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Menti GM, Bruzzone M, Zordan MA, Visentin P, Drago A, Dal Maschio M, Megighian A. Optokinetic response in D. melanogaster reveals the nature of common repellent odorants. Sci Rep 2024; 14:22277. [PMID: 39333197 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-73221-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 09/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Animals' ability to orient and navigate relies on selecting an appropriate motor response based on the perception and integration of the environmental information. This is the case, for instance, of the optokinetic response (OKR) in Drosophila melanogaster, where optic flow visual stimulation modulates head movements. Despite a large body of literature on the OKR, there is still a limited understanding, in flies, of the impact on OKR of concomitant, and potentially conflicting, inputs. To evaluate the impact of this multimodal integration, we combined in D. melanogaster, while flying in a tethered condition, the optic flow stimulation leading to OKR with the simultaneous presentation of olfactory cues, based on repellent or masking compounds typically used against noxious insect species. First, this approach allowed us to directly quantify the effect of several substances and of their concentration on the dynamics of the flies' OKR in response to moving gratings by evaluating the number of saccades and the velocity of the slow phase. Subsequently, this analysis was capable of easily revealing the actual effect, i.e. masking vs. repellent, of the compound tested. In conclusion, we show that D. melanogaster, a cost-affordable species, represents a viable option for studying the effects of several compounds on the navigational abilities of insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Maria Menti
- Padova Neuroscience Center, Università degli Studi di Padova, Veneto, Padova, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Padova, Veneto, Padova, Italy
| | - Matteo Bruzzone
- Department of Neuroscience, Università degli Studi di Padova, Veneto, Padova, Italy
| | | | | | - Andrea Drago
- Entostudio S.r.l, Ponte San Nicolò (PD), Veneto, Italy
| | - Marco Dal Maschio
- Padova Neuroscience Center, Università degli Studi di Padova, Veneto, Padova, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Padova, Veneto, Padova, Italy
| | - Aram Megighian
- Padova Neuroscience Center, Università degli Studi di Padova, Veneto, Padova, Italy.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Padova, Veneto, Padova, Italy.
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2
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Quintero-Espinosa DA, Jimenez-Del-Rio M, Velez-Pardo C. LRRK2 Kinase Inhibitor PF-06447475 Protects Drosophila melanogaster against Paraquat-Induced Locomotor Impairment, Life Span Reduction, and Oxidative Stress. Neurochem Res 2024; 49:2440-2452. [PMID: 38847910 PMCID: PMC11310290 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-024-04141-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex multifactorial progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by locomotor alteration due to the specific deterioration of dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Mounting evidence shows that human LRRK2 (hLRRK2) kinase activity is involved in oxidative stress (OS)-induced neurodegeneration, suggesting LRRK2 inhibition as a potential therapeutic target. We report that the hLRRK2 inhibitor PF-06447475 (PF-475) prolonged lifespan, increased locomotor activity, maintained DAergic neuronal integrity, and reduced lipid peroxidation (LPO) in female Drosophila melanogaster flies chronically exposed to paraquat (PQ), a redox cycling compound, compared to flies treated with vehicle only. Since LRRK2 is an evolutionary conserved kinase, the present findings reinforce the idea that either reduction or inhibition of the LRRK2 kinase might decrease OS and locomotor alterations associated with PD. Our observations highlight the importance of uncovering the function of the hLRRK2 orthologue dLrrk2 in D. melanogaster as an excellent model for pharmacological screenings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana A Quintero-Espinosa
- Neuroscience Research Group, Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia (UdeA), Calle 70 No. 52-21, and Calle 62 # 52-59, Building 1, Room 412, SIU, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Marlene Jimenez-Del-Rio
- Neuroscience Research Group, Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia (UdeA), Calle 70 No. 52-21, and Calle 62 # 52-59, Building 1, Room 412, SIU, Medellin, Colombia.
| | - Carlos Velez-Pardo
- Neuroscience Research Group, Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia (UdeA), Calle 70 No. 52-21, and Calle 62 # 52-59, Building 1, Room 412, SIU, Medellin, Colombia.
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3
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Ros IG, Omoto JJ, Dickinson MH. Descending control and regulation of spontaneous flight turns in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2024; 34:531-540.e5. [PMID: 38228148 PMCID: PMC10872223 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
The clumped distribution of resources in the world has influenced the pattern of foraging behavior since the origins of locomotion, selecting for a common search motif in which straight movements through resource-poor regions alternate with zig-zag exploration in resource-rich domains. For example, during local search, flying flies spontaneously execute rapid flight turns, called body saccades, but suppress these maneuvers during long-distance dispersal or when surging upstream toward an attractive odor. Here, we describe the key cellular components of a neural network in flies that generate spontaneous turns as well as a specialized pair of neurons that inhibits the network and suppresses turning. Using 2-photon imaging, optogenetic activation, and genetic ablation, we show that only four descending neurons appear sufficient to generate the descending commands to execute flight saccades. The network is organized into two functional units-one for right turns and one for left-with each unit consisting of an excitatory (DNae014) and an inhibitory (DNb01) neuron that project to the flight motor neuropil within the ventral nerve cord. Using resources from recently published connectomes of the fly, we identified a pair of large, distinct interneurons (VES041) that form inhibitory connections to all four saccade command neurons and created specific genetic driver lines for this cell. As predicted by its connectivity, activation of VES041 strongly suppresses saccades, suggesting that it promotes straight flight to regulate the transition between local search and long-distance dispersal. These results thus identify the key elements of a network that may play a crucial role in foraging ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivo G Ros
- Division of Biology and Bioengineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Jaison J Omoto
- Division of Biology and Bioengineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Michael H Dickinson
- Division of Biology and Bioengineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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4
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Jones TB, Mackey T, Juba AN, Amin K, Atyam A, McDole M, Yancy J, Thomas TC, Buhlman LM. Mild traumatic brain injury in Drosophila melanogaster alters reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in a sex-dependent manner. Exp Neurol 2024; 372:114621. [PMID: 38029809 PMCID: PMC10872660 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2023.114621] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an outside force causing a modification in brain function and/or structural brain pathology that upregulates brain inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), instigating increased levels of nitric oxide activity which is implicated in secondary pathology leading to behavioral deficits (Hall et al., 2012; Garry et al., 2015; Kozlov et al., 2017). In mammals, TBI-induced NO production activates an immune response and potentiates metabolic crisis through mitochondrial dysfunction coupled with vascular dysregulation; however, the direct influence on pathology is complicated by the activation of numerous secondary cascades and activation of other reactive oxygen species. Drosophila TBI models have demonstrated key features of mammalian TBI, including temporary incapacitation, disorientation, motor deficits, activation of innate immunity (inflammation), and autophagy responses observed immediately after injury (Katzenberger et al., 2013; Barekat et al., 2016; Simon et al., 2017; Anderson et al., 2018; Buhlman et al., 2021b). We hypothesized that acute behavioral phenotypes would be associated with deficits in climbing behavior and increased oxidative stress. Because flies lack mammalian-like cardiovascular and adaptive immune systems, we were able to make our observations in the absence of vascular disruption and adaptive immune system interference in a system where highly targeted interventions can be rapidly evaluated. To demonstrate the induction of injury, ten-day-old transgenic flies received an injury of increasing angles from a modified high impact trauma (HIT) device where angle-dependent increases occurred for acute neurological behavior assessments and twenty-four-hour mortality, and survival was significantly decreased. Injury caused sex-dependent effects on climbing activity and measures of oxidative stress. Specifically, after a single 60-degree HIT, female flies exhibited significant impairments in climbing activity beyond that observed in male flies. We also found that several measures of oxidative stress, including Drosophila NOS (dNOS) expression, protein nitration, and hydrogen peroxide production were significantly decreased in female flies. Interestingly, protein nitration was also decreased in males, but surpassed sham levels with a more severe injury. We also observed decreased autophagy demand in vulnerable dopaminergic neurons in female, but not male flies. In addition, mitophagy initiation was decreased in females. Collectively, our data suggest that TBI in flies induces acute behavioral phenotypes and climbing deficits that are analogous to mammalian TBI. We also observed that various indices of oxidative stress, including dNOS expression, protein tyrosine nitration, and hydrogen peroxide levels, as well as basal levels of autophagy, are altered in response to injury, an effect that is more pronounced in female flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Bucky Jones
- College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - Tracy Mackey
- Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - Amber N Juba
- College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - Kush Amin
- Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - Amruth Atyam
- Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - Madison McDole
- Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - Jarod Yancy
- Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - Theresa Currier Thomas
- Department of Child Health, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, USA; Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix VA Health Care System, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
| | - Lori M Buhlman
- College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA.
