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Menzies JAC, Maia Chagas A, Baden T, Alonso CR. A microRNA that controls the emergence of embryonic movement. eLife 2024; 13:RP95209. [PMID: 38869942 PMCID: PMC11175612 DOI: 10.7554/elife.95209] [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: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Movement is a key feature of animal systems, yet its embryonic origins are not fully understood. Here, we investigate the genetic basis underlying the embryonic onset of movement in Drosophila focusing on the role played by small non-coding RNAs (microRNAs, miRNAs). To this end, we first develop a quantitative behavioural pipeline capable of tracking embryonic movement in large populations of fly embryos, and using this system, discover that the Drosophila miRNA miR-2b-1 plays a role in the emergence of movement. Through the combination of spectral analysis of embryonic motor patterns, cell sorting and RNA in situs, genetic reconstitution tests, and neural optical imaging we define that miR-2b-1 influences the emergence of embryonic movement by exerting actions in the developing nervous system. Furthermore, through the combination of bioinformatics coupled to genetic manipulation of miRNA expression and phenocopy tests we identify a previously uncharacterised (but evolutionarily conserved) chloride channel encoding gene - which we term Movement Modulator (Motor) - as a genetic target that mechanistically links miR-2b-1 to the onset of movement. Cell-specific genetic reconstitution of miR-2b-1 expression in a null miRNA mutant background, followed by behavioural assays and target gene analyses, suggest that miR-2b-1 affects the emergence of movement through effects in sensory elements of the embryonic circuitry, rather than in the motor domain. Our work thus reports the first miRNA system capable of regulating embryonic movement, suggesting that other miRNAs are likely to play a role in this key developmental process in Drosophila as well as in other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan AC Menzies
- Department of Neuroscience, Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of SussexBrightonUnited Kingdom
| | - André Maia Chagas
- Department of Neuroscience, Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of SussexBrightonUnited Kingdom
| | - Tom Baden
- Department of Neuroscience, Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of SussexBrightonUnited Kingdom
| | - Claudio R Alonso
- Department of Neuroscience, Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of SussexBrightonUnited Kingdom
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2
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Bataillé L, Lebreton G, Boukhatmi H, Vincent A. Insights and perspectives on the enigmatic alary muscles of arthropods. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 11:1337708. [PMID: 38288343 PMCID: PMC10822924 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1337708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Three types of muscles, cardiac, smooth and skeletal muscles are classically distinguished in eubilaterian animals. The skeletal, striated muscles are innervated multinucleated syncytia, which, together with bones and tendons, carry out voluntary and reflex body movements. Alary muscles (AMs) are another type of striated syncytial muscles, which connect the exoskeleton to the heart in adult arthropods and were proposed to control hemolymph flux. Developmental studies in Drosophila showed that larval AMs are specified in embryos under control of conserved myogenic transcription factors and interact with excretory, respiratory and hematopoietic tissues in addition to the heart. They also revealed the existence of thoracic AMs (TARMs) connecting to specific gut regions. Their asymmetric attachment sites, deformation properties in crawling larvae and ablation-induced phenotypes, suggest that AMs and TARMs could play both architectural and signalling functions. During metamorphosis, and heart remodelling, some AMs trans-differentiate into another type of muscles. Remaining critical questions include the enigmatic modes and roles of AM innervation, mechanical properties of AMs and TARMS and their evolutionary origin. The purpose of this review is to consolidate facts and hypotheses surrounding AMs/TARMs and underscore the need for further detailed investigation into these atypical muscles.
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3
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Sharma Y, Jacobs JS, Sivan-Loukianova E, Lee E, Kernan MJ, Eberl DF. The retrograde IFT dynein is required for normal function of diverse mechanosensory cilia in Drosophila. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1263411. [PMID: 37808471 PMCID: PMC10556659 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1263411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Cilia biogenesis relies on intraflagellar transport (IFT), a conserved transport mechanism which functions bi-directionally to bring protein complexes to the growing ciliary tip and recycle signaling and transport proteins between the cilium and cell body. In Drosophila, anterograde IFT is critical for assembly of sensory cilia in the neurons of both chordotonal (ch) organs, which have relatively long ciliary axonemes, and external sensory (es) organs, which have short axonemal segments with microtubules in distal sensory segments forming non-axonemal bundles. We previously isolated the beethoven (btv) mutant in a mutagenesis screen for auditory mutants. Although many btv mutant flies are deaf, some retain a small residual auditory function as determined both by behavior and by auditory electrophysiology. Results Here we molecularly characterize the btv gene and demonstrate that it encodes the IFT-associated dynein-2 heavy chain Dync2h1. We also describe morphological changes in Johnston's organ as flies age to 30 days, and we find that morphological and electrophysiological phenotypes in this ch organ of btv mutants become more severe with age. We show that NompB protein, encoding the conserved IFT88 protein, an IFT complex B component, fails to be cleared from chordotonal cilia in btv mutants, instead accumulating in the distorted cilia. In macrochaete bristles, a class of es organ, btv mutants show a 50% reduction in mechanoreceptor potentials. Discussion Thus, the btv-encoded Dync2h1 functions as the retrograde IFT motor in the assembly of long ciliary axonemes in ch organs and is also important for normal function of the short ciliary axonemes in es organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yashoda Sharma
- Department of Biology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Julie S. Jacobs
- Department of Biology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | | | - Eugene Lee
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Maurice J. Kernan
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Daniel F. Eberl
- Department of Biology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
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4
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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] [Grants] [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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5
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Liu Y, Hasegawa E, Nose A, Zwart MF, Kohsaka H. Synchronous multi-segmental activity between metachronal waves controls locomotion speed in Drosophila larvae. eLife 2023; 12:e83328. [PMID: 37551094 PMCID: PMC10409504 DOI: 10.7554/elife.83328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to adjust the speed of locomotion is essential for survival. In limbed animals, the frequency of locomotion is modulated primarily by changing the duration of the stance phase. The underlying neural mechanisms of this selective modulation remain an open question. Here, we report a neural circuit controlling a similarly selective adjustment of locomotion frequency in Drosophila larvae. Drosophila larvae crawl using peristaltic waves of muscle contractions. We find that larvae adjust the frequency of locomotion mostly by varying the time between consecutive contraction waves, reminiscent of limbed locomotion. A specific set of muscles, the lateral transverse (LT) muscles, co-contract in all segments during this phase, the duration of which sets the duration of the interwave phase. We identify two types of GABAergic interneurons in the LT neural network, premotor neuron A26f and its presynaptic partner A31c, which exhibit segmentally synchronized activity and control locomotor frequency by setting the amplitude and duration of LT muscle contractions. Altogether, our results reveal an inhibitory central circuit that sets the frequency of locomotion by controlling the duration of the period in between peristaltic waves. Further analysis of the descending inputs onto this circuit will help understand the higher control of this selective modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingtao Liu
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, The University of TokyoTokyoJapan
- Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Frontier Science, The University of TokyoKashiwaJapan
| | - Eri Hasegawa
- Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Frontier Science, The University of TokyoKashiwaJapan
| | - Akinao Nose
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, The University of TokyoTokyoJapan
- Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Frontier Science, The University of TokyoKashiwaJapan
| | - Maarten F Zwart
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, Centre of Biophotonics, University of St AndrewsSt AndrewsUnited Kingdom
| | - Hiroshi Kohsaka
- Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Frontier Science, The University of TokyoKashiwaJapan
- Graduate School of Informatics and Engineering, The University of Electro-CommunicationsTokyoJapan
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6
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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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7
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Greaney MR, Wreden CC, Heckscher ES. Distinctive features of the central synaptic organization of Drosophila larval proprioceptors. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1223334. [PMID: 37564629 PMCID: PMC10410283 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1223334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Proprioceptive feedback is critically needed for locomotor control, but how this information is incorporated into central proprioceptive processing circuits remains poorly understood. Circuit organization emerges from the spatial distribution of synaptic connections between neurons. This distribution is difficult to discern in model systems where only a few cells can be probed simultaneously. Therefore, we turned to a relatively simple and accessible nervous system to ask: how are proprioceptors' input and output synapses organized in space, and what principles underlie this organization? Using the Drosophila larval connectome, we generated a map of the input and output synapses of 34 proprioceptors in several adjacent body segments (5-6 left-right pairs per segment). We characterized the spatial organization of these synapses, and compared this organization to that of other somatosensory neurons' synapses. We found three distinguishing features of larval proprioceptor synapses: (1) Generally, individual proprioceptor types display segmental somatotopy. (2) Proprioceptor output synapses both converge and diverge in space; they are organized into six spatial domains, each containing a unique set of one or more proprioceptors. Proprioceptors form output synapses along the proximal axonal entry pathway into the neuropil. (3) Proprioceptors receive few inhibitory input synapses. Further, we find that these three features do not apply to other larval somatosensory neurons. Thus, we have generated the most comprehensive map to date of how proprioceptor synapses are centrally organized. This map documents previously undescribed features of proprioceptors, raises questions about underlying developmental mechanisms, and has implications for downstream proprioceptive processing circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie R. Greaney
- Committee on Neurobiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Chris C. Wreden
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Ellie S. Heckscher
- Committee on Neurobiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
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8
