membrane sphingolipids in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2024; 34:997-1009.e6. [PMID: 38359821 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.01.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Animals have evolved the ability to detect ambient temperatures, allowing them to search for optimal living environments. In search of the molecules responsible for cold-sensing, we examined a Gal4 insertion line in the larvae of Drosophila melanogaster from previous screening work, which has a specific expression pattern in the cooling cells (CCs). We identified that the targeted gene, fa2h, which encodes a fatty acid 2-hydroxylase, plays an important role in cool temperature sensing. We found that fa2h mutants exhibit defects in cool avoidance behavior and that this phenotype could be rescued by genetically re-introducing the wild-type version of FA2H in CCs but not the enzymatically disabled point mutation version. Calcium imaging data showed that CCs require fa2h to respond to cool temperature. Lipidomic analysis revealed that the 2-hydroxy sphingolipids content in the cell membranes diminished in fa2h mutants, resulting in increased fluidity of CC neuron membranes. Furthermore, in mammalian systems, we showed that FA2H strongly regulates the function of the TRPV4 channel in response to its agonist treatment and warming. Taken together, our study has uncovered a novel role of FA2H in temperature sensing and has provided new insights into the link between membrane lipid composition and the function of temperature-sensing ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaoran Li
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310003, China.
| | - Limin Chen
- The Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310003, China
| | - Libo Yang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310003, China
| | - Pumin Zhang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310003, China; The Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310003, China.
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5
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Berni J. How larvae feel the world around them. eLife 2024; 13:e96708. [PMID: 38456840 PMCID: PMC10923558 DOI: 10.7554/elife.96708] [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] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
A complete map of the external sense organs shows how fruit fly larvae detect different aspects of their environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimena Berni
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of SussexBrightonUnited Kingdom
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6
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Chiang MH, Lin YC, Wu T, Wu CL. Thermosensation and Temperature Preference: From Molecules to Neuronal Circuits in Drosophila. Cells 2023; 12:2792. [PMID: 38132112 PMCID: PMC10741703 DOI: 10.3390/cells12242792] [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: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Temperature has a significant effect on all physiological processes of animals. Suitable temperatures promote responsiveness, movement, metabolism, growth, and reproduction in animals, whereas extreme temperatures can cause injury or even death. Thus, thermosensation is important for survival in all animals. However, mechanisms regulating thermosensation remain unexplored, mostly because of the complexity of mammalian neural circuits. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster achieves a desirable body temperature through ambient temperature fluctuations, sunlight exposure, and behavioral strategies. The availability of extensive genetic tools and resources for studying Drosophila have enabled scientists to unravel the mechanisms underlying their temperature preference. Over the past 20 years, Drosophila has become an ideal model for studying temperature-related genes and circuits. This review provides a comprehensive overview of our current understanding of thermosensation and temperature preference in Drosophila. It encompasses various aspects, such as the mechanisms by which flies sense temperature, the effects of internal and external factors on temperature preference, and the adaptive strategies employed by flies in extreme-temperature environments. Understanding the regulating mechanisms of thermosensation and temperature preference in Drosophila can provide fundamental insights into the underlying molecular and neural mechanisms that control body temperature and temperature-related behavioral changes in other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Hsuan Chiang
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan; (M.-H.C.); (Y.-C.L.)
| | - Yu-Chun Lin
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan; (M.-H.C.); (Y.-C.L.)
| | - Tony Wu
- Department of Neurology, New Taipei Municipal TuCheng Hospital, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City 23652, Taiwan;
| | - Chia-Lin Wu
- Department of Neurology, New Taipei Municipal TuCheng Hospital, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City 23652, Taiwan;
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
- Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
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7
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Evans A, Ferrer AJ, Fradkov E, Shomar JW, Forer J, Klein M. Temperature sensitivity and temperature response across development in the Drosophila larva. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1275469. [PMID: 37965044 PMCID: PMC10641456 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1275469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The surrounding thermal environment is highly important for the survival and fitness of animals, and as a result most exhibit behavioral and neural responses to temperature changes. We study signals generated by thermosensory neurons in Drosophila larvae and also the physical and sensory effects of temperature variation on locomotion and navigation. In particular we characterize how sensory neuronal and behavioral responses to temperature variation both change across the development of the larva. Looking at a wide range of non-nociceptive isotropic thermal environments, we characterize the dependence of speed, turning rate, and other behavioral components on temperature, distinguishing the physical effects of temperature from behavior changes based on sensory processing. We also characterize the strategies larvae use to modulate individual behavioral components to produce directed navigation along thermal gradients, and how these strategies change during physical development. Simulations based on modified random walks show where thermotaxis in each developmental stage fits into the larger context of possible navigation strategies. We also investigate cool sensing neurons in the larva's dorsal organ ganglion, characterizing neural response to sine-wave modulation of temperature while performing single-cell-resolution 3D imaging. We determine the sensitivity of these neurons, which produce signals in response to extremely small temperature changes. Combining thermotaxis results with neurophysiology data, we observe, across development, sensitivity to temperature change as low as a few thousandths of a °C per second, or a few hundredths of a °C in absolute temperature change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasiia Evans
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
| | - Anggie J. Ferrer
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
| | - Erica Fradkov
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
| | - Joseph W. Shomar
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
| | - Josh Forer
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
| | - Mason Klein
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
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8
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Berne A, Zhang T, Shomar J, Ferrer AJ, Valdes A, Ohyama T, Klein M. Mechanical vibration patterns elicit behavioral transitions and habituation in crawling Drosophila larvae. eLife 2023; 12:e69205. [PMID: 37855833 PMCID: PMC10586805 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69205] [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: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
How animals respond to repeatedly applied stimuli, and how animals respond to mechanical stimuli in particular, are important questions in behavioral neuroscience. We study adaptation to repeated mechanical agitation using the Drosophila larva. Vertical vibration stimuli elicit a discrete set of responses in crawling larvae: continuation, pause, turn, and reversal. Through high-throughput larva tracking, we characterize how the likelihood of each response depends on vibration intensity and on the timing of repeated vibration pulses. By examining transitions between behavioral states at the population and individual levels, we investigate how the animals habituate to the stimulus patterns. We identify time constants associated with desensitization to prolonged vibration, with re-sensitization during removal of a stimulus, and additional layers of habituation that operate in the overall response. Known memory-deficient mutants exhibit distinct behavior profiles and habituation time constants. An analogous simple electrical circuit suggests possible neural and molecular processes behind adaptive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Berne
- Department of Physics, Department of Biology, University of MiamiCoral GablesUnited States
| | - Tom Zhang
- Department of Physics, Department of Biology, University of MiamiCoral GablesUnited States
| | - Joseph Shomar
- Department of Physics, Department of Biology, University of MiamiCoral GablesUnited States
| | - Anggie J Ferrer
- Department of Physics, Department of Biology, University of MiamiCoral GablesUnited States
| | - Aaron Valdes
- Department of Physics, Department of Biology, University of MiamiCoral GablesUnited States
| | - Tomoko Ohyama
- Department of Biology, McGill UniversityMontrealCanada
| | - Mason Klein
- Department of Physics, Department of Biology, University of MiamiCoral GablesUnited States
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9
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Zhong G, Kroo L, Prakash M. Thermotaxis in an apolar, non-neuronal animal. J R Soc Interface 2023; 20:20230279. [PMID: 37700707 PMCID: PMC10498350 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2023.0279] [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: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuronal circuits are hallmarks of complex decision-making processes in the animal world. How animals without neurons process information and respond to environmental cues promises a new window into studying precursors of neuronal control and origin of the nervous system as we know it today. Robust decision making in animals, such as in chemotaxis or thermotaxis, often requires internal symmetry breaking (such as anterior-posterior (AP) axis) provided naturally by a given body plan of an animal. Here we report the discovery of robust thermotaxis behaviour in Trichoplax adhaerens, an early-divergent, enigmatic animal with no anterior-posterior symmetry breaking (apolar) and no known neurons or muscles. We present a quantitative and robust behavioural response assay in Placozoa, which presents an apolar flat geometry. By exposing T. adhaerens to a thermal gradient under a long-term imaging set-up, we observe robust thermotaxis that occurs over timescale of hours, independent of any circadian rhythms. We quantify that T. adhaerens can detect thermal gradients of at least 0.1°C cm-1. Positive thermotaxis is observed for a range of baseline temperatures from 17°C to 22.5°C, and distributions of momentary speeds for both thermotaxis and control conditions are well described by single exponential fits. Interestingly, the organism does not maintain a fixed orientation while performing thermotaxis. Using natural diversity in size of adult organisms (100 µm to a few millimetres), we find no apparent size-dependence in thermotaxis behaviour across an order of magnitude of organism size. Several transient receptor potential (TRP) family homologues have been previously reported to be conserved in metazoans, including in T. adhaerens. We discover naringenin, a known TRPM3 antagonist, inhibits thermotaxis in T. adhaerens. The discovery of robust thermotaxis in T. adhaerens provides a tractable handle to interrogate information processing in a brainless animal. Understanding how divergent marine animals process thermal cues is also critical due to rapid temperature rise in our oceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Zhong
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Laurel Kroo
