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Sen E, El-Keredy A, Jacob N, Mancini N, Asnaz G, Widmann A, Gerber B, Thoener J. Cognitive limits of larval Drosophila: testing for conditioned inhibition, sensory preconditioning, and second-order conditioning. Learn Mem 2024; 31:a053726. [PMID: 38862170 PMCID: PMC11199949 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053726.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Drosophila larvae are an established model system for studying the mechanisms of innate and simple forms of learned behavior. They have about 10 times fewer neurons than adult flies, and it was the low total number of their neurons that allowed for an electron microscopic reconstruction of their brain at synaptic resolution. Regarding the mushroom body, a central brain structure for many forms of associative learning in insects, it turned out that more than half of the classes of synaptic connection had previously escaped attention. Understanding the function of these circuit motifs, subsequently confirmed in adult flies, is an important current research topic. In this context, we test larval Drosophila for their cognitive abilities in three tasks that are characteristically more complex than those previously studied. Our data provide evidence for (i) conditioned inhibition, as has previously been reported for adult flies and honeybees. Unlike what is described for adult flies and honeybees, however, our data do not provide evidence for (ii) sensory preconditioning or (iii) second-order conditioning in Drosophila larvae. We discuss the methodological features of our experiments as well as four specific aspects of the organization of the larval brain that may explain why these two forms of learning are observed in adult flies and honeybees, but not in larval Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edanur Sen
- Department of Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Amira El-Keredy
- Department of Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Tanta University, 31111 Tanta, Egypt
| | - Nina Jacob
- Department of Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Nino Mancini
- Department of Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Gülüm Asnaz
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Annekathrin Widmann
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Bertram Gerber
- Department of Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
- Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Institute of Biology, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Juliane Thoener
- Department of Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
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Kumari S, Kumari P, Sinha S, Azad GK, Yasmin S. Alleviation of arsenic-induced neurobehavioral defects with selenium in the larvae of Zaprionus indianus. NAUNYN-SCHMIEDEBERG'S ARCHIVES OF PHARMACOLOGY 2024; 397:2121-2132. [PMID: 37787783 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-023-02746-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Selenium is an essential antioxidative micronutrient. This study was conducted to characterize the arsenic toxicity induced on the African fig fly, Zaprionus indianus, and its possible amelioration by selenium. We used computational tools and in vivo experiments to elucidate the mechanism of action of arsenic and selenium on Z. indianus larvae. We conducted experiments to study neurobehavioral parameters including learning and memory ability test and crawling and contraction assays. Our in silico study revealed twelve primary targets of arsenic trioxide. The gene ontology annotation of primary and secondary targets of arsenic trioxide revealed selenocysteine metabolic processes as one of the most reliable targets. To validate our in silico data, we analyzed the effect of arsenic trioxide on larvae of Z. indianus and tested the possible amelioration by sodium selenite supplementation. Our data demonstrated that the arsenic trioxide deteriorated the learning and memory ability of 2nd instar larvae of Z. indianus and such effect was reversed by sodium selenite supplementation. Furthermore, crawling and contraction assay done on 3rd instar larvae showed that there was reduction in both parameters upon arsenic trioxide exposure, which was restored with sodium selenite supplementation. Altogether, our computational and in vivo results strongly indicated that the neurobehavioral defects induced by arsenic trioxide on the larvae of Z. indianus can be successfully alleviated in the presence of sodium selenite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilpi Kumari
- Department of Zoology, Patna Women's College, Patna University, Patna, Bihar, India
| | - Puja Kumari
- Department of Zoology, Patna Women's College, Patna University, Patna, Bihar, India
| | - Sneha Sinha
- Department of Zoology, Patna Women's College, Patna University, Patna, Bihar, India
| | - Gajendra Kumar Azad
- Department of Zoology, Molecular Biology Laboratory, Patna University, Patna, Bihar, India
| | - Shahla Yasmin
- Department of Zoology, Patna University, Patna, Bihar, India.
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3
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Ali MZ, Anushree, Ahsan A, Ola MS, Haque R, Ahsan J. Ionotropic receptors mediate olfactory learning and memory in Drosophila. INSECT SCIENCE 2023. [PMID: 38114448 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Phenylacetaldehyde (PAH), an aromatic compound, is present in a diverse range of fruits including overripe bananas and prickly pear cactus, the two major host fruits for Drosophila melanogaster. PAH acts as a potent ligand for the ionotropic receptor 84a (IR84a) in the adult fruit fly and it is detected by the IR84a/IR8a heterotetrameric complex. Its role in the male courtship behavior through IR84a as an environmental aphrodisiac is of additional importance. In D. melanogaster, two distinct kinds of olfactory receptors, that is, odorant receptors (ORs) and ionotropic receptors (IRs), perceive the odorant stimuli. They display unique structural, molecular, and functional characteristics in addition to having different evolutionary origins. Traditionally, olfactory cues detected by the ORs such as ethyl acetate, 1-butanol, isoamyl acetate, 1-octanol, 4-methylcyclohexanol, etc. classified as aliphatic esters and alcohols have been employed in olfactory classical conditioning using fruit flies. This underlines the participation of OR-activated olfactory pathways in learning and memory formation. Our study elucidates that likewise ethyl acetate (EA) (an OR-responsive odorant), PAH (an IR-responsive aromatic compound) too can form learning and memory when associated with an appetitive gustatory reinforcer. The association of PAH with sucrose (PAH/SUC) led to learning and formation of the long-term memory (LTM). Additionally, the Orco1 , Ir84aMI00501 , and Ir8a1 mutant flies were used to confirm the exclusive participation of the IR84a/IR8a complex in PAH/SUC olfactory associative conditioning. These results highlight the involvement of IRs via an IR-activated pathway in facilitating robust olfactory behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Zeeshan Ali
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of South Bihar, Gaya, Bihar, India
| | - Anushree
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of South Bihar, Gaya, Bihar, India
| | - Aarif Ahsan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Mohammad Shamsul Ola
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rizwanul Haque
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of South Bihar, Gaya, Bihar, India
| | - Jawaid Ahsan
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of South Bihar, Gaya, Bihar, India
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4
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Mancini N, Thoener J, Tafani E, Pauls D, Mayseless O, Strauch M, Eichler K, Champion A, Kobler O, Weber D, Sen E, Weiglein A, Hartenstein V, Chytoudis-Peroudis CC, Jovanic T, Thum AS, Rohwedder A, Schleyer M, Gerber B. Rewarding Capacity of Optogenetically Activating a Giant GABAergic Central-Brain Interneuron in Larval Drosophila. J Neurosci 2023; 43:7393-7428. [PMID: 37734947 PMCID: PMC10621887 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2310-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Larvae of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster are a powerful study case for understanding the neural circuits underlying behavior. Indeed, the numerical simplicity of the larval brain has permitted the reconstruction of its synaptic connectome, and genetic tools for manipulating single, identified neurons allow neural circuit function to be investigated with relative ease and precision. We focus on one of the most complex neurons in the brain of the larva (of either sex), the GABAergic anterior paired lateral neuron (APL). Using behavioral and connectomic analyses, optogenetics, Ca2+ imaging, and pharmacology, we study how APL affects associative olfactory memory. We first provide a detailed account of the structure, regional polarity, connectivity, and metamorphic development of APL, and further confirm that optogenetic activation of APL has an inhibiting effect on its main targets, the mushroom body Kenyon cells. All these findings are consistent with the previously identified function of APL in the sparsening of sensory representations. To our surprise, however, we found that optogenetically activating APL can also have a strong rewarding effect. Specifically, APL activation together with odor presentation establishes an odor-specific, appetitive, associative short-term memory, whereas naive olfactory behavior remains unaffected. An acute, systemic inhibition of dopamine synthesis as well as an ablation of the dopaminergic pPAM neurons impair reward learning through APL activation. Our findings provide a study case of complex circuit function in a numerically simple brain, and suggest a previously unrecognized capacity of central-brain GABAergic neurons to engage in dopaminergic reinforcement.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The single, identified giant anterior paired lateral (APL) neuron is one of the most complex neurons in the insect brain. It is GABAergic and contributes to the sparsening of neuronal activity in the mushroom body, the memory center of insects. We provide the most detailed account yet of the structure of APL in larval Drosophila as a neurogenetically accessible study case. We further reveal that, contrary to expectations, the experimental activation of APL can exert a rewarding effect, likely via dopaminergic reward pathways. The present study both provides an example of unexpected circuit complexity in a numerically simple brain, and reports an unexpected effect of activity in central-brain GABAergic circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nino Mancini
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, Magdeburg, 39118, Germany
| | - Juliane Thoener
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, Magdeburg, 39118, Germany
| | - Esmeralda Tafani
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, Magdeburg, 39118, Germany
| | - Dennis Pauls
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Oded Mayseless
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Martin Strauch
- Institute of Imaging and Computer Vision, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, 52074, Germany
| | - Katharina Eichler
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico Medical Science Campus, Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00901
| | - Andrew Champion
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Cambridge University, Cambridge, CB2 3EL, United Kingdom
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, 20147, Virginia
| | - Oliver Kobler
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Combinatorial Neuroimaging Core Facility, Magdeburg, 39118, Germany
| | - Denise Weber
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Edanur Sen
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, Magdeburg, 39118, Germany
| | - Aliće Weiglein
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, Magdeburg, 39118, Germany
| | - Volker Hartenstein
- University of California, Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, Los Angeles, California 90095-1606
| | | | - Tihana Jovanic
- Université Paris-Saclay, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut des neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Saclay, 91400, France
| | - Andreas S Thum
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Astrid Rohwedder
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Michael Schleyer
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, Magdeburg, 39118, Germany
| | - Bertram Gerber
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, Magdeburg, 39118, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, 39106, Germany
- Institute for Biology, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, 39120, Germany