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5
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Narwal S, Singh A, Tare M. Analysis of α-syn and parkin interaction in mediating neuronal death in Drosophila model of Parkinson's disease. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 17:1295805. [PMID: 38239290 PMCID: PMC10794313 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1295805] [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: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
One of the hallmarks of Parkinson's Disease (PD) is aggregation of incorrectly folded α-synuclein (SNCA) protein resulting in selective death of dopaminergic neurons. Another form of PD is characterized by the loss-of-function of an E3-ubiquitin ligase, parkin. Mutations in SNCA and parkin result in impaired mitochondrial morphology, causing loss of dopaminergic neurons. Despite extensive research on the individual effects of SNCA and parkin, their interactions in dopaminergic neurons remain understudied. Here we employ Drosophila model to study the effect of collective overexpression of SNCA along with the downregulation of parkin in the dopaminergic neurons of the posterior brain. We found that overexpression of SNCA along with downregulation of parkin causes a reduction in the number of dopaminergic neuronal clusters in the posterior region of the adult brain, which is manifested as progressive locomotor dysfunction. Overexpression of SNCA and downregulation of parkin collectively results in altered mitochondrial morphology in a cluster-specific manner, only in a subset of dopaminergic neurons of the brain. Further, we found that SNCA overexpression causes transcriptional downregulation of parkin. However, this downregulation is not further enhanced upon collective SNCA overexpression and parkin downregulation. This suggests that the interactions of SNCA and parkin may not be additive. Our study thus provides insights into a potential link between α-synuclein and parkin interactions. These interactions result in altered mitochondrial morphology in a cluster-specific manner for dopaminergic neurons over a time, thus unraveling the molecular interactions involved in the etiology of Parkinson's Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Narwal
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Rajasthan, India
| | - Amit Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, United States
| | - Meghana Tare
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Rajasthan, India
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6
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Stahlman WD, Leising KJ. The behavioral origins of phylogenic responses and ontogenic habits. J Exp Anal Behav 2024; 121:27-37. [PMID: 38010287 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
An examination of innate behavior and its possible origins suggests parallels with the formation of habitual behavior. Inflexible but adaptive responses-innate reflexive behavior, Pavlovian conditioned responses, and operant habits-may have evolved from variable behavior in phylogeny and ontogeny. This form of "plasticity-first" scientific narrative was unpopular post-Darwin but has recently gained credibility in evolutionary biology. The present article seeks to identify originating events and contingencies contributing to such inflexible but adaptive behavior at both phylogenic and ontogenic levels of selection. In ontogeny, the development of inflexible performance (i.e., habit) from variable operant behavior is reminiscent of the genetic accommodation of initially variable phylogenic traits. The effects characteristic of habit (e.g., unresponsiveness to reinforcer devaluation) are explicable as the result of a conflict between behaviors at distinct levels of selection. The present interpretation validates the practice of seeking hard analogies between evolutionary biology and operant behavior. Finding such parallels implies the validity of a claim that organismal behavior, both innate and learned, is a product of selection by consequences. A complete and coherent account of organismal behavior may ultimately focus on functional selective histories in much the same way evolutionary biology does with its subject matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- W David Stahlman
- University of Mary Washington-Department of Psychological Science, Fredericksburg, VA, USA
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7
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Aksamit IC, Dorigão-Guimarães F, Gronenberg W, Godfrey RK. Brain size scaling through development in the whitelined sphinx moth (Hyles lineata) shows mass and cell number comparable to flies, bees, and wasps. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2024; 78:101329. [PMID: 38171085 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2023.101329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Factors regulating larval growth and determinants of adult body size are described for several holometabolous insects, but less is known about brain size scaling through development. Here we use the isotropic fractionation ("brain soup") method to estimate the number of brain cells and cell density for the whitelined sphinx moth (Lepidoptera: Hyles lineata) from the first instar through the adult stage. We measure mass and brain cell number and find that, during the larval stages, body mass shows an exponential relationship with head width, while the total number of brain cells increases asymptotically. Larval brain cell number increases by a factor of ten from nearly 8000 in the first instar to over 80,000 in the fifth instar. Brain cell number increases by another factor of 10 during metamorphosis, with the adult brain containing more than 900,000 cells. This is similar to increases during development in the vinegar fly (Drosophila melanogaster) and the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens). The adult brain falls slightly below the brain-to-body allometry for wasps and bees but is comparable in the number of cells per unit brain mass, indicating a general conservation of brain cell density across these divergent lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel C Aksamit
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Felipe Dorigão-Guimarães
- Biodiversity Graduate Program, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Institute of Biosciences, Humanities and Exact Sciences (IBILCE), São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil
| | | | - R Keating Godfrey
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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8
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Munroe JA, Doe CQ. Imp is expressed in INPs and newborn neurons where it regulates neuropil targeting in the central complex. Neural Dev 2023; 18:9. [PMID: 38031099 PMCID: PMC10685609 DOI: 10.1186/s13064-023-00177-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The generation of neuronal diversity remains incompletely understood. In Drosophila, the central brain is populated by neural stem cells derived from progenitors called neuroblasts (NBs). There are two types of NBs, type 1 and 2. T1NBs have a relatively simple lineage, whereas T2NBs expand and diversify the neural population with the generation of intermediate neural progenitors (INPs), contributing many neurons to the adult central complex, a brain region essential for navigation. However, it is not fully understood how neural diversity is created in T2NB and INP lineages. Imp, an RNA-binding protein, is expressed in T2NBs in a high-to-low temporal gradient, while the RNA-binding protein Syncrip forms an opposing gradient. It remains unknown if Imp expression is carried into INPs; whether it forms a gradient similar to NBs; and whether INP expression of Imp is required for generating neuronal identity or morphology. Here, we show that Imp/Syp are both present in INPs, but not always in opposing gradients. We find that newborn INPs adopt their Imp/Syp levels from their parental T2NBs; that Imp and Syp are expressed in stage-specific high-to-low gradients in INPs. In addition, there is a late INP pulse of Imp. We find that neurons born from old INPs (E-PG and PF-R neurons) have altered morphology following both Imp knock-down and Imp overexpression. We conclude that Imp functions in INPs and newborn neurons to determine proper neuronal morphology and central complex neuropil organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan A Munroe
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Univ. of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
| | - Chris Q Doe
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Univ. of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA.
