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Wice EW, Saltz JB. Indirect genetic effects for social network structure in Drosophila melanogaster. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220075. [PMID: 36802774 PMCID: PMC9939268 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0075] [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: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The position an individual holds in a social network is dependent on both its direct and indirect social interactions. Because social network position is dependent on the actions and interactions of conspecifics, it is likely that the genotypic composition of individuals within a social group impacts individuals' network positions. However, we know very little about whether social network positions have a genetic basis, and even less about how the genotypic makeup of a social group impacts network positions and structure. With ample evidence indicating that network positions influence various fitness metrics, studying how direct and indirect genetic effects shape network positions is crucial for furthering our understanding of how the social environment can respond to selection and evolve. Using replicate genotypes of Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies, we created social groups that varied in their genotypic makeup. Social groups were videoed, and networks were generated using motion-tracking software. We found that both an individual's own genotype and the genotypes of conspecifics in its social group affect its position within a social network. These findings provide an early example of how indirect genetic effects and social network theory can be linked, and shed new light on how quantitative genetic variation shapes the structure of social groups. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Collective behaviour through time'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Wesley Wice
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
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2
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Michalska K, Mrowińska A, Studnicki M. Ectoparasitism of the Flightless Drosophila melanogaster and D. hydei by the Mite Blattisocius mali (Acari: Blattisociidae). INSECTS 2023; 14:146. [PMID: 36835715 PMCID: PMC9961106 DOI: 10.3390/insects14020146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Predatory mites dispersing by means of insects are often ectoparasites and may use various tactics to get onto the host, counteract its defenses, and diminish its survival. Blattisocius mali is a promising biological control agent which has been reported as transported by several drosophilid species. Our goal was to determine the type of relationship between this mite and fruit flies. We used flightless females of Drosophila melanogaster and D. hydei, which were commercially raised as live pet food. The predatory females mostly attacked the tarsi of the flies and then preferentially moved to the cervix or close to coxa III, where they eventually drilled their chelicerae and started feeding. Although both fly species used similar defensive tactics, more B. mali females did not attack D. hydei or did so with a delay, and a higher percentage of mites fell off the D. hydei tarsi during the first hour of observation. After 24 h, we noted the increased mortality of flies exposed to the presence of mites. Our study indicates the ectoparasitic relationship of B. mali with drosophilids. However, further research is needed to confirm the transport of this mite on wild D. hydei and D. melanogaster, both in the laboratory and under natural conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Michalska
- Section of Applied Entomology, Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Horticulture Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Mrowińska
- Section of Applied Entomology, Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Horticulture Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marcin Studnicki
- Department of Biometry, Institute of Agriculture, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
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3
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Romano V, Lussiana A, Monteith KM, MacIntosh AJJ, Vale PF. Host genetics and pathogen species modulate infection-induced changes in social aggregation behaviour. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20220233. [PMID: 36043302 PMCID: PMC9428545 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying how infection modifies host behaviours that determine social contact networks is important for understanding heterogeneity in infectious disease dynamics. Here, we investigate whether group social behaviour is modified during bacterial infection in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) according to pathogen species, infectious dose, host genetic background and sex. In one experiment, we find that systemic infection with four different bacterial species results in a reduction in the mean pairwise distance within infected female flies, and that the extent of this change depends on pathogen species. However, susceptible flies did not show any evidence of avoidance in the presence of infected flies. In a separate experiment, we observed genetic- and sex-based variation in social aggregation within infected, same-sex groups, with infected female flies aggregating more closely than infected males. In general, our results confirm that bacterial infection induces changes in fruit fly behaviour across a range of pathogen species, but also highlight that these effects vary between fly genetic backgrounds and can be sex-specific. We discuss possible explanations for sex differences in social aggregation and their consequences for individual variation in pathogen transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valéria Romano
- IMBE, Aix Marseille Univ., Avignon Univ., CNRS, IRD, Marseille, France
- Kyoto University Wildlife Research Center, Japan
| | - Amy Lussiana
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Katy M. Monteith
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Pedro F. Vale
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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4
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Schott RK, Bell RC, Loew ER, Thomas KN, Gower DJ, Streicher JW, Fujita MK. Transcriptomic evidence for visual adaptation during the aquatic to terrestrial metamorphosis in leopard frogs. BMC Biol 2022; 20:138. [PMID: 35761245 PMCID: PMC9238225 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01341-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Differences in morphology, ecology, and behavior through ontogeny can result in opposing selective pressures at different life stages. Most animals, however, transition through two or more distinct phenotypic phases, which is hypothesized to allow each life stage to adapt more freely to its ecological niche. How this applies to sensory systems, and in particular how sensory systems adapt across life stages at the molecular level, is not well understood. Here, we used whole-eye transcriptomes to investigate differences in gene expression between tadpole and juvenile southern leopard frogs (Lithobates sphenocephalus), which rely on vision in aquatic and terrestrial light environments, respectively. Because visual physiology changes with light levels, we also tested the effect of light and dark exposure. RESULTS We found 42% of genes were differentially expressed in the eyes of tadpoles versus juveniles and 5% for light/dark exposure. Analyses targeting a curated subset of visual genes revealed significant differential expression of genes that control aspects of visual function and development, including spectral sensitivity and lens composition. Finally, microspectrophotometry of photoreceptors confirmed shifts in spectral sensitivity predicted by the expression results, consistent with adaptation to distinct light environments. CONCLUSIONS Overall, we identified extensive expression-level differences in the eyes of tadpoles and juveniles related to observed morphological and physiological changes through metamorphosis and corresponding adaptive shifts to improve vision in the distinct aquatic and terrestrial light environments these frogs inhabit during their life cycle. More broadly, these results suggest that decoupling of gene expression can mediate the opposing selection pressures experienced by organisms with complex life cycles that inhabit different environmental conditions throughout ontogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan K Schott
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, USA.