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Stone MC, Mauger AS, Rolls MM. Ciliated sensory neurons can regenerate axons after complete axon removal. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb245717. [PMID: 37212026 PMCID: PMC10323231 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245717] [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: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Axon regeneration helps maintain lifelong function of neurons in many animals. Depending on the site of injury, new axons can grow either from the axon stump (after distal injury) or from the tip of a dendrite (after proximal injury). However, some neuron types do not have dendrites to be converted to a regenerating axon after proximal injury. For example, many sensory neurons receive information from a specialized sensory cilium rather than a branched dendrite arbor. We hypothesized that the lack of traditional dendrites would limit the ability of ciliated sensory neurons to respond to proximal axon injury. We tested this hypothesis by performing laser microsurgery on ciliated lch1 neurons in Drosophila larvae and tracking cells over time. These cells survived proximal axon injury as well as distal axon injury, and, like many other neurons, initiated growth from the axon stump after distal injury. After proximal injury, neurites regrew in a surprisingly flexible manner. Most cells initiated outgrowth directly from the cell body, but neurite growth could also emerge from the short axon stump or base of the cilium. New neurites were often branched. Although outgrowth after proximal axotomy was variable, it depended on the core DLK axon injury signaling pathway. Moreover, each cell had at least one new neurite specified as an axon based on microtubule polarity and accumulation of the endoplasmic reticulum. We conclude that ciliated sensory neurons are not intrinsically limited in their ability to grow a new axon after proximal axon removal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle C. Stone
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Abigail S. Mauger
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Melissa M. Rolls
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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9
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Thane M, Paisios E, Stöter T, Krüger AR, Gläß S, Dahse AK, Scholz N, Gerber B, Lehmann DJ, Schleyer M. High-resolution analysis of individual Drosophila melanogaster larvae uncovers individual variability in locomotion and its neurogenetic modulation. Open Biol 2023; 13:220308. [PMID: 37072034 PMCID: PMC10113034 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.220308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuronally orchestrated muscular movement and locomotion are defining faculties of multicellular animals. Due to its simple brain and genetic accessibility, the larva of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster allows one to study these processes at tractable levels of complexity. However, although the faculty of locomotion clearly pertains to the individual, most studies of locomotion in larvae use measurements aggregated across animals, or animals tested one by one, an extravagance for larger-scale analyses. This prevents grasping the inter- and intra-individual variability in locomotion and its neurogenetic determinants. Here, we present the IMBA (individual maggot behaviour analyser) for analysing the behaviour of individual larvae within groups, reliably resolving individual identity across collisions. We use the IMBA to systematically describe the inter- and intra-individual variability in locomotion of wild-type animals, and how the variability is reduced by associative learning. We then report a novel locomotion phenotype of an adhesion GPCR mutant. We further investigated the modulation of locomotion across repeated activations of dopamine neurons in individual animals, and the transient backward locomotion induced by brief optogenetic activation of the brain-descending 'mooncrawler' neurons. In summary, the IMBA is an easy-to-use toolbox allowing an unprecedentedly rich view of the behaviour and its variability of individual larvae, with utility in multiple biomedical research contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Thane
- Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
- Department of Simulation and Graphics, Otto von Guerike University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Emmanouil Paisios
- Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Torsten Stöter
- Combinatorial NeuroImaging Core Facility, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Anna-Rosa Krüger
- Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sebastian Gläß
- Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Anne-Kristin Dahse
- Division of General Biochemistry, Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nicole Scholz
- Division of General Biochemistry, Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Bertram Gerber
- Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Dirk J. Lehmann
- Department of Simulation and Graphics, Otto von Guerike University, Magdeburg, Germany
- Department for Information Engineering, Faculty of Computer Science, Ostfalia University of Applied Science, Brunswick-Wolfenbuettel, Germany
| | - Michael Schleyer
- Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
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10
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Boivin JC, Zhu J, Ohyama T. Nociception in fruit fly larvae. FRONTIERS IN PAIN RESEARCH 2023; 4:1076017. [PMID: 37006412 PMCID: PMC10063880 DOI: 10.3389/fpain.2023.1076017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Nociception, the process of encoding and processing noxious or painful stimuli, allows animals to detect and avoid or escape from potentially life-threatening stimuli. Here, we provide a brief overview of recent technical developments and studies that have advanced our understanding of the Drosophila larval nociceptive circuit and demonstrated its potential as a model system to elucidate the mechanistic basis of nociception. The nervous system of a Drosophila larva contains roughly 15,000 neurons, which allows for reconstructing the connectivity among them directly by transmission electron microscopy. In addition, the availability of genetic tools for manipulating the activity of individual neurons and recent advances in computational and high-throughput behavior analysis methods have facilitated the identification of a neural circuit underlying a characteristic nocifensive behavior. We also discuss how neuromodulators may play a key role in modulating the nociceptive circuit and behavioral output. A detailed understanding of the structure and function of Drosophila larval nociceptive neural circuit could provide insights into the organization and operation of pain circuits in mammals and generate new knowledge to advance the development of treatment options for pain in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Christophe Boivin
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jiayi Zhu
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Tomoko Ohyama
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Correspondence: Tomoko Ohyama
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11
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Agrawal S, Tuthill JC. The two-body problem: Proprioception and motor control across the metamorphic divide. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 74:102546. [PMID: 35512562 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2022.102546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Like a rocket being propelled into space, evolution has engineered flies to launch into adulthood via multiple stages. Flies develop and deploy two distinct bodies, linked by the transformative process of metamorphosis. The fly larva is a soft hydraulic tube that can crawl to find food and avoid predators. The adult fly has a stiff exoskeleton with articulated limbs that enable long-distance navigation and rich social interactions. Because the larval and adult forms are so distinct in structure, they require distinct strategies for sensing and moving the body. The metamorphic divide thus presents an opportunity for comparative analysis of neural circuits. Here, we review recent progress toward understanding the neural mechanisms of proprioception and motor control in larval and adult Drosophila. We highlight commonalities that point toward general principles of sensorimotor control and differences that may reflect unique constraints imposed by biomechanics. Finally, we discuss emerging opportunities for comparative analysis of neural circuit architecture in the fly and other animal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sweta Agrawal
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - John C Tuthill
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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12
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Garg V, André S, Giraldo D, Heyer L, Göpfert MC, Dosch R, Geurten BRH. A Markerless Pose Estimator Applicable to Limbless Animals. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:819146. [PMID: 35418841 PMCID: PMC8997243 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.819146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The analysis of kinematics, locomotion, and spatial tasks relies on the accurate detection of animal positions and pose. Pose and position can be assessed with video analysis programs, the “trackers.” Most available trackers represent animals as single points in space (no pose information available) or use markers to build a skeletal representation of pose. Markers are either physical objects attached to the body (white balls, stickers, or paint) or they are defined in silico using recognizable body structures (e.g., joints, limbs, color patterns). Physical markers often cannot be used if the animals are small, lack prominent body structures on which the markers can be placed, or live in environments such as aquatic ones that might detach the marker. Here, we introduce a marker-free pose-estimator (LACE Limbless Animal traCkEr) that builds the pose of the animal de novo from its contour. LACE detects the contour of the animal and derives the body mid-line, building a pseudo-skeleton by defining vertices and edges. By applying LACE to analyse the pose of larval Drosophila melanogaster and adult zebrafish, we illustrate that LACE allows to quantify, for example, genetic alterations of peristaltic movements and gender-specific locomotion patterns that are associated with different body shapes. As illustrated by these examples, LACE provides a versatile method for assessing position, pose and movement patterns, even in animals without limbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vranda Garg
- Department of Cellular Neuroscience, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Gottingen, Germany
| | - Selina André
- Department of Cellular Neuroscience, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Gottingen, Germany
| | - Diego Giraldo
- Department of Cellular Neuroscience, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Gottingen, Germany
| | - Luisa Heyer
- Department of Cellular Neuroscience, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Gottingen, Germany
| | - Martin C. Göpfert
- Department of Cellular Neuroscience, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Gottingen, Germany
| | - Roland Dosch
- Institute for Humangenetics, University Medical Center Göttingen, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Gottingen, Germany
| | - Bart R. H. Geurten
- Department of Cellular Neuroscience, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Gottingen, Germany
- *Correspondence: Bart R. H. Geurten
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13
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Zeng X, Komanome Y, Kawasaki T, Inada K, Jonaitis J, Pulver SR, Kazama H, Nose A. An electrically coupled pioneer circuit enables motor development via proprioceptive feedback in Drosophila embryos. Curr Biol 2021; 31:5327-5340.e5. [PMID: 34666002 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Precocious movements are widely seen in embryos of various animal species. Whether such movements via proprioceptive feedback play instructive roles in motor development or are a mere reflection of activities in immature motor circuits is a long-standing question. Here we image the emerging motor activities in Drosophila embryos that lack proprioceptive feedback and show that proprioceptive experience is essential for the development of locomotor central pattern generators (CPGs). Downstream of proprioceptive inputs, we identify a pioneer premotor circuit composed of two pairs of segmental interneurons, whose gap-junctional transmission requires proprioceptive experience and plays a crucial role in CPG formation. The circuit autonomously generates rhythmic plateau potentials via IP3-mediated Ca2+ release from internal stores, which contribute to muscle contractions and hence produce proprioceptive feedback. Our findings demonstrate the importance of self-generated movements in instructing motor development and identify the cells, circuit, and physiology at the core of this proprioceptive feedback.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangsunze Zeng
- Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8561, Japan
| | - Yuko Komanome
- Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8561, Japan
| | - Tappei Kawasaki
- Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8561, Japan
| | - Kengo Inada
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Julius Jonaitis
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Mary's Quad, South Street, St Andrews KY16 9JP, UK
| | - Stefan R Pulver
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Mary's Quad, South Street, St Andrews KY16 9JP, UK
| | - Hokto Kazama
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan.