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9
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Rubinov M. Circular and unified analysis in network neuroscience. eLife 2023; 12:e79559. [PMID: 38014843 PMCID: PMC10684154 DOI: 10.7554/elife.79559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Genuinely new discovery transcends existing knowledge. Despite this, many analyses in systems neuroscience neglect to test new speculative hypotheses against benchmark empirical facts. Some of these analyses inadvertently use circular reasoning to present existing knowledge as new discovery. Here, I discuss that this problem can confound key results and estimate that it has affected more than three thousand studies in network neuroscience over the last decade. I suggest that future studies can reduce this problem by limiting the use of speculative evidence, integrating existing knowledge into benchmark models, and rigorously testing proposed discoveries against these models. I conclude with a summary of practical challenges and recommendations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mika Rubinov
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, and Psychology, Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleUnited States
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
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10
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Al-Ayari EA, Shehata MG, El-Hadidi M, Shaalan MG. In silico SNP prediction of selected protein orthologues in insect models for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18986. [PMID: 37923901 PMCID: PMC10624829 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46250-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's are the most common neurodegenerative diseases that are incurable and affect the elderly population. Discovery of effective treatments for these diseases is often difficult, expensive, and serendipitous. Previous comparative studies on different model organisms have revealed that most animals share similar cellular and molecular characteristics. The meta-SNP tool includes four different integrated tools (SIFT, PANTHER, SNAP, and PhD-SNP) was used to identify non synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (nsSNPs). Prediction of nsSNPs was conducted on three representative proteins for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases; APPl in Drosophila melanogaster, LRRK1 in Aedes aegypti, and VCPl in Tribolium castaneum. With the possibility of using insect models to investigate neurodegenerative diseases. We conclude from the protein comparative analysis between different insect models and nsSNP analyses that D. melanogaster is the best model for Alzheimer's representing five nsSNPs of the 21 suggested mutations in the APPl protein. Aedes aegypti is the best model for Parkinson's representing three nsSNPs in the LRRK1 protein. Tribolium castaneum is the best model for Huntington's disease representing 13 SNPs of 37 suggested mutations in the VCPl protein. This study aimed to improve human neural health by identifying the best insect to model Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eshraka A Al-Ayari
- Entomology Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Magdi G Shehata
- Entomology Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohamed El-Hadidi
- Bioinformatics Group, Center for Informatics Sciences (CIS), School of Information Technology and Computer Science (ITCS) , Nile University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Mona G Shaalan
- Entomology Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
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11
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Godfrey RK, Alsop E, Bjork RT, Chauhan BS, Ruvalcaba HC, Antone J, Gittings LM, Michael AF, Williams C, Hala'ufia G, Blythe AD, Hall M, Sattler R, Van Keuren-Jensen K, Zarnescu DC. Modelling TDP-43 proteinopathy in Drosophila uncovers shared and neuron-specific targets across ALS and FTD relevant circuits. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:168. [PMID: 37864255 PMCID: PMC10588218 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01656-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) comprise a spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases linked to TDP-43 proteinopathy, which at the cellular level, is characterized by loss of nuclear TDP-43 and accumulation of cytoplasmic TDP-43 inclusions that ultimately cause RNA processing defects including dysregulation of splicing, mRNA transport and translation. Complementing our previous work in motor neurons, here we report a novel model of TDP-43 proteinopathy based on overexpression of TDP-43 in a subset of Drosophila Kenyon cells of the mushroom body (MB), a circuit with structural characteristics reminiscent of vertebrate cortical networks. This model recapitulates several aspects of dementia-relevant pathological features including age-dependent neuronal loss, nuclear depletion and cytoplasmic accumulation of TDP-43, and behavioral deficits in working memory and sleep that occur prior to axonal degeneration. RNA immunoprecipitations identify several candidate mRNA targets of TDP-43 in MBs, some of which are unique to the MB circuit and others that are shared with motor neurons. Among the latter is the glypican Dally-like-protein (Dlp), which exhibits significant TDP-43 associated reduction in expression during aging. Using genetic interactions we show that overexpression of Dlp in MBs mitigates TDP-43 dependent working memory deficits, conistent with Dlp acting as a mediator of TDP-43 toxicity. Substantiating our findings in the fly model, we find that the expression of GPC6 mRNA, a human ortholog of dlp, is specifically altered in neurons exhibiting the molecular signature of TDP-43 pathology in FTD patient brains. These findings suggest that circuit-specific Drosophila models provide a platform for uncovering shared or disease-specific molecular mechanisms and vulnerabilities across the spectrum of TDP-43 proteinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Keating Godfrey
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Life Sciences South, University of Arizona, 1007 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 3215 Hull Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
| | - Eric Alsop
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, 445 N 5th St., Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | - Reed T Bjork
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Life Sciences South, University of Arizona, 1007 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Brijesh S Chauhan
- Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Penn State College of Medicine, 500 University Drive Crescent Building C4605, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - Hillary C Ruvalcaba
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Life Sciences South, University of Arizona, 1007 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Jerry Antone
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, 445 N 5th St., Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | - Lauren M Gittings
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Barrow Neurological Institute, 350 W Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA
| | - Allison F Michael
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Life Sciences South, University of Arizona, 1007 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Christi Williams
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Life Sciences South, University of Arizona, 1007 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Grace Hala'ufia
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Life Sciences South, University of Arizona, 1007 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Alexander D Blythe
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Life Sciences South, University of Arizona, 1007 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Megan Hall
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, 445 N 5th St., Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | - Rita Sattler
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Barrow Neurological Institute, 350 W Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA
| | | | - Daniela C Zarnescu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Life Sciences South, University of Arizona, 1007 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.
- Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Penn State College of Medicine, 500 University Drive Crescent Building C4605, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA.
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12
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Ros IG, Omoto JJ, Dickinson MH. Descending control and regulation of spontaneous flight turns in Drosophila. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.06.555791. [PMID: 37732262 PMCID: PMC10508747 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.06.555791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
The clumped distribution of resources in the world has influenced the pattern of foraging behavior since the origins of life, selecting for a common locomotor search motif in which straight movements through resource-poor regions alternate with zig -zag exploration in resource-rich domains. For example, flies execute rapid changes in flight heading called body saccades during local search, but suppress these turns during long-distance dispersal or when surging upwind after encountering an attractive odor plume. Here, we describe the key cellular components of a neural network in flies that generates spontaneous turns as well as a specialized neuron that inhibits the network to promote straight flight. Using 2-photon imaging, optogenetic activation, and genetic ablation, we show that only four descending neurons appear sufficient to generate the descending commands to execute flight saccades. The network is organized into two functional couplets-one for right turns and one for left-with each couplet consisting of an excitatory (DNae014) and inhibitory (DNb01) neuron that project to the flight motor neuropil within the ventral nerve cord. Using resources from recently published connectomes of the fly brain, we identified a large, unique interneuron (VES041) that forms inhibitory connections to all four saccade command neurons and created specific genetic driver lines for this cell. As suggested by its connectivity, activation of VES041 strongly suppresses saccades, suggesting that it regulates the transition between local search and long-distance dispersal. These results thus identify the critical elements of a network that not only structures the locomotor behavior of flies, but may also play a crucial role in their natural foraging ecology.