- Department of Mechanical engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Manu Prakash
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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10
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Kohsaka H. Linking neural circuits to the mechanics of animal behavior in Drosophila larval locomotion. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1175899. [PMID: 37711343 PMCID: PMC10499525 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1175899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The motions that make up animal behavior arise from the interplay between neural circuits and the mechanical parts of the body. Therefore, in order to comprehend the operational mechanisms governing behavior, it is essential to examine not only the underlying neural network but also the mechanical characteristics of the animal's body. The locomotor system of fly larvae serves as an ideal model for pursuing this integrative approach. By virtue of diverse investigation methods encompassing connectomics analysis and quantification of locomotion kinematics, research on larval locomotion has shed light on the underlying mechanisms of animal behavior. These studies have elucidated the roles of interneurons in coordinating muscle activities within and between segments, as well as the neural circuits responsible for exploration. This review aims to provide an overview of recent research on the neuromechanics of animal locomotion in fly larvae. We also briefly review interspecific diversity in fly larval locomotion and explore the latest advancements in soft robots inspired by larval locomotion. The integrative analysis of animal behavior using fly larvae could establish a practical framework for scrutinizing the behavior of other animal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Kohsaka
- Graduate School of Informatics and Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, Chofu, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Frontier Science, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
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11
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Yu J, Dancausse S, Paz M, Faderin T, Gaviria M, Shomar JW, Zucker D, Venkatachalam V, Klein M. Continuous, long-term crawling behavior characterized by a robotic transport system. eLife 2023; 12:e86585. [PMID: 37535068 PMCID: PMC10400072 DOI: 10.7554/elife.86585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Detailed descriptions of behavior provide critical insight into the structure and function of nervous systems. In Drosophila larvae and many other systems, short behavioral experiments have been successful in characterizing rapid responses to a range of stimuli at the population level. However, the lack of long-term continuous observation makes it difficult to dissect comprehensive behavioral dynamics of individual animals and how behavior (and therefore the nervous system) develops over time. To allow for long-term continuous observations in individual fly larvae, we have engineered a robotic instrument that automatically tracks and transports larvae throughout an arena. The flexibility and reliability of its design enables controlled stimulus delivery and continuous measurement over developmental time scales, yielding an unprecedented level of detailed locomotion data. We utilize the new system's capabilities to perform continuous observation of exploratory search behavior over a duration of 6 hr with and without a thermal gradient present, and in a single larva for over 30 hr. Long-term free-roaming behavior and analogous short-term experiments show similar dynamics that take place at the beginning of each experiment. Finally, characterization of larval thermotaxis in individuals reveals a bimodal distribution in navigation efficiency, identifying distinct phenotypes that are obfuscated when only analyzing population averages.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Yu
- Department of Physics, Northeastern UniversityBostonUnited States
| | - Stephanie Dancausse
- Department of Physics and Department of Biology, University of MiamiCoral GablesUnited States
| | - Maria Paz
- Department of Physics, Northeastern UniversityBostonUnited States
| | - Tolu Faderin
- Department of Physics, Northeastern UniversityBostonUnited States
| | - Melissa Gaviria
- Department of Physics and Department of Biology, University of MiamiCoral GablesUnited States
| | - Joseph W Shomar
- Department of Physics and Department of Biology, University of MiamiCoral GablesUnited States
| | | | | | - Mason Klein
- Department of Physics and Department of Biology, University of MiamiCoral GablesUnited States
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12
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Patel AA, Cardona A, Cox DN. Neural substrates of cold nociception in Drosophila larva. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.31.551339. [PMID: 37577520 PMCID: PMC10418107 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.31.551339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Metazoans detect and differentiate between innocuous (non-painful) and/or noxious (harmful) environmental cues using primary sensory neurons, which serve as the first node in a neural network that computes stimulus specific behaviors to either navigate away from injury-causing conditions or to perform protective behaviors that mitigate extensive injury. The ability of an animal to detect and respond to various sensory stimuli depends upon molecular diversity in the primary sensors and the underlying neural circuitry responsible for the relevant behavioral action selection. Recent studies in Drosophila larvae have revealed that somatosensory class III multidendritic (CIII md) neurons function as multimodal sensors regulating distinct behavioral responses to innocuous mechanical and nociceptive thermal stimuli. Recent advances in circuit bases of behavior have identified and functionally validated Drosophila larval somatosensory circuitry involved in innocuous (mechanical) and noxious (heat and mechanical) cues. However, central processing of cold nociceptive cues remained unexplored. We implicate multisensory integrators (Basins), premotor (Down-and-Back) and projection (A09e and TePns) neurons as neural substrates required for cold-evoked behavioral and calcium responses. Neural silencing of cell types downstream of CIII md neurons led to significant reductions in cold-evoked behaviors and neural co-activation of CIII md neurons plus additional cell types facilitated larval contraction (CT) responses. We further demonstrate that optogenetic activation of CIII md neurons evokes calcium increases in these neurons. Collectively, we demonstrate how Drosophila larvae process cold stimuli through functionally diverse somatosensory circuitry responsible for generating stimulus specific behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atit A. Patel
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Albert Cardona
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Daniel N. Cox
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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13
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Laursen WJ, Tang R, Garrity PA. Hunting with heat: thermosensory-driven foraging in mosquitoes, snakes and beetles. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb229658. [PMID: 37382467 PMCID: PMC10323236 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.229658] [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] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Animals commonly use thermosensation, the detection of temperature and its variation, for defensive purposes: to maintain appropriate body temperature and to avoid tissue damage. However, some animals also use thermosensation to go on the offensive: to hunt for food. The emergence of heat-dependent foraging behavior has been accompanied by the evolution of diverse thermosensory organs of often exquisite thermosensitivity. These organs detect the heat energy emitted from food sources that range from nearby humans to trees burning in a forest kilometers away. Here, we examine the biophysical considerations, anatomical specializations and molecular mechanisms that underlie heat-driven foraging. We focus on three groups of animals that each meet the challenge of detecting heat from potential food sources in different ways: (1) disease-spreading vector mosquitoes, which seek blood meals from warm-bodied hosts at close range, using warming-inhibited thermosensory neurons responsive to conductive and convective heat flow; (2) snakes (vipers, pythons and boas), which seek warm-blooded prey from ten or more centimeters away, using warmth-activated thermosensory neurons housed in an organ specialized to harvest infrared radiation; and (3) fire beetles, which maximize their offspring's feeding opportunities by seeking forest fires from kilometers away, using mechanosensory neurons housed in an organ specialized to convert infrared radiation into mechanosensory stimuli. These examples highlight the diverse ways in which animals exploit the heat emanating from potential food sources, whether this heat reflects ongoing metabolic activity or a recent lightning strike, to secure a nutritious meal for themselves or for their offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willem J. Laursen
- Department of Biology and Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
| | - Ruocong Tang
- Department of Biology and Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
| | - Paul A. Garrity
- Department of Biology and Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
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14
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Yoon KJ, Cunningham CB, Bretman A, Duncan EJ. One genome, multiple phenotypes: decoding the evolution and mechanisms of environmentally induced developmental plasticity in insects. Biochem Soc Trans 2023; 51:675-689. [PMID: 36929376 PMCID: PMC10246940 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Plasticity in developmental processes gives rise to remarkable environmentally induced phenotypes. Some of the most striking and well-studied examples of developmental plasticity are seen in insects. For example, beetle horn size responds to nutritional state, butterfly eyespots are enlarged in response to temperature and humidity, and environmental cues also give rise to the queen and worker castes of eusocial insects. These phenotypes arise from essentially identical genomes in response to an environmental cue during development. Developmental plasticity is taxonomically widespread, affects individual fitness, and may act as a rapid-response mechanism allowing individuals to adapt to changing environments. Despite the importance and prevalence of developmental plasticity, there remains scant mechanistic understanding of how it works or evolves. In this review, we use key examples to discuss what is known about developmental plasticity in insects and identify fundamental gaps in the current knowledge. We highlight the importance of working towards a fully integrated understanding of developmental plasticity in a diverse range of species. Furthermore, we advocate for the use of comparative studies in an evo-devo framework to address how developmental plasticity works and how it evolves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kane J. Yoon
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT Leeds, U.K
| | | | - Amanda Bretman
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT Leeds, U.K
| | - Elizabeth J. Duncan
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT Leeds, U.K
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15
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Yu J, Dancausse S, Paz M, Faderin T, Gaviria M, Shomar J, Zucker D, Venkatachalam V, Klein M. Continuous, long-term crawling behavior characterized by a robotic transport system. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.27.530235. [PMID: 36909608 PMCID: PMC10002653 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.27.530235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Detailed descriptions of behavior provide critical insight into the structure and function of nervous systems. In Drosophila larvae and many other systems, short behavioral experiments have been successful in characterizing rapid responses to a range of stimuli at the population level. However, the lack of long-term continuous observation makes it difficult to dissect comprehensive behavioral dynamics of individual animals and how behavior (and therefore the nervous system) develops over time. To allow for long-term continuous observations in individual fly larvae, we have engineered a robotic instrument that automatically tracks and transports larvae throughout an arena. The flexibility and reliability of its design enables controlled stimulus delivery and continuous measurement over developmental time scales, yielding an unprecedented level of detailed locomotion data. We utilize the new system’s capabilities to perform continuous observation of exploratory behavior over a duration of six hours with and without a thermal gradient present, and in a single larva for over 30 hours. Long-term free-roaming behavior and analogous short-term experiments show similar dynamics that take place at the beginning of each experiment. Finally, characterization of larval thermotaxis in individuals reveals a bimodal distribution in navigation efficiency, identifying distinct phenotypes that are obfuscated when only analyzing population averages.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Yu