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Ali MZ, Anushree A, Bilgrami AL, Ahsan A, Ola MS, Haque R, Ahsan J. Phenylacetaldehyde induced olfactory conditioning in Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae) larvae. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2023; 23:25. [PMID: 38092368 PMCID: PMC10718815 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iead112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Phenylacetaldehyde (PAH), an aromatic odorant, exists in varied fruits including overripe bananas and prickly pear cactus, the 2 major host fruits of Drosophila melanogaster. It acts as a potent ligand for the Ionotropic receptor 84a (IR84a) and the Odorant receptor 67a (OR67a), serving as an important food and courtship cue for adult fruit flies. Drosophila melanogaster larvae respond robustly to diverse feeding odorants, such as ethyl acetate (EA), an aliphatic ester. Since the chemical identity and concentration of an odorant are vital neural information handled by the olfactory system, we studied how larvae respond to PAH, an aromatic food odorant with aphrodisiac properties for adult flies. Our findings revealed that PAH attracted larvae significantly in a dose-dependent manner. Larvae could also be trained with PAH associated to appetitive and aversive reinforcers. Thus, like EA, PAH might serve as an important odorant cue for larvae, aiding in food tracking and survival in the wild. Since IR84a/IR8a complex primarily governs PAH response in adult flies, we examined expression of Ir84a and Ir8a in early third-instar larvae. Our experiments showed the presence of Ir8a, a novel finding. However, contrary to adult flies, PAH-responsive Ir84a was not found. Our behavioral experiments with Ir8a1 mutant larvae exhibited normal chemotaxis to PAH, whereas Orco1 mutant showed markedly reduced chemotaxis, indicating an OR-mediated neural circuitry for sensing of PAH in larvae. The results obtained through this study are significantly important as information on how larvae perceive and process PAH odorant at the neuronal level is lacking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Zeeshan Ali
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of South Bihar, Gaya, Bihar, India
| | - Anushree Anushree
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of South Bihar, Gaya, Bihar, India
| | - Anwar L Bilgrami
- Deanship of Scientific Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Aarif Ahsan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Mohammad Shamsul Ola
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rizwanul Haque
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of South Bihar, Gaya, Bihar, India
| | - Jawaid Ahsan
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of South Bihar, Gaya, Bihar, India
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6
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Horn CJ, Robinson S, Tang H, Luong LT. Ectoparasitic mites exert non-consumptive effects on the larvae of a fruit fly host. Parasitology 2023; 150:934-938. [PMID: 37565500 PMCID: PMC10577651 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182023000744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
The mere presence of predators or parasites can negatively impact the fitness of prey or hosts. Exposure to predators during an organism's development can have deleterious effects on juvenile survival and the subsequent adult stage. Currently, it is unknown if parasites have analogous impacts on host larval stages and whether these effects carry over into other subsequent life stages. However, parasites may be exerting widespread yet underestimated non-consumptive effects (NCEs). We tested if Drosophila nigrospiracula larvae avoid pupating near mite cues (caged Macrocheles subbadius) in arena experiments, and measured the rate of pupation in arenas with mites and arenas without mites. Larvae disproportionately pupated on the side of arenas that lacked mite cues. Furthermore, fewer larvae successfully pupated in arenas containing mites cues compared to arenas without mite cues. We found that ectoparasitic mites exert NCEs on Drosophila larvae, even though the larval stage is not susceptible to infection. We discuss these results in the context of parasite impacts on host population growth in an infectious world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Collin J. Horn
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Sarah Robinson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Holly Tang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Lien T. Luong
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive Edmonton, AB, Canada
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7
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Mohamed A, Malekou I, Sim T, O'Kane CJ, Maait Y, Scullion B, Masuda-Nakagawa LM. Mushroom body output neurons MBON-a1/a2 define an odor intensity channel that regulates behavioral odor discrimination learning in larval Drosophila. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1111244. [PMID: 37256074 PMCID: PMC10225628 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1111244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The sensitivity of animals to sensory input must be regulated to ensure that signals are detected and also discriminable. However, how circuits regulate the dynamic range of sensitivity to sensory stimuli is not well understood. A given odor is represented in the insect mushroom bodies (MBs) by sparse combinatorial coding by Kenyon cells (KCs), forming an odor quality representation. To address how intensity of sensory stimuli is processed at the level of the MB input region, the calyx, we characterized a set of novel mushroom body output neurons that respond preferentially to high odor concentrations. We show that a pair of MB calyx output neurons, MBON-a1/2, are postsynaptic in the MB calyx, where they receive extensive synaptic inputs from KC dendrites, the inhibitory feedback neuron APL, and octopaminergic sVUM1 neurons, but relatively few inputs from projection neurons. This pattern is broadly consistent in the third-instar larva as well as in the first instar connectome. MBON-a1/a2 presynaptic terminals innervate a region immediately surrounding the MB medial lobe output region in the ipsilateral and contralateral brain hemispheres. By monitoring calcium activity using jRCamP1b, we find that MBON-a1/a2 responses are odor-concentration dependent, responding only to ethyl acetate (EA) concentrations higher than a 200-fold dilution, in contrast to MB neurons which are more concentration-invariant and respond to EA dilutions as low as 10-4. Optogenetic activation of the calyx-innervating sVUM1 modulatory neurons originating in the SEZ (Subesophageal zone), did not show a detectable effect on MBON-a1/a2 odor responses. Optogenetic activation of MBON-a1/a2 using CsChrimson impaired odor discrimination learning compared to controls. We propose that MBON-a1/a2 form an output channel of the calyx, summing convergent sensory and modulatory input, firing preferentially to high odor concentration, and might affect the activity of downstream MB targets.
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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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9
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Tello JA, Williams HE, Eppler RM, Steinhilb ML, Khanna M. Animal Models of Neurodegenerative Disease: Recent Advances in Fly Highlight Innovative Approaches to Drug Discovery. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:883358. [PMID: 35514431 PMCID: PMC9063566 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.883358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases represent a formidable challenge to global health. As advances in other areas of medicine grant healthy living into later decades of life, aging diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative disorders can diminish the quality of these additional years, owed largely to the lack of efficacious treatments and the absence of durable cures. Alzheimer's disease prevalence is predicted to more than double in the next 30 years, affecting nearly 15 million Americans, with AD-associated costs exceeding $1 billion by 2050. Delaying onset of AD and other neurodegenerative diseases is critical to improving the quality of life for patients and reducing the burden of disease on caregivers and healthcare systems. Significant progress has been made to model disease pathogenesis and identify points of therapeutic intervention. While some researchers have contributed to our understanding of the proteins and pathways that drive biological dysfunction in disease using in vitro and in vivo models, others have provided mathematical, biophysical, and computational technologies to identify potential therapeutic compounds using in silico modeling. The most exciting phase of the drug discovery process is now: by applying a target-directed approach that leverages the strengths of multiple techniques and validates lead hits using Drosophila as an animal model of disease, we are on the fast-track to identifying novel therapeutics to restore health to those impacted by neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith A. Tello
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
- Center of Innovation in Brain Science, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Haley E. Williams
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
- Center of Innovation in Brain Science, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Robert M. Eppler
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, United States
| | - Michelle L. Steinhilb
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, United States
| | - May Khanna
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
- Center of Innovation in Brain Science, Tucson, AZ, United States
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University, New York, NY, United States
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10
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Croteau-Chonka EC, Clayton MS, Venkatasubramanian L, Harris SN, Jones BMW, Narayan L, Winding M, Masson JB, Zlatic M, Klein KT. High-throughput automated methods for classical and operant conditioning of Drosophila larvae. eLife 2022; 11:70015. [PMID: 36305588 PMCID: PMC9678368 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Learning which stimuli (classical conditioning) or which actions (operant conditioning) predict rewards or punishments can improve chances of survival. However, the circuit mechanisms that underlie distinct types of associative learning are still not fully understood. Automated, high-throughput paradigms for studying different types of associative learning, combined with manipulation of specific neurons in freely behaving animals, can help advance this field. The Drosophila melanogaster larva is a tractable model system for studying the circuit basis of behaviour, but many forms of associative learning have not yet been demonstrated in this animal. Here, we developed a high-throughput (i.e. multi-larva) training system that combines real-time behaviour detection of freely moving larvae with targeted opto- and thermogenetic stimulation of tracked animals. Both stimuli are controlled in either open- or closed-loop, and delivered with high temporal and spatial precision. Using this tracker, we show for the first time that Drosophila larvae can perform classical conditioning with no overlap between sensory stimuli (i.e. trace conditioning). We also demonstrate that larvae are capable of operant conditioning by inducing a bend direction preference through optogenetic activation of reward-encoding serotonergic neurons. Our results extend the known associative learning capacities of Drosophila larvae. Our automated training rig will facilitate the study of many different forms of associative learning and the identification of the neural circuits that underpin them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise C Croteau-Chonka
- Department of Zoology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom,Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
| | | | | | | | | | - Lakshmi Narayan
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
| | - Michael Winding
- Department of Zoology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom,Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
| | - Jean-Baptiste Masson
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States,Decision and Bayesian Computation, Neuroscience Department & Computational Biology Department, Institut PasteurParisFrance
| | - Marta Zlatic
- Department of Zoology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom,Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States,MRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Kristina T Klein
- Department of Zoology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom,Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
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11