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13
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Gribkova ED, Lee CA, Brown JW, Cui J, Liu Y, Norekian T, Gillette R. A common modular design of nervous systems originating in soft-bodied invertebrates. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1263453. [PMID: 37854468 PMCID: PMC10579582 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1263453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Nervous systems of vertebrates and invertebrates show a common modular theme in the flow of information for cost-benefit decisions. Sensory inputs are incentivized by integrating stimulus qualities with motivation and memory to affect appetitive state, a system of homeostatic drives, and labelled for directionality. Appetitive state determines action responses from a repertory of possibles and transmits the decision to a premotor system that frames the selected action in motor arousal and appropriate postural and locomotion commands. These commands are then sent to the primary motor pattern generators controlling the motorneurons, with feedback at each stage. In the vertebrates, these stages are mediated by forebrain pallial derivatives for incentive and directionality (olfactory bulb, cerebral cortex, pallial amygdala, etc.) interacting with hypothalamus (homeostasis, motivation, and reward) for action selection in the forebrain basal ganglia, the mid/hindbrain reticular formation as a premotor translator for posture, locomotion, and arousal state, and the spinal cord and cranial nuclei as primary motor pattern generators. Gastropods, like the predatory sea slug Pleurobranchaea californica, show a similar organization but with differences that suggest how complex brains evolved from an ancestral soft-bodied bilaterian along with segmentation, jointed skeletons, and complex exteroceptors. Their premotor feeding network combines functions of hypothalamus and basal ganglia for homeostasis, motivation, presumed reward, and action selection for stimulus approach or avoidance. In Pleurobranchaea, the premotor analogy to the vertebrate reticular formation is the bilateral "A-cluster" of cerebral ganglion neurons that controls posture, locomotion, and serotonergic motor arousal. The A-cluster transmits motor commands to the pedal ganglia analogs of the spinal cord, for primary patterned motor output. Apparent pallial precursors are not immediately evident in Pleurobranchaea's central nervous system, but a notable candidate is a subepithelial nerve net in the peripheral head region that integrates chemotactile stimuli for incentive and directionality. Evolutionary centralization of its computational functions may have led to the olfaction-derived pallial forebrain in the ancestor's vertebrate descendants and their analogs in arthropods and annelids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina D. Gribkova
- Coordinated Science Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Colin A. Lee
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Jeffrey W. Brown
- Stanson Toshok Center for Brain Function and Repair, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Jilai Cui
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Yichen Liu
- Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Tigran Norekian
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Biosciences, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL, United States
| | - Rhanor Gillette
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
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14
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Cruz TL, Chiappe ME. Multilevel visuomotor control of locomotion in Drosophila. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 82:102774. [PMID: 37651855 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102774] [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: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Vision is critical for the control of locomotion, but the underlying neural mechanisms by which visuomotor circuits contribute to the movement of the body through space are yet not well understood. Locomotion engages multiple control systems, forming distinct interacting "control levels" driven by the activity of distributed and overlapping circuits. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying locomotion control requires the consideration of all control levels and their necessary coordination. Due to their small size and the wide availability of experimental tools, Drosophila has become an important model system to study this coordination. Traditionally, insect locomotion has been divided into studying either the biomechanics and local control of limbs, or navigation and course control. However, recent developments in tracking techniques, and physiological and genetic tools in Drosophila have prompted researchers to examine multilevel control coordination in flight and walking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomás L Cruz
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - M Eugenia Chiappe
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal.
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15
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Posnien N, Hunnekuhl VS, Bucher G. Gene expression mapping of the neuroectoderm across phyla - conservation and divergence of early brain anlagen between insects and vertebrates. eLife 2023; 12:e92242. [PMID: 37750868 PMCID: PMC10522337 DOI: 10.7554/elife.92242] [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: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene expression has been employed for homologizing body regions across bilateria. The molecular comparison of vertebrate and fly brains has led to a number of disputed homology hypotheses. Data from the fly Drosophila melanogaster have recently been complemented by extensive data from the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum with its more insect-typical development. In this review, we revisit the molecular mapping of the neuroectoderm of insects and vertebrates to reconsider homology hypotheses. We claim that the protocerebrum is non-segmental and homologous to the vertebrate fore- and midbrain. The boundary between antennal and ocular regions correspond to the vertebrate mid-hindbrain boundary while the deutocerebrum represents the anterior-most ganglion with serial homology to the trunk. The insect head placode is shares common embryonic origin with the vertebrate adenohypophyseal placode. Intriguingly, vertebrate eyes develop from a different region compared to the insect compound eyes calling organ homology into question. Finally, we suggest a molecular re-definition of the classic concepts of archi- and prosocerebrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nico Posnien
- Department of Developmental Biology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute, University GoettingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Vera S Hunnekuhl
- Department of Evolutionary Developmental Genetics, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute, University of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Gregor Bucher
- Department of Evolutionary Developmental Genetics, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute, University of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
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16
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Tolstenkov O, Mikhaleva Y, Glover JC. A miniaturized nigrostriatal-like circuit regulating locomotor performance in a protochordate. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3872-3883.e6. [PMID: 37643617 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
To gain insight into the evolution of motor control systems at the origin of vertebrates, we have investigated higher-order motor circuitry in the protochordate Oikopleura dioica. We have identified a highly miniaturized circuit in Oikopleura with a projection from a single pair of dopaminergic neurons to a small set of synaptically coupled GABAergic neurons, which in turn exert a disinhibitory descending projection onto the locomotor central pattern generator. The circuit is reminiscent of the nigrostriatopallidal system in the vertebrate basal ganglia, in which disinhibitory circuits release specific movements under the modulatory control of dopamine. We demonstrate further that dopamine is required to optimize locomotor performance in Oikopleura, mirroring its role in vertebrates. A dopamine-regulated disinhibitory locomotor control circuit reminiscent of the vertebrate nigrostriatopallidal system was thus already present at the origin of ancestral chordates and has been maintained in the face of extreme nervous system miniaturization in the urochordate lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleg Tolstenkov
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen; Thormøhlensgate 55, 5008 Bergen, Norway
| | - Yana Mikhaleva
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen; Thormøhlensgate 55, 5008 Bergen, Norway
| | - Joel C Glover
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen; Thormøhlensgate 55, 5008 Bergen, Norway; Laboratory of Neural Development and Optical Recording (NDEVOR), Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Sognsvannsveien 9, 0372 Oslo, Norway.