| | - Akinao Nose
- Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8561, Japan; Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
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14
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Carreira-Rosario A, York RA, Choi M, Doe CQ, Clandinin TR. Mechanosensory input during circuit formation shapes Drosophila motor behavior through patterned spontaneous network activity. Curr Biol 2021; 31:5341-5349.e4. [PMID: 34478644 PMCID: PMC8665011 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Neural activity sculpts circuit wiring in many animals. In vertebrates, patterned spontaneous network activity (PaSNA) generates sensory maps and establishes local circuits.1-3 However, it remains unclear how PaSNA might shape neuronal circuits and behavior in invertebrates. Previous work in the developing Drosophila embryo discovered intrinsic muscle activity that did not require synaptic transmission, and hence was myogenic, preceding PaSNA.4-6 These studies, however, monitored muscle movement, not neural activity, and were therefore unable to observe how myogenic activity might relate to subsequent neural network engagement. Here we use calcium imaging to directly record neural activity and characterize the emergence of PaSNA. We demonstrate that the spatiotemporal properties of PaSNA are highly stereotyped across embryos, arguing for genetic programming. Neural activity begins well before it becomes patterned, emerging during the myogenic stage. Remarkably, inhibition of mechanosensory input, as well as inhibition of muscle contractions, results in premature and excessive PaSNA, demonstrating that muscle movement serves as a brake on this process. Finally, transient mechanosensory inhibition during PaSNA, followed by quantitative modeling of larval behavior, shows that mechanosensory modulation during development is required for proper larval foraging. This work provides a foundation for using the Drosophila embryo to study the role of PaSNA in circuit formation, provides mechanistic insight into how PaSNA is entrained by motor activity, and demonstrates that spontaneous network activity is essential for locomotor behavior. These studies argue that sensory feedback during the earliest stages of circuit formation can sculpt locomotor behaviors through innate motor learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaldo Carreira-Rosario
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Ryan A York
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Minseung Choi
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Chris Q Doe
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
| | - Thomas R Clandinin
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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15
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Ormerod KG, Scibelli AE, Littleton JT. Regulation of excitation-contraction coupling at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction. J Physiol 2021; 600:349-372. [PMID: 34788476 DOI: 10.1113/jp282092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The Drosophila neuromuscular system is widely used to characterize synaptic development and function. However, little is known about how specific synaptic alterations effect neuromuscular transduction and muscle contractility, which ultimately dictate behavioural output. Here we develop and use a force transducer system to characterize excitation-contraction coupling at Drosophila larval neuromuscular junctions (NMJs), examining how specific neuronal and muscle manipulations disrupt muscle contractility. Muscle contraction force increased with motoneuron stimulation frequency and duration, showing considerable plasticity between 5 and 40 Hz and saturating above 50 Hz. Endogenous recordings of fictive contractions revealed average motoneuron burst frequencies of 20-30 Hz, consistent with the system operating within this plastic range of contractility. Temperature was also a key factor in muscle contractility, as force was enhanced at lower temperatures and dramatically reduced with increasing temperatures. Pharmacological and genetic manipulations of critical components of Ca2+ regulation in both pre- and postsynaptic compartments affected the strength and time course of muscle contractions. A screen for modulators of muscle contractility led to identification and characterization of the molecular and cellular pathway by which the FMRFa peptide, TPAEDFMRFa, increases muscle performance. These findings indicate Drosophila NMJs provide a robust system to correlate synaptic dysfunction, regulation and modulation to alterations in excitation-contraction coupling. KEY POINTS: Larval muscle contraction force increases with stimulation frequency and duration, revealing substantial plasticity between 5 and 40 Hz. Fictive contraction recordings demonstrate endogenous motoneuron burst frequencies consistent with the neuromuscular system operating within the range of greatest plasticity. Genetic and pharmacological manipulations of critical components of pre- and postsynaptic Ca2+ regulation significantly affect the strength and time course of muscle contractions. A screen for modulators of the excitation-contraction machinery identified a FMRFa peptide, TPAEDFMRFa and its associated signalling pathway, that dramatically increases muscle performance. Drosophila serves as an excellent model for dissecting components of the excitation-contraction coupling machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiel G Ormerod
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - J Troy Littleton
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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16
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Hodge SH, Watts A, Marley R, Baines RA, Hafen E, MacDougall LK. Twitchy, the Drosophila orthologue of the ciliary gating protein FBF1/dyf-19, is required for coordinated locomotion and male fertility. Biol Open 2021; 10:bio058531. [PMID: 34357392 PMCID: PMC8353261 DOI: 10.1242/bio.058531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary cilia are compartmentalised from the rest of the cell by a ciliary gate comprising transition fibres and a transition zone. The ciliary gate allows the selective import and export of molecules such as transmembrane receptors and transport proteins. These are required for the assembly of the cilium, its function as a sensory and signalling centre and to maintain its distinctive composition. Certain motile cilia can also form within the cytosol as exemplified by human and Drosophila sperm. The role of transition fibre proteins has not been well described in the cytoplasmic cilia. Drosophila have both compartmentalised primary cilia, in sensory neurons, and sperm flagella that form within the cytosol. Here, we describe phenotypes for twitchy the Drosophila orthologue of a transition fibre protein, mammalian FBF1/C. elegans dyf-19. Loss-of-function mutants in twitchy are adult lethal and display a severely uncoordinated phenotype. Twitchy flies are too uncoordinated to mate but RNAi-mediated loss of twitchy specifically within the male germline results in coordinated but infertile adults. Examination of sperm from twitchy RNAi-knockdown flies shows that the flagellar axoneme forms, elongates and is post-translationally modified by polyglycylation but the production of motile sperm is impaired. These results indicate that twitchy is required for the function of both sensory cilia that are compartmentalised from the rest of the cell and sperm flagella that are formed within the cytosol of the cell. Twitchy is therefore likely to function as part of a molecular gate in sensory neurons but may have a distinct function in sperm cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne H. Hodge
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Amy Watts
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Richard Marley
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Richard A. Baines
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Ernst Hafen
- Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Lindsay K. MacDougall
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
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17
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Zhang Q, Hao L, Hong Y. Exploring the multilevel effects of triclosan from development, reproduction to behavior using Drosophila melanogaster. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 762:144170. [PMID: 33360465 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Triclosan (TCS) is widely used as an antibacterial agent, but its residue in the environment poses a great threat. In this study, Drosophila melanogaster were treated with series concentrations of TCS and the effects on development, behavior, reproduction, and oxidative stress indicators were investigated. The results showed that high concentrations of TCS severely interfered with the metamorphosis, resulting in lower hatching rate and longer development time. The hatching rate was only 75.00% ± 4.08% in 0.80 mg/mL TCS group. TCS also showed dose-dependent damage to the fertility of flies, causing ovarian defects and decreased the number of offspring. Almost no offspring adults hatched when exposed to high concentrations of TCS (0.50 and 0.80 mg/mL), and the hatching rate was 0% in 0.80 mg/mL TCS group. Larvae crawling, adult climbing and anti-starvation ability were also affected to varying degrees and showed hormesis. TCS could damage larval intestinal cells in a dose-dependent manner, and injury was lightened with culture time prolonging to 30 h. It is noteworthy that TCS caused redox imbalance with an increase on catalase (CAT) activity and decrease on reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. Our results conclude that TCS elicits multiple impacts on Drosophila and its rational use should be strengthened.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Zhang
- Beijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Lichong Hao
- Beijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yu Hong
- Beijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
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18
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Li B, Li S, Yan Z. Axonemal Dynein DNAH5 is Required for Sound Sensation in Drosophila Larvae. Neurosci Bull 2021; 37:523-534. [PMID: 33570705 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-021-00631-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Chordotonal neurons are responsible for sound sensation in Drosophila. However, little is known about how they respond to sound with high sensitivity. Using genetic labeling, we found one of the Drosophila axonemal dynein heavy chains, CG9492 (DNAH5), was specifically expressed in larval chordotonal neurons and showed a distribution restricted to proximal cilia. While DNAH5 mutation did not affect the cilium morphology or the trafficking of Inactive, a candidate auditory transduction channel, larvae with DNAH5 mutation had reduced startle responses to sound at low and medium intensities. Calcium imaging confirmed that DNAH5 functioned autonomously in chordotonal neurons for larval sound sensation. Furthermore, disrupting DNAH5 resulted in a decrease of spike firing responses to low-level sound in chordotonal neurons. Intriguingly, DNAH5 mutant larvae displayed an altered frequency tuning curve of the auditory organs. All together, our findings support a critical role of DNAH5 in tuning the frequency selectivity and the sound sensitivity of larval auditory neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingxue Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Brain Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518132, China
| | - Songling Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Brain Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518132, China
| | - Zhiqiang Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Brain Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China.