| | - Rayna C Bell
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, USA
- Department of Herpetology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ellis R Loew
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Kate N Thomas
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - David J Gower
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | | | - Matthew K Fujita
- Department of Biology, Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
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5
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Scott AM, Dworkin I, Dukas R. Evolution of sociability by artificial selection. Evolution 2021; 76:541-553. [PMID: 34605553 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14370] [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: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
There has been extensive research on the ecology and evolution of social life in animals that live in groups. Less attention, however, has been devoted to apparently solitary species, even though recent research indicates that they also possess complex social behaviors. To address this knowledge gap, we artificially selected on sociability, defined as the tendency to engage in nonaggressive activities with others, in fruit flies. Our goal was to quantify the factors that determine the level of sociability and the traits correlated with this feature. After 25 generations of selection, the high-sociability lineages showed sociability scores about 50% higher than did the low-sociability lineages. Experiments using the evolved lineages indicated that there were no differences in mating success between flies from the low and high lineages. Both males and females from the low lineages, however, were more aggressive than males and females from the high lineages. Finally, the evolved lineages maintained their sociability scores after 10 generations of relaxed selection, suggesting no costs to maintaining low and high sociability, at least under our settings. Sociability is a complex trait, which we currently assess through genomic work on the evolved lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Scott
- Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Ian Dworkin
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Reuven Dukas
- Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
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6
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Girardeau AR, Foley BR, Saltz JB. Comparing single- and mixed-species groups in fruit flies: differences in group dynamics, but not group formation. J Hered 2021; 113:16-25. [PMID: 34453172 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esab041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mixed-species groups describe active associations among individuals of 2 or more species at the same trophic level. Mixed-species groups are important to key ecological and evolutionary processes such as competition and predation, and research that ignores the presence of other species risks ignoring a key aspect of the environment in which social behavior is expressed and selected. Despite the defining emphasis of active formation for mixed-species groups, surprisingly little is known about the mechanisms by which mixed-species groups form. Furthermore, insects have been almost completely ignored in the study of mixed-species groups, despite their taxonomic importance and relative prominence in the study of single-species groups. Here, we measured group formation processes in Drosophila melanogaster and its sister species, Drosophila simulans. Each species was studied alone, and together, and one population of D. melanogaster was also studied both alone and with another, phenotypically distinct D. melanogaster population, in a nested-factorial design. This approach differs from typical methods of studying mixed-species groups in that we could quantitatively compare group formation between single-population, mixed-population, and mixed-species treatments. Surprisingly, we found no differences between treatments in the number, size, or composition of groups that formed, suggesting that single- and mixed-species groups form through similar mechanisms of active attraction. However, we found that mixed-species groups showed elevated interspecies male-male interactions, relative to interpopulation or intergenotype interactions in single-species groups. Our findings expand the conceptual and taxonomic study of mixed-species groups while raising new questions about the mechanisms of group formation broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brad R Foley
- Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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7
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Herrig DK, Vertacnik KL, Kohrs AR, Linnen CR. Support for the adaptive decoupling hypothesis from whole-transcriptome profiles of a hypermetamorphic and sexually dimorphic insect, Neodiprion lecontei. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:4551-4566. [PMID: 34174126 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Though seemingly bizarre, the dramatic morphological and ecological transformation that occurs when immature life stages metamorphose into reproductive adults is one of the most successful developmental strategies on the planet. The adaptive decoupling hypothesis (ADH) proposes that metamorphosis is an adaptation for breaking developmental links between traits expressed in different life stages, thereby facilitating their independent evolution when exposed to opposing selection pressures. Here, we draw inspiration from the ADH to develop a conceptual framework for understanding changes in gene expression across ontogeny. We hypothesized that patterns of stage-biased and sex-biased gene expression are the product of both decoupling mechanisms and selection history. To test this hypothesis, we characterized transcriptome-wide patterns of gene-expression traits for three ecologically distinct larval stages (all male) and adult males and females of a hypermetamorphic insect (Neodiprion lecontei). We found that stage-biased gene expression was most pronounced between larval and adult males, which is consistent with the ADH. However, even in the absence of a metamorphic transition, considerable stage-biased expression was observed among morphologically and behaviourally distinct larval stages. Stage-biased expression was also observed across ecologically relevant Gene Ontology categories and genes, highlighting the role of ecology in shaping patterns of gene expression. We also found that the magnitude and prevalence of stage-biased expression far exceeded adult sex-biased expression. Overall, our results highlight how the ADH can shed light on transcriptome-wide patterns of gene expression in organisms with complex life cycles. For maximal insight, detailed knowledge of organismal ecology is also essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle K Herrig
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Kim L Vertacnik
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Anna R Kohrs
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
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8
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Himmel NJ, Letcher JM, Sakurai A, Gray TR, Benson MN, Donaldson KJ, Cox DN. Identification of a neural basis for cold acclimation in Drosophila larvae. iScience 2021; 24:102657. [PMID: 34151240 PMCID: PMC8192725 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Low temperatures can be fatal to insects, but many species have evolved the ability to cold acclimate, thereby increasing their cold tolerance. It has been previously shown that Drosophila melanogaster larvae perform cold-evoked behaviors under the control of noxious cold-sensing neurons (nociceptors), but it is unknown how the nervous system might participate in cold tolerance. Herein, we describe cold-nociceptive behavior among 11 drosophilid species; we find that the predominant cold-evoked larval response is a head-to-tail contraction behavior, which is likely inherited from a common ancestor, but is unlikely to be protective. We therefore tested the hypothesis that cold nociception functions to protect larvae by triggering cold acclimation. We found that Drosophila melanogaster Class III nociceptors are sensitized by and critical to cold acclimation and that cold acclimation can be optogenetically evoked, sans cold. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that cold nociception constitutes a peripheral neural basis for Drosophila larval cold acclimation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel J Himmel
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Jamin M Letcher
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Akira Sakurai
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Thomas R Gray
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA.,Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
| | - Maggie N Benson
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Kevin J Donaldson
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Daniel N Cox
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
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9
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Abstract
The past 2 decades have seen fruit flies being widely adopted for research on social behavior and aggression. This fruitful research, however, has not been well tied to fruit flies' natural history. To address this knowledge gap, I conducted a field study. My goal was to inform future research conducted in artificial surroundings, and to inspire new investigations that can rely more heavily on fruit flies' actual natural behavior. My two main novel findings were first, that flies in the field showed significant sociability, as they formed social groups rather than dispersed randomly among fruits of similar quality. Second, males showed fair levels of aggression towards each other as indicated by a lunging rate of 17 per hour, and lower rates of wing threat and boxing. Courtship was the most prominent activity on fruits, with females rejecting almost all males' advances. This resulted in an estimated mating rate of 0.6 per female per day. Flies showed a striking peak of activity early in the mornings, even at cold temperatures, followed by inactivity for much of the day and night. Flies, however, handled well high temperatures approaching 40 °C by hiding away from fruit and concentrating activity in the cooler, early mornings. My field work highlights a few promising lines of future research informed by fruit flies' natural history. Most importantly, we do not understand the intriguing dynamics that generate significant sociability despite frequent aggressive interactions on fruits. Males' responses to female rejection signals varied widely, perhaps because the signals differed in information content perceived by flies but not humans. Finally, flies tolerated cold early mornings perhaps owing to fitness benefits associated with increased mating and feeding opportunities at this time. Flies were adept at handling very high temperatures under the natural daily temperature fluctuations and availability of shelters, and this can inform more realistic research on the effects of global warming on animals in their natural settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reuven Dukas
- Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada.