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115 USA
| | - Stephanie Dancausse
- Department of Physics and Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146 USA
| | - Maria Paz
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115 USA
| | - Tolu Faderin
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115 USA
| | - Melissa Gaviria
- Department of Physics and Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146 USA
| | - Joseph Shomar
- Department of Physics and Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146 USA
| | | | | | - Mason Klein
- Department of Physics and Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146 USA
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16
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Chen W, Li R, Yu Q, Xu A, Feng Y, Wang R, Zhao L, Lin Z, Yang Y, Lin D, Wu X, Chen J, Liu Z, Wu Y, Dang K, Qiu K, Wang Z, Zhou Z, Liu D, Wu Q, Li M, Xiang Y, Li X, Lin Z, Zeng D, Huang Y, Mo S, Huang X, Sun S, Hu J, Zhao J, Wei M, Hu S, Chen L, Dai B, Yang H, Huang D, Lin X, Liang L, Ding X, Yang Y, Wu P, Zheng F, Stanojcic N, Li JPO, Cheung CY, Long E, Chen C, Zhu Y, Yu-Wai-Man P, Wang R, Zheng WS, Ding X, Lin H. Early detection of visual impairment in young children using a smartphone-based deep learning system. Nat Med 2023; 29:493-503. [PMID: 36702948 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-022-02180-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Early detection of visual impairment is crucial but is frequently missed in young children, who are capable of only limited cooperation with standard vision tests. Although certain features of visually impaired children, such as facial appearance and ocular movements, can assist ophthalmic practice, applying these features to real-world screening remains challenging. Here, we present a mobile health (mHealth) system, the smartphone-based Apollo Infant Sight (AIS), which identifies visually impaired children with any of 16 ophthalmic disorders by recording and analyzing their gazing behaviors and facial features under visual stimuli. Videos from 3,652 children (≤48 months in age; 54.5% boys) were prospectively collected to develop and validate this system. For detecting visual impairment, AIS achieved an area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) of 0.940 in an internal validation set and an AUC of 0.843 in an external validation set collected in multiple ophthalmology clinics across China. In a further test of AIS for at-home implementation by untrained parents or caregivers using their smartphones, the system was able to adapt to different testing conditions and achieved an AUC of 0.859. This mHealth system has the potential to be used by healthcare professionals, parents and caregivers for identifying young children with visual impairment across a wide range of ophthalmic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenben Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruiyang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qinji Yu
- Institute of Image Communication and Network Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Andi Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | | | - Ruixin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lanqin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhenzhe Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yahan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Duoru Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaohang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingjing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhenzhen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuxuan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | | | | | | | | | - Dong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qianni Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mingyuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yifan Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhuoling Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Danqi Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yunjian Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Silang Mo
- School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiucheng Huang
- School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shulin Sun
- Department of Urology, Peking University Third Hospital, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Jianmin Hu
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, China
| | - Jun Zhao
- Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, China
| | - Meirong Wei
- Liuzhou Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Affiliated Women and Children's Hospital of Guangxi University of Science and Technology, Liuzhou, China
| | - Shoulong Hu
- National Center for Children's Health, Department of Ophthalmology, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Department of Ophthalmology, Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Liang Chen
- Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen Eye Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bingfa Dai
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, China
| | - Huasheng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Danping Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoming Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lingyi Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyan Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yangfan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Pengsen Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Feihui Zheng
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nick Stanojcic
- Department of Ophthalmology, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | | | - Carol Y Cheung
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Erping Long
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chuan Chen
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Yi Zhu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Patrick Yu-Wai-Man
- Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK
- University College London Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
- Cambridge Eye Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridge Center for Brain Repair and Medical Research Council (MRC) Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ruixuan Wang
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei-Shi Zheng
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaowei Ding
- Institute of Image Communication and Network Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
- VoxelCloud, Shanghai, China.
| | - Haotian Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Guangzhou, China.
- Hainan Eye Hospital and Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Haikou, China.
- Center for Precision Medicine and Department of Genetics and Biomedical Informatics, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
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17
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Omelchenko AA, Bai H, Hussain S, Tyrrell JJ, Klein M, Ni L. TACI: An ImageJ Plugin for 3D Calcium Imaging Analysis. J Vis Exp 2022:10.3791/64953. [PMID: 36591984 PMCID: PMC10388512 DOI: 10.3791/64953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Research in neuroscience has evolved to use complex imaging and computational tools to extract comprehensive information from data sets. Calcium imaging is a widely used technique that requires sophisticated software to obtain reliable results, but many laboratories struggle to adopt computational methods when updating protocols to meet modern standards. Difficulties arise due to a lack of programming knowledge and paywalls for software. In addition, cells of interest display movements in all directions during calcium imaging. Many approaches have been developed to correct the motion in the lateral (x/y) direction. This paper describes a workflow using a new ImageJ plugin, TrackMate Analysis of Calcium Imaging (TACI), to examine motion on the z-axis in 3D calcium imaging. This software identifies the maximum fluorescence value from all the z-positions a neuron appears in and uses it to represent the neuron's intensity at the corresponding t-position. Therefore, this tool can separate neurons overlapping in the lateral (x/y) direction but appearing on distinct z-planes. As an ImageJ plugin, TACI is a user-friendly, open-source computational tool for 3D calcium imaging analysis. We validated this workflow using fly larval thermosensitive neurons that displayed movements in all directions during temperature fluctuation and a 3D calcium imaging dataset acquired from the fly brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisa A Omelchenko
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; CMU-Pitt Joint Computational Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh
| | - Hua Bai
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
| | - Sibtain Hussain
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
| | - Jordan J Tyrrell
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Eastern Virginia Medical School
| | | | - Lina Ni
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University;
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18
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Omelchenko AA, Bai H, Spina EC, Tyrrell JJ, Wilbourne JT, Ni L. Cool and warm ionotropic receptors control multiple thermotaxes in Drosophila larvae. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:1023492. [PMID: 36452407 PMCID: PMC9701816 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1023492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals are continuously confronted with different rates of temperature variation. The mechanism underlying how temperature-sensing systems detect and respond to fast and slow temperature changes is not fully understood in fly larvae. Here, we applied two-choice behavioral assays to mimic fast temperature variations and a gradient assay to model slow temperature changes. Previous research indicates that Rhodopsin 1 (Rh1) and its phospholipase C (PLC) cascade regulate fast and slow temperature responses. We focused on the ionotropic receptors (IRs) expressed in dorsal organ ganglions (DOG), in which dorsal organ cool-activated cells (DOCCs) and warm-activated cells (DOWCs) rely on IR-formed cool and warm receptors to respond to temperature changes. In two-choice assays, both cool and warm IRs are sufficient for selecting 18°C between 18°C and 25°C but neither function in cool preferences between 25°C and 32°C. The Rh1 pathway, on the other hand, contributes to choosing preferred temperatures in both assays. In a gradient assay, cool and warm IR receptors exert opposite effects to guide animals to ∼25°C. Cool IRs drive animals to avoid cool temperatures, whereas warm IRs guide them to leave warm regions. The Rh1 cascade and warm IRs may function in the same pathway to drive warm avoidance in gradient assays. Moreover, IR92a is not expressed in temperature-responsive neurons but regulates the activation of DOWCs and the deactivation of DOCCs. Together with previous studies, we conclude that multiple thermosensory systems, in various collaborative ways, help larvae to make their optimal choices in response to different rates of temperature change.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Lina Ni
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
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19
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Abstract
Sleep is a fundamental, evolutionarily conserved, plastic behavior that is regulated by circadian and homeostatic mechanisms as well as genetic factors and environmental factors, such as light, humidity, and temperature. Among environmental cues, temperature plays an important role in the regulation of sleep. This review presents an overview of thermoreception in animals and the neural circuits that link this process to sleep. Understanding the influence of temperature on sleep can provide insight into basic physiologic processes that are required for survival and guide strategies to manage sleep disorders.