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17
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Zacks O, Jablonka E. The evolutionary origins of the Global Neuronal Workspace in vertebrates. Neurosci Conscious 2023; 2023:niad020. [PMID: 37711313 PMCID: PMC10499063 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niad020] [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: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The Global Neuronal Workspace theory of consciousness offers an explicit functional architecture that relates consciousness to cognitive abilities such as perception, attention, memory, and evaluation. We show that the functional architecture of the Global Neuronal Workspace, which is based mainly on human studies, corresponds to the cognitive-affective architecture proposed by the Unlimited Associative Learning theory that describes minimal consciousness. However, we suggest that when applied to basal vertebrates, both models require important modifications to accommodate what has been learned about the evolution of the vertebrate brain. Most importantly, comparative studies suggest that in basal vertebrates, the Global Neuronal Workspace is instantiated by the event memory system found in the hippocampal homolog. This proposal has testable predictions and implications for understanding hippocampal and cortical functions, the evolutionary relations between memory and consciousness, and the evolution of unified perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oryan Zacks
- The Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 6934525, Israel
| | - Eva Jablonka
- The Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 6934525, Israel
- CPNSS, London School of Economics, Houghton St., London WC2A 2AE, United Kingdom
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18
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Abstract
Striosomes form neurochemically specialized compartments of the striatum embedded in a large matrix made up of modules called matrisomes. Striosome-matrix architecture is multiplexed with the canonical direct-indirect organization of the striatum. Striosomal functions remain to be fully clarified, but key information is emerging. First, striosomes powerfully innervate nigral dopamine-containing neurons and can completely shut down their activity, with a following rebound excitation. Second, striosomes receive limbic and cognition-related corticostriatal afferents and are dynamically modulated in relation to value-based actions. Third, striosomes are spatially interspersed among matrisomes and interneurons and are influenced by local and global neuromodulatory and oscillatory activities. Fourth, striosomes tune engagement and the motivation to perform reinforcement learning, to manifest stereotypical behaviors, and to navigate valence conflicts and valence discriminations. We suggest that, at an algorithmic level, striosomes could serve as distributed scaffolds to provide formats of the striatal computations generated through development and refined through learning. We propose that striosomes affect subjective states. By transforming corticothalamic and other inputs to the functional formats of the striatum, they could implement state transitions in nigro-striato-nigral circuits to affect bodily and cognitive actions according to internal motives whose functions are compromised in neuropsychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M Graybiel
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA;
| | - Ayano Matsushima
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA;
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19
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Ramdya P, Ijspeert AJ. The neuromechanics of animal locomotion: From biology to robotics and back. Sci Robot 2023; 8:eadg0279. [PMID: 37256966 DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.adg0279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Robotics and neuroscience are sister disciplines that both aim to understand how agile, efficient, and robust locomotion can be achieved in autonomous agents. Robotics has already benefitted from neuromechanical principles discovered by investigating animals. These include the use of high-level commands to control low-level central pattern generator-like controllers, which, in turn, are informed by sensory feedback. Reciprocally, neuroscience has benefited from tools and intuitions in robotics to reveal how embodiment, physical interactions with the environment, and sensory feedback help sculpt animal behavior. We illustrate and discuss exemplar studies of this dialog between robotics and neuroscience. We also reveal how the increasing biorealism of simulations and robots is driving these two disciplines together, forging an integrative science of autonomous behavioral control with many exciting future opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavan Ramdya
- Neuroengineering Laboratory, Brain Mind Institute and Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Auke Jan Ijspeert
- Biorobotics Laboratory, Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
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20
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Mangan M, Floreano D, Yasui K, Trimmer BA, Gravish N, Hauert S, Webb B, Manoonpong P, Szczecinski N. A virtuous cycle between invertebrate and robotics research: perspective on a decade of Living Machines research. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2023; 18:035005. [PMID: 36881919 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/acc223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Many invertebrates are ideal model systems on which to base robot design principles due to their success in solving seemingly complex tasks across domains while possessing smaller nervous systems than vertebrates. Three areas are particularly relevant for robot designers: Research on flying and crawling invertebrates has inspired new materials and geometries from which robot bodies (their morphologies) can be constructed, enabling a new generation of softer, smaller, and lighter robots. Research on walking insects has informed the design of new systems for controlling robot bodies (their motion control) and adapting their motion to their environment without costly computational methods. And research combining wet and computational neuroscience with robotic validation methods has revealed the structure and function of core circuits in the insect brain responsible for the navigation and swarming capabilities (their mental faculties) displayed by foraging insects. The last decade has seen significant progress in the application of principles extracted from invertebrates, as well as the application of biomimetic robots to model and better understand how animals function. This Perspectives paper on the past 10 years of the Living Machines conference outlines some of the most exciting recent advances in each of these fields before outlining lessons gleaned and the outlook for the next decade of invertebrate robotic research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Mangan
- The University of Sheffield, Mappin St, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Dario Floreano
- Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Laboratory of Intelligent Systems, Station 9, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Kotaro Yasui
- Tohoku University, Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, 6-3 Aramaki aza Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
| | - Barry A Trimmer
- Tufts University, Biology, 200 Boston Av, Boston, MA 02111, United States of America
| | - Nick Gravish
- University of California San Diego, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Building EBU II, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America
| | - Sabine Hauert
- University of Bristol, Engineering Mathematics, Bristol BS8 1QU, United Kingdom
| | - Barbara Webb
- University of Edinburgh, School of Informatics, 10 Crichton St, Edinburgh EH8 9AB, United Kingdom
| | - Poramate Manoonpong
- College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, People's Republic of China
- Bio-Inspired Robotics and Neural Engineering Laboratory, School of Information Science and Technology, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology, Wangchan Valley, Rayong 21210, Thailand
| | - Nicholas Szczecinski
- West Virginia University, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Morgantown, WV 26506-6201, United States of America
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21
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Pardo-Garcia TR, Gu K, Woerner RKR, Dus M. Food memory circuits regulate eating and energy balance. Curr Biol 2023; 33:215-227.e3. [PMID: 36528025 PMCID: PMC9877168 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.11.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
In mammals, learning circuits play an essential role in energy balance by creating associations between sensory cues and the rewarding qualities of food. This process is altered by diet-induced obesity, but the causes and mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we exploited the relative simplicity and wealth of knowledge about the D. melanogaster reinforcement learning network, the mushroom body, in order to study the relationship between the dietary environment, dopamine-induced plasticity, and food associations. We show flies that are fed a high-sugar diet cannot make associations between sensory cues and the rewarding properties of sugar. This deficit was caused by diet exposure, not fat accumulation, and specifically by lower dopamine-induced plasticity onto mushroom body output neurons (MBONs) during learning. Importantly, food memories dynamically tune the output of MBONs during eating, which instead remains fixed in sugar-diet animals. Interestingly, manipulating the activity of MBONs influenced eating and fat mass, depending on the diet. Altogether, this work advances our fundamental understanding of the mechanisms, causes, and consequences of the dietary environment on reinforcement learning and ingestive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thibaut R Pardo-Garcia
- The Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; The Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Kathleen Gu
- The Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Riley K R Woerner
- The Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Monica Dus
- The Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; The Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; The Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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22
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Cortés E, Pak JS, Özkan E. Structure and evolution of neuronal wiring receptors and ligands. Dev Dyn 2023; 252:27-60. [PMID: 35727136 PMCID: PMC10084454 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the fundamental properties of a neuronal circuit is the map of its connections. The cellular and developmental processes that allow for the growth of axons and dendrites, selection of synaptic targets, and formation of functional synapses use neuronal surface receptors and their interactions with other surface receptors, secreted ligands, and matrix molecules. Spatiotemporal regulation of the expression of these receptors and cues allows for specificity in the developmental pathways that wire stereotyped circuits. The families of molecules controlling axon guidance and synapse formation are generally conserved across animals, with some important exceptions, which have consequences for neuronal connectivity. Here, we summarize the distribution of such molecules across multiple taxa, with a focus on model organisms, evolutionary processes that led to the multitude of such molecules, and functional consequences for the diversification or loss of these receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Cortés