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Borstel KJ, Stevenson PA. Individual Scores for Associative Learning in a Differential Appetitive Olfactory Paradigm Using Binary Logistic Regression Analysis. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:741439. [PMID: 34650412 PMCID: PMC8505765 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.741439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous invertebrates have contributed to our understanding of the biology of learning and memory. In most cases, learning performance is documented for groups of individuals, and nearly always based on a single, typically binary, behavioural metric for a conditioned response. This is unfortunate for several reasons. Foremost, it has become increasingly apparent that invertebrates exhibit inter-individual differences in many aspects of their behaviour, and also that the conditioned response probability for an animal group does not adequately represent the behaviour of individuals in classical conditioning. Furthermore, a binary response character cannot yield a graded score for each individual. We also hypothesise that due to the complexity of a conditioned response, a single metric need not reveal an individual's full learning potential. In this paper, we report individual learning scores for freely moving adult male crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus) based on a multi-factorial analysis of a conditioned response. First, in an absolute conditioning paradigm, we video-tracked the odour responses of animals that, in previous training, received either odour plus reward (sugar water), reward alone, or odour alone to identify behavioural predictors of a conditioned response. Measures of these predictors were then analysed using binary regression analysis to construct a variety of mathematical models that give a probability for each individual that it exhibited a conditioned response (Presp). Using standard procedures to compare model accuracy, we identified the strongest model which could reliably discriminate between the different odour responses. Finally, in a differential appetitive olfactory paradigm, we employed the model after training to calculate the Presp of animals to a conditioned, and to an unconditioned odour, and from the difference a learning index for each animal. Comparing the results from our multi-factor model with a single metric analysis (head bobbing in response to a conditioned odour), revealed advantageous aspects of the model. A broad distribution of model-learning scores, with modes at low and high values, support the notion of a high degree of variation in learning capacity, which we discuss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim J Borstel
- Department of Physiology of Animals and Behaviour, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Paul A Stevenson
- Department of Physiology of Animals and Behaviour, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
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12
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Lesar A, Tahir J, Wolk J, Gershow M. Switch-like and persistent memory formation in individual Drosophila larvae. eLife 2021; 10:e70317. [PMID: 34636720 PMCID: PMC8510578 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Associative learning allows animals to use past experience to predict future events. The circuits underlying memory formation support immediate and sustained changes in function, often in response to a single example. Larval Drosophila is a genetic model for memory formation that can be accessed at molecular, synaptic, cellular, and circuit levels, often simultaneously, but existing behavioral assays for larval learning and memory do not address individual animals, and it has been difficult to form long-lasting memories, especially those requiring synaptic reorganization. We demonstrate a new assay for learning and memory capable of tracking the changing preferences of individual larvae. We use this assay to explore how activation of a pair of reward neurons changes the response to the innately aversive gas carbon dioxide (CO2). We confirm that when coupled to CO2 presentation in appropriate temporal sequence, optogenetic reward reduces avoidance of CO2. We find that learning is switch-like: all-or-none and quantized in two states. Memories can be extinguished by repeated unrewarded exposure to CO2 but are stabilized against extinction by repeated training or overnight consolidation. Finally, we demonstrate long-lasting protein synthesis dependent and independent memory formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Lesar
- Department of Physics, New York UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Javan Tahir
- Department of Physics, New York UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Jason Wolk
- Department of Physics, New York UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Marc Gershow
- Department of Physics, New York UniversityNew YorkUnited States
- Center for Neural Science, New York UniversityNew YorkUnited States
- NYU Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical CenterNew YorkUnited States
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13
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Thoener J, König C, Weiglein A, Toshima N, Mancini N, Amin F, Schleyer M. Associative learning in larval and adult Drosophila is impaired by the dopamine-synthesis inhibitor 3-Iodo-L-tyrosine. Biol Open 2021; 10:269081. [PMID: 34106227 PMCID: PMC8214425 DOI: 10.1242/bio.058198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Across the animal kingdom, dopamine plays a crucial role in conferring reinforcement signals that teach animals about the causal structure of the world. In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, dopaminergic reinforcement has largely been studied using genetics, whereas pharmacological approaches have received less attention. Here, we apply the dopamine-synthesis inhibitor 3-Iodo-L-tyrosine (3IY), which causes acute systemic inhibition of dopamine signaling, and investigate its effects on Pavlovian conditioning. We find that 3IY feeding impairs sugar-reward learning in larvae while leaving task-relevant behavioral faculties intact, and that additional feeding of a precursor of dopamine (L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, L-DOPA), rescues this impairment. Concerning a different developmental stage and for the aversive valence domain. Moreover, we demonstrate that punishment learning by activating the dopaminergic neuron PPL1-γ1pedc in adult flies is also impaired by 3IY feeding, and can likewise be rescued by L-DOPA. Our findings exemplify the advantages of using a pharmacological approach in combination with the genetic techniques available in D. melanogaster to manipulate neuronal and behavioral function. Summary: We surveyed the effects of a dopamine-synthesis inhibitor on associative learning in larval and adult Drosophila. This approach can supplement genetic tools in investigating the conserved reinforcing function of dopamine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliane Thoener
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Department of Genetics, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Christian König
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Department of Genetics, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Aliće Weiglein
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Department of Genetics, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Naoko Toshima
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Department of Genetics, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Nino Mancini
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Department of Genetics, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Fatima Amin
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Department of Genetics, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Michael Schleyer
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Department of Genetics, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
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14
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Wong JYH, Wan BA, Bland T, Montagnese M, McLachlan AD, O'Kane CJ, Zhang SW, Masuda-Nakagawa LM. Octopaminergic neurons have multiple targets in Drosophila larval mushroom body calyx and can modulate behavioral odor discrimination. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 28:53-71. [PMID: 33452115 PMCID: PMC7812863 DOI: 10.1101/lm.052159.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Discrimination of sensory signals is essential for an organism to form and retrieve memories of relevance in a given behavioral context. Sensory representations are modified dynamically by changes in behavioral state, facilitating context-dependent selection of behavior, through signals carried by noradrenergic input in mammals, or octopamine (OA) in insects. To understand the circuit mechanisms of this signaling, we characterized the function of two OA neurons, sVUM1 neurons, that originate in the subesophageal zone (SEZ) and target the input region of the memory center, the mushroom body (MB) calyx, in larval Drosophila. We found that sVUM1 neurons target multiple neurons, including olfactory projection neurons (PNs), the inhibitory neuron APL, and a pair of extrinsic output neurons, but relatively few mushroom body intrinsic neurons, Kenyon cells. PN terminals carried the OA receptor Oamb, a Drosophila α1-adrenergic receptor ortholog. Using an odor discrimination learning paradigm, we showed that optogenetic activation of OA neurons compromised discrimination of similar odors but not learning ability. Our results suggest that sVUM1 neurons modify odor representations via multiple extrinsic inputs at the sensory input area to the MB olfactory learning circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Y Hilary Wong
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, United Kingdom
| | - Bo Angela Wan
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, United Kingdom
| | - Tom Bland
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, United Kingdom
| | - Marcella Montagnese
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, United Kingdom
| | - Alex D McLachlan
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, United Kingdom
| | - Cahir J O'Kane
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, United Kingdom
| | - Shuo Wei Zhang
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, United Kingdom
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15
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Llopis-Giménez A, Carrasco-Oltra T, Jacquin-Joly E, Herrero S, Crava CM. Coupling Transcriptomics and Behaviour to Unveil the Olfactory System of Spodoptera exigua Larvae. J Chem Ecol 2020; 46:1017-1031. [PMID: 33150456 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-020-01224-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Insect chemosensation is crucial for many aspects related to food seeking, enemy avoidance, and reproduction. Different families of receptors and binding proteins interact with chemical stimuli, including odorant receptors (ORs), ionotropic receptors (IRs), gustatory receptors (GRs), odorant binding proteins (OBPs) and chemosensory proteins (CSPs). In this work, we describe the chemosensory-related gene repertoire of the worldwide pest Spodoptera exigua (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), focusing on the transcripts expressed in larvae, which feed on many horticultural crops producing yield losses. A comprehensive de novo assembly that includes reads from chemosensory organs of larvae and adults, and other larval tissues, enabled us to annotate 200 candidate chemosensory-related genes encoding 63 ORs, 28 IRs, 38 GRs, 48 OBPs and 23 CSPs. Of them, 51 transcripts are new annotations. Fifty ORs are expressed in larval heads based on RNA-seq and reverse transcription PCR analyses. Fourteen OBPs are expressed in larval, but not in adult heads. We also observe that expression profiles of ORs are strongly and non-specifically up-regulated upon pre-exposure of larvae to single volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Finally, we develop a behavioural assay to study the attraction/repellence to VOCs in S. exigua larvae and thus identify candidate ecologically relevant odours. A single-dose assay demonstrated that 1-hexanol triggers attraction and indole repels larvae at any timepoint. This work establishes the foundation for the study of chemosensation in S. exigua larvae, allowing further studies aimed to characterize chemosensory-related genes that underlie the ecologically relevant behaviours of larvae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angel Llopis-Giménez
- Department of Genetics and Institut Universitari de Biotecnología i Biomedicina (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Dr Moliner 50, 46100, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Tamara Carrasco-Oltra
- Department of Genetics and Institut Universitari de Biotecnología i Biomedicina (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Dr Moliner 50, 46100, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Emmanuelle Jacquin-Joly
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, INRAE, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, University P7, F-78000, Versailles, France
| | - Salvador Herrero
- Department of Genetics and Institut Universitari de Biotecnología i Biomedicina (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Dr Moliner 50, 46100, Burjassot, Spain.
| | - Cristina M Crava
- Department of Genetics and Institut Universitari de Biotecnología i Biomedicina (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Dr Moliner 50, 46100, Burjassot, Spain.