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10
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Ueno T, Takahashi Y. Intrapopulation genetic variation in the level and rhythm of daily activity in Drosophila immigrans. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:14388-14393. [PMID: 33391722 PMCID: PMC7771174 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic diversity within a population, such as polymorphisms and personality, is considered to improve population performance because such intraspecific variations have the potential to alleviate the competition for a limited resource or the risk of predation and sexual harassment at a population level. Variation in the level and rhythm of daily activity in a population could also affect population performance by directly altering ecological, social, and sexual interactions among individuals. However, it remains to be elucidated whether such intra-population variation in the level and rhythms of daily activity exists in a natural population. Here, we investigated the genetic variation in daily activity within a single natural population of Drosophila immigrans. We established 21 isofemale lines from a single natural population and measured larval activity level and the level and daily pattern of adult activity over a 24 hr period. Larval activity level significantly varied among isofemale lines. Likewise, the activity level in the adult stage significantly varied among lines. The significant variation was also found in the daily pattern of adult activity; some lines showed greater activity level in the daytime, and others showed greater activity level in the night. Our results consistently suggest that there is a genetic variation in behavioral activity in a natural population, probably contributing to shaping the population performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahisa Ueno
- Graduate School of Science and EngineeringChiba UniversityChibaJapan
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11
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Dombrovski M, Condron B. Critical periods shaping the social brain: A perspective from Drosophila. Bioessays 2020; 43:e2000246. [PMID: 33215730 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202000246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Many sensory processing regions of the central brain undergo critical periods of experience-dependent plasticity. During this time ethologically relevant information shapes circuit structure and function. The mechanisms that control critical period timing and duration are poorly understood, and this is of special importance for those later periods of development, which often give rise to complex cognitive functions such as social behavior. Here, we review recent findings in Drosophila, an organism that has some unique experimental advantages, and introduce novel views for manipulating plasticity in the post-embryonic brain. Critical periods in larval and young adult flies resemble classic vertebrate models with distinct onset and termination, display clear connections with complex behaviors, and provide opportunities to control the time course of plasticity. These findings may extend our knowledge about mechanisms underlying extension and reopening of critical periods, a concept that has great relevance to many human neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Dombrovski
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Barry Condron
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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12
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Yost RT, Robinson JW, Baxter CM, Scott AM, Brown LP, Aletta MS, Hakimjavadi R, Lone A, Cumming RC, Dukas R, Mozer B, Simon AF. Abnormal Social Interactions in a Drosophila Mutant of an Autism Candidate Gene: Neuroligin 3. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E4601. [PMID: 32610435 PMCID: PMC7370170 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21134601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Social interactions are typically impaired in neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism, for which the genetic underpinnings are very complex. Social interactions can be modeled by analysis of behaviors, including social spacing, sociability, and aggression, in simpler organisms such as Drosophila melanogaster. Here, we examined the effects of mutants of the autism-related gene neuroligin 3 (nlg3) on fly social and non-social behaviors. Startled-induced negative geotaxis is affected by a loss of function nlg3 mutation. Social space and aggression are also altered in a sex- and social-experience-specific manner in nlg3 mutant flies. In light of the conserved roles that neuroligins play in social behavior, our results offer insight into the regulation of social behavior in other organisms, including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryley T. Yost
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada; (R.T.Y.); (J.W.R.); (L.P.B.); (M.S.A.); (R.H.); (A.L.); (R.C.C.)
| | - J. Wesley Robinson
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada; (R.T.Y.); (J.W.R.); (L.P.B.); (M.S.A.); (R.H.); (A.L.); (R.C.C.)
| | - Carling M. Baxter
- Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour (PNB) McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada; (C.M.B.); (A.M.S.); (R.D.)
| | - Andrew M. Scott
- Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour (PNB) McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada; (C.M.B.); (A.M.S.); (R.D.)
| | - Liam P. Brown
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada; (R.T.Y.); (J.W.R.); (L.P.B.); (M.S.A.); (R.H.); (A.L.); (R.C.C.)
| | - M. Sol Aletta
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada; (R.T.Y.); (J.W.R.); (L.P.B.); (M.S.A.); (R.H.); (A.L.); (R.C.C.)
| | - Ramtin Hakimjavadi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada; (R.T.Y.); (J.W.R.); (L.P.B.); (M.S.A.); (R.H.); (A.L.); (R.C.C.)
| | - Asad Lone
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada; (R.T.Y.); (J.W.R.); (L.P.B.); (M.S.A.); (R.H.); (A.L.); (R.C.C.)
| | - Robert C. Cumming
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada; (R.T.Y.); (J.W.R.); (L.P.B.); (M.S.A.); (R.H.); (A.L.); (R.C.C.)
| | - Reuven Dukas
- Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour (PNB) McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada; (C.M.B.); (A.M.S.); (R.D.)
| | - Brian Mozer
- Office of Research Integrity, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Rockville, MD 20889, USA;
| | - Anne F. Simon
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada; (R.T.Y.); (J.W.R.); (L.P.B.); (M.S.A.); (R.H.); (A.L.); (R.C.C.)