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,The Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Joseph S Pak
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,The Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Engin Özkan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,The Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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23
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Houlihan KL, Keoseyan PP, Juba AN, Margaryan T, Voss ME, Babaoghli AM, Norris JM, Adrian GJ, Tovmasyan A, Buhlman LM. Folic Acid Improves Parkin-Null Drosophila Phenotypes and Transiently Reduces Vulnerable Dopaminergic Neuron Mitochondrial Hydrogen Peroxide Levels and Glutathione Redox Equilibrium. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 11:antiox11102068. [PMID: 36290790 PMCID: PMC9598960 DOI: 10.3390/antiox11102068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Loss-of-function parkin mutations cause oxidative stress and degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Several consequences of parkin mutations have been described; to what degree they contribute to selective neurodegeneration remains unclear. Specific factors initiating excessive reactive oxygen species production, inefficient antioxidant capacity, or a combination are elusive. Identifying key oxidative stress contributors could inform targeted therapy. The absence of Drosophila parkin causes selective degeneration of a dopaminergic neuron cluster that is functionally homologous to the substantia nigra. By comparing observations in these to similar non-degenerating neurons, we may begin to understand mechanisms by which parkin loss of function causes selective degeneration. Using mitochondrially targeted redox-sensitive GFP2 fused with redox enzymes, we observed a sustained increased mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide levels in vulnerable dopaminergic neurons of parkin-null flies. Only transient increases in hydrogen peroxide were observed in similar but non-degenerating neurons. Glutathione redox equilibrium is preferentially dysregulated in vulnerable neuron mitochondria. To shed light on whether dysregulated glutathione redox equilibrium primarily contributes to oxidative stress, we supplemented food with folic acid, which can increase cysteine and glutathione levels. Folic acid improved survival, climbing, and transiently decreased hydrogen peroxide and glutathione redox equilibrium but did not mitigate whole-brain oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine L. Houlihan
- Biomedical Sciences Program, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ 85308, USA
| | - Petros P. Keoseyan
- Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ 85308, USA
| | - Amber N. Juba
- Biomedical Sciences Program, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ 85308, USA
| | - Tigran Margaryan
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Ivy Brain Tumor Center, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ 85013, USA
| | - Max E. Voss
- Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ 85308, USA
| | | | - Justin M. Norris
- Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ 85308, USA
| | - Greg J. Adrian
- Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ 85308, USA
| | - Artak Tovmasyan
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Ivy Brain Tumor Center, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ 85013, USA
| | - Lori M. Buhlman
- Biomedical Sciences Program, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ 85308, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-623-752-3668
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24
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Frighetto G, Zordan MA, Castiello U, Megighian A, Martin JR. Dopamine Modulation of Drosophila Ellipsoid Body Neurons, a Nod to the Mammalian Basal Ganglia. Front Physiol 2022; 13:849142. [PMID: 35492587 PMCID: PMC9048027 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.849142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The central complex (CX) is a neural structure located on the midline of the insect brain that has been widely studied in the last few years. Its role in navigation and goal-oriented behaviors resembles those played by the basal ganglia in mammals. However, the neural mechanisms and the neurotransmitters involved in these processes remain unclear. Here, we exploited an in vivo bioluminescence Ca2+ imaging technique to record the activity in targeted neurons of the ellipsoid body (EB). We used different drugs to evoke excitatory Ca2+-responses, depending on the putative neurotransmitter released by their presynaptic inputs, while concomitant dopamine administration was employed to modulate those excitations. By using a genetic approach to knockdown the dopamine 1-like receptors, we showed that different dopamine modulatory effects are likely due to specific receptors expressed by the targeted population of neurons. Altogether, these results provide new data concerning how dopamine modulates and shapes the response of the ellipsoid body neurons. Moreover, they provide important insights regarding the similitude with mammals as far as the role played by dopamine in increasing and stabilizing the response of goal-related information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Frighetto
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Saclay, France
| | - Mauro A. Zordan
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Umberto Castiello
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Aram Megighian
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Jean-René Martin
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Saclay, France
- *Correspondence: Jean-René Martin,
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25
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DiFrisco J, Wagner GP, Love AC. Reframing research on evolutionary novelty and co-option: Character identity mechanisms versus deep homology. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2022; 145:3-12. [PMID: 35400563 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.03.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
A central topic in research at the intersection of development and evolution is the origin of novel traits. Despite progress on understanding how developmental mechanisms underlie patterns of diversity in the history of life, the problem of novelty continues to challenge researchers. Here we argue that research on evolutionary novelty and the closely associated phenomenon of co-option can be reframed fruitfully by: (1) specifying a conceptual model of mechanisms that underwrite character identity, (2) providing a richer and more empirically precise notion of co-option that goes beyond common appeals to "deep homology", and (3) attending to the nature of experimental interventions that can determine whether and how the co-option of identity mechanisms can help to explain novel character origins. This reframing has the potential to channel future investigation to make substantive progress on the problem of evolutionary novelty. To illustrate this potential, we apply our reframing to two case studies: treehopper helmets and beetle horns.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Günter P Wagner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Yale Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Alan C Love
- Department of Philosophy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Center for Philosophy of Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
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Miozzo F, Valencia-Alarcón EP, Stickley L, Majcin Dorcikova M, Petrelli F, Tas D, Loncle N, Nikonenko I, Bou Dib P, Nagoshi E. Maintenance of mitochondrial integrity in midbrain dopaminergic neurons governed by a conserved developmental transcription factor. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1426. [PMID: 35301315 PMCID: PMC8931002 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29075-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Progressive degeneration of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra is a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Dysregulation of developmental transcription factors is implicated in dopaminergic neurodegeneration, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. Drosophila Fer2 is a prime example of a developmental transcription factor required for the birth and maintenance of midbrain DA neurons. Using an approach combining ChIP-seq, RNA-seq, and genetic epistasis experiments with PD-linked genes, here we demonstrate that Fer2 controls a transcriptional network to maintain mitochondrial structure and function, and thus confers dopaminergic neuroprotection against genetic and oxidative insults. We further show that conditional ablation of Nato3, a mouse homolog of Fer2, in differentiated DA neurons causes mitochondrial abnormalities and locomotor impairments in aged mice. Our results reveal the essential and conserved role of Fer2 homologs in the mitochondrial maintenance of midbrain DA neurons, opening new perspectives for modeling and treating PD. Mitochondrial dysfunction in dopaminergic neurons is a pathological hallmark of Parkinson’s disease. Here, the authors find a conserved mechanism by which a single transcription factor controls mitochondrial health in dopaminergic neurons during the aging process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Miozzo
- Department of Genetics and Evolution and Institute of Genetics and Genomics of Geneva (iGE3), University of Geneva, CH-1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland.,Neuroscience Institute - CNR (IN-CNR), Milan, Italy
| | - Eva P Valencia-Alarcón
- Department of Genetics and Evolution and Institute of Genetics and Genomics of Geneva (iGE3), University of Geneva, CH-1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Luca Stickley
- Department of Genetics and Evolution and Institute of Genetics and Genomics of Geneva (iGE3), University of Geneva, CH-1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Michaëla Majcin Dorcikova
- Department of Genetics and Evolution and Institute of Genetics and Genomics of Geneva (iGE3), University of Geneva, CH-1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | | | - Damla Tas
- Department of Genetics and Evolution and Institute of Genetics and Genomics of Geneva (iGE3), University of Geneva, CH-1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland.,The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Loncle
- Department of Genetics and Evolution and Institute of Genetics and Genomics of Geneva (iGE3), University of Geneva, CH-1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland.,Puma Biotechnology, Inc., Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Irina Nikonenko
- Department of Basic Neurosciences and the Center for Neuroscience, CMU, University of Geneva, CH-1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Peter Bou Dib
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, CH-3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Emi Nagoshi
- Department of Genetics and Evolution and Institute of Genetics and Genomics of Geneva (iGE3), University of Geneva, CH-1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland.