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16
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Eschment M, Franz HR, Güllü N, Hölscher LG, Huh KE, Widmann A. Insulin signaling represents a gating mechanism between different memory phases in Drosophila larvae. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1009064. [PMID: 33104728 PMCID: PMC7644093 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to learn new skills and to store them as memory entities is one of the most impressive features of higher evolved organisms. However, not all memories are created equal; some are short-lived forms, and some are longer lasting. Formation of the latter is energetically costly and by the reason of restricted availability of food or fluctuations in energy expanses, efficient metabolic homeostasis modulating different needs like survival, growth, reproduction, or investment in longer lasting memories is crucial. Whilst equipped with cellular and molecular pre-requisites for formation of a protein synthesis dependent long-term memory (LTM), its existence in the larval stage of Drosophila remains elusive. Considering it from the viewpoint that larval brain structures are completely rebuilt during metamorphosis, and that this process depends completely on accumulated energy stores formed during the larval stage, investing in LTM represents an unnecessary expenditure. However, as an alternative, Drosophila larvae are equipped with the capacity to form a protein synthesis independent so-called larval anaesthesia resistant memory (lARM), which is consolidated in terms of being insensitive to cold-shock treatments. Motivated by the fact that LTM formation causes an increase in energy uptake in Drosophila adults, we tested the idea of whether an energy surplus can induce the formation of LTM in the larval stage. Suprisingly, increasing the metabolic state by feeding Drosophila larvae the disaccharide sucrose directly before aversive olfactory conditioning led to the formation of a protein synthesis dependent longer lasting memory. Moreover, formation of this memory component is accompanied by the suppression of lARM. We ascertained that insulin receptors (InRs) expressed in the mushroom body Kenyon cells suppresses the formation of lARM and induces the formation of a protein synthesis dependent longer lasting memory in Drosophila larvae. Given the numerical simplicity of the larval nervous system this work offers a unique prospect to study the impact of insulin signaling on the formation of protein synthesis dependent memories on a molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Eschment
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Hanna R. Franz
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nazlı Güllü
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Luis G. Hölscher
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ko-Eun Huh
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Annekathrin Widmann
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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17
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Michels B, Franke K, Weiglein A, Sultani H, Gerber B, Wessjohann LA. Rewarding compounds identified from the medicinal plant Rhodiola rosea. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 223:223/16/jeb223982. [PMID: 32848044 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.223982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Preparations of Rhodiola rosea root are widely used in traditional medicine. They can increase life span in worms and flies, and have various effects related to nervous system function in different animal species and humans. However, which of the compounds in R. rosea is mediating any one of these effects has remained unknown in most cases. Here, an analysis of the volatile and non-volatile low-molecular-weight constituents of R. rosea root samples was accompanied by an investigation of their behavioral impact on Drosophila melanogaster larvae. Rhodiola rosea root samples have an attractive smell and taste to the larvae, and exert a rewarding effect. This rewarding effect was also observed for R. rosea root extracts, and did not require activity of dopamine neurons that mediate known rewards such as sugar. Based on the chemical profiles of R. rosea root extracts and resultant fractions, a bioactivity-correlation analysis (AcorA) was performed to identify candidate rewarding compounds. This suggested positive correlations for - among related compounds - ferulic acid eicosyl ester (FAE-20) and β-sitosterol glucoside. A validation using these as pure compounds confirmed that the correlations were causal. Their rewarding effects can be observed even at low micromolar concentrations and thus at remarkably lower doses than for any known taste reward in the larva. We discuss whether similar rewarding effects, should they be observed in humans, would indicate a habit-forming or addictive potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Michels
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Katrin Franke
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB), Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Aliće Weiglein
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Haider Sultani
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB), Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Bertram Gerber
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany .,Otto von Guericke University, Institute of Biology, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Otto von Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Ludger A Wessjohann
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB), Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
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18
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Schleyer M, Weiglein A, Thoener J, Strauch M, Hartenstein V, Kantar Weigelt M, Schuller S, Saumweber T, Eichler K, Rohwedder A, Merhof D, Zlatic M, Thum AS, Gerber B. Identification of Dopaminergic Neurons That Can Both Establish Associative Memory and Acutely Terminate Its Behavioral Expression. J Neurosci 2020; 40:5990-6006. [PMID: 32586949 PMCID: PMC7392503 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0290-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
An adaptive transition from exploring the environment in search of vital resources to exploiting these resources once the search was successful is important to all animals. Here we study the neuronal circuitry that allows larval Drosophila melanogaster of either sex to negotiate this exploration-exploitation transition. We do so by combining Pavlovian conditioning with high-resolution behavioral tracking, optogenetic manipulation of individually identified neurons, and EM data-based analyses of synaptic organization. We find that optogenetic activation of the dopaminergic neuron DAN-i1 can both establish memory during training and acutely terminate learned search behavior in a subsequent recall test. Its activation leaves innate behavior unaffected, however. Specifically, DAN-i1 activation can establish associative memories of opposite valence after paired and unpaired training with odor, and its activation during the recall test can terminate the search behavior resulting from either of these memories. Our results further suggest that in its behavioral significance DAN-i1 activation resembles, but does not equal, sugar reward. Dendrogram analyses of all the synaptic connections between DAN-i1 and its two main targets, the Kenyon cells and the mushroom body output neuron MBON-i1, further suggest that the DAN-i1 signals during training and during the recall test could be delivered to the Kenyon cells and to MBON-i1, respectively, within previously unrecognized, locally confined branching structures. This would provide an elegant circuit motif to terminate search on its successful completion.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In the struggle for survival, animals have to explore their environment in search of food. Once food is found, however, it is adaptive to prioritize exploiting it over continuing a search that would now be as pointless as searching for the glasses you are wearing. This exploration-exploitation trade-off is important for animals and humans, as well as for technical search devices. We investigate which of the only 10,000 neurons of a fruit fly larva can tip the balance in this trade-off, and identify a single dopamine neuron called DAN-i1 that can do so. Given the similarities in dopamine neuron function across the animal kingdom, this may reflect a general principle of how search is terminated once it is successful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Schleyer
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Aliće Weiglein
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Juliane Thoener
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Martin Strauch
- Institute of Imaging & Computer Vision, RWTH Aachen University, 52056 Aachen, Germany
| | - Volker Hartenstein
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1606
| | - Melisa Kantar Weigelt
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Sarah Schuller
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Timo Saumweber
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Eichler
- University of Konstanz, Institute for Biology, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, Virginia 20147
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico Medical Science Campus, Old San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901
| | - Astrid Rohwedder
- University of Konstanz, Institute for Biology, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom
| | - Dorit Merhof
- Institute of Imaging & Computer Vision, RWTH Aachen University, 52056 Aachen, Germany
| | - Marta Zlatic
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, Virginia 20147
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas S Thum
- University of Konstanz, Institute for Biology, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- University Leipzig, Institute for Biology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Bertram Gerber
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
- Centre for Behavioural Brain Sciences, 39108 Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute for Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
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19
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Toshima N, Schleyer M. Neuronal processing of amino acids in Drosophila: from taste sensing to behavioural regulation. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 36:39-44. [PMID: 31473590 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2019.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Revised: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Finding and feeding on appropriate food are crucial for all animals. Carbohydrates and amino acids are both essential nutrients, albeit with distinct roles: the former are the main energy source whereas the latter are the building blocks of proteins and are used as neurotransmitters. Despite their crucial role, neither the sensing nor the neuronal processing of amino acids is well understood. Studies in Drosophila melanogaster have only recently gained momentum in shedding new light on the molecular and neuronal mechanisms of peripheral and internal amino acid sensing, as well as the organization of amino acid feeding behaviour. Furthermore, amino acids have been shown to act as rewards in associative learning. Focusing on recent studies in Drosophila, we summarize what is known so far about the perception of, and the behavioural responses to, amino acids in insects, and try to identify key questions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoko Toshima
- Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Brenneckestrasse 6, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Michael Schleyer
- Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Brenneckestrasse 6, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
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20
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Mancini N, Hranova S, Weber J, Weiglein A, Schleyer M, Weber D, Thum AS, Gerber B. Reversal learning in Drosophila larvae. Learn Mem 2019; 26:424-435. [PMID: 31615854 PMCID: PMC6796787 DOI: 10.1101/lm.049510.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Adjusting behavior to changed environmental contingencies is critical for survival, and reversal learning provides an experimental handle on such cognitive flexibility. Here, we investigate reversal learning in larval Drosophila Using odor-taste associations, we establish olfactory reversal learning in the appetitive and the aversive domain, using either fructose as a reward or high-concentration sodium chloride as a punishment, respectively. Reversal learning is demonstrated both in differential and in absolute conditioning, in either valence domain. In differential conditioning, the animals are first trained such that an odor A is paired, for example, with the reward whereas odor B is not (A+/B); this is followed by a second training phase with reversed contingencies (A/B+). In absolute conditioning, odor B is omitted, such that the animals are first trained with paired presentations of A and reward, followed by unpaired training in the second training phase. Our results reveal "true" reversal learning in that the opposite associative effects of both the first and the second training phase are detectable after reversed-contingency training. In what is a surprisingly quick, one-trial contingency adjustment in the Drosophila larva, the present study establishes a simple and genetically easy accessible study case of cognitive flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nino Mancini
- Department of Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Sia Hranova
- Institute for Biology, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Julia Weber
- Department of Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Aliće Weiglein
- Department of Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Michael Schleyer
- Department of Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Denise Weber
- Institute for Biology, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Andreas S Thum
- Institute for Biology, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Bertram Gerber
- Department of Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute for Biology, Otto von Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
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21
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Gowri V, Dion E, Viswanath A, Piel FM, Monteiro A. Transgenerational inheritance of learned preferences for novel host plant odors inBicyclus anynanabutterflies. Evolution 2019; 73:2401-2414. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- V. Gowri
- Department of Biological SciencesNational University of Singapore 14 Science Drive 4 117543 Singapore
| | - Emilie Dion
- Department of Biological SciencesNational University of Singapore 14 Science Drive 4 117543 Singapore
| | - Athmaja Viswanath
- Department of Biological SciencesNational University of Singapore 14 Science Drive 4 117543 Singapore
| | - Florence Monteiro Piel
- Department of Biological SciencesNational University of Singapore 14 Science Drive 4 117543 Singapore
| | - Antónia Monteiro
- Department of Biological SciencesNational University of Singapore 14 Science Drive 4 117543 Singapore
- Yale‐NUS‐College 6 College Avenue East 138614 Singapore
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22
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Thane M, Viswanathan V, Meyer TC, Paisios E, Schleyer M. Modulations of microbehaviour by associative memory strength in Drosophila larvae. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0224154. [PMID: 31634372 PMCID: PMC6802848 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Finding food is a vital skill and a constant task for any animal, and associative learning of food-predicting cues gives an advantage in this daily struggle. The strength of the associations between cues and food depends on a number of parameters, such as the salience of the cue, the strength of the food reward and the number of joint cue-food experiences. We investigate what impact the strength of an associative odour-sugar memory has on the microbehaviour of Drosophila melanogaster larvae. We find that larvae form stronger memories with increasing concentrations of sugar or odour, and that these stronger memories manifest themselves in stronger modulations of two aspects of larval microbehaviour, the rate and the direction of lateral reorientation manoeuvres (so-called head casts). These two modulations of larval behaviour are found to be correlated to each other in every experiment performed, which is in line with a model that assumes that both modulations are controlled by a common motor output. Given that the Drosophila larva is a genetically tractable model organism that is well suited to the study of simple circuits at the single-cell level, these analyses can guide future research into the neuronal circuits underlying the translation of associative memories of different strength into behaviour, and may help to understand how these processes are organised in more complex systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Thane
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Vignesh Viswanathan
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Tessa Christin Meyer
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Emmanouil Paisios
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Michael Schleyer
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, Magdeburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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23
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Khodaei L, Long TAF. Kin recognition and co-operative foraging in Drosophila melanogaster larvae. J Evol Biol 2019; 32:1352-1361. [PMID: 31454451 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
A long-standing goal for biologists and social scientists is to understand the factors that lead to the evolution and maintenance of co-operative behaviour between conspecifics. To that end, the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is becoming an increasingly popular model species to study sociality; however, most of the research to date has focused on adult behaviours. In this study, we set out to examine group-feeding behaviour by larvae and to determine whether the degree of relatedness between individuals mediates the expression co-operation. In a series of assays, we manipulated the average degree of relatedness in groups of third-instar larvae that were faced with resource scarcity, and measured the size, frequency and composition of feeding clusters, as well as the fitness benefits associated with co-operation. Our results suggest that larval D. melanogaster are capable of kin recognition (something that has not been previously described in this species), as clusters were more numerous, larger and involved more larvae, when more closely related kin were present in the social environment. These findings are discussed in the context of the correlated fitness-associated benefits of co-operation, the potential mechanisms by which individuals may recognize kin, and how that kinship may play an important role in facilitating the manifestation of this co-operative behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Khodaei
- Department of Biology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Tristan A F Long
- Department of Biology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada
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24