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13
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Jezovit JA, Rooke R, Schneider J, Levine JD. Behavioral and environmental contributions to drosophilid social networks. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:11573-11583. [PMID: 32404421 PMCID: PMC7261129 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1920642117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals interact with each other in species-specific reproducible patterns. These patterns of organization are captured by social network analysis, and social interaction networks (SINs) have been described for a wide variety of species including fish, insects, birds, and mammals. The aim of this study is to understand the evolution of social organization in Drosophila Using a comparative ecological, phylogenetic, and behavioral approach, the different properties of SINs formed by 20 drosophilids were compared. We investigate whether drosophilid network structures arise from common ancestry, a response to the species' past climate, other social behaviors, or a combination of these factors. This study shows that differences in past climate predicted the species' current SIN properties. The drosophilid phylogeny offered no value to predicting species' differences in SINs through phylogenetic signal tests. This suggests that group-level social behaviors in drosophilid species are shaped by divergent climates. However, we find that the social distance at which flies interact correlated with the drosophilid phylogeny, indicating that behavioral elements of SINs have remained largely unchanged in their evolutionary history. We find a significant correlation of leg length to social distance, outlining the interdependence of anatomy and complex social structures. Although SINs display a complex evolutionary relationship across drosophilids, this study suggests that the ecology, and not common ancestry, contributes to diversity in social structure in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob A Jezovit
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Rebecca Rooke
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Jonathan Schneider
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Joel D Levine
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
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14
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Individual, but not population asymmetries, are modulated by social environment and genotype in Drosophila melanogaster. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4480. [PMID: 32161330 PMCID: PMC7066193 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61410-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Theory predicts that social interactions can induce an alignment of behavioral asymmetries between individuals (i.e., population-level lateralization), but evidence for this effect is mixed. To understand how interaction with other individuals affects behavioral asymmetries, we systematically manipulated the social environment of Drosophila melanogaster, testing individual flies and dyads (female-male, female-female and male-male pairs). In these social contexts we measured individual and population asymmetries in individual behaviors (circling asymmetry, wing use) and dyadic behaviors (relative position and orientation between two flies) in five different genotypes. We reasoned that if coordination between individuals drives alignment of behavioral asymmetries, greater alignment at the population-level should be observed in social contexts compared to solitary individuals. We observed that the presence of other individuals influenced the behavior and position of flies but had unexpected effects on individual and population asymmetries: individual-level asymmetries were strong and modulated by the social context but population-level asymmetries were mild or absent. Moreover, the strength of individual-level asymmetries differed between strains, but this was not the case for population-level asymmetries. These findings suggest that the degree of social interaction found in Drosophila is insufficient to drive population-level behavioral asymmetries.
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15
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Geiger AP, Saltz JB. Strong and weak cross‐sex correlations govern the quantitative‐genetic architecture of social group choice in
Drosophila melanogaster. Evolution 2019; 74:145-155. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam P. Geiger
- Rice University 6100 Main Street Houston TX 77005
- Present address: Facebook 300 W 6th St (Lavaca) Austin TX 78701
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16
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Ferreira CH, Moita MA. What can a non-eusocial insect tell us about the neural basis of group behaviour? CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 36:118-124. [PMID: 31563022 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2019.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2019] [Revised: 08/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Group behaviour has been extensively studied in canonically social swarming, shoaling and flocking vertebrates and invertebrates, providing great insight into the behavioural and ecological aspects of group living. However, the search for its neuronal basis is lagging behind. In the natural environment, Drosophila melanogaster, increasingly used as a model to study neuronal circuits and behaviour, spend their lives surrounded by several conspecifics of different stages, as well as heterospecifics. Despite their dynamic multi-organism natural environment, the neuronal basis of social behaviours has been typically studied in dyadic interactions, such as mating or aggression. This review will focus on recent studies regarding how the behaviour of fruit flies can be shaped by the nature of the surrounding group. We argue that the rich social environment of Drosophila melanogaster, its arsenal of neurogenetic tools and the ability to use large sample sizes for detailed quantitative behavioural analysis makes this species ideal for mechanistic studies of group behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara H Ferreira
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Marta A Moita
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal.