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20
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Zhang Y, Feng K, Mei R, Li W, Tang F. Analysis of the Antennal Transcriptome and Identification of Tissue-specific Expression of Olfactory-related Genes in Micromelalopha troglodyta (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae). JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2022; 22:8. [PMID: 36165424 PMCID: PMC9513789 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieac056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Micromelalopha troglodyta (Graeser) has been one of the most serious pests on poplars in China. We used Illumina HiSeq 2000 sequencing to construct an antennal transcriptome and identify olfactory-related genes. In total, 142 transcripts were identified, including 74 odorant receptors (ORs), 32 odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), 13 chemosensory proteins (CSPs), 20 ionotropic receptors (IRs), and 3 sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs). The genetic relationships were obtained by the phylogenetic tree, and the tissue-specific expression of important olfactory-related genes was determined by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The results showed that most of these genes are abundantly expressed in the antennae and head. In most insects, olfaction plays a key role in foraging, host localization, and searching for mates. Our research lays the foundation for future research on the molecular mechanism of the olfactory system in M. troglodyta. In addition, this study provides a theoretical basis for exploring the relationship between M. troglodyta and their host plants, and for the biological control of M. troglodyta using olfactory receptor as targets.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ruolan Mei
- Co-Innovation Center for the Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
- College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Wei Li
- College of Life Sciences, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434025, Hubei Province, China
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21
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Honda T. Optogenetic and thermogenetic manipulation of defined neural circuits and behaviors in Drosophila. Learn Mem 2022; 29:100-109. [PMID: 35332066 PMCID: PMC8973390 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053556.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Neural network dynamics underlying flexible animal behaviors remain elusive. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is considered an excellent model in behavioral neuroscience because of its simple neuroanatomical architecture and the availability of various genetic methods. Moreover, Drosophila larvae's transparent body allows investigators to use optical methods on freely moving animals, broadening research directions. Activating or inhibiting well-defined events in excitable cells with a fine temporal resolution using optogenetics and thermogenetics led to the association of functions of defined neural populations with specific behavioral outputs such as the induction of associative memory. Furthermore, combining optogenetics and thermogenetics with state-of-the-art approaches, including connectome mapping and machine learning-based behavioral quantification, might provide a complete view of the experience- and time-dependent variations of behavioral responses. These methodologies allow further understanding of the functional connections between neural circuits and behaviors such as chemosensory, motivational, courtship, and feeding behaviors and sleep, learning, and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takato Honda
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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22
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Maier GL, Komarov N, Meyenhofer F, Kwon JY, Sprecher SG. Taste sensing and sugar detection mechanisms in Drosophila larval primary taste center. eLife 2021; 10:67844. [PMID: 34859782 PMCID: PMC8709573 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67844] [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: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the small number of gustatory sense neurons, Drosophila larvae are able to sense a wide range of chemicals. Although evidence for taste multimodality has been provided in single neurons, an overview of gustatory responses at the periphery is missing and hereby we explore whole-organ calcium imaging of the external taste center. We find that neurons can be activated by different combinations of taste modalities, including opposite hedonic valence and identify distinct temporal dynamics of response. Although sweet sensing has not been fully characterized so far in the external larval gustatory organ, we recorded responses elicited by sugar. Previous findings established that larval sugar sensing relies on the Gr43a pharyngeal receptor, but the question remains if external neurons contribute to this taste. Here, we postulate that external and internal gustation use distinct and complementary mechanisms in sugar sensing and we identify external sucrose sensing neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Larisa Maier
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Nikita Komarov
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Felix Meyenhofer
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Jae Young Kwon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Simon G Sprecher
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
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23
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Lesar A, Tahir J, Wolk J, Gershow M. Switch-like and persistent memory formation in individual Drosophila larvae. eLife 2021; 10:e70317. [PMID: 34636720 PMCID: PMC8510578 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Associative learning allows animals to use past experience to predict future events. The circuits underlying memory formation support immediate and sustained changes in function, often in response to a single example. Larval Drosophila is a genetic model for memory formation that can be accessed at molecular, synaptic, cellular, and circuit levels, often simultaneously, but existing behavioral assays for larval learning and memory do not address individual animals, and it has been difficult to form long-lasting memories, especially those requiring synaptic reorganization. We demonstrate a new assay for learning and memory capable of tracking the changing preferences of individual larvae. We use this assay to explore how activation of a pair of reward neurons changes the response to the innately aversive gas carbon dioxide (CO2). We confirm that when coupled to CO2 presentation in appropriate temporal sequence, optogenetic reward reduces avoidance of CO2. We find that learning is switch-like: all-or-none and quantized in two states. Memories can be extinguished by repeated unrewarded exposure to CO2 but are stabilized against extinction by repeated training or overnight consolidation. Finally, we demonstrate long-lasting protein synthesis dependent and independent memory formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Lesar
- Department of Physics, New York UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Javan Tahir
- Department of Physics, New York UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Jason Wolk
- Department of Physics, New York UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Marc Gershow
- Department of Physics, New York UniversityNew YorkUnited States
- Center for Neural Science, New York UniversityNew YorkUnited States
- NYU Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical CenterNew YorkUnited States
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24
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Matsuo Y, Nose A, Kohsaka H. Interspecies variation of larval locomotion kinematics in the genus Drosophila and its relation to habitat temperature. BMC Biol 2021; 19:176. [PMID: 34470643 PMCID: PMC8411537 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01110-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Speed and trajectory of locomotion are the characteristic traits of individual species. Locomotion kinematics may have been shaped during evolution towards increased survival in the habitats of each species. Although kinematics of locomotion is thought to be influenced by habitats, the quantitative relation between the kinematics and environmental factors has not been fully revealed. Here, we performed comparative analyses of larval locomotion in 11 Drosophila species. RESULTS We found that larval locomotion kinematics are divergent among the species. The diversity is not correlated to the body length but is correlated instead to the habitat temperature of the species. Phylogenetic analyses using Bayesian inference suggest that the evolutionary rate of the kinematics is diverse among phylogenetic tree branches. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study imply that the kinematics of larval locomotion has diverged in the evolutionary history of the genus Drosophila and evolved under the effects of the ambient temperature of habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuji Matsuo
- Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Frontier Science, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8561, Japan
| | - Akinao Nose
- Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Frontier Science, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8561, Japan
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 133-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kohsaka
- Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Frontier Science, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8561, Japan.
- School of Informatics and Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, 1-5-1, Chofugaoka, Chofu-shi, Tokyo, 182-8585, Japan.
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25
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Montell C. Drosophila sensory receptors-a set of molecular Swiss Army Knives. Genetics 2021; 217:1-34. [PMID: 33683373 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyaa011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic approaches in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, have led to a major triumph in the field of sensory biology-the discovery of multiple large families of sensory receptors and channels. Some of these families, such as transient receptor potential channels, are conserved from animals ranging from worms to humans, while others, such as "gustatory receptors," "olfactory receptors," and "ionotropic receptors," are restricted to invertebrates. Prior to the identification of sensory receptors in flies, it was widely assumed that these proteins function in just one modality such as vision, smell, taste, hearing, and somatosensation, which includes thermosensation, light, and noxious mechanical touch. By employing a vast combination of genetic, behavioral, electrophysiological, and other approaches in flies, a major concept to emerge is that many sensory receptors are multitaskers. The earliest example of this idea was the discovery that individual transient receptor potential channels function in multiple senses. It is now clear that multitasking is exhibited by other large receptor families including gustatory receptors, ionotropic receptors, epithelial Na+ channels (also referred to as Pickpockets), and even opsins, which were formerly thought to function exclusively as light sensors. Genetic characterizations of these Drosophila receptors and the neurons that express them also reveal the mechanisms through which flies can accurately differentiate between different stimuli even when they activate the same receptor, as well as mechanisms of adaptation, amplification, and sensory integration. The insights gleaned from studies in flies have been highly influential in directing investigations in many other animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig Montell
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, The Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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26
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Hernandez-Nunez L, Chen A, Budelli G, Berck ME, Richter V, Rist A, Thum AS, Cardona A, Klein M, Garrity P, Samuel ADT. Synchronous and opponent thermosensors use flexible cross-inhibition to orchestrate thermal homeostasis. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/35/eabg6707. [PMID: 34452914 PMCID: PMC8397275 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg6707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Body temperature homeostasis is essential and reliant upon the integration of outputs from multiple classes of cooling- and warming-responsive cells. The computations that integrate these outputs are not understood. Here, we discover a set of warming cells (WCs) and show that the outputs of these WCs combine with previously described cooling cells (CCs) in a cross-inhibition computation to drive thermal homeostasis in larval Drosophila WCs and CCs detect temperature changes using overlapping combinations of ionotropic receptors: Ir68a, Ir93a, and Ir25a for WCs and Ir21a, Ir93a, and Ir25a for CCs. WCs mediate avoidance to warming while cross-inhibiting avoidance to cooling, and CCs mediate avoidance to cooling while cross-inhibiting avoidance to warming. Ambient temperature-dependent regulation of the strength of WC- and CC-mediated cross-inhibition keeps larvae near their homeostatic set point. Using neurophysiology, quantitative behavioral analysis, and connectomics, we demonstrate how flexible integration between warming and cooling pathways can orchestrate homeostatic thermoregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Hernandez-Nunez
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Systems, Synthetic, and Quantitative Biology PhD Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alicia Chen
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Harvard College, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Gonzalo Budelli
- National Center for Behavioral Genomics, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
- Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - Matthew E Berck
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Vincent Richter
- University of Leipzig, Institute of Biology, Talstraße 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anna Rist
- University of Leipzig, Institute of Biology, Talstraße 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Andreas S Thum
- University of Leipzig, Institute of Biology, Talstraße 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Albert Cardona
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Mason Klein
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, USA.
| | - Paul Garrity
- National Center for Behavioral Genomics, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA.