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Little CM, Chapman TW, Hillier NK. Considerations for Insect Learning in Integrated Pest Management. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2019; 19:6. [PMID: 31313814 PMCID: PMC6635889 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iez064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The past 100 yr have seen dramatic philosophical shifts in our approach to controlling or managing pest species. The introduction of integrated pest management in the 1970s resulted in the incorporation of biological and behavioral approaches to preserve ecosystems and reduce reliance on synthetic chemical pesticides. Increased understanding of the local ecosystem, including its structure and the biology of its species, can improve efficacy of integrated pest management strategies. Pest management strategies incorporating insect learning paradigms to control insect pests or to use insects to control other pests can mediate risk to nontarget insects, including pollinators. Although our understanding of insect learning is in its early stages, efforts to integrate insect learning into pest management strategies have been promising. Due to considerable differences in cognitive abilities among insect species, a case-by-case assessment is needed for each potential application of insect learning within a pest management strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine M Little
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| | - Thomas W Chapman
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| | - N Kirk Hillier
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada
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25
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Kudow N, Kamikouchi A, Tanimura T. Softness sensing and learning in Drosophila larvae. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.196329. [PMID: 30833462 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.196329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Mechanosensation provides animals with important sensory information in addition to olfaction and gustation during feeding behavior. Here, we used Drosophila melanogaster larvae to investigate the role of softness sensing in behavior and learning. In the natural environment, larvae need to dig into soft foods for feeding. Finding foods that are soft enough to dig into is likely to be essential for their survival. We report that larvae can discriminate between different agar concentrations and prefer softer agar. Interestingly, we show that larvae on a harder surface search for a softer surface using memory associated with an odor, and that they evaluate foods by balancing softness and sweetness. These findings suggest that larvae integrate mechanosensory information with chemosensory input while foraging. Moreover, we found that the larval preference for softness is affected by genetic background.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nana Kudow
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Motooka 744, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan.,Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Furo, Chikusa, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
| | - Azusa Kamikouchi
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Furo, Chikusa, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
| | - Teiichi Tanimura
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Motooka 744, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan .,Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Furo, Chikusa, Aichi 464-8602, Japan.,Department of Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Brenneckestr. 6, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
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26
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Weiglein A, Gerstner F, Mancini N, Schleyer M, Gerber B. One-trial learning in larval Drosophila. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 26:109-120. [PMID: 30898973 PMCID: PMC6432171 DOI: 10.1101/lm.049106.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Animals of many species are capable of “small data” learning, that is, of learning without repetition. Here we introduce larval Drosophila melanogaster as a relatively simple study case for such one-trial learning. Using odor-food associative conditioning, we first show that a sugar that is both sweet and nutritious (fructose) and sugars that are only sweet (arabinose) or only nutritious (sorbitol) all support appetitive one-trial learning. The same is the case for the optogenetic activation of a subset of dopaminergic neurons innervating the mushroom body, the memory center of the insects. In contrast, no one-trial learning is observed for an amino acid reward (aspartic acid). As regards the aversive domain, one-trial learning is demonstrated for high-concentration sodium chloride, but is not observed for a bitter tastant (quinine). Second, we provide follow-up, parametric analyses of odor-fructose learning. Specifically, we ascertain its dependency on the number and duration of training trials, the requirements for the behavioral expression of one-trial odor-fructose memory, its temporal stability, and the feasibility of one-trial differential conditioning. Our results set the stage for a neurogenetic analysis of one-trial learning and define the requirements for modeling mnemonic processes in the larva.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aliće Weiglein
- Department of Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Florian Gerstner
- Department of Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany.,Department of Animal Physiology, University Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Nino Mancini
- Department of Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Michael Schleyer
- Department of Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Bertram Gerber
- Department of Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
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27
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Schleyer M, Fendt M, Schuller S, Gerber B. Associative Learning of Stimuli Paired and Unpaired With Reinforcement: Evaluating Evidence From Maggots, Flies, Bees, and Rats. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1494. [PMID: 30197613 PMCID: PMC6117914 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Finding rewards and avoiding punishments are powerful goals of behavior. To maximize reward and minimize punishment, it is beneficial to learn about the stimuli that predict their occurrence, and decades of research have provided insight into the brain processes underlying such associative reinforcement learning. In addition, it is well known in experimental psychology, yet often unacknowledged in neighboring scientific disciplines, that subjects also learn about the stimuli that predict the absence of reinforcement. Here we evaluate evidence for both these learning processes. We focus on two study cases that both provide a baseline level of behavior against which the effects of associative learning can be assessed. Firstly, we report pertinent evidence from Drosophila larvae. A re-analysis of the literature reveals that through paired presentations of an odor A and a sugar reward (A+) the animals learn that the reward can be found where the odor is, and therefore show an above-baseline preference for the odor. In contrast, through unpaired training (A/+) the animals learn that the reward can be found precisely where the odor is not, and accordingly these larvae show a below-baseline preference for it (the same is the case, with inverted signs, for learning through taste punishment). In addition, we present previously unpublished data demonstrating that also during a two-odor, differential conditioning protocol (A+/B) both these learning processes take place in larvae, i.e., learning about both the rewarded stimulus A and the non-rewarded stimulus B (again, this is likewise the case for differential conditioning with taste punishment). Secondly, after briefly discussing published evidence from adult Drosophila, honeybees, and rats, we report an unpublished data set showing that relative to baseline behavior after truly random presentations of a visual stimulus A and punishment, rats exhibit memories of opposite valence upon paired and unpaired training. Collectively, the evidence conforms to classical findings in experimental psychology and suggests that across species animals associatively learn both through paired and through unpaired presentations of stimuli with reinforcement – with opposite valence. While the brain mechanisms of unpaired learning for the most part still need to be uncovered, the immediate implication is that using unpaired procedures as a mnemonically neutral control for associative reinforcement learning may be leading analyses astray.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Schleyer
- Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Markus Fendt
- Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Sarah Schuller
- Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Bertram Gerber
- Department Genetics of Learning and Memory, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany.,Behavior Genetics, Institute for Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
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28
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Tomasiunaite U, Widmann A, Thum AS. Maggot Instructor: Semi-Automated Analysis of Learning and Memory in Drosophila Larvae. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1010. [PMID: 29973900 PMCID: PMC6019503 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
For several decades, Drosophila has been widely used as a suitable model organism to study the fundamental processes of associative olfactory learning and memory. More recently, this condition also became true for the Drosophila larva, which has become a focus for learning and memory studies based on a number of technical advances in the field of anatomical, molecular, and neuronal analyses. The ongoing efforts should be mentioned to reconstruct the complete connectome of the larval brain featuring a total of about 10,000 neurons and the development of neurogenic tools that allow individual manipulation of each neuron. By contrast, standardized behavioral assays that are commonly used to analyze learning and memory in Drosophila larvae exhibit no such technical development. Most commonly, a simple assay with Petri dishes and odor containers is used; in this method, the animals must be manually transferred in several steps. The behavioral approach is therefore labor-intensive and limits the capacity to conduct large-scale genetic screenings in small laboratories. To circumvent these limitations, we introduce a training device called the Maggot Instructor. This device allows automatic training up to 10 groups of larvae in parallel. To achieve such goal, we used fully automated, computer-controlled optogenetic activation of single olfactory neurons in combination with the application of electric shocks. We showed that Drosophila larvae trained with the Maggot Instructor establish an odor-specific memory, which is independent of handling and non-associative effects. The Maggot Instructor will allow to investigate the large collections of genetically modified larvae in a short period and with minimal human resources. Therefore, the Maggot Instructor should be able to help extensive behavioral experiments in Drosophila larvae to keep up with the current technical advancements. In the longer term, this condition will lead to a better understanding of how learning and memory are organized at the cellular, synaptic, and molecular levels in Drosophila larvae.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Annekathrin Widmann
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Andreas S Thum
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Genetics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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29
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Marescotti M, Lagogiannis K, Webb B, Davies RW, Armstrong JD. Monitoring brain activity and behaviour in freely moving Drosophila larvae using bioluminescence. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9246. [PMID: 29915372 PMCID: PMC6006295 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27043-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We present a bioluminescence method, based on the calcium-reporter Aequorin (AEQ), that exploits targeted transgenic expression patterns to identify activity of specific neural groups in the larval Drosophila nervous system. We first refine, for intact but constrained larva, the choice of Aequorin transgene and method of delivery of the co-factor coelenterazine and assay the luminescence signal produced for different neural expression patterns and concentrations of co-factor, using standard photo-counting techniques. We then develop an apparatus that allows simultaneous measurement of this neural signal while video recording the crawling path of an unconstrained animal. The setup also enables delivery and measurement of an olfactory cue (CO2) and we demonstrate the ability to record synchronized changes in Kenyon cell activity and crawling speed caused by the stimulus. Our approach is thus shown to be an effective and affordable method for studying the neural basis of behavior in Drosophila larvae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Marescotti
- Brainwave-Discovery Ltd., Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. .,The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
| | - Konstantinos Lagogiannis
- The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.,Centre Of Developmental Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Barbara Webb
- The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - R Wayne Davies
- Brainwave-Discovery Ltd., Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.,The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - J Douglas Armstrong
- Brainwave-Discovery Ltd., Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.,The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
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30
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Pavin A, Fain K, DeHart A, Sitaraman D. Aversive and Appetitive Learning in Drosophila Larvae: A Simple and Powerful Suite of Laboratory Modules for Classroom or Open-ended Research Projects. JOURNAL OF UNDERGRADUATE NEUROSCIENCE EDUCATION : JUNE : A PUBLICATION OF FUN, FACULTY FOR UNDERGRADUATE NEUROSCIENCE 2018; 16:A177-A185. [PMID: 30057500 PMCID: PMC6057766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
A key element of laboratory courses introducing students to neuroscience includes behavioral exercises. Associative learning experiments often conducted in research laboratories are difficult to perform and time consuming. Commonly, these experiments cannot be performed without extensive instrumentation or animal care facilities. Here, we describe three distinct laboratory modules that build on simple chemosensory and memory assays in Drosophila larvae. Additionally, we describe open-ended research projects using these assays that can be developed into semester long independent research experiences. Given that Drosophila is a genetic model organism, these simple behavioral assays can be used to generate multiple hypothesis driven projects aimed at identifying a gene or class of neurons involved in appetitive and aversive learning. These lab modules are ideally suited for undergraduates at all levels to experience and can be incorporated in a lower/upper level neuroscience course or as a high school outreach exercise. Further, these modules enable students to collect their own data sets, work in groups in collating large data sets, performing statistical comparisons, and presenting results in the form of short research papers or traditional laboratory reports that include a short literature review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin Pavin
- Department of Psychological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA-92110
| | - Kevin Fain
- Department of Psychological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA-92110
| | - Allison DeHart
- Department of Psychological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA-92110
| | - Divya Sitaraman
- Department of Psychological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA-92110
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31
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Staats S, Lüersen K, Wagner AE, Rimbach G. Drosophila melanogaster as a Versatile Model Organism in Food and Nutrition Research. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2018; 66:3737-3753. [PMID: 29619822 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.7b05900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster has been widely used in the biological sciences as a model organism. Drosophila has a relatively short life span of 60-80 days, which makes it attractive for life span studies. Moreover, approximately 60% of the fruit fly genes are orthologs to mammals. Thus, metabolic and signal transduction pathways are highly conserved. Maintenance and reproduction of Drosophila do not require sophisticated equipment and are rather cheap. Furthermore, there are fewer ethical issues involved in experimental Drosophila research compared with studies in laboratory rodents, such as rats and mice. Drosophila is increasingly recognized as a model organism in food and nutrition research. Drosophila is often fed complex solid diets based on yeast, corn, and agar. There are also so-called holidic diets available that are defined in terms of their amino acid, fatty acid, carbohydrate, vitamin, mineral, and trace element compositions. Feed intake, body composition, locomotor activity, intestinal barrier function, microbiota, cognition, fertility, aging, and life span can be systematically determined in Drosophila in response to dietary factors. Furthermore, diet-induced pathophysiological mechanisms including inflammation and stress responses may be evaluated in the fly under defined experimental conditions. Here, we critically evaluate Drosophila melanogaster as a versatile model organism in experimental food and nutrition research, review the corresponding data in the literature, and make suggestions for future directions of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Staats
- Institute of Human Nutrition and Food Science , University of Kiel , Hermann-Rodewald-Strasse 6 , D-24118 Kiel , Germany
| | - Kai Lüersen
- Institute of Human Nutrition and Food Science , University of Kiel , Hermann-Rodewald-Strasse 6 , D-24118 Kiel , Germany
| | - Anika E Wagner
- Institute of Nutritional Medicine , University of Lübeck , Ratzeburger Allee 160 , D-23538 Lübeck , Germany
| | - Gerald Rimbach
- Institute of Human Nutrition and Food Science , University of Kiel , Hermann-Rodewald-Strasse 6 , D-24118 Kiel , Germany
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32
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Widmann A, Eichler K, Selcho M, Thum AS, Pauls D. Odor-taste learning in Drosophila larvae. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 106:47-54. [PMID: 28823531 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2017.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Revised: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The Drosophila larva is an attractive model system to study fundamental questions in the field of neuroscience. Like the adult fly, the larva offers a seemingly unlimited genetic toolbox, which allows one to visualize, silence or activate neurons down to the single cell level. This, combined with its simplicity in terms of cell numbers, offers a useful system to study the neuronal correlates of complex processes including associative odor-taste learning and memory formation. Here, we summarize the current knowledge about odor-taste learning and memory at the behavioral level and integrate the recent progress on the larval connectome to shed light on the sub-circuits that allow Drosophila larvae to integrate present sensory input in the context of past experience and to elicit an appropriate behavioral response.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Katharina Eichler
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, D-78464 Konstanz, Germany; HHMI Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Mareike Selcho
- Department of Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri-Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Andreas S Thum
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, D-78464 Konstanz, Germany; Department of Genetics, University of Leipzig, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Dennis Pauls
- Department of Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri-Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany.