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17
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Siva-Jothy JA, Vale PF. Viral infection causes sex-specific changes in fruit fly social aggregation behaviour. Biol Lett 2019; 15:20190344. [PMID: 31530113 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Host behavioural changes following infection are common and could be important determinants of host behavioural competence to transmit pathogens. Identifying potential sources of variation in sickness behaviours is therefore central to our understanding of disease transmission. Here, we test how group social aggregation and individual locomotor activity vary between different genotypes of male and female fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) following septic infection with Drosophila C virus (DCV). We find genetic-based variation in both locomotor activity and social aggregation, but we did not detect an effect of DCV infection on fly activity or sleep patterns within the initial days following infection. However, DCV infection caused sex-specific effects on social aggregation, as male flies in most genetic backgrounds increased the distance to their nearest neighbour when infected. We discuss possible causes for these differences in the context of individual variation in immunity and their potential consequences for disease transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathon A Siva-Jothy
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Pedro F Vale
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK.,Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
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18
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Rolff J, Johnston PR, Reynolds S. Complete metamorphosis of insects. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20190063. [PMID: 31438816 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The majority of described hexapod species are holometabolous insects, undergoing an extreme form of metamorphosis with an intercalated pupal stage between the larva and adult, in which organs and tissues are extensively remodelled and in some cases completely rebuilt. Here, we review how and why this developmental strategy has evolved. While there are many theories explaining the evolution of metamorphosis, many of which fit under the hypothesis of decoupling of life stages, there are few clear adaptive hypotheses on why complete metamorphosis evolved. We propose that the main adaptive benefit of complete metamorphosis is decoupling between growth and differentiation. This facilitates the exploitation of ephemeral resources and enhances the probability of the metamorphic transition escaping developmental size thresholds. The evolution of complete metamorphosis comes at the cost of exposure to predators, parasites and pathogens during pupal life and requires specific adaptations of the immune system at this time. Moreover, metamorphosis poses a challenge for the maintenance of symbionts and the gut microbiota, although it may also offer the benefit of allowing an extensive change in microbiota between the larval and adult stages. The regulation of metamorphosis by two main players, ecdysone and juvenile hormone, and the related signalling cascades are now relatively well understood. The mechanics of metamorphosis have recently been studied in detail because of the advent of micro-CT and research into the role of cell death in remodelling tissues and organs. We support the argument that the adult stage must necessarily have preceded the larval form of the insect. We do not resolve the still contentious question of whether the larva of insects in general originated through the modification of existing preadult forms or through heterochrony as a modified embryonic stage (pronymph), nor whether the holometabolous pupa arose as a modified hemimetabolous final stage larva. This article is part of the theme issue 'The evolution of complete metamorphosis'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Rolff
- Evolutionary Biology, Institut für Biologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Paul R Johnston
- Evolutionary Biology, Institut für Biologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin Center for Genomics in Biodiversity Research, Berlin, Germany.,Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Stuart Reynolds
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, UK
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19
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Brenman-Suttner DB, Yost RT, Frame AK, Robinson JW, Moehring AJ, Simon AF. Social behavior and aging: A fly model. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2019; 19:e12598. [PMID: 31286644 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The field of behavioral genetics has recently begun to explore the effect of age on social behaviors. Such studies are particularly important, as certain neuropsychiatric disorders with abnormal social interactions, like autism and schizophrenia, have been linked to older parents. Appropriate social interaction can also have a positive impact on longevity, and is associated with successful aging in humans. Currently, there are few genetic models for understanding the effect of aging on social behavior and its potential transgenerational inheritance. The fly is emerging as a powerful model for identifying the basic molecular mechanisms underlying neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. In this review, we discuss these recent advancements, with a focus on how studies in Drosophila melanogaster have provided insight into the effect of aging on aspects of social behavior, including across generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dova B Brenman-Suttner
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ryley T Yost
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ariel K Frame
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - J Wesley Robinson
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Amanda J Moehring
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anne F Simon
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
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20
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Stage-specific genotype-by-environment interactions for cold and heat hardiness in Drosophila melanogaster. Heredity (Edinb) 2019; 123:479-491. [PMID: 31164731 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-019-0236-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Environments often vary across a life cycle, imposing fluctuating natural selection across development. Such fluctuating selection can favor different phenotypes in different life stages, but stage-specific evolutionary responses will depend on genetic variance, covariance, and their interaction across development and across environments. Thus, quantifying how genetic architecture varies with plastic responses to the environment and across development is vital to predict whether stage-specific adaptation will occur in nature. Additionally, the interaction of genetic variation and environmental plasticity (GxE) may be stage-specific, leading to a three-way interaction between genotype, environment, and development or GxDxE. To test for these patterns, we exposed larvae and adults of Drosophila melanogaster isogenic lines derived from a natural population to extreme heat and cold stress after developmental acclimation to cool (18 °C) and warm (25 °C) conditions and measured genetic variance for thermal hardiness. We detected significant GxE that was specific to larvae and adults for cold and heat hardiness (GxDxE), but no significant genetic correlation across development for either trait at either acclimation temperature. However, cross-development phenotypic correlations for acclimation responses suggest that plasticity itself may be developmentally constrained, though rigorously testing this hypothesis requires more experimentation. These results illustrate the potential for stage-specific adaptation within a complex life cycle and demonstrate the importance of measuring traits at appropriate developmental stages and environmental conditions when predicting evolutionary responses to changing climates.