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Nordio S, Kaiser M, Adams ME, Libersat F. Parasitoid wasp venom manipulates host innate behavior via subtype-specific dopamine receptor activation. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274808. [PMID: 35320357 PMCID: PMC8996814 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243674] [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: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The subjugation strategy employed by the jewel wasp is unique in that it manipulates the behavior of its host, the American cockroach, rather than inducing outright paralysis. Upon envenomation directly into the central complex (CX), a command center in the brain for motor behavior, the stung cockroach initially engages in intense grooming behavior, then falls into a lethargic sleep-like state referred to as hypokinesia. Behavioral changes evoked by the sting are due at least in part to the presence of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the venom. In insects, dopamine receptors are classified as two families, the D1-like and the D2-like receptors. However, specific roles played by dopamine receptor subtypes in venom-induced behavioral manipulation by the jewel wasp remain largely unknown. In the present study, we used a pharmacological approach to investigate roles of D1-like and D2-like receptors in behaviors exhibited by stung cockroaches, focusing on grooming. Specifically, we assessed behavioral outcomes of focal CX injections of dopamine receptor agonists and antagonists. Both specific and non-specific compounds were used. Our results strongly implicate D1-like dopamine receptors in venom-induced grooming. Regarding induction of hypokinesia, our findings demonstrate that dopamine signaling is necessary for induction of long-lasting hypokinesia caused by brain envenomation. Highlighted Article: Subtype-specific dopamine receptors are involved in the manipulation of host behavior by the parasitoid jewel wasp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Nordio
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel.,Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Maayan Kaiser
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel.,Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Michael E Adams
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.,Department of Molecular, Cell, and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Frederic Libersat
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel.,Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
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28
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Karam CS, Williams BL, Jones SK, Javitch JA. The Role of the Dopamine Transporter in the Effects of Amphetamine on Sleep and Sleep Architecture in Drosophila. Neurochem Res 2022; 47:177-189. [PMID: 33630236 PMCID: PMC8384956 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-021-03275-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The dopamine transporter (DAT) mediates the inactivation of released dopamine (DA) through its reuptake, and thereby plays an important homeostatic role in dopaminergic neurotransmission. Amphetamines exert their stimulant effects by targeting DAT and inducing the reverse transport of DA, leading to a dramatic increase of extracellular DA. Animal models have proven critical to investigating the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying transporter function and its modulation by psychostimulants such as amphetamine. Here we establish a behavioral model for amphetamine action using adult Drosophila melanogaster. We use it to characterize the effects of amphetamine on sleep and sleep architecture. Our data show that amphetamine induces hyperactivity and disrupts sleep in a DA-dependent manner. Flies that do not express a functional DAT (dDAT null mutants) have been shown to be hyperactive and to exhibit significantly reduced sleep at baseline. Our data show that, in contrast to its action in control flies, amphetamine decreases the locomotor activity of dDAT null mutants and restores their sleep by modulating distinct aspects of sleep structure. To begin to explore the circuitry involved in the actions of amphetamine on sleep, we also describe the localization of dDAT throughout the fly brain, particularly in neuropils known to regulate sleep. Together, our data establish Drosophila as a robust model for studying the regulatory mechanisms that govern DAT function and psychostimulant action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caline S Karam
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brenna L Williams
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sandra K Jones
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jonathan A Javitch
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, 1051 Riverside Dr, Unit 19, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
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Arendt D, Urzainqui IQ, Vergara HM. The conserved core of the nereid brain: Circular CNS, apical nervous system and lhx6-arx-dlx neurons. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 71:178-187. [PMID: 34861534 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
When bilaterian animals first emerged, an enhanced perception of the Precambrian environment was key to their stunning success. This occurred through the acquisition of an anterior brain, as found in most extant bilaterians. What were the core circuits of the first brain, and how do they relate to today's diversity? With two landmark resources - the full connectome and a multimodal cellular atlas combining gene expression and ultrastructure - the young worm of the marine annelid Platynereis dumerilii takes center stage in comparative bilaterian neuroanatomy. The new data suggest a composite structure of the ancestral bilaterian brain, with the anterior end of a circular CNS fused to a sensory-neurosecretory apical system, and with lhx6-arx-dlx chemosensory circuits giving rise to associative centers in the descending bilaterian lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Detlev Arendt
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Developmental Biology Unit, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69012, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Idoia Quintana Urzainqui
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Developmental Biology Unit, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69012, Heidelberg, Germany
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30
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Barsotti E, Correia A, Cardona A. Neural architectures in the light of comparative connectomics. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 71:139-149. [PMID: 34837731 PMCID: PMC8694100 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Since the Cambrian, animals diversified from a few body forms or bauplans, into many extinct and all extant species. A characteristic neural architecture serves each bauplan. How the connectome of each animal differs from that of closely related species or whether it converged into an optimal architecture shared with more distant ones is unknown. Recent technological innovations in molecular biology, microscopy, digital data storage and processing, and computational neuroscience have lowered the barriers for whole-brain connectomics. Comparative connectomics of suitable, relatively small, representative species across the phylogenetic tree can infer the archetypal neural architecture of each bauplan and identify any circuits that possibly converged onto a shared and potentially optimal, structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Barsotti
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK; Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Ana Correia
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK; Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Albert Cardona
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK; Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, UK.
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31
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Jaggard JB, Wang GX, Mourrain P. Non-REM and REM/paradoxical sleep dynamics across phylogeny. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 71:44-51. [PMID: 34583217 PMCID: PMC8719594 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
All animals carefully studied sleep, suggesting that sleep as a behavioral state exists in all animal life. Such evolutionary maintenance of an otherwise vulnerable period of environmental detachment suggests that sleep must be integral in fundamental biological needs. Despite over a century of research, the knowledge of what sleep does at the tissue, cellular or molecular levels remain cursory. Currently, sleep is defined based on behavioral criteria and physiological measures rather than at the cellular or molecular level. Physiologically, sleep has been described as two main states, non-rapid eye moment (NREM) and REM/paradoxical sleep (PS), which are defined in the neocortex by synchronous oscillations and paradoxical wake-like activity, respectively. For decades, these two sleep states were believed to be defining characteristics of only mammalian and avian sleep. Recent work has revealed slow oscillation, silencing, and paradoxical/REM-like activities in reptiles, fish, flies, worms, and cephalopods suggesting that these sleep dynamics and associated physiological states may have emerged early in animal evolution. Here, we discuss these recent developments supporting the conservation of neural dynamics (silencing, oscillation, paradoxical activity) of sleep states across phylogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- James B Jaggard
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Gordon X Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Wu Tsai Neuroscience Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Philippe Mourrain
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; INSERM 1024, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France.