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518132, China.
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19
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Gowda SBM, Salim S, Mohammad F. Anatomy and Neural Pathways Modulating Distinct Locomotor Behaviors in Drosophila Larva. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:90. [PMID: 33504061 PMCID: PMC7910854 DOI: 10.3390/biology10020090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The control of movements is a fundamental feature shared by all animals. At the most basic level, simple movements are generated by coordinated neural activity and muscle contraction patterns that are controlled by the central nervous system. How behavioral responses to various sensory inputs are processed and integrated by the downstream neural network to produce flexible and adaptive behaviors remains an intense area of investigation in many laboratories. Due to recent advances in experimental techniques, many fundamental neural pathways underlying animal movements have now been elucidated. For example, while the role of motor neurons in locomotion has been studied in great detail, the roles of interneurons in animal movements in both basic and noxious environments have only recently been realized. However, the genetic and transmitter identities of many of these interneurons remains unclear. In this review, we provide an overview of the underlying circuitry and neural pathways required by Drosophila larvae to produce successful movements. By improving our understanding of locomotor circuitry in model systems such as Drosophila, we will have a better understanding of how neural circuits in organisms with different bodies and brains lead to distinct locomotion types at the organism level. The understanding of genetic and physiological components of these movements types also provides directions to understand movements in higher organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Farhan Mohammad
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS), College of Health & Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha 34110, Qatar; (S.B.M.G.); (S.S.)
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20
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Hehlert P, Zhang W, Göpfert MC. Drosophila Mechanosensory Transduction. Trends Neurosci 2020; 44:323-335. [PMID: 33257000 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2020.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Mechanosensation in Drosophila relies on sensory neurons transducing mechanical stimuli into ionic currents. The molecular mechanisms of this transduction are in the process of being revealed. Transduction relies on mechanogated ion channels that are activated by membrane stretch or the tension of force-conveying tethers. NOMPC (no-mechanoreceptor potential C) and DmPiezo were put forward as bona fide mechanoelectrical transduction (MET) channels, providing insights into MET channel architecture and the structural basis of mechanogating. Various additional channels were implicated in Drosophila mechanosensory neuron functions, and parallels between fly and vertebrate mechanotransduction were delineated. Collectively, these advances put forward Drosophila mechanosensory neurons as cellular paradigms for mechanotransduction and mechanogated ion channel function in the context of proprio- and nociception as well as the detection of substrate vibrations, touch, gravity, and sound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Hehlert
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, University of Göttingen, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China; Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, 100084, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Martin C Göpfert
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, University of Göttingen, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Collaborative Research Center 889, University of Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany; Multiscale Bioimaging Cluster of Excellence (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
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21
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Metallo C, Mukherjee R, Trimmer BA. Stepping pattern changes in the caterpillar Manduca sexta: the effects of orientation and substrate. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb220319. [PMID: 32527957 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.220319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Most animals can successfully travel across cluttered, uneven environments and cope with enormous changes in surface friction, deformability and stability. However, the mechanisms used to achieve such remarkable adaptability and robustness are not fully understood. Even more limited is the understanding of how soft, deformable animals such as tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta (caterpillars) can control their movements as they navigate surfaces that have varying stiffness and are oriented at different angles. To fill this gap, we analyzed the stepping patterns of caterpillars crawling on two different types of substrate (stiff and soft) and in three different orientations (horizontal and upward/downward vertical). Our results show that caterpillars adopt different stepping patterns (i.e. different sequences of transition between the swing and stance phases of prolegs in different body segments) based on substrate stiffness and orientation. These changes in stepping pattern occur more frequently in the upward vertical orientation. The results of this study suggest that caterpillars can detect differences in the material properties of the substrate on which they crawl and adjust their behavior to match those properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinzia Metallo
- Tufts University, Biology Department, 200 Boston Avenue, room 2613, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Ritwika Mukherjee
- Tufts University, Biology Department, 200 Boston Avenue, room 2613, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Barry A Trimmer
- Tufts University, Biology Department, 200 Boston Avenue, room 2613, Medford, MA 02155, USA
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22
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Hassan A, Sapir L, Nitsan I, Greenblatt Ben-El RT, Halachmi N, Salzberg A, Tzlil S. A Change in ECM Composition Affects Sensory Organ Mechanics and Function. Cell Rep 2020; 27:2272-2280.e4. [PMID: 31116974 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.04.092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Proprioception requires the transduction of muscle-generated deformations into sensory neuronal impulses. In proprioceptive organs, the mechanical coupling between the sensory neuron and the muscle is mediated by a connective structure composed of accessory cells and an extracellular matrix (ECM). Here, we use the fly chordotonal organ (ChO) to investigate how the mechanical properties of the connective element affect mechanosensing. We show that the loss of Pericardin, a major constituent of the ChO ECM, alters the mechanical properties of the ChO resulting in short-wavelength buckling of the accessory cells upon muscle contraction and low compressive strain within the organ. We explain these results using a simplified theoretical model of an elastic beam interacting with an elastic network under a compressive force. We further demonstrate that the transition from compression to bending interferes with the ability of the accessory cells to propagate muscle-generated deformations correctly to the neuron and hence with proper sensing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abeer Hassan
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Liel Sapir
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Ido Nitsan
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Rina T Greenblatt Ben-El
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3109601, Israel
| | - Naomi Halachmi
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3109601, Israel
| | - Adi Salzberg
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3109601, Israel
| | - Shelly Tzlil
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel.
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23
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Assessing the potential of lignin nanoparticles as drug carrier: Synthesis, cytotoxicity and genotoxicity studies. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 152:786-802. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.02.311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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24
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Eschbach C, Fushiki A, Winding M, Schneider-Mizell CM, Shao M, Arruda R, Eichler K, Valdes-Aleman J, Ohyama T, Thum AS, Gerber B, Fetter RD, Truman JW, Litwin-Kumar A, Cardona A, Zlatic M. Recurrent architecture for adaptive regulation of learning in the insect brain. Nat Neurosci 2020; 23:544-555. [PMID: 32203499 PMCID: PMC7145459 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-020-0607-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Dopaminergic neurons (DANs) drive learning across the animal kingdom, but the upstream circuits that regulate their activity and thereby learning remain poorly understood. We provide a synaptic-resolution connectome of the circuitry upstream of all DANs in a learning center, the mushroom body of Drosophila larva. We discover afferent sensory pathways and a large population of neurons that provide feedback from mushroom body output neurons and link distinct memory systems (aversive and appetitive). We combine this with functional studies of DANs and their presynaptic partners and with comprehensive circuit modeling. We find that DANs compare convergent feedback from aversive and appetitive systems, which enables the computation of integrated predictions that may improve future learning. Computational modeling reveals that the discovered feedback motifs increase model flexibility and performance on learning tasks. Our study provides the most detailed view to date of biological circuit motifs that support associative learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Eschbach
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Akira Fushiki
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Departments of Neuroscience and Neurology, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael Winding
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Casey M Schneider-Mizell
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mei Shao
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | | | - Katharina Eichler
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico Medical Science Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
| | | | - Tomoko Ohyama
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Andreas S Thum
- Department of Genetics, Institute for Biology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Bertram Gerber
- Abteilung Genetik von Lernen & Gedächtnis, Leibniz Institut für Neurobiologie, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Institut für Biologie, Verhaltensgenetik, & Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| | | | - James W Truman
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ashok Litwin-Kumar
- Department of Neuroscience, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Albert Cardona
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA.
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
- Department of Physiology, Development & Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Marta Zlatic
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA.