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21
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Ehlman SM, Trimmer PC, Sih A. Prey Responses to Exotic Predators: Effects of Old Risks and New Cues. Am Nat 2019; 193:575-587. [PMID: 30912973 DOI: 10.1086/702252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Exotic predators can have major negative impacts on prey. Importantly, prey vary considerably in their behavioral responses to exotic predators. Factors proposed to explain variation in prey response to exotic predators include the similarity of new predators to familiar, native predators, the prevalence and diversity of predators in a prey's past, and variation in a prey's innate ability to discriminate between predators and safety. While these factors have been put forth verbally in the literature, no theory exists that combines these hypotheses in a common conceptual framework using a unified behavioral model. Here, we formalize existing verbal arguments by modeling variation in prey responses to new predators in a state-dependent detection theory framework. We find that while some conventional wisdom is upheld, novel predictions emerge. As expected, prey respond poorly to exotic predators that do not closely resemble familiar predators. Furthermore, a history with more abundant or diverse native predators can lessen effects of some exotic predators on prey; however, under some conditions, the opposite prediction emerges. Also, prey that evolved in situations where they easily discriminate between safe and dangerous situations can be more susceptible to novel predators.
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22
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Urbanisation and sex affect the consistency of butterfly personality across metamorphosis. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2616-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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23
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Koenig AM, Ousterhout BH. Behavioral syndrome persists over metamorphosis in a pond-breeding amphibian. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2595-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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24
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Kacsoh BZ, Bozler J, Bosco G. Drosophila species learn dialects through communal living. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007430. [PMID: 30024883 PMCID: PMC6053138 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many species are able to share information about their environment by communicating through auditory, visual, and olfactory cues. In Drosophila melanogaster, exposure to parasitoid wasps leads to a decline in egg laying, and exposed females communicate this threat to naïve flies, which also depress egg laying. We find that species across the genus Drosophila respond to wasps by egg laying reduction, activate cleaved caspase in oocytes, and communicate the presence of wasps to naïve individuals. Communication within a species and between closely related species is efficient, while more distantly related species exhibit partial communication. Remarkably, partial communication between some species is enhanced after a cohabitation period that requires exchange of visual and olfactory signals. This interspecies “dialect learning” requires neuronal cAMP signaling in the mushroom body, suggesting neuronal plasticity facilitates dialect learning and memory. These observations establish Drosophila as genetic models for interspecies social communication and evolution of dialects. In this study, we find that many different Drosophila species never having been exposed to parasitoid wasps can trigger caspase activation in the ovary and depress egg-laying when placed next to flies that had visual experience with wasps. Interestingly, when teacher flies of one species are placed with a student of a different species, communication exists, to varying degrees, which seems dependent on evolutionary relatedness. Cohabitation of two species that can partially communicate can learn each other’s “dialect”, yielding effective interspecies communication. There are various inputs involved in dialect learning, including the presence of visual and olfactory cues and memory functions, including genes implicated in social learning defects in murine models, such as PTEN. The neuroplasticity of adult Drosophila allows for learning of dialects, but the specific dialect learned is dependent on social interactions exclusive to a communal environmental context, which provides both visual and olfactory inputs. We find flies can communicate with one another about an anticipated danger, which is suggestive of a fly “language.” The presence of a neurologically plastic system, allowing for social learning, can subsequently lead to a dramatic physiological response, requiring active learning and memory formation through integration of multiple inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balint Z. Kacsoh
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - Julianna Bozler
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - Giovanni Bosco
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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25
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Amat I, Desouhant E, Gomes E, Moreau J, Monceau K. Insect personality: what can we learn from metamorphosis? CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2018; 27:46-51. [PMID: 30025634 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Revised: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Ontogeny of animal personality is still an open question. Testing whether personality traits correlated with state variables (e.g. metabolic rate, hormones) and/or life history traits, and which ones are involved, requires more empirical studies. Insects with metamorphosis represent a good opportunity to tackle this question. Because of the various degrees of internal (physiological, nervous) and environmental changes linked to metamorphosis they allow testing whether these modifications drive consistency in personality traits between immature and adult stages. In this review, we establish general predictions for the effects of metamorphosis on personality in insects with complete or incomplete metamorphosis and suffering from a strong or weak niche shift after metamorphosis. We then reviewed the still rare empirical literature and discuss future research axes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Amat
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, 69100 Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Emmanuel Desouhant
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, 69100 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Elisa Gomes
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, 69100 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Jérôme Moreau
- UMR CNRS 6282 Biogéosciences, Equipe Ecologie Evolutive, Université de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Karine Monceau
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS, Université de la Rochelle, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
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26
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Scott AM, Dworkin I, Dukas R. Sociability in Fruit Flies: Genetic Variation, Heritability and Plasticity. Behav Genet 2018; 48:247-258. [PMID: 29682673 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-018-9901-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Sociability, defined as individuals' propensity to participate in non-aggressive activities with conspecifics, is a fundamental feature of behavior in many animals including humans. However, we still have a limited knowledge of the mechanisms and evolutionary biology of sociability. To enhance our understanding, we developed a new protocol to quantify sociability in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster). In a series of experiments with 59 F1 hybrids derived from inbred lines, we documented, first, significant genetic variation in sociability in both males and females, with broad-sense heritabilities of 0.24 and 0.21 respectively. Second, we observed little genetic correlation in sociability between the sexes. Third, we found genetic variation in social plasticity among the hybrids, with a broad-sense heritability of ~0.24. That is, genotypes differed in the degree of sociability after experiencing the same relevant social experience. Our data pave the way for further research on the mechanisms that underlie sociability as well as its ecological and evolutionary consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Scott
- Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Ian Dworkin
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Reuven Dukas
- Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada.