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33
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Functional architecture of reward learning in mushroom body extrinsic neurons of larval Drosophila. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1104. [PMID: 29549237 PMCID: PMC5856778 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03130-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain adaptively integrates present sensory input, past experience, and options for future action. The insect mushroom body exemplifies how a central brain structure brings about such integration. Here we use a combination of systematic single-cell labeling, connectomics, transgenic silencing, and activation experiments to study the mushroom body at single-cell resolution, focusing on the behavioral architecture of its input and output neurons (MBINs and MBONs), and of the mushroom body intrinsic APL neuron. Our results reveal the identity and morphology of almost all of these 44 neurons in stage 3 Drosophila larvae. Upon an initial screen, functional analyses focusing on the mushroom body medial lobe uncover sparse and specific functions of its dopaminergic MBINs, its MBONs, and of the GABAergic APL neuron across three behavioral tasks, namely odor preference, taste preference, and associative learning between odor and taste. Our results thus provide a cellular-resolution study case of how brains organize behavior.
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34
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Chen YC, Mishra D, Gläß S, Gerber B. Behavioral Evidence for Enhanced Processing of the Minor Component of Binary Odor Mixtures in Larval Drosophila. Front Psychol 2017; 8:1923. [PMID: 29163299 PMCID: PMC5672140 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
A fundamental problem in deciding between mutually exclusive options is that the decision needs to be categorical although the properties of the options often differ but in grade. We developed an experimental handle to study this aspect of behavior organization. Larval Drosophila were trained such that in one set of animals odor A was rewarded, but odor B was not (A+/B), whereas a second set of animals was trained reciprocally (A/B+). We then measured the preference of the larvae either for A, or for B, or for "morphed" mixtures of A and B, that is for mixtures differing in the ratio of the two components. As expected, the larvae showed higher preference when only the previously rewarded odor was presented than when only the previously unrewarded odor was presented. For mixtures of A and B that differed in the ratio of the two components, the major component dominated preference behavior-but it dominated less than expected from a linear relationship between mixture ratio and preference behavior. This suggests that a minor component can have an enhanced impact in a mixture, relative to such a linear expectation. The current paradigm may prove useful in understanding how nervous systems generate discrete outputs in the face of inputs that differ only gradually.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Chun Chen
- Abteilung Genetik von Lernen und Gedächtnis, Leibniz Institut für Neurobiologie, Magdeburg, Germany.,Genetik und Neurobiologie, Biozentrum, Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Dushyant Mishra
- Genetik und Neurobiologie, Biozentrum, Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Gläß
- Abteilung Genetik von Lernen und Gedächtnis, Leibniz Institut für Neurobiologie, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Bertram Gerber
- Abteilung Genetik von Lernen und Gedächtnis, Leibniz Institut für Neurobiologie, Magdeburg, Germany.,Genetik und Neurobiologie, Biozentrum, Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany.,Institut für Biologie, Universität Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
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35
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Huser A, Eschment M, Güllü N, Collins KAN, Böpple K, Pankevych L, Rolsing E, Thum AS. Anatomy and behavioral function of serotonin receptors in Drosophila melanogaster larvae. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0181865. [PMID: 28777821 PMCID: PMC5544185 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The biogenic amine serotonin (5-HT) is an important neuroactive molecule in the central nervous system of the majority of animal phyla. 5-HT binds to specific G protein-coupled and ligand-gated ion receptors to regulate particular aspects of animal behavior. In Drosophila, as in many other insects this includes the regulation of locomotion and feeding. Due to its genetic amenability and neuronal simplicity the Drosophila larva has turned into a useful model for studying the anatomical and molecular basis of chemosensory behaviors. This is particularly true for the olfactory system, which is mostly described down to the synaptic level over the first three orders of neuronal information processing. Here we focus on the 5-HT receptor system of the Drosophila larva. In a bipartite approach consisting of anatomical and behavioral experiments we describe the distribution and the implications of individual 5-HT receptors on naïve and acquired chemosensory behaviors. Our data suggest that 5-HT1A, 5-HT1B, and 5-HT7 are dispensable for larval naïve olfactory and gustatory choice behaviors as well as for appetitive and aversive associative olfactory learning and memory. In contrast, we show that 5-HT/5-HT2A signaling throughout development, but not as an acute neuronal function, affects associative olfactory learning and memory using high salt concentration as a negative unconditioned stimulus. These findings describe for the first time an involvement of 5-HT signaling in learning and memory in Drosophila larvae. In the longer run these results may uncover developmental, 5-HT dependent principles related to reinforcement processing possibly shared with adult Drosophila and other insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annina Huser
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Melanie Eschment
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Nazli Güllü
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | | | - Kathrin Böpple
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Lyubov Pankevych
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Emilia Rolsing
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Andreas S. Thum
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Zukunftskolleg, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Genetics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- * E-mail:
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36
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Host seeking parasitic nematodes use specific odors to assess host resources. Sci Rep 2017; 7:6270. [PMID: 28740104 PMCID: PMC5524962 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-06620-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are insect parasites used as biological control agents. Free-living infective juveniles (IJs) of EPNs employ host-seeking behaviors to locate suitable hosts for infection. We found that EPNs can differentiate between naïve and infected hosts, and that host attractiveness changes over time in a species-specific manner. We used solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to identify volatile chemical cues that may relay information about a potential host’s infection status and resource availability. Among the chemicals identified from the headspace of infected hosts, 3-Methyl-2-buten-1-ol (prenol) and 3-Hydroxy-2-butanone (AMC) were selected for further behavioral assays due to their temporal correlation with the behavioral changes of IJs towards the infected hosts. Both compounds were repulsive to IJs of Steinernema glaseri and S. riobrave in a dose-dependent manner when applied on an agar substrate. Furthermore, the repulsive effects of prenol were maintained when co-presented with the uninfected host odors, overriding attraction to uninfected hosts. Prenol was attractive to dauers of some free-living nematodes and insect larvae. These data suggest that host-associated chemical cues may have several implications in EPN biology, not only as signals for avoidance and dispersal of conspecifics, but also as attractants for new potential hosts.