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
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25
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Mantziaris C, Bockemühl T, Büschges A. Central pattern generating networks in insect locomotion. Dev Neurobiol 2020; 80:16-30. [PMID: 32128970 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Central pattern generators (CPGs) are neural circuits that based on their connectivity can generate rhythmic and patterned output in the absence of rhythmic external inputs. This property makes CPGs crucial elements in the generation of many kinds of rhythmic motor behaviors in insects, such as flying, walking, swimming, or crawling. Arguably representing the most diverse group of animals, insects utilize at least one of these types of locomotion during one stage of their ontogenesis. Insects have been extensively used to study the neural basis of rhythmic motor behaviors, and particularly the structure and operation of CPGs involved in locomotion. Here, we review insect locomotion with regard to flying, walking, and crawling, and we discuss the contribution of central pattern generation to these three forms of locomotion. In each case, we compare and contrast the topology and structure of the CPGs, and we point out how these factors are involved in the generation of the respective motor pattern. We focus on the importance of sensory information for establishing a functional motor output and we indicate behavior-specific adaptations. Furthermore, we report on the mechanisms underlying coordination between different body parts. Last but not least, by reviewing the state-of-the-art knowledge concerning the role of CPGs in insect locomotion, we endeavor to create a common ground, upon which future research in the field of motor control in insects can build.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charalampos Mantziaris
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Till Bockemühl
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ansgar Büschges
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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26
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Impedance Measures and a Mounting Technique for Drosophila: Larval Movements, Heart Rate, Imaging, and Electrophysiology. Methods Protoc 2020; 3:mps3010012. [PMID: 31991683 PMCID: PMC7189670 DOI: 10.3390/mps3010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 01/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Monitoring movements of larval Drosophila with electrical detection allows one to record the behaviors without the use of lights and cameras. This is a suitable technique when studying the use of light-sensitive proteins in optogenetic studies. Electrical measures are feasible to use in determining when a larva starts to move or continues to move after a light induced activation of channelrhodopsin. We have developed a technique using an electrical measure of the media as an index of larval movement. As a proof of concept, recordings with an infrared camera of the larval movement were simultaneous made with electrical measures. The two techniques parallel each other in their ability to index larval movements. Bright light-emitting diode (LED) lights used in optogenetic experiments tend to saturate the detectors of the camera unless filters are used and different filters maybe necessary depending on the LED spectrum and sensitivity of the camera. Impedance measures are independent of the type of LED or brightness. We also assessed the use of a non-solvent based glue (3M Vetbond) to hold larvae in place while measuring synaptic function of neuromuscular junctions, cardiac function and influence of modulators, or activation of light-sensitive channels.
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Direction Selectivity in Drosophila Proprioceptors Requires the Mechanosensory Channel Tmc. Curr Biol 2019; 29:945-956.e3. [PMID: 30853433 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Revised: 01/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Drosophila Transmembrane channel-like (Tmc) is a protein that functions in larval proprioception. The closely related TMC1 protein is required for mammalian hearing and is a pore-forming subunit of the hair cell mechanotransduction channel. In hair cells, TMC1 is gated by small deflections of microvilli that produce tension on extracellular tip-links that connect adjacent villi. How Tmc might be gated in larval proprioceptors, which are neurons having a morphology that is completely distinct from hair cells, is unknown. Here, we have used high-speed confocal microscopy both to measure displacements of proprioceptive sensory dendrites during larval movement and to optically measure neural activity of the moving proprioceptors. Unexpectedly, the pattern of dendrite deformation for distinct neurons was unique and differed depending on the direction of locomotion: ddaE neuron dendrites were strongly curved by forward locomotion, while the dendrites of ddaD were more strongly deformed by backward locomotion. Furthermore, GCaMP6f calcium signals recorded in the proprioceptive neurons during locomotion indicated tuning to the direction of movement. ddaE showed strong activation during forward locomotion, while ddaD showed responses that were strongest during backward locomotion. Peripheral proprioceptive neurons in animals mutant for Tmc showed a near-complete loss of movement related calcium signals. As the strength of the responses of wild-type animals was correlated with dendrite curvature, we propose that Tmc channels may be activated by membrane curvature in dendrites that are exposed to strain. Our findings begin to explain how distinct cellular systems rely on a common molecular pathway for mechanosensory responses.
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28
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Piezo-like Gene Regulates Locomotion in Drosophila Larvae. Cell Rep 2019; 26:1369-1377.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.01.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 12/16/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
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Accurate elimination of superfluous attachment cells is critical for the construction of functional multicellular proprioceptors in Drosophila. Cell Death Differ 2019; 26:1895-1904. [PMID: 30622305 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-018-0260-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2018] [Revised: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we show for the first time that developmental cell death plays a critical role in the morphogenesis of multicellular proprioceptors in Drosophila. The most prominent multicellular proprioceptive organ in the fly larva, the pentascolopidial (LCh5) organ, consists of a cluster of five stretch-responsive sensory organs that are anchored to the cuticle via specialized attachment cells. Stable attachment of the organ to the cuticle is critical for its ability to perceive mechanical stimuli arising from muscle contractions and the resulting displacement of its attachment sites. We now show that five attachment cells are born within the LCh5 lineage, but three of them are rapidly eliminated, normally, by apoptosis. Strong genetic evidence attests to the existence of an autophagic gene-dependent safeguard mechanism that guarantees elimination of the unwanted cells upon perturbation of the apoptotic pathway prior to caspase liberation. The removal of the three superfluous cells guarantees the right ratio between the number of sensory organs and the number of attachment cells that anchor them to the cuticle. This accurate matching seems imperative for the attachment of cell growth and functionality and is thus vital for normal morphogenesis and functionality of the sensory organ.
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30
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Yang D. Carnivory in the larvae of Drosophila melanogaster and other Drosophila species. Sci Rep 2018; 8:15484. [PMID: 30341324 PMCID: PMC6195549 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-33906-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster is widely used as a model organism for biological investigations, and food is a major aspect of its ecology and evolutionary biology. Previous studies have shown that this insect can use fruits, yeasts and insect carcasses as its food sources. In this study, we demonstrate that this species is an omnivore, that its larvae can exploit not only fruits and yeast but also foods of animal origin (FAOs), and that larvae consume adult carcasses regularly. FAO-fed larvae develop into adulthood within a normal developmental time frame without the help of microbes. Yeast foods are better for Drosophila development than are foods of plant origin (FPOs) or FAO because in yeast foods, more eggs complete their life cycle, and the body size of emerged flies is much greater. Flies can use a mixture of yeast-FAO, which significantly boosts female fertility. Larvae digest FAOs externally. Larval D. virilis, D. hydei, and D. simulans are also omnivorous and demonstrate the same feeding habits as larval D. melanogaster. These findings prompt us to reconsider previous conclusions about the original adaptations of D. melanogaster and other Drosophila species and have direct implications for diet-related studies using Drosophila as a model organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daxiang Yang
- Department of Zoology and Animal Physiology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China.
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31
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Post Y, Paululat A. Muscle Function Assessment Using a Drosophila Larvae Crawling Assay. Bio Protoc 2018; 8:e2933. [PMID: 34395754 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.2933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we describe a simple method to measure larval muscle contraction and locomotion behavior. The method enables the user to acquire data, without the necessity of using expensive equipment ( Rotstein et al., 2018 ). To measure contraction and locomotion behaviour, single larvae are positioned at the center of a humidified Petri dish. Larval movement is recorded over time using the movie function of a consumer digital camera. Subsequently, videos are analyzed using ImageJ ( Rueden et al., 2017 ) for distance measurements and counting of contractions. Data are represented as box or scatter plots using GraphPad Prism (©GraphPad Software).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanina Post
- Department of Zoology and Developmental Biology, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Achim Paululat
- Department of Zoology and Developmental Biology, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
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Hassan A, Timerman Y, Hamdan R, Sela N, Avetisyan A, Halachmi N, Salzberg A. An RNAi Screen Identifies New Genes Required for Normal Morphogenesis of Larval Chordotonal Organs. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2018; 8:1871-1884. [PMID: 29678948 PMCID: PMC5982817 DOI: 10.1534/g3.118.200218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The proprioceptive chordotonal organs (ChO) of a fly larva respond to mechanical stimuli generated by muscle contractions and consequent deformations of the cuticle. The ability of the ChO to sense the relative displacement of its epidermal attachment sites likely depends on the correct mechanical properties of the accessory (cap and ligament) and attachment cells that connect the sensory unit (neuron and scolopale cell) to the cuticle. The genetic programs dictating the development of ChO cells with unique morphologies and mechanical properties are largely unknown. Here we describe an RNAi screen that focused on the ChO's accessory and attachment cells and was performed in 2nd instar larvae to allow for phenotypic analysis of ChOs that had already experienced mechanical stresses during larval growth. Nearly one thousand strains carrying RNAi constructs targeting more than 500 candidate genes were screened for their effects on ChO morphogenesis. The screen identified 31 candidate genes whose knockdown within the ChO lineage disrupted various aspects of cell fate determination, cell differentiation, cellular morphogenesis and cell-cell attachment. Most interestingly, one phenotypic group consisted of genes that affected the response of specific ChO cell types to developmental organ stretching, leading to abnormal pattern of cell elongation. The 'cell elongation' group included the transcription factors Delilah and Stripe, implicating them for the first time in regulating the response of ChO cells to developmental stretching forces. Other genes found to affect the pattern of ChO cell elongation, such as αTub85E, β1Tub56D, Tbce, CCT8, mys, Rac1 and shot, represent putative effectors that link between cell-fate determinants and the realization of cell-specific mechanical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abeer Hassan
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3109601, Israel
| | - Yael Timerman
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3109601, Israel
| | - Rana Hamdan
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3109601, Israel
| | - Nitzan Sela
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3109601, Israel
| | - Adel Avetisyan
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3109601, Israel
| | - Naomi Halachmi
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3109601, Israel
| | - Adi Salzberg
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3109601, Israel
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33
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Dey S, Ray K. Cholinergic activity is essential for maintaining the anterograde transport of Choline Acetyltransferase in Drosophila. Sci Rep 2018; 8:8028. [PMID: 29795337 PMCID: PMC5966444 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-26176-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cholinergic activity is essential for cognitive functions and neuronal homeostasis. Choline Acetyltransferase (ChAT), a soluble protein that synthesizes acetylcholine at the presynaptic compartment, is transported in bulk in the axons by the heterotrimeric Kinesin-2 motor. Axonal transport of soluble proteins is described as a constitutive process assisted by occasional, non-specific interactions with moving vesicles and motor proteins. Here, we report that an increase in the influx of Kinesin-2 motor and association between ChAT and the motor during a specific developmental period enhances the axonal entry, as well as the anterograde flow of the protein, in the sensory neurons of intact Drosophila nervous system. Loss of cholinergic activity due to Hemicholinium and Bungarotoxin treatments, respectively, disrupts the interaction between ChAT and Kinesin-2 in the axon, and the episodic enhancement of axonal influx of the protein. Altogether, these observations highlight a phenomenon of synaptic activity-dependent, feedback regulation of a soluble protein transport in vivo, which could potentially define the quantum of its pre-synaptic influx.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swagata Dey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India.