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27
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Fernandez RW, Akinleye AA, Nurilov M, Feliciano O, Lollar M, Aijuri RR, O'Donnell JM, Simon AF. Modulation of social space by dopamine in Drosophila melanogaster, but no effect on the avoidance of the Drosophila stress odorant. Biol Lett 2017; 13:rsbl.2017.0369. [PMID: 28794277 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2017.0369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Appropriate response to others is necessary for social interactions. Yet little is known about how neurotransmitters regulate attractive and repulsive social cues. Using genetic and pharmacological manipulations in Drosophila melanogaster, we show that dopamine is contributing the response to others in a social group, specifically, social spacing, but not the avoidance of odours released by stressed flies (dSO). Interestingly, this dopamine-mediated behaviour is prominent only in the day-time, and its effect varies depending on tissue, sex and type of manipulation. Furthermore, alteration of dopamine levels has no effect on dSO avoidance regardless of sex, which suggests that a different neurotransmitter regulates this response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert W Fernandez
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Marat Nurilov
- Department of Biology, York College/CUNY, Jamaica, NY, USA
| | - Omar Feliciano
- Department of Biology, York College/CUNY, Jamaica, NY, USA
| | - Matthew Lollar
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Rami R Aijuri
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Janis M O'Donnell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Anne F Simon
- Department of Biology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
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28
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Adult frogs and tadpoles have different macroevolutionary patterns across the Australian continent. Nat Ecol Evol 2017; 1:1385-1391. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0268-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2016] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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29
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League GP, Estévez-Lao TY, Yan Y, Garcia-Lopez VA, Hillyer JF. Anopheles gambiae larvae mount stronger immune responses against bacterial infection than adults: evidence of adaptive decoupling in mosquitoes. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:367. [PMID: 28764812 PMCID: PMC5539753 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2302-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2017] [Accepted: 07/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The immune system of adult mosquitoes has received significant attention because of the ability of females to vector disease-causing pathogens while ingesting blood meals. However, few studies have focused on the immune system of larvae, which, we hypothesize, is highly robust due to the high density and diversity of microorganisms that larvae encounter in their aquatic environments and the strong selection pressures at work in the larval stage to ensure survival to reproductive maturity. Here, we surveyed a broad range of cellular and humoral immune parameters in larvae of the malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae, and compared their potency to that of newly-emerged adults and older adults. RESULTS We found that larvae kill bacteria in their hemocoel with equal or greater efficiency compared to newly-emerged adults, and that antibacterial ability declines further with adult age, indicative of senescence. This phenotype correlates with more circulating hemocytes and a differing spatial arrangement of sessile hemocytes in larvae relative to adults, as well as with the individual hemocytes of adults carrying a greater phagocytic burden. The hemolymph of larvae also possesses markedly stronger antibacterial lytic and melanization activity than the hemolymph of adults. Finally, infection induces a stronger transcriptional upregulation of immunity genes in larvae than in adults, including differences in the immunity genes that are regulated. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that immunity is strongest in larvae and declines after metamorphosis and with adult age, and suggest that adaptive decoupling, or the independent evolution of larval and adult traits made possible by metamorphosis, has occurred in the mosquito lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garrett P. League
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
| | | | - Yan Yan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
| | | | - Julián F. Hillyer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
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30
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Saltz JB, Lymer S, Gabrielian J, Nuzhdin SV. Genetic Correlations among Developmental and Contextual Behavioral Plasticity inDrosophila melanogaster. Am Nat 2017; 190:61-72. [DOI: 10.1086/692010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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31
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Anderson BB, Scott A, Dukas R. Indirect genetic effects on the sociability of several group members. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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