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
- Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - Aravinthan D T Samuel
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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27
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Himmel NJ, Letcher JM, Sakurai A, Gray TR, Benson MN, Donaldson KJ, Cox DN. Identification of a neural basis for cold acclimation in Drosophila larvae. iScience 2021; 24:102657. [PMID: 34151240 PMCID: PMC8192725 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Low temperatures can be fatal to insects, but many species have evolved the ability to cold acclimate, thereby increasing their cold tolerance. It has been previously shown that Drosophila melanogaster larvae perform cold-evoked behaviors under the control of noxious cold-sensing neurons (nociceptors), but it is unknown how the nervous system might participate in cold tolerance. Herein, we describe cold-nociceptive behavior among 11 drosophilid species; we find that the predominant cold-evoked larval response is a head-to-tail contraction behavior, which is likely inherited from a common ancestor, but is unlikely to be protective. We therefore tested the hypothesis that cold nociception functions to protect larvae by triggering cold acclimation. We found that Drosophila melanogaster Class III nociceptors are sensitized by and critical to cold acclimation and that cold acclimation can be optogenetically evoked, sans cold. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that cold nociception constitutes a peripheral neural basis for Drosophila larval cold acclimation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel J Himmel
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Jamin M Letcher
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Akira Sakurai
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Thomas R Gray
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA.,Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
| | - Maggie N Benson
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Kevin J Donaldson
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Daniel N Cox
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
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28
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Zhu ML, Herrera KJ, Vogt K, Bahl A. Navigational strategies underlying temporal phototaxis in Drosophila larvae. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:269086. [PMID: 34115116 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Navigating across light gradients is essential for survival for many animals. However, we still have a poor understanding of the algorithms that underlie such behaviors. Here, we developed a novel closed-loop phototaxis assay for Drosophila larvae in which light intensity is always spatially uniform but updates depending on the location of the animal in the arena. Even though larvae can only rely on temporal cues during runs, we find that they are capable of finding preferred areas of low light intensity. Further detailed analysis of their behavior reveals that larvae turn more frequently and that heading angle changes increase when they experience brightness increments over extended periods of time. We suggest that temporal integration of brightness change during runs is an important - and so far largely unexplored - element of phototaxis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxwell L Zhu
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Kristian J Herrera
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Katrin Vogt
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464Konstanz, Germany
| | - Armin Bahl
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464Konstanz, Germany.,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
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29
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Tyrrell JJ, Wilbourne JT, Omelchenko AA, Yoon J, Ni L. Ionotropic Receptor-dependent cool cells control the transition of temperature preference in Drosophila larvae. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009499. [PMID: 33826603 PMCID: PMC8055001 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Temperature sensation guides animals to avoid temperature extremes and to seek their optimal temperatures. The larval stage of Drosophila development has a dramatic effect on temperature preference. While early-stage Drosophila larvae pursue a warm temperature, late-stage larvae seek a significantly lower temperature. Previous studies suggest that this transition depends on multiple rhodopsins at the late larval stage. Here, we show that early-stage larvae, in which dorsal organ cool cells (DOCCs) are functionally blocked, exhibit similar cool preference to that of wild type late-stage larvae. The molecular thermoreceptors in DOCCs are formed by three members of the Ionotropic Receptor (IR) family, IR21a, IR93a, and IR25a. Early-stage larvae of each Ir mutant pursue a cool temperature, similar to that of wild type late-stage larvae. At the late larval stage, DOCCs express decreased IR proteins and exhibit reduced cool responses. Importantly, late-stage larvae that overexpress IR21a, IR93a, and IR25a in DOCCs exhibit similar warm preference to that of wild type early-stage larvae. These data suggest that IR21a, IR93a, and IR25a in DOCCs navigate early-stage larvae to avoid cool temperatures and the reduction of these IR proteins in DOCCs results in animals remaining in cool regions during the late larval stage. Together with previous studies, we conclude that multiple temperature-sensing systems are regulated for the transition of temperature preference in fruit fly larvae. Animals depend on their temperature-sensing systems to avoid noxious temperature extremes and to seek optimal temperatures to survive, mate, and reproduce. Some animals pursue different optimal temperatures during development. We use fruit flies as a model to investigate how temperature-sensing systems are modulated to guide animals to distinct optimal temperatures during development. While early-stage fruit fly larvae pursue a warm temperature, late-stage larvae seek a lower temperature. Previous studies find that this transition depends on multiple rhodopsin molecules. In this study, we find an additional mechanism that also contributes to this transition. At the early larval stage, a set of cool-sensing cells express a high level of cool responsive molecules, respond strongly to low temperatures, and drive animals to avoid cool regions. At the late larval stage, these cool-sensing cells become less sensitive to low temperatures due to the decreased expression of cool responsive molecules and, thus, animals remain in cool regions. Together with previous studies, we conclude that multiple temperature-sensing systems are regulated for the transition of temperature preference in fruit fly larvae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan J. Tyrrell
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Jackson T. Wilbourne
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Alisa A. Omelchenko
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Jin Yoon
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Lina Ni
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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30
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Ahuja A, Tyagi PK, Tyagi S, Kumar A, Kumar M, Sharifi-Rad J. Potential of Pueraria tuberosa (Willd.) DC. to rescue cognitive decline associated with BACE1 protein of Alzheimer's disease on Drosophila model: An integrated molecular modeling and in vivo approach. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 179:586-600. [PMID: 33705837 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.03.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The indispensable role of Beta-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme-1 (BACE1) in Amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques generation and Aβ-mediated synaptic dysfunctions makes it a crucial target for therapeutic intervention in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In order to find out the potential inhibitors of BACE1, the present study focused on five phytochemicals from Pueraria tuberosa, namely, daidzin, genistin, mangiferin, puerarin, and tuberosin. A molecular docking study showed that all five phytochemicals presented the strongest BACE1 inhibition. Integrated molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations demonstrated that all five natural compounds have stable and favorable energies causing strong binding with the pocket site of BACE1 on 50 ns. All these molecules also passed Lipinski's rule of five. To validate the molecular modeling based findings, we primarily targeted the cognitive decline associated with BACE1 expression in AD flies with P. tuberosa. Significant improvement in cognitive decline was observed in AD flies in different behavioral assays such as Larval crawling assay (16.38%), Larval light preference assay (26.39%), Climbing assay (32.97%), Cold sensitivity assay (43.6%), and Thermal sensitivity assay (44.42%). The present findings suggest that P. tuberosa may be considered as a promising dietary supplement that can significantly ameliorate cognitive decline caused by BACE1 in Alzheimer's disease (AD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anami Ahuja
- Research Scholar, Department of Biotechnology, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University, Lucknow 226031, Uttar Pradesh, India; Department of Biotechnology, Meerut Institute of Engineering and Technology, Meerut 250005, Uttar Pradesh, India.
| | - Pankaj Kumar Tyagi
- Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Noida Institute of Engineering & Technology, Greater Noida 201306, Uttar Pradesh, India.
| | - Shruti Tyagi
- Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Noida Institute of Engineering & Technology, Greater Noida 201306, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Anuj Kumar
- Advanced Centre for Computational and Applied Biotechnology, Uttarakhand Council for Biotechnology (UCB), Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Manoj Kumar
- Chemical and Biochemical Processing Division, ICAR - Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, Mumbai 400019, India
| | - Javad Sharifi-Rad
- Phytochemistry Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Azuay, Cuenca, Ecuador.