| | - Krishanu Ray
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India.
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Zanini D, Giraldo D, Warren B, Katana R, Andrés M, Reddy S, Pauls S, Schwedhelm-Domeyer N, Geurten BR, Göpfert MC. Proprioceptive Opsin Functions in Drosophila Larval Locomotion. Neuron 2018; 98:67-74.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.02.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Revised: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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Prahlad A, Spalthoff C, Kong D, Großhans J, Göpfert MC, Schmidt CF. Mechanical Properties of a Drosophila Larval Chordotonal Organ. Biophys J 2018; 113:2796-2804. [PMID: 29262372 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2017.08.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Revised: 07/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Proprioception is an integral part of the feedback circuit that is essential for locomotion control in all animals. Chordotonal organs perform proprioceptive and other mechanosensory functions in insects and crustaceans. The mechanical properties of these organs are believed to be adapted to the sensory functions, but had not been probed directly. We measured mechanical properties of a particular chordotonal organ-the lateral pentascolopidial (lch5) organ of Drosophila larvae-which plays a key role in proprioceptive locomotion control. We applied tension to the whole organ in situ by transverse deflection. Upon release of force, the organ displayed overdamped relaxation with two widely separated time constants, tens of milliseconds and seconds, respectively. When the muscles covering the lch5 organ were excised, the slow relaxation was absent, and the fast relaxation became faster. Interestingly, most of the strain in the stretched organ is localized in the cap cells, which account for two-thirds of the length of the entire organ, and could be stretched by ∼10% without apparent damage. In laser ablation experiments we found that cap cells retracted by ∼100 μm after being severed from the neurons, indicating considerable steady-state stress and strain in these cells. Given the fact that actin as well as myosin motors are abundant in cap cells, the results point to a mechanical regulatory role of the cap cells in the lch5 organ.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Deqing Kong
- Institute of Developmental Biochemistry, University Medical Centre, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jörg Großhans
- Institute of Developmental Biochemistry, University Medical Centre, Göttingen, Germany
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36
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Abstract
Developmental biology is a fascinating branch of science which helps us to understand the mechanism of development, thus the findings are used in various therapeutic approach. Drosophila melanogaster served as a model to find the key molecules that initiate and regulate the mechanism of development. Various genes, transcription factors, and signaling pathways helping in development are identified in Drosophila. Many toxic compounds, which can affect the development, are also recognized using Drosophila model. These compounds, which can affect the development, are named as a teratogen. Many teratogens identified using Drosophila may also act as a teratogen for a human being since 75% of conservation exist between the disease genes present in Drosophila and human. There are certain teratogens, which do not cause developmental defect if exposed during pregnancy, however; behavioral defect appears in later part of development. Such compounds are named as a behavioral teratogen. Thus, it is worthy to identify the potential behavioral teratogen using Drosophila model. Drosophila behavior is well studied in various developmental stages. This chapter describes various methods which can be employed to test behavioral teratogenesis in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monalisa Mishra
- Neural Developmental Biology Lab, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, India.
| | - Bedanta Kumar Barik
- Neural Developmental Biology Lab, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, India
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37
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Scholz N, Guan C, Nieberler M, Grotemeyer A, Maiellaro I, Gao S, Beck S, Pawlak M, Sauer M, Asan E, Rothemund S, Winkler J, Prömel S, Nagel G, Langenhan T, Kittel RJ. Mechano-dependent signaling by Latrophilin/CIRL quenches cAMP in proprioceptive neurons. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28784204 PMCID: PMC5548486 DOI: 10.7554/elife.28360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Adhesion-type G protein-coupled receptors (aGPCRs), a large molecule family with over 30 members in humans, operate in organ development, brain function and govern immunological responses. Correspondingly, this receptor family is linked to a multitude of diverse human diseases. aGPCRs have been suggested to possess mechanosensory properties, though their mechanism of action is fully unknown. Here we show that the Drosophila aGPCR Latrophilin/dCIRL acts in mechanosensory neurons by modulating ionotropic receptor currents, the initiating step of cellular mechanosensation. This process depends on the length of the extended ectodomain and the tethered agonist of the receptor, but not on its autoproteolysis, a characteristic biochemical feature of the aGPCR family. Intracellularly, dCIRL quenches cAMP levels upon mechanical activation thereby specifically increasing the mechanosensitivity of neurons. These results provide direct evidence that the aGPCR dCIRL acts as a molecular sensor and signal transducer that detects and converts mechanical stimuli into a metabotropic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Scholz
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.,Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Division of General Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Chonglin Guan
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Nieberler
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Alexander Grotemeyer
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Isabella Maiellaro
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.,Rudolf Virchow Center, DFG-Research Center for Experimental Biomedicine, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Shiqiang Gao
- Department of Biology, Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg Biocenter, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Beck
- Department of Biology, Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg Biocenter, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Pawlak
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Markus Sauer
- Department of Biotechnology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg Biocenter, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Esther Asan
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sven Rothemund
- Core Unit Peptide Technologies, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jana Winkler
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Division of Molecular Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Simone Prömel
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Division of Molecular Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Georg Nagel
- Department of Biology, Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg Biocenter, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Langenhan
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.,Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Division of General Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Robert J Kittel
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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38
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Aleman-Meza B, Loeza-Cabrera M, Peña-Ramos O, Stern M, Zhong W. High-content behavioral profiling reveals neuronal genetic network modulating Drosophila larval locomotor program. BMC Genet 2017; 18:40. [PMID: 28499390 PMCID: PMC5429570 DOI: 10.1186/s12863-017-0513-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Two key questions in understanding the genetic control of behaviors are: what genes are involved and how these genes interact. To answer these questions at a systems level, we conducted high-content profiling of Drosophila larval locomotor behaviors for over 100 genotypes. Results We studied 69 genes whose C. elegans orthologs were neuronal signalling genes with significant locomotor phenotypes, and conducted RNAi with ubiquitous, pan-neuronal, or motor-neuronal Gal4 drivers. Inactivation of 42 genes, including the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors nAChRα1 and nAChRα3, in the neurons caused significant movement defects. Bioinformatic analysis suggested 81 interactions among these genes based on phenotypic pattern similarities. Comparing the worm and fly data sets, we found that these genes were highly conserved in having neuronal expressions and locomotor phenotypes. However, the genetic interactions were not conserved for ubiquitous profiles, and may be mildly conserved for the neuronal profiles. Unexpectedly, our data also revealed a possible motor-neuronal control of body size, because inactivation of Rdl and Gαo in the motor neurons reduced the larval body size. Overall, these data established a framework for further exploring the genetic control of Drosophila larval locomotion. Conclusions High content, quantitative phenotyping of larval locomotor behaviours provides a framework for system-level understanding of the gene networks underlying such behaviours. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12863-017-0513-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Omar Peña-Ramos
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Michael Stern
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Weiwei Zhong
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA.