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The Fly Homologue of MFSD11 Is Possibly Linked to Nutrient Homeostasis and Has a Potential Role in Locomotion: A First Characterization of the Atypical Solute Carrier CG18549 in Drosophila Melanogaster. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12111024. [PMID: 34821824 PMCID: PMC8621210 DOI: 10.3390/insects12111024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary The body is dependent on nutrients and ions to work normally. Within the hu-man body there is a group of proteins named transporters or solute carriers. These transporters are vital for the transport of nutrients such as glucose, amino acids, and fats, as well as ions such as sodium, calcium, and potassium. Despite being vital for normal physiology, as well as pathophysiology, a large number (approximately one third) of the transporters are orphans, where information about their expression and function is missing. Here, we aimed to begin to unravel the expression and function of one of these orphan transporters, MFSD11, by studying its orthologue in fruit flies (CG18549). We found that the fly orthologue is expressed in the brain of fruit flies and that it is possibly involved in metabolism and/or locomotion of the flies. The exact mechanism behind the observed behaviors is not fully understood, but our study provides new insights into the expression and function of CG18549. Clearly, these results, among others about the orphan transporters, provide a strong example as to why it is vital to fully characterize them and through that gain knowledge about the body during normal condition and disease. Abstract Cellular transport and function are dependent on substrate influx and efflux of various compounds. In humans, the largest superfamily of transporters is the SoLute Carriers (SLCs). Many transporters are orphans and little to nothing is known about their expression and/or function, yet they have been assigned to a cluster called atypical SLCs. One of these atypical SLCs is MFSD11. Here we present a first in-depth characterization of the MFSD11, CG18549. By gene expression and behavior analysis on ubiquitous and brain-specific knockdown flies. CG18549 knockdown flies were found to have altered adipokinetic hormone and adipokinteic hormone receptor expression as well as reduced vesicular monoamine transporter expression; to exhibit an altered locomotor behavior, and to have an altered reaction to stress stimuli. Furthermore, the gene expression of CG18549 in the brain was visualized and abundant expression in both the larvae and adult brain was observed, a result that is coherent with the FlyAtlas Anatomy microarray. The exact mechanism behind the observed behaviors is not fully understood, but this study provides new insights into the expression and function of CG18549. Clearly, these results provide a strong example as to why it is vital to fully characterize orphan transporters and through that gain knowledge about the body during normal condition and disease.
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A hierarchical processing unit for multi-component behavior in the avian brain. iScience 2021; 24:103195. [PMID: 34703993 PMCID: PMC8524150 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Multi-component behavior is a form of goal-directed behavior that depends on the ability to execute various responses in a precise temporal order. Even though this function is vital for any species, little is known about how non-mammalian species accomplish such behavior and what the underlying neural mechanisms are. We show that humans and a non-mammalian species (pigeons) perform equally well in multi-component behavior and provide a validated experimental approach useful for cross-species comparisons. Applying molecular imaging methods, we identified brain regions most important for the examined behavioral dynamics in pigeons. Especially activity in the nidopallium intermedium medialis pars laterale (NIML) was specific to multi-component behavior since only activity in NIML was predictive for behavioral efficiency. The data suggest that NIML is important for hierarchical processing during goal-directed behavior and shares functional characteristics with the human inferior frontal gyrus in multi-component behavior. Pigeons and humans perform equally well in the STOP-CHANGE paradigm We identified relevant brain regions for the examined behavioral dynamics in pigeons ZENK expression in NIML was predictive for behavioral efficiency This study provides a validated experimental approach for cross-species comparisons
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Pérez-Fernández J, Barandela M, Jiménez-López C. The Dopaminergic Control of Movement-Evolutionary Considerations. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:11284. [PMID: 34681941 PMCID: PMC8541398 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222011284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine is likely the most studied modulatory neurotransmitter, in great part due to characteristic motor deficits in Parkinson's disease that arise after the degeneration of the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). The SNc, together with the ventral tegmental area (VTA), play a key role modulating motor responses through the basal ganglia. In contrast to the large amount of existing literature addressing the mammalian dopaminergic system, comparatively little is known in other vertebrate groups. However, in the last several years, numerous studies have been carried out in basal vertebrates, allowing a better understanding of the evolution of the dopaminergic system, especially the SNc/VTA. We provide an overview of existing research in basal vertebrates, mainly focusing on lampreys, belonging to the oldest group of extant vertebrates. The lamprey dopaminergic system and its role in modulating motor responses have been characterized in significant detail, both anatomically and functionally, providing the basis for understanding the evolution of the SNc/VTA in vertebrates. When considered alongside results from other early vertebrates, data in lampreys show that the key role of the SNc/VTA dopaminergic neurons modulating motor responses through the basal ganglia was already well developed early in vertebrate evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Pérez-Fernández
- Center for Biomedical Research (CINBIO), Neurocircuits Group, Department of Functional Biology and Health Sciences, Campus Universitario Lagoas, Marcosende, Universidade de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain; (M.B.); (C.J.-L.)
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35
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Buhlman LM, Krishna G, Jones TB, Thomas TC. Drosophila as a model to explore secondary injury cascades after traumatic brain injury. Biomed Pharmacother 2021; 142:112079. [PMID: 34463269 PMCID: PMC8458259 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.112079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Drosophilae are emerging as a valuable model to study traumatic brain injury (TBI)-induced secondary injury cascades that drive persisting neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative pathology that imposes significant risk for long-term neurological deficits. As in mammals, TBI in Drosophila triggers axonal injury, metabolic crisis, oxidative stress, and a robust innate immune response. Subsequent neurodegeneration stresses quality control systems and perpetuates an environment for neuroprotection, regeneration, and delayed cell death via highly conserved cell signaling pathways. Fly injury models continue to be developed and validated for both whole-body and head-specific injury to isolate, evaluate, and modulate these parallel pathways. In conjunction with powerful genetic tools, the ability for longitudinal evaluation, and associated neurological deficits that can be tested with established behavioral tasks, Drosophilae are an attractive model to explore secondary injury cascades and therapeutic intervention after TBI. Here, we review similarities and differences between mammalian and fly pathophysiology and highlight strategies for their use in translational neurotrauma research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lori M Buhlman
- Biomedical Sciences Program, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA.
| | - Gokul Krishna
- Department of Child Health, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, USA; Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - T Bucky Jones
- Department of Anatomy, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - Theresa Currier Thomas
- Department of Child Health, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, USA; Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix VA Health Care System, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
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36
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Bennett MS. Five Breakthroughs: A First Approximation of Brain Evolution From Early Bilaterians to Humans. Front Neuroanat 2021; 15:693346. [PMID: 34489649 PMCID: PMC8418099 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2021.693346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Retracing the evolutionary steps by which human brains evolved can offer insights into the underlying mechanisms of human brain function as well as the phylogenetic origin