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31
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Ikeda M, Matsumoto H, Izquierdo EJ. Persistent thermal input controls steering behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1007916. [PMID: 33417596 PMCID: PMC7819614 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Motile organisms actively detect environmental signals and migrate to a preferable environment. Especially, small animals convert subtle spatial difference in sensory input into orientation behavioral output for directly steering toward a destination, but the neural mechanisms underlying steering behavior remain elusive. Here, we analyze a C. elegans thermotactic behavior in which a small number of neurons are shown to mediate steering toward a destination temperature. We construct a neuroanatomical model and use an evolutionary algorithm to find configurations of the model that reproduce empirical thermotactic behavior. We find that, in all the evolved models, steering curvature are modulated by temporally persistent thermal signals sensed beyond the time scale of sinusoidal locomotion of C. elegans. Persistent rise in temperature decreases steering curvature resulting in straight movement of model worms, whereas fall in temperature increases curvature resulting in crooked movement. This relation between temperature change and steering curvature reproduces the empirical thermotactic migration up thermal gradients and steering bias toward higher temperature. Further, spectrum decomposition of neural activities in model worms show that thermal signals are transmitted from a sensory neuron to motor neurons on the longer time scale than sinusoidal locomotion of C. elegans. Our results suggest that employments of temporally persistent sensory signals enable small animals to steer toward a destination in natural environment with variable, noisy, and subtle cues. A free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans memorizes an environmental temperature and steers toward the remembered temperature on a thermal gradient. How does the C. elegans nervous system, consisting of 302 neurons, achieve the thermotactic steering behavior? Here, we address this question through neuroanatomical modeling and simulation analyses. We find that persistent thermal input modulates steering curvature of model worms; worms run straight when they move up to a destination temperature, whereas run crookedly when move away from the destination. As a result, worms steer toward the destination temperature as observed in experiments. Our analysis also shows that persistent thermal signals are transmitted from a thermosensory neuron to dorsal and ventral neck motor neurons, regulating the balance of dorsoventral muscle contractions of model worms and generating steering behavior. This study indicates that C. elegans can steer toward a destination temperature without processing acute thermal input that informs to which direction it should steer. Such indirect mechanism of steering behavior is potentially employed in other motile organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muneki Ikeda
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
- Department of General Systems Studies, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Hirotaka Matsumoto
- Laboratory for Bioinformatics Research RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Wako, Saitama, Japan
- School of Information and Data Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Eduardo J. Izquierdo
- Cognitive Science Program, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
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32
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Bag J, Mukherjee S, Ghosh SK, Das A, Mukherjee A, Sahoo JK, Tung KS, Sahoo H, Mishra M. Fe 3O 4 coated guargum nanoparticles as non-genotoxic materials for biological application. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 165:333-345. [PMID: 32980413 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.09.144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The current study aims to check various behavioural, developmental, cytotoxic, and genotoxic effects of Fe3O4-GG nanocomposite (GGNCs) on Drosophila melanogaster. Fe3O4 nanoparticles were prepared by the chemical co-precipitation method and cross-linked with guargum nanoparticles to prepare the nanocomposites. The nanocomposites were characterized by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and FTIR techniques. To investigate the biomolecular interaction, GGNCs was further tagged with Fluorescein isothiocyanate. Various concentrations of nanocomposites were mixed with the food and flies were allowed to complete the life cycle. The life cycle of the flies was studied as a function of various concentrations of GGNCs. The 1st instar larvae after hatching from the egg start eating the food mixed with GGNCs. The 3rd instar larvae were investigated for various behavioural and morphological abnormalities within the gut. The 3rd instar larva has defective crawling speed, crawling path, and more number of micronuclei within the gut. Similarly, in adult flies thermal sensitivity, climbing behaviour was found to be altered. In adult flies, a significant reduction in body weight was found which is further correlated with variation of protein, carbohydrate, triglyceride, and antioxidant enzymes. Altogether, the current study suggests GGNCs as a non-genotoxic nanoparticle for various biological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janmejaya Bag
- Neural Developmental Biology Lab, Department of Life Science, NIT Rourkela, Rourkela, Odisha 769008, India
| | - Sumit Mukherjee
- Neural Developmental Biology Lab, Department of Life Science, NIT Rourkela, Rourkela, Odisha 769008, India
| | - Sumanta Kumar Ghosh
- Division of Pharmaceutical and Fine Chemical Technology, Department of Chemical Technology, University of Calcutta, West Bengal 700009, India
| | - Aatrayee Das
- Division of Pharmaceutical and Fine Chemical Technology, Department of Chemical Technology, University of Calcutta, West Bengal 700009, India
| | - Arup Mukherjee
- Division of Pharmaceutical and Fine Chemical Technology, Department of Chemical Technology, University of Calcutta, West Bengal 700009, India; Department of Biotechnology, MaulanaAbulKalam Azad University of Technology, West Bengal 741249, India.
| | - Jitendra Kumar Sahoo
- Department of Chemistry, NIT Rourkela, Rourkela, Odisha 769008, India; Department of Basic Science and Humanities, GIET University, Gunupur, Odisha 765022, India
| | - Kshyama Subhadarsini Tung
- Neural Developmental Biology Lab, Department of Life Science, NIT Rourkela, Rourkela, Odisha 769008, India
| | - Harekrushna Sahoo
- Department of Chemistry, NIT Rourkela, Rourkela, Odisha 769008, India; Centre for Nanomaterials, NIT Rourkela, Rourkela, Odisha 769008, India
| | - Monalisa Mishra
- Neural Developmental Biology Lab, Department of Life Science, NIT Rourkela, Rourkela, Odisha 769008, India; Centre for Nanomaterials, NIT Rourkela, Rourkela, Odisha 769008, India.
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33
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Abstract
Thermoregulation is critical for survival and animals therefore employ strategies to keep their body temperature within a physiological range. As ectotherms, fish exclusively rely on behavioral strategies for thermoregulation. Different species of fish seek out their specific optimal temperatures through thermal navigation by biasing behavioral output based on experienced environmental temperatures. Like other vertebrates, fish sense water temperature using thermoreceptors in trigeminal and dorsal root ganglia neurons that innervate the skin. Recent research in larval zebrafish has revealed how neural circuits subsequently transform this sensation of temperature into thermoregulatory behaviors. Across fish species, thermoregulatory strategies rely on a modulation of swim vigor based on current temperature and a modulation of turning based on temperature change. Interestingly, temperature preferences are not fixed but depend on other environmental cues and internal states. The following review is intended as an overview on the current knowledge as well as open questions in fish thermoregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Haesemeyer
- The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, Columbus, OH, USA.
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34
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Eschbach C, Zlatic M. Useful road maps: studying Drosophila larva's central nervous system with the help of connectomics. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2020; 65:129-137. [PMID: 33242722 PMCID: PMC7773133 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2020.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The larva of Drosophila melanogaster is emerging as a powerful model system for comprehensive brain-wide understanding of the circuit implementation of neural computations. With an unprecedented amount of tools in hand, including synaptic-resolution connectomics, whole-brain imaging, and genetic tools for selective targeting of single neuron types, it is possible to dissect which circuits and computations are at work behind behaviors that have an interesting level of complexity. Here we present some of the recent advances regarding multisensory integration, learning, and action selection in Drosophila larva.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Eschbach
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| | - Marta Zlatic
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom; MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, United Kingdom.
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35
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Valdes-Aleman J, Fetter RD, Sales EC, Heckman EL, Venkatasubramanian L, Doe CQ, Landgraf M, Cardona A, Zlatic M. Comparative Connectomics Reveals How Partner Identity, Location, and Activity Specify Synaptic Connectivity in Drosophila. Neuron 2020; 109:105-122.e7. [PMID: 33120017 PMCID: PMC7837116 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The mechanisms by which synaptic partners recognize each other and establish appropriate numbers of connections during embryonic development to form functional neural circuits are poorly understood. We combined electron microscopy reconstruction, functional imaging of neural activity, and behavioral experiments to elucidate the roles of (1) partner identity, (2) location, and (3) activity in circuit assembly in the embryonic nerve cord of Drosophila. We found that postsynaptic partners are able to find and connect to their presynaptic partners even when these have been shifted to ectopic locations or silenced. However, orderly positioning of axon terminals by positional cues and synaptic activity is required for appropriate numbers of connections between specific partners, for appropriate balance between excitatory and inhibitory connections, and for appropriate functional connectivity and behavior. Our study reveals with unprecedented resolution the fine connectivity effects of multiple factors that work together to control the assembly of neural circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Valdes-Aleman
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Richard D Fetter
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Emily C Sales
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Emily L Heckman
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | | | - Chris Q Doe
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Matthias Landgraf
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Albert Cardona
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Marta Zlatic
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA; Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK; MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK.
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36
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Xiao R, Xu XZS. Temperature Sensation: From Molecular Thermosensors to Neural Circuits and Coding Principles. Annu Rev Physiol 2020; 83:205-230. [PMID: 33085927 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physiol-031220-095215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Temperature is a universal cue and regulates many essential processes ranging from enzymatic reactions to species migration. Due to the profound impact of temperature on physiology and behavior, animals and humans have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to detect temperature changes. Studies from animal models, such as mouse, Drosophila, and C. elegans, have revealed many exciting principles of thermosensation. For example, conserved molecular thermosensors, including thermosensitive channels and receptors, act as the initial detectors of temperature changes across taxa. Additionally, thermosensory neurons and circuits in different species appear to adopt similar logic to transduce and process temperature information. Here, we present the current understanding of thermosensation at the molecular and cellular levels. We also discuss the fundamental coding strategies of thermosensation at the circuit level. A thorough understanding of thermosensation not only provides key insights into sensory biology but also builds a foundation for developing better treatments for various sensory disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Xiao
- Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, Institute on Aging and Center for Smell and Taste, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA;
| | - X Z Shawn Xu
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA;
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37
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Functional expression of Δ12 fatty acid desaturase modulates thermoregulatory behaviour in Drosophila. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11798. [PMID: 32678126 PMCID: PMC7366712 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68601-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) play crucial roles in adaptation to cold environments in a wide variety of animals and plants. However, the mechanisms by which PUFAs affect thermoregulatory behaviour remain elusive. Thus, we investigated the roles of PUFAs in thermoregulatory behaviour of Drosophila melanogaster. To this end, we generated transgenic flies expressing Caenorhabditis elegans Δ12 fatty acid desaturase (FAT-2), which converts mono-unsaturated fatty acids to PUFAs such as linoleic acid [C18:2 (n-6)] and linolenic acid [C18:3 (n-3)]. Neuron-specific expression of FAT-2 using the GAL4/UAS expression system led to increased contents of C18:2 (n-6)-containing phospholipids in central nerve system (CNS) and caused significant decreases in preferred temperature of third instar larvae. In genetic screening and calcium imaging analyses of thermoreceptor-expressing neurons, we demonstrated that ectopic expression of FAT-2 in TRPA1-expressing neurons led to decreases in preferred temperature by modulating neuronal activity. We conclude that functional expression of FAT-2 in a subset of neurons changes the thermoregulatory behaviour of D. melanogaster, likely by modulating quantities of PUFA-containing phospholipids in neuronal cell membranes.