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39
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Ormerod KG, LePine OK, Abbineni PS, Bridgeman JM, Coorssen JR, Mercier AJ, Tattersall GJ. Drosophila development, physiology, behavior, and lifespan are influenced by altered dietary composition. Fly (Austin) 2017; 11:153-170. [PMID: 28277941 DOI: 10.1080/19336934.2017.1304331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Diet profoundly influences the behavior of animals across many phyla. Despite this, most laboratories using model organisms, such as Drosophila, use multiple, different, commercial or custom-made media for rearing their animals. In addition to measuring growth, fecundity and longevity, we used several behavioral and physiological assays to determine if and how altering food media influence wild-type (Canton S) Drosophila melanogaster, at larval, pupal, and adult stages. Comparing 2 commonly used commercial food media we observed several key developmental and morphological differences. Third-instar larvae and pupae developmental timing, body weight and size, and even lifespan significantly differed between the 2 diets, and some of these differences persisted into adulthood. Diet was also found to produce significantly different thermal preference, locomotory capacity for geotaxis, feeding rates, and lower muscle response to hormonal stimulation. There were no differences, however, in adult thermal preferences, in the number or viability of eggs laid, or in olfactory learning and memory between the diets. We characterized the composition of the 2 diets and found particularly significant differences in cholesterol and (phospho)lipids between them. Notably, diacylglycerol (DAG) concentrations vary substantially between the 2 diets, and may contribute to key phenotypic differences, including lifespan. Overall, the data confirm that 2 different diets can profoundly influence the behavior, physiology, morphology and development of wild-type Drosophila, with greater behavioral and physiologic differences occurring during the larval stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiel G Ormerod
- a Department of Biological Sciences , Brock University , St. Catharines , ON , Canada
| | - Olivia K LePine
- a Department of Biological Sciences , Brock University , St. Catharines , ON , Canada
| | - Prabhodh S Abbineni
- b Department of Molecular Physiology, and the WSU Molecular Medicine Research Group, School of Medicine , Western Sydney University , Penrith , New South Wales , Australia
| | - Justin M Bridgeman
- a Department of Biological Sciences , Brock University , St. Catharines , ON , Canada
| | - Jens R Coorssen
- a Department of Biological Sciences , Brock University , St. Catharines , ON , Canada.,b Department of Molecular Physiology, and the WSU Molecular Medicine Research Group, School of Medicine , Western Sydney University , Penrith , New South Wales , Australia.,c Faculty of Graduate Studies, Department of Health Sciences , Brock University , St. Catharines , ON , Canada
| | - A Joffre Mercier
- a Department of Biological Sciences , Brock University , St. Catharines , ON , Canada
| | - Glenn J Tattersall
- a Department of Biological Sciences , Brock University , St. Catharines , ON , Canada
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40
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Kohsaka H, Guertin PA, Nose A. Neural Circuits Underlying Fly Larval Locomotion. Curr Pharm Des 2017; 23:1722-1733. [PMID: 27928962 PMCID: PMC5470056 DOI: 10.2174/1381612822666161208120835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Locomotion is a complex motor behavior that may be expressed in different ways using a variety of strategies depending upon species and pathological or environmental conditions. Quadrupedal or bipedal walking, running, swimming, flying and gliding constitute some of the locomotor modes enabling the body, in all cases, to move from one place to another. Despite these apparent differences in modes of locomotion, both vertebrate and invertebrate species share, at least in part, comparable neural control mechanisms for locomotor rhythm and pattern generation and modulation. Significant advances have been made in recent years in studies of the genetic aspects of these control systems. Findings made specifically using Drosophila (fruit fly) models and preparations have contributed to further understanding of the key role of genes in locomotion. This review focuses on some of the main findings made in larval fruit flies while briefly summarizing the basic advantages of using this powerful animal model for studying the neural locomotor system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Kohsaka
- Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, University of Tokyo, Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8561, Japan
| | - Pierre A. Guertin
- Department of Psychiatry & Neurosciences, Laval University, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Akinao Nose
- Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, University of Tokyo, Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8561, Japan
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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41
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Qiu S, Xiao C, Robertson RM. Pulsed Light Stimulation Increases Boundary Preference and Periodicity of Episodic Motor Activity in Drosophila melanogaster. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0163976. [PMID: 27684063 PMCID: PMC5042536 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0163976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 09/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
There is considerable interest in the therapeutic benefits of long-term sensory stimulation for improving cognitive abilities and motor performance of stroke patients. The rationale is that such stimulation would activate mechanisms of neural plasticity to promote enhanced coordination and associated circuit functions. Experimental approaches to characterize such mechanisms are needed. Drosophila melanogaster is one of the most attractive model organisms to investigate neural mechanisms responsible for stimulation-induced behaviors with its powerful accessibility to genetic analysis. In this study, the effect of chronic sensory stimulation (pulsed light stimulation) on motor activity in w1118 flies was investigated. Flies were exposed to a chronic pulsed light stimulation protocol prior to testing their performance in a standard locomotion assay. Flies responded to pulsed light stimulation with increased boundary preference and travel distance in a circular arena. In addition, pulsed light stimulation increased the power of extracellular electrical activity, leading to the enhancement of periodic electrical activity which was associated with a centrally-generated motor pattern (struggling behavior). In contrast, such periodic events were largely missing in w1118 flies without pulsed light treatment. These data suggest that the sensory stimulation induced a response in motor activity associated with the modifications of electrical activity in the central nervous system (CNS). Finally, without pulsed light treatment, the wild-type genetic background was associated with the occurrence of the periodic activity in wild-type Canton S (CS) flies, and w+ modulated the consistency of periodicity. We conclude that pulsed light stimulation modifies behavioral and electrophysiological activities in w1118 flies. These data provide a foundation for future research on the genetic mechanisms of neural plasticity underlying such behavioral modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Qiu
- Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7L 3N6
| | - Chengfeng Xiao
- Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7L 3N6
- * E-mail: (CX); (RMR)
| | - R. Meldrum Robertson
- Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7L 3N6
- * E-mail: (CX); (RMR)
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Transmembrane channel-like (tmc) gene regulates Drosophila larval locomotion. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:7243-8. [PMID: 27298354 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1606537113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Drosophila larval locomotion, which entails rhythmic body contractions, is controlled by sensory feedback from proprioceptors. The molecular mechanisms mediating this feedback are little understood. By using genetic knock-in and immunostaining, we found that the Drosophila melanogaster transmembrane channel-like (tmc) gene is expressed in the larval class I and class II dendritic arborization (da) neurons and bipolar dendrite (bd) neurons, both of which are known to provide sensory feedback for larval locomotion. Larvae with knockdown or loss of tmc function displayed reduced crawling speeds, increased head cast frequencies, and enhanced backward locomotion. Expressing Drosophila TMC or mammalian TMC1 and/or TMC2 in the tmc-positive neurons rescued these mutant phenotypes. Bending of the larval body activated the tmc-positive neurons, and in tmc mutants this bending response was impaired. This implicates TMC's roles in Drosophila proprioception and the sensory control of larval locomotion. It also provides evidence for a functional conservation between Drosophila and mammalian TMCs.