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Almeida-Carvalho MJ, Berh D, Braun A, Chen YC, Eichler K, Eschbach C, Fritsch PMJ, Gerber B, Hoyer N, Jiang X, Kleber J, Klämbt C, König C, Louis M, Michels B, Miroschnikow A, Mirth C, Miura D, Niewalda T, Otto N, Paisios E, Pankratz MJ, Petersen M, Ramsperger N, Randel N, Risse B, Saumweber T, Schlegel P, Schleyer M, Soba P, Sprecher SG, Tanimura T, Thum AS, Toshima N, Truman JW, Yarali A, Zlatic M. The Ol1mpiad: concordance of behavioural faculties of stage 1 and stage 3 Drosophila larvae. J Exp Biol 2017; 220:2452-2475. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.156646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Mapping brain function to brain structure is a fundamental task for neuroscience. For such an endeavour, the Drosophila larva is simple enough to be tractable, yet complex enough to be interesting. It features about 10,000 neurons and is capable of various taxes, kineses and Pavlovian conditioning. All its neurons are currently being mapped into a light-microscopical atlas, and Gal4 strains are being generated to experimentally access neurons one at a time. In addition, an electron microscopic reconstruction of its nervous system seems within reach. Notably, this electron microscope-based connectome is being drafted for a stage 1 larva – because stage 1 larvae are much smaller than stage 3 larvae. However, most behaviour analyses have been performed for stage 3 larvae because their larger size makes them easier to handle and observe. It is therefore warranted to either redo the electron microscopic reconstruction for a stage 3 larva or to survey the behavioural faculties of stage 1 larvae. We provide the latter. In a community-based approach we called the Ol1mpiad, we probed stage 1 Drosophila larvae for free locomotion, feeding, responsiveness to substrate vibration, gentle and nociceptive touch, burrowing, olfactory preference and thermotaxis, light avoidance, gustatory choice of various tastants plus odour–taste associative learning, as well as light/dark–electric shock associative learning. Quantitatively, stage 1 larvae show lower scores in most tasks, arguably because of their smaller size and lower speed. Qualitatively, however, stage 1 larvae perform strikingly similar to stage 3 larvae in almost all cases. These results bolster confidence in mapping brain structure and behaviour across developmental stages.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dimitri Berh
- Institute of Neurobiology and Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Andreas Braun
- EMBL/CRG Systems Biology Unit, Centre for Genomic Regulation, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08002 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yi-chun Chen
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (Genetics), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Eichler
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Claire Eschbach
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | | | - Bertram Gerber
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (Genetics), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Nina Hoyer
- Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University of Hamburg, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Xiaoyi Jiang
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Jörg Kleber
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (Genetics), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Christian Klämbt
- Institute of Neurobiology and Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Christian König
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (Molecular Systems Biology), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Matthieu Louis
- EMBL/CRG Systems Biology Unit, Centre for Genomic Regulation, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08002 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93117, USA
| | - Birgit Michels
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (Genetics), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | | | - Christen Mirth
- Gulbenkian Institute of Science, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Daisuke Miura
- Department of Biology, Kyushu University, 819-0395 Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Thomas Niewalda
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (Genetics), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Nils Otto
- Institute of Neurobiology and Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Emmanouil Paisios
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (Genetics), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | | | - Meike Petersen
- Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University of Hamburg, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Noel Ramsperger
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Nadine Randel
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Benjamin Risse
- Institute of Neurobiology and Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Timo Saumweber
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (Genetics), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | | | - Michael Schleyer
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (Genetics), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Peter Soba
- Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University of Hamburg, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Simon G. Sprecher
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Teiichi Tanimura
- Department of Biology, Kyushu University, 819-0395 Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Andreas S. Thum
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Naoko Toshima
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (Genetics), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
- Department of Biology, Kyushu University, 819-0395 Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Jim W. Truman
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA
| | - Ayse Yarali
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (Molecular Systems Biology), 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Marta Zlatic
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
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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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39
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Michels B, Saumweber T, Biernacki R, Thum J, Glasgow RDV, Schleyer M, Chen YC, Eschbach C, Stocker RF, Toshima N, Tanimura T, Louis M, Arias-Gil G, Marescotti M, Benfenati F, Gerber B. Pavlovian Conditioning of Larval Drosophila: An Illustrated, Multilingual, Hands-On Manual for Odor-Taste Associative Learning in Maggots. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:45. [PMID: 28469564 PMCID: PMC5395560 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Larval Drosophila offer a study case for behavioral neurogenetics that is simple enough to be experimentally tractable, yet complex enough to be worth the effort. We provide a detailed, hands-on manual for Pavlovian odor-reward learning in these animals. Given the versatility of Drosophila for genetic analyses, combined with the evolutionarily shared genetic heritage with humans, the paradigm has utility not only in behavioral neurogenetics and experimental psychology, but for translational biomedicine as well. Together with the upcoming total synaptic connectome of the Drosophila nervous system and the possibilities of single-cell-specific transgene expression, it offers enticing opportunities for research. Indeed, the paradigm has already been adopted by a number of labs and is robust enough to be used for teaching in classroom settings. This has given rise to a demand for a detailed, hands-on manual directed at newcomers and/or at laboratory novices, and this is what we here provide. The paradigm and the present manual have a unique set of features: The present manual can thus foster science education at an earlier age and enable research by a broader community than has been the case to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Michels
- Department of Genetics, Leibniz Institute for NeurobiologyMagdeburg, Germany
| | - Timo Saumweber
- Department of Genetics, Leibniz Institute for NeurobiologyMagdeburg, Germany
| | - Roland Biernacki
- Department Neurobiology and Genetics, Julius Maximilians UniversityWürzburg, Germany
| | - Jeanette Thum
- Department Neurobiology and Genetics, Julius Maximilians UniversityWürzburg, Germany
| | - Rupert D V Glasgow
- Department of Genetics, Leibniz Institute for NeurobiologyMagdeburg, Germany
| | - Michael Schleyer
- Department of Genetics, Leibniz Institute for NeurobiologyMagdeburg, Germany
| | - Yi-Chun Chen
- Department of Genetics, Leibniz Institute for NeurobiologyMagdeburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Naoko Toshima
- Department of Genetics, Leibniz Institute for NeurobiologyMagdeburg, Germany
| | | | - Matthieu Louis
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Gonzalo Arias-Gil
- Department Systems Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology MagdeburgMagdeburg, Germany
| | | | - Fabio Benfenati
- Italian Institute of Technology, Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and TechnologyGenova, Italy
| | - Bertram Gerber
- Department of Genetics, Leibniz Institute for NeurobiologyMagdeburg, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke UniversityMagdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain SciencesMagdeburg, Germany
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40
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Paisios E, Rjosk A, Pamir E, Schleyer M. Common microbehavioral "footprint" of two distinct classes of conditioned aversion. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 24:191-198. [PMID: 28416630 PMCID: PMC5397685 DOI: 10.1101/lm.045062.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Avoiding unfavorable situations is a vital skill and a constant task for any animal. Situations can be unfavorable because they feature something that the animal wants to escape from, or because they do not feature something that it seeks to obtain. We investigate whether the microbehavioral mechanisms by which these two classes of aversion come about are shared or distinct. We find that larval Drosophila avoid odors either previously associated with a punishment, or previously associated with the lack of a reward. These two classes of conditioned aversion are found to be strikingly alike at the microbehavioral level. In both cases larvae show more head casts when oriented toward the odor source than when oriented away, and direct fewer of their head casts toward the odor than away when oriented obliquely to it. Thus, conditioned aversion serving two qualitatively different functions—escape from a punishment or search for a reward—is implemented by the modulation of the same microbehavioral features. These features also underlie conditioned approach, albeit with opposite sign. That is, the larvae show conditioned approach toward odors previously associated with a reward, or with the lack of a punishment. In order to accomplish both these classes of conditioned approach the larvae show fewer head casts when oriented toward an odor, and direct more of their head casts toward it when they are headed obliquely. Given that the Drosophila larva is a genetically tractable model organism that is well suited to study simple circuits at the single-cell level, these analyses can guide future research into the neuronal circuits underlying conditioned approach and aversion, and the computational principles of conditioned search and escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanouil Paisios
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Department of Genetics of Learning and Memory, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Annabell Rjosk
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Department of Genetics of Learning and Memory, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Evren Pamir
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Department of Genetics of Learning and Memory, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Michael Schleyer
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Department of Genetics of Learning and Memory, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
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41
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Arena E, Arena P, Strauss R, Patané L. Motor-Skill Learning in an Insect Inspired Neuro-Computational Control System. Front Neurorobot 2017; 11:12. [PMID: 28337138 PMCID: PMC5340754 DOI: 10.3389/fnbot.2017.00012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2016] [Accepted: 02/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In nature, insects show impressive adaptation and learning capabilities. The proposed computational model takes inspiration from specific structures of the insect brain: after proposing key hypotheses on the direct involvement of the mushroom bodies (MBs) and on their neural organization, we developed a new architecture for motor learning to be applied in insect-like walking robots. The proposed model is a nonlinear control system based on spiking neurons. MBs are modeled as a nonlinear recurrent spiking neural network (SNN) with novel characteristics, able to memorize time evolutions of key parameters of the neural motor controller, so that existing motor primitives can be improved. The adopted control scheme enables the structure to efficiently cope with goal-oriented behavioral motor tasks. Here, a six-legged structure, showing a steady-state exponentially stable locomotion pattern, is exposed to the need of learning new motor skills: moving through the environment, the structure is able to modulate motor commands and implements an obstacle climbing procedure. Experimental results on a simulated hexapod robot are reported; they are obtained in a dynamic simulation environment and the robot mimicks the structures of Drosophila melanogaster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Arena
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettrica, Elettronica, e Informatica, University of Catania Catania, Italy
| | - Paolo Arena
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettrica, Elettronica, e Informatica, University of CataniaCatania, Italy; National Institute of Biostructures and BiosystemsRome, Italy
| | - Roland Strauss
- Institut für Zoologie III (Neurobiologie), University of Mainz Mainz, Germany
| | - Luca Patané
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettrica, Elettronica, e Informatica, University of Catania Catania, Italy
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Perry S, Kiragasi B, Dickman D, Ray A. The Role of Histone Deacetylase 6 in Synaptic Plasticity and Memory. Cell Rep 2017; 18:1337-1345. [PMID: 28178513 PMCID: PMC5387061 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.01.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Revised: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Histone deacetylases (HDACs) have been extensively studied as drug targets in neurodegenerative diseases, but less is known about their role in healthy neurons. We tested zinc-dependent HDACs using RNAi in Drosophila melanogaster and found memory deficits with RPD3 and HDAC6. We demonstrate that HDAC6 is required in both the larval and adult stages for normal olfactory memory retention. Neuronal expression of HDAC6 rescued memory deficits, and we demonstrate that the N-terminal deacetylase (DAC) domain is required for this ability. This suggests that deacetylation of synaptic targets associated with the first DAC domain, such as the active-zone scaffold Bruchpilot, is required for memory retention. Finally, electrophysiological experiments at the neuromuscular junction reveal that HDAC6 mutants exhibit a partial block of homeostatic plasticity, suggesting that HDAC6 may be required for the stabilization of synaptic strength. The learning deficit we observe in HDAC6 mutants could be a behavioral consequence of these synaptic defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Perry
- Graduate Program in Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Beril Kiragasi
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Dion Dickman
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Anandasankar Ray
- Graduate Program in Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; Center for Disease Vector Research, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
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43