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38
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Thermal preferences of subtropical Aedes aegypti and temperate Ae. japonicus mosquitoes. J Therm Biol 2020; 91:102637. [PMID: 32716879 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2020.102637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Temperature is an important determinant affecting the capacity of disease vectors like mosquitoes (Culicidae) to transmit disease agents. Although the impact of temperature on vector-borne disease dynamics has been studied intensively, the actual temperature encountered by the vector in a heterogeneous landscape is rarely taken into account. If disease vectors have temperature preferences and therefore select specific microhabitats, this would substantially influence key life history traits that determine transmission intensity. The thermal preferences of subtropical Aedes aegypti and temperate Ae. japonicus mosquitoes were investigated in a temperature gradient set-up consisting of a Plexiglas box on top of an aluminium plate on two thermal regulators. Blood-fed (one day after feeding) and unfed (non-blood-fed) mosquitoes were released in small (15-20 °C, 20-25 °C, 25-30 °C) and large (15-30 °C, 30-45 °C) temperature gradients to assess their thermal preferences after 15 min. Additionally, the effect of humidity was investigated in a two-choice chamber setup. Both mosquito species avoided higher temperatures, pronouncedly dangerously high temperatures in the 30-45 °C gradient. At lower temperatures, blood-fed mosquitoes preferred the cooler sides of the 20-25 °C and 25-30 °C gradient, which were all below their rearing temperature. In the lowest gradient of 15-20 °C, no preferences were found. The thermal preference of unfed mosquitoes was similar to that of the blood-fed mosquitoes. No humidity preference or effect of humidity on temperature preferences was observed within the tested range (40-90%). The set-up allows for assessing the thermal preference of mosquitoes under controlled conditions. The observed preference of mosquitoes for cooler temperatures would increase their longevity and slow down pathogen development. If similar microhabitat selection is observed in the field, vector borne disease models should be adjusted accordingly.
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39
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Asirim EZ, Humberg TH, Maier GL, Sprecher SG. Circadian and Genetic Modulation of Visually-Guided Navigation in Drosophila Larvae. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2752. [PMID: 32066794 PMCID: PMC7026142 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59614-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Organisms possess an endogenous molecular clock which enables them to adapt to environmental rhythms and to synchronize their metabolism and behavior accordingly. Circadian rhythms govern daily oscillations in numerous physiological processes, and the underlying molecular components have been extensively described from fruit flies to mammals. Drosophila larvae have relatively simple nervous system compared to their adult counterparts, yet they both share a homologous molecular clock with mammals, governed by interlocking transcriptional feedback loops with highly conserved constituents. Larvae exhibit a robust light avoidance behavior, presumably enabling them to avoid predators and desiccation, and DNA-damage by exposure to ultraviolet light, hence are crucial for survival. Circadian rhythm has been shown to alter light-dark preference, however it remains unclear how distinct behavioral strategies are modulated by circadian time. To address this question, we investigate the larval visual navigation at different time-points of the day employing a computer-based tracking system, which allows detailed evaluation of distinct navigation strategies. Our results show that due to circadian modulation specific to light information processing, larvae avoid light most efficiently at dawn, and a functioning clock mechanism at both molecular and neuro-signaling level is necessary to conduct this modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ece Z Asirim
- Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Tim-Henning Humberg
- Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - G Larisa Maier
- Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Simon G Sprecher
- Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland.
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40
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Jovanic T. Studying neural circuits of decision-making in Drosophila larva. J Neurogenet 2020; 34:162-170. [PMID: 32054384 DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2020.1719407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
To study neural circuits underlying decisions, the model organism used for that purpose has to be simple enough to be able to dissect the circuitry neuron by neuron across the nervous system and in the same time complex enough to be able to perform different types of decisions. Here, I lay out the case: (1) that Drosophila larva is an advantageous model system that balances well these two requirements and (2) the insights gained from this model, assuming that circuit principles may be shared across species, can be used to advance our knowledge of neural circuit implementation of decision-making in general, including in more complex brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tihana Jovanic
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.,Decision and Bayesian Computation, UMR 3571 Neuroscience Department & USR 3756 (C3BI/DBC), Institut Pasteur & CNRS, Paris, France
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41
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Brünner B, Saumweber J, Samur M, Weber D, Schumann I, Mahishi D, Rohwedder A, Thum AS. Food restriction reconfigures naïve and learned choice behavior in Drosophila larvae. J Neurogenet 2020; 34:123-132. [PMID: 31975653 DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2020.1714612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In many animals, the establishment and expression of food-related memory is limited by the presence of food and promoted by its absence, implying that this behavior is driven by motivation. In the past, this has already been demonstrated in various insects including honeybees and adult Drosophila. For Drosophila larvae, which are characterized by an immense growth and the resulting need for constant food intake, however, knowledge is rather limited. Accordingly, we have analyzed whether starvation modulates larval memory formation or expression after appetitive classical olfactory conditioning, in which an odor is associated with a sugar reward. We show that odor-sugar memory of starved larvae lasts longer than in fed larvae, although the initial performance is comparable. 80 minutes after odor fructose conditioning, only starved but not fed larvae show a reliable odor-fructose memory. This is likely due to a specific increase in the stability of anesthesia-resistant memory (ARM). Furthermore, we observe that starved larvae, in contrast to fed ones, prefer sugars that offer a nutritional benefit in addition to their sweetness. Taken together our work shows that Drosophila larvae adjust the expression of learned and naïve choice behaviors in the absence of food. These effects are only short-lasting probably due to their lifestyle and their higher internal motivation to feed. In the future, the extensive use of established genetic tools will allow us to identify development-specific differences arising at the neuronal and molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benita Brünner
- Department of Genetics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Merve Samur
- Department of Genetics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Üsküdar University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Denise Weber
- Department of Genetics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Deepthi Mahishi
- Department of Genetics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Andreas S Thum
- Department of Genetics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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42
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Harbison CW, Boughton RM, Shine PJ. Evidence for idiothetic and allothetic control of thermo-orientation in feather-feeding lice. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 120:103985. [PMID: 31759917 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2019.103985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Thermal cues are widely used by ectoparasites to find and exploit hosts. Recently, the wing louse Columbicola columbae (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) was shown to use thermo-orientation when migrating between host microhabitats. Here, we study the control systems governing thermo-orientation by motion tracking wing lice on spatial and temporal heat gradients. As previously demonstrated, lice placed on spatial heat gradients successfully located nearby heat targets. Unilateral antennectomies were then used to remove spatial aspects of the thermal cue. These lice were still capable of locating heat targets, suggesting their response relied on tracking changes in the cue over time (idiothetic control). Course control was accomplished via angular corrections after louse body-angles deviated from the heat target. Louse behavior on temporal heat gradients provided additional evidence for idiothetic control- lice altered turn size and velocity after temperatures uniformly shifted without any spatial reference. We also show that lice are likely capable of responding to spatial aspects of the cue, consistent with allothetic control. On the spatial heat gradient, lice with two antennae were more efficient at locating heat targets as compared to those with unilateral antennectomies. Additionally, when traveling along temperature isoclines (where lice can detect spatial but not temporal aspects of the cue), lice with two antennae consistently turned towards the heat target, while those with unilateral antennectomies showed no preference. In all, we find evidence that lice can use both idiothetic and allothetic control during thermo-orientation, and likely integrate information from these two systems to guide movements on hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rachel M Boughton
- Biology Department, Siena College, 515 Loudon Rd., Loudonville, NY 12211, USA
| | - Patrick J Shine
- Biology Department, Siena College, 515 Loudon Rd., Loudonville, NY 12211, USA
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43
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Currier TA, Nagel KI. Multisensory control of navigation in the fruit fly. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2019; 64:10-16. [PMID: 31841944 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2019.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Revised: 11/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Spatial navigation is influenced by cues from nearly every sensory modality and thus provides an excellent model for understanding how different sensory streams are integrated to drive behavior. Here we review recent work on multisensory control of navigation in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, which allows for detailed circuit dissection. We identify four modes of integration that have been described in the literature-suppression, gating, summation, and association-and describe regions of the larval and adult brain that have been implicated in sensory integration. Finally we discuss what circuit architectures might support these different forms of integration. We argue that Drosophila is an excellent model to discover these circuit and biophysical motifs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A Currier
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Medical Center, 435 E 30th St., New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Katherine I Nagel
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Medical Center, 435 E 30th St., New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003, USA.