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Zheng Y, Mennella V, Marks S, Wildonger J, Elnagdi E, Agard D, Megraw TL. The Seckel syndrome and centrosomal protein Ninein localizes asymmetrically to stem cell centrosomes but is not required for normal development, behavior, or DNA damage response in Drosophila. Mol Biol Cell 2016; 27:1740-52. [PMID: 27053665 PMCID: PMC4884065 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e15-09-0655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2015] [Accepted: 03/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Ninein associates with the microtubule regulator γ-tubulin, regulates microtubule assembly, and localizes to centrosomes and noncentrosomal microtubule-organizing centers in Drosophila. Ninein localizes to stem cell centrosomes asymmetrically, with a bias for the daughter centrosome. Remarkably, Ninein is dispensable for development, fertility, or viability. Ninein (Nin) is a centrosomal protein whose gene is mutated in Seckel syndrome (SCKL, MIM 210600), an inherited recessive disease that results in primordial dwarfism, cognitive deficiencies, and increased sensitivity to genotoxic stress. Nin regulates neural stem cell self-renewal, interkinetic nuclear migration, and microtubule assembly in mammals. Nin is evolutionarily conserved, yet its role in cell division and development has not been investigated in a model organism. Here we characterize the single Nin orthologue in Drosophila. Drosophila Nin localizes to the periphery of the centrosome but not at centriolar structures as in mammals. However, Nin shares the property of its mammalian orthologue of promoting microtubule assembly. In neural and germline stem cells, Nin localizes asymmetrically to the younger (daughter) centrosome, yet it is not required for the asymmetric division of stem cells. In wing epithelia and muscle, Nin localizes to noncentrosomal microtubule-organizing centers. Surprisingly, loss of nin expression from a nin mutant does not significantly affect embryonic and brain development, fertility, or locomotor performance of mutant flies or their survival upon exposure to DNA-damaging agents. Although it is not essential, our data suggest that Nin plays a supportive role in centrosomal and extracentrosomal microtubule organization and asymmetric stem cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiming Zheng
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4300
| | - Vito Mennella
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5G 0A4, Canada Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Steven Marks
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4300
| | - Jill Wildonger
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Esraa Elnagdi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5G 0A4, Canada Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - David Agard
- The Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-2240
| | - Timothy L Megraw
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4300
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Halachmi N, Nachman A, Salzberg A. A newly identified type of attachment cell is critical for normal patterning of chordotonal neurons. Dev Biol 2016; 411:61-71. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2015] [Revised: 01/16/2016] [Accepted: 01/16/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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Chen JV, Kao LR, Jana SC, Sivan-Loukianova E, Mendonça S, Cabrera OA, Singh P, Cabernard C, Eberl DF, Bettencourt-Dias M, Megraw TL. Rootletin organizes the ciliary rootlet to achieve neuron sensory function in Drosophila. J Cell Biol 2015; 211:435-53. [PMID: 26483560 PMCID: PMC4621839 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201502032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2015] [Accepted: 09/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Drosophila Rootletin organizes rootlets in sensory neurons, where it transmits multiple sensory inputs and maintains basal body cohesion, yet it is not required for cilium stability. Cilia are essential for cell signaling and sensory perception. In many cell types, a cytoskeletal structure called the ciliary rootlet links the cilium to the cell body. Previous studies indicated that rootlets support the long-term stability of some cilia. Here we report that Drosophila melanogaster Rootletin (Root), the sole orthologue of the mammalian paralogs Rootletin and C-Nap1, assembles into rootlets of diverse lengths among sensory neuron subtypes. Root mutant neurons lack rootlets and have dramatically impaired sensory function, resulting in behavior defects associated with mechanosensation and chemosensation. Root is required for cohesion of basal bodies, but the cilium structure appears normal in Root mutant neurons. We show, however, that normal rootlet assembly requires centrioles. The N terminus of Root contains a conserved domain and is essential for Root function in vivo. Ectopically expressed Root resides at the base of mother centrioles in spermatocytes and localizes asymmetrically to mother centrosomes in neuroblasts, both requiring Bld10, a basal body protein with varied functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jieyan V Chen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306
| | - Ling-Rong Kao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306
| | - Swadhin C Jana
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal
| | | | | | - Oscar A Cabrera
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306
| | - Priyanka Singh
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Daniel F Eberl
- Biology Department, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
| | | | - Timothy L Megraw
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306
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Pulver SR, Bayley TG, Taylor AL, Berni J, Bate M, Hedwig B. Imaging fictive locomotor patterns in larval Drosophila. J Neurophysiol 2015; 114:2564-77. [PMID: 26311188 PMCID: PMC4637366 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00731.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We have established a preparation in larval Drosophila to monitor fictive locomotion simultaneously across abdominal and thoracic segments of the isolated CNS with genetically encoded Ca2+ indicators. The Ca2+ signals closely followed spiking activity measured electrophysiologically in nerve roots. Three motor patterns are analyzed. Two comprise waves of Ca2+ signals that progress along the longitudinal body axis in a posterior-to-anterior or anterior-to-posterior direction. These waves had statistically indistinguishable intersegmental phase delays compared with segmental contractions during forward and backward crawling behavior, despite being ∼10 times slower. During these waves, motor neurons of the dorsal longitudinal and transverse muscles were active in the same order as the muscle groups are recruited during crawling behavior. A third fictive motor pattern exhibits a left-right asymmetry across segments and bears similarities with turning behavior in intact larvae, occurring equally frequently and involving asymmetry in the same segments. Ablation of the segments in which forward and backward waves of Ca2+ signals were normally initiated did not eliminate production of Ca2+ waves. When the brain and subesophageal ganglion (SOG) were removed, the remaining ganglia retained the ability to produce both forward and backward waves of motor activity, although the speed and frequency of waves changed. Bilateral asymmetry of activity was reduced when the brain was removed and abolished when the SOG was removed. This work paves the way to studying the neural and genetic underpinnings of segmentally coordinated motor pattern generation in Drosophila with imaging techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan R Pulver
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom; Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, Virginia
| | - Timothy G Bayley
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; and
| | - Adam L Taylor
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, Virginia
| | - Jimena Berni
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; and
| | - Michael Bate
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; and
| | - Berthold Hedwig
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; and
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Styczynska-Soczka K, Jarman AP. The Drosophila homologue of Rootletin is required for mechanosensory function and ciliary rootlet formation in chordotonal sensory neurons. Cilia 2015; 4:9. [PMID: 26140210 PMCID: PMC4489026 DOI: 10.1186/s13630-015-0018-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 05/26/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In vertebrates, rootletin is the major structural component of the ciliary rootlet and is also part of the tether linking the centrioles of the centrosome. Various functions have been ascribed to the rootlet, including maintenance of ciliary integrity through anchoring and facilitation of transport to the cilium or at the base of the cilium. In Drosophila, Rootletin function has not been explored. RESULTS In the Drosophila embryo, Rootletin is expressed exclusively in cell lineages of type I sensory neurons, the only somatic cells bearing a cilium. Expression is strongest in mechanosensory chordotonal neurons. Knock-down of Rootletin results in loss of ciliary rootlet in these neurons and severe disruption of their sensory function. However, the sensory cilium appears largely normal in structure and in localisation of proteins suggesting no strong defect in ciliogenesis. No evidence was found for a defect in cell division. CONCLUSIONS The role of Rootletin as a component of the ciliary rootlet is conserved in Drosophila. In contrast, lack of a general role in cell division is consistent with lack of centriole tethering during the centrosome cycle in Drosophila. Although our evidence is consistent with an anchoring role for the rootlet, severe loss of mechanosensory function of chordotonal (Ch) neurons upon Rootletin knock-down may suggest a direct role for the rootlet in the mechanotransduction mechanism itself.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew P Jarman
- Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
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Hartenstein V, Younossi-Hartenstein A, Lovick JK, Kong A, Omoto JJ, Ngo KT, Viktorin G. Lineage-associated tracts defining the anatomy of the Drosophila first instar larval brain. Dev Biol 2015; 406:14-39. [PMID: 26141956 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2015] [Revised: 06/25/2015] [Accepted: 06/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Fixed lineages derived from unique, genetically specified neuroblasts form the anatomical building blocks of the Drosophila brain. Neurons belonging to the same lineage project their axons in a common tract, which is labeled by neuronal markers. In this paper, we present a detailed atlas of the lineage-associated tracts forming the brain of the early Drosophila larva, based on the use of global markers (anti-Neuroglian, anti-Neurotactin, inscuteable-Gal4>UAS-chRFP-Tub) and lineage-specific reporters. We describe 68 discrete fiber bundles that contain axons of one lineage or pairs/small sets of adjacent lineages. Bundles enter the neuropil at invariant locations, the lineage tract entry portals. Within the neuropil, these fiber bundles form larger fascicles that can be classified, by their main orientation, into longitudinal, transverse, and vertical (ascending/descending) fascicles. We present 3D digital models of lineage tract entry portals and neuropil fascicles, set into relationship to commonly used, easily recognizable reference structures such as the mushroom body, the antennal lobe, the optic lobe, and the Fasciclin II-positive fiber bundles that connect the brain and ventral nerve cord. Correspondences and differences between early larval tract anatomy and the previously described late larval and adult lineage patterns are highlighted. Our L1 neuro-anatomical atlas of lineages constitutes an essential step towards following morphologically defined lineages to the neuroblasts of the early embryo, which will ultimately make it possible to link the structure and connectivity of a lineage to the expression of genes in the particular neuroblast that gives rise to that lineage. Furthermore, the L1 atlas will be important for a host of ongoing work that attempts to reconstruct neuronal connectivity at the level of resolution of single neurons and their synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker Hartenstein
- Department of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, 610 Charles E. Young Drive, 5009 Terasaki Life Sciences Building, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Amelia Younossi-Hartenstein
- Department of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, 610 Charles E. Young Drive, 5009 Terasaki Life Sciences Building, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jennifer K Lovick
- Department of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, 610 Charles E. Young Drive, 5009 Terasaki Life Sciences Building, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Angel Kong
- Department of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, 610 Charles E. Young Drive, 5009 Terasaki Life Sciences Building, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jaison J Omoto
- Department of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, 610 Charles E. Young Drive, 5009 Terasaki Life Sciences Building, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Kathy T Ngo
- Department of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, 610 Charles E. Young Drive, 5009 Terasaki Life Sciences Building, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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The Adhesion GPCR Latrophilin/CIRL Shapes Mechanosensation. Cell Rep 2015; 11:866-874. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2014] [Revised: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 04/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
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50
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McParland AL, Follansbee TL, Ganter GK. Measurement of larval activity in the Drosophila activity monitor. J Vis Exp 2015:e52684. [PMID: 25993121 PMCID: PMC4542324 DOI: 10.3791/52684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Drosophila larvae are used in many behavioral studies, yet a simple device for measuring basic parameters of larval activity has not been available. This protocol repurposes an instrument often used to measure adult activity, the TriKinetics Drosophila activity monitor (MB5 Multi-Beam Activity Monitor) to study larval activity. The instrument can monitor the movements of animals in 16 individual 8 cm glass assay tubes, using 17 infrared detection beams per tube. Logging software automatically saves data to a computer, recording parameters such as number of moves, times sensors were triggered, and animals' positions within the tubes. The data can then be analyzed to represent overall locomotion and/or position preference as well as other measurements. All data are easily accessible and compatible with basic graphing and data manipulation software. This protocol will discuss how to use the apparatus, how to operate the software and how to run a larval activity assay from start to finish.
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