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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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44
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Widmann A, Artinger M, Biesinger L, Boepple K, Peters C, Schlechter J, Selcho M, Thum AS. Genetic Dissection of Aversive Associative Olfactory Learning and Memory in Drosophila Larvae. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1006378. [PMID: 27768692 PMCID: PMC5074598 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Memory formation is a highly complex and dynamic process. It consists of different phases, which depend on various neuronal and molecular mechanisms. In adult Drosophila it was shown that memory formation after aversive Pavlovian conditioning includes—besides other forms—a labile short-term component that consolidates within hours to a longer-lasting memory. Accordingly, memory formation requires the timely controlled action of different neuronal circuits, neurotransmitters, neuromodulators and molecules that were initially identified by classical forward genetic approaches. Compared to adult Drosophila, memory formation was only sporadically analyzed at its larval stage. Here we deconstruct the larval mnemonic organization after aversive olfactory conditioning. We show that after odor-high salt conditioning larvae form two parallel memory phases; a short lasting component that depends on cyclic adenosine 3’5’-monophosphate (cAMP) signaling and synapsin gene function. In addition, we show for the first time for Drosophila larvae an anesthesia resistant component, which relies on radish and bruchpilot gene function, protein kinase C activity, requires presynaptic output of mushroom body Kenyon cells and dopamine function. Given the numerical simplicity of the larval nervous system this work offers a unique prospect for studying memory formation of defined specifications, at full-brain scope with single-cell, and single-synapse resolution. Learning and memory helps organisms to predict and adapt to events in their environment. Gained experience leaves traces of memory in the nervous system. Yet, memory formation in vertebrates and invertebrates is a highly complex and dynamic process that consists of different phases, which depend on various neuronal and molecular mechanisms. To understand which changes occur in a brain when it learns, we applied a reductionist approach. Instead of studying complex cases, we analyzed learning and memory in Drosophila larvae that have a simple brain that is genetically and behaviorally accessible and consists of only about 10,000 neurons. Drosophila larvae are able to learn to associate an odor with punishing high salt concentrations. It is therefore possible to correlate changes in larval behavior with molecular events in identifiable neurons after classical olfactory conditioning. We show that under these circumstances larvae form two parallel memory phases; a short lasting component (lSTM) that is molecularly conserved throughout the animal kingdom as it depends on the classical cAMP pathway. In parallel they establish a larval anesthesia resistant memory (lARM) that relies on a different molecular signal. lARM has not been described in larvae before.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marc Artinger
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | - Mareike Selcho
- Department of Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri-Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Germany
| | - Andreas S. Thum
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Germany
- Zukunftskolleg, University of Konstanz, Germany
- * E-mail:
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45
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Wystrach A, Lagogiannis K, Webb B. Continuous lateral oscillations as a core mechanism for taxis in Drosophila larvae. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27751233 PMCID: PMC5117870 DOI: 10.7554/elife.15504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Taxis behaviour in Drosophila larva is thought to consist of distinct control mechanisms triggering specific actions. Here, we support a simpler hypothesis: that taxis results from direct sensory modulation of continuous lateral oscillations of the anterior body, sparing the need for ‘action selection’. Our analysis of larvae motion reveals a rhythmic, continuous lateral oscillation of the anterior body, encompassing all head-sweeps, small or large, without breaking the oscillatory rhythm. Further, we show that an agent-model that embeds this hypothesis reproduces a surprising number of taxis signatures observed in larvae. Also, by coupling the sensory input to a neural oscillator in continuous time, we show that the mechanism is robust and biologically plausible. The mechanism provides a simple architecture for combining information across modalities, and explaining how learnt associations modulate taxis. We discuss the results in the light of larval neural circuitry and make testable predictions. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.15504.001
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Wystrach
- School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Centre de recherche sur la cognition animal, CNRS, Universite de Toulouse, Toulouse, United Kingdom
| | | | - Barbara Webb
- School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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46
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Honda T, Lee CY, Honjo K, Furukubo-Tokunaga K. Artificial Induction of Associative Olfactory Memory by Optogenetic and Thermogenetic Activation of Olfactory Sensory Neurons and Octopaminergic Neurons in Drosophila Larvae. Front Behav Neurosci 2016; 10:137. [PMID: 27445732 PMCID: PMC4923186 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The larval brain of Drosophila melanogaster provides an excellent system for the study of the neurocircuitry mechanism of memory. Recent development of neurogenetic techniques in fruit flies enables manipulations of neuronal activities in freely behaving animals. This protocol describes detailed steps for artificial induction of olfactory associative memory in Drosophila larvae. In this protocol, the natural reward signal is substituted by thermogenetic activation of octopaminergic neurons in the brain. In parallel, the odor signal is substituted by optogenetic activation of a specific class of olfactory receptor neurons. Association of reward and odor stimuli is achieved with the concomitant application of blue light and heat that leads to activation of both sets of neurons in living transgenic larvae. Given its operational simplicity and robustness, this method could be utilized to further our knowledge on the neurocircuitry mechanism of memory in the fly brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takato Honda
- Institute of Biological Sciences, University of TsukubaTsukuba, Japan; Ph.D. Program in Human Biology, School of Integrative and Global Majors, University of TsukubaTsukuba, Japan; International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of TsukubaTsukuba, Japan
| | - Chi-Yu Lee
- Institute of Biological Sciences, University of TsukubaTsukuba, Japan; International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of TsukubaTsukuba, Japan
| | - Ken Honjo
- Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Tsukuba Tsukuba, Japan
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47
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Arena P, Calí M, Patané L, Portera A, Strauss R. A Fly-Inspired Mushroom Bodies Model for Sensory-Motor Control Through Sequence and Subsequence Learning. Int J Neural Syst 2016; 26:1650035. [DOI: 10.1142/s0129065716500350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Classification and sequence learning are relevant capabilities used by living beings to extract complex information from the environment for behavioral control. The insect world is full of examples where the presentation time of specific stimuli shapes the behavioral response. On the basis of previously developed neural models, inspired by Drosophila melanogaster, a new architecture for classification and sequence learning is here presented under the perspective of the Neural Reuse theory. Classification of relevant input stimuli is performed through resonant neurons, activated by the complex dynamics generated in a lattice of recurrent spiking neurons modeling the insect Mushroom Bodies neuropile. The network devoted to context formation is able to reconstruct the learned sequence and also to trace the subsequences present in the provided input. A sensitivity analysis to parameter variation and noise is reported. Experiments on a roving robot are reported to show the capabilities of the architecture used as a neural controller.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Arena
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettrica, Elettronica e Informatica, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, Catania, 95100, Italy
- National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems (INBB), Viale delle Medaglie d’Oro 305, 00136 Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Calí
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettrica, Elettronica e Informatica, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, Catania, 95100, Italy
| | - Luca Patané
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettrica, Elettronica e Informatica, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, Catania, 95100, Italy
| | - Agnese Portera
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettrica, Elettronica e Informatica, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, Catania, 95100, Italy
| | - Roland Strauss
- Institut für Zoologie III (Neurobiologie), University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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48
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Ramírez G, Fagundez C, Grosso JP, Argibay P, Arenas A, Farina WM. Odor Experiences during Preimaginal Stages Cause Behavioral and Neural Plasticity in Adult Honeybees. Front Behav Neurosci 2016; 10:105. [PMID: 27375445 PMCID: PMC4891344 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In eusocial insects, experiences acquired during the development have long-term consequences on mature behavior. In the honeybee that suffers profound changes associated with metamorphosis, the effect of odor experiences at larval instars on the subsequent physiological and behavioral response is still unclear. To address the impact of preimaginal experiences on the adult honeybee, colonies containing larvae were fed scented food. The effect of the preimaginal experiences with the food odor was assessed in learning performance, memory retention and generalization in 3–5- and 17–19 day-old bees, in the regulation of their expression of synaptic-related genes and in the perception and morphology of their antennae. Three-five day old bees that experienced 1-hexanol (1-HEX) as food scent responded more to the presentation of the odor during the 1-HEX conditioning than control bees (i.e., bees reared in colonies fed unscented food). Higher levels of proboscis extension response (PER) to 1-HEX in this group also extended to HEXA, the most perceptually similar odor to the experienced one that we tested. These results were not observed for the group tested at older ages. In the brain of young adults, larval experiences triggered similar levels of neurexins (NRXs) and neuroligins (Nlgs) expression, two proteins that have been involved in synaptic formation after associative learning. At the sensory periphery, the experience did not alter the number of the olfactory sensilla placoidea, but did reduce the electrical response of the antennae to the experienced and novel odor. Our study provides a new insight into the effects of preimaginal experiences in the honeybee and the mechanisms underlying olfactory plasticity at larval stage of holometabolous insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Ramírez
- Laboratorio de Insectos Sociales, IFIBYNE-CONICET, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón II, Ciudad Universitaria Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carol Fagundez
- Instituto de Ciencias Básicas y Medicina Experimental, Instituto Universitario del Hospital Italiano Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Juan P Grosso
- Laboratorio de Insectos Sociales, IFIBYNE-CONICET, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón II, Ciudad Universitaria Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Pablo Argibay
- Instituto de Ciencias Básicas y Medicina Experimental, Instituto Universitario del Hospital Italiano Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Andrés Arenas
- Laboratorio de Insectos Sociales, IFIBYNE-CONICET, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón II, Ciudad Universitaria Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Walter M Farina
- Laboratorio de Insectos Sociales, IFIBYNE-CONICET, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón II, Ciudad Universitaria Buenos Aires, Argentina
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49
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Günther MN, Nettesheim G, Shubeita GT. Quantifying and predicting Drosophila larvae crawling phenotypes. Sci Rep 2016; 6:27972. [PMID: 27323901 PMCID: PMC4914969 DOI: 10.1038/srep27972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is a widely used model for cell biology, development, disease, and neuroscience. The fly's power as a genetic model for disease and neuroscience can be augmented by a quantitative description of its behavior. Here we show that we can accurately account for the complex and unique crawling patterns exhibited by individual Drosophila larvae using a small set of four parameters obtained from the trajectories of a few crawling larvae. The values of these parameters change for larvae from different genetic mutants, as we demonstrate for fly models of Alzheimer's disease and the Fragile X syndrome, allowing applications such as genetic or drug screens. Using the quantitative model of larval crawling developed here we use the mutant-specific parameters to robustly simulate larval crawling, which allows estimating the feasibility of laborious experimental assays and aids in their design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian N. Günther
- Center for Nonlinear Dynamics and Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Guilherme Nettesheim
- Center for Nonlinear Dynamics and Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - George T. Shubeita
- Center for Nonlinear Dynamics and Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- New York University Abu Dhabi, P. O. Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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50
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Das G, Lin S, Waddell S. Remembering Components of Food in Drosophila. Front Integr Neurosci 2016; 10:4. [PMID: 26924969 PMCID: PMC4759284 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2016.00004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2015] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Remembering features of past feeding experience can refine foraging and food choice. Insects can learn to associate sensory cues with components of food, such as sugars, amino acids, water, salt, alcohol, toxins and pathogens. In the fruit fly Drosophila some food components activate unique subsets of dopaminergic neurons (DANs) that innervate distinct functional zones on the mushroom bodies (MBs). This architecture suggests that the overall dopaminergic neuron population could provide a potential cellular substrate through which the fly might learn to value a variety of food components. In addition, such an arrangement predicts that individual component memories reside in unique locations. DANs are also critical for food memory consolidation and deprivation-state dependent motivational control of the expression of food-relevant memories. Here, we review our current knowledge of how nutrient-specific memories are formed, consolidated and specifically retrieved in insects, with a particular emphasis on Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaurav Das
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of OxfordOxford, UK
| | - Suewei Lin
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of OxfordOxford, UK
| | - Scott Waddell
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of OxfordOxford, UK
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