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44
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Discrimination of the behavioural dynamics of visually impaired infants via deep learning. Nat Biomed Eng 2019; 3:860-869. [DOI: 10.1038/s41551-019-0461-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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45
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Optomotor Swimming in Larval Zebrafish Is Driven by Global Whole-Field Visual Motion and Local Light-Dark Transitions. Cell Rep 2019; 29:659-670.e3. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.09.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
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46
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Mishra PK, Ekielski A, Mukherjee S, Sahu S, Chowdhury S, Mishra M, Talegaonkar S, Siddiqui L, Mishra H. Wood-Based Cellulose Nanofibrils: Haemocompatibility and Impact on the Development and Behaviour of Drosophila melanogaster. Biomolecules 2019; 9:biom9080363. [PMID: 31412664 PMCID: PMC6722666 DOI: 10.3390/biom9080363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Wood-based cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) offer an excellent scaffold for drug-delivery formulation development. However, toxicity and haemocompatibility of the drug carrier is always an important issue. In this study, toxicity-related issues of CNF were addressed. Different doses of CNF were orally administered to Drosophila and different tests like the developmental cycle, trypan blue exclusion assay, larva crawling assay, thermal sensitivity assay, cold sensitivity assay, larval light preference test, climbing behaviour, nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction assay, adult phenotype, and adult weight were conducted to observe the impact on its development and behaviour. A haemocompatibility assay was done on the blood taken from healthy Wistar rats. In Drosophila, the abnormalities in larval development and behaviour were observed in the behavioural assays. However, the cytotoxic effect could not be confirmed by the gut staining and level of reactive oxygen species. The larvae developed into an adult without any abnormality in the phenotype. The CNF did cause loss of weight in the adult flies and did not cause much toxicity within the body since there was no phenotypic defect. Hemolysis data also suggested that CNF was safe at lower doses, as the data was well within acceptable limits. All these results suggest that cellulose nanofibres have no significant cytotoxic effects on Drosophila. However, the developmental and behavioural abnormalities suggest that CNF may act as a behavioural teratogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawan Kumar Mishra
- Department of Wood Processing Technology, Mendel University in Brno, 61300 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Adam Ekielski
- Department of Production Management and Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Sumit Mukherjee
- Neural Developmental Biology Lab, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha 76908, India
| | - Swetapadma Sahu
- Neural Developmental Biology Lab, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha 76908, India
| | - Saptarshi Chowdhury
- Biotechnology Department, Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata 700107, West Bengal, India
| | - Monalisa Mishra
- Neural Developmental Biology Lab, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha 76908, India
| | - Sushama Talegaonkar
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi 110062, India
| | - Lubna Siddiqui
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University, Govt. of NCT of Delhi 110017, New Delhi, India
| | - Harshita Mishra
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University, Govt. of NCT of Delhi 110017, New Delhi, India
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47
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Loveless J, Lagogiannis K, Webb B. Modelling the mechanics of exploration in larval Drosophila. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1006635. [PMID: 31276489 PMCID: PMC6636753 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Revised: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The Drosophila larva executes a stereotypical exploratory routine that appears to consist of stochastic alternation between straight peristaltic crawling and reorientation events through lateral bending. We present a model of larval mechanics for axial and transverse motion over a planar substrate, and use it to develop a simple, reflexive neuromuscular model from physical principles. The mechanical model represents the midline of the larva as a set of point masses which interact with each other via damped translational and torsional springs, and with the environment via sliding friction forces. The neuromuscular model consists of: 1. segmentally localised reflexes that amplify axial compression in order to counteract frictive energy losses, and 2. long-range mutual inhibition between reflexes in distant segments, enabling overall motion of the model larva relative to its substrate. In the absence of damping and driving, the mechanical model produces axial travelling waves, lateral oscillations, and unpredictable, chaotic deformations. The neuromuscular model counteracts friction to recover these motion patterns, giving rise to forward and backward peristalsis in addition to turning. Our model produces spontaneous exploration, even though the nervous system has no intrinsic pattern generating or decision making ability, and neither senses nor drives bending motions. Ultimately, our model suggests a novel view of larval exploration as a deterministic superdiffusion process which is mechanistically grounded in the chaotic mechanics of the body. We discuss how this may provide new interpretations for existing observations at the level of tissue-scale activity patterns and neural circuitry, and provide some experimental predictions that would test the extent to which the mechanisms we present translate to the real larva. We investigate the relationship between brain, body and environment in the exploratory behaviour of fruitfly larva. A larva crawls forward by propagating a wave of compression through its segmented body, and changes its crawling direction by bending to one side or the other. We show first that a purely mechanical model of the larva’s body can produce travelling compression waves, sideways bending, and unpredictable, chaotic motions. For this body to locomote through its environment, it is necessary to add a neuromuscular system to counteract the loss of energy due to friction, and to limit the simultaneous compression of segments. These simple additions allow our model larva to generate life-like forward and backward crawling as well as spontaneous turns, which occur without any direct sensing or control of reorientation. The unpredictability inherent in the larva’s physics causes the model to explore its environment, despite the lack of any neural mechanism for rhythm generation or for deciding when to switch from crawling to turning. Our model thus demonstrates how understanding body mechanics can generate and simplify neurobiological hypotheses as to how behaviour arises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Loveless
- Institute for Perception, Action, and Behaviour, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Konstantinos Lagogiannis
- Institute for Perception, Action, and Behaviour, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, New Hunt’s House, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Barbara Webb
- Institute for Perception, Action, and Behaviour, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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48
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Haberkern H, Basnak MA, Ahanonu B, Schauder D, Cohen JD, Bolstad M, Bruns C, Jayaraman V. Visually Guided Behavior and Optogenetically Induced Learning in Head-Fixed Flies Exploring a Virtual Landscape. Curr Biol 2019; 29:1647-1659.e8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.04.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2018] [Revised: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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49
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Boulan L, Andersen D, Colombani J, Boone E, Léopold P. Inter-Organ Growth Coordination Is Mediated by the Xrp1-Dilp8 Axis in Drosophila. Dev Cell 2019; 49:811-818.e4. [PMID: 31006647 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2019.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
How organs scale with other body parts is not mechanistically understood. We have addressed this question using the Drosophila imaginal disc model. When the growth of one disc domain is perturbed, other parts of the disc and other discs slow down their growth, maintaining proper inter-disc and intra-disc proportions. We show here that the relaxin-like Dilp8 is required for this inter-organ coordination. Our work also reveals that the stress-response transcription factor Xrp1 plays a key role upstream of dilp8 in linking organ growth status with the systemic growth response. In addition, we show that the small ribosomal subunit protein RpS12 is required to trigger Xrp1-dependent non-autonomous response. Our work demonstrates that RpS12, Xrp1, and Dilp8 form an independent regulatory module that ensures intra- and inter-organ growth coordination during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Boulan
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR3215, INSERM U934, UPMC Paris-Sorbonne, 26 Rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris, France.
| | - Ditte Andersen
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS UMR7277, Inserm U1091, iBV, Parc Valrose, 06108 Nice, France
| | - Julien Colombani
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS UMR7277, Inserm U1091, iBV, Parc Valrose, 06108 Nice, France
| | - Emilie Boone
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS UMR7277, Inserm U1091, iBV, Parc Valrose, 06108 Nice, France
| | - Pierre Léopold
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR3215, INSERM U934, UPMC Paris-Sorbonne, 26 Rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris, France.
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50
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Kudow N, Kamikouchi A, Tanimura T. Softness sensing and learning in Drosophila larvae. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.196329. [PMID: 30833462 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.196329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Mechanosensation provides animals with important sensory information in addition to olfaction and gustation during feeding behavior. Here, we used Drosophila melanogaster larvae to investigate the role of softness sensing in behavior and learning. In the natural environment, larvae need to dig into soft foods for feeding. Finding foods that are soft enough to dig into is likely to be essential for their survival. We report that larvae can discriminate between different agar concentrations and prefer softer agar. Interestingly, we show that larvae on a harder surface search for a softer surface using memory associated with an odor, and that they evaluate foods by balancing softness and sweetness. These findings suggest that larvae integrate mechanosensory information with chemosensory input while foraging. Moreover, we found that the larval preference for softness is affected by genetic background.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nana Kudow
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Motooka 744, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan.,Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Furo, Chikusa, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
| | - Azusa Kamikouchi
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Furo, Chikusa, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
| | - Teiichi Tanimura
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Motooka 744, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan .,Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Furo, Chikusa, Aichi 464-8602, Japan.,Department of Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Brenneckestr. 6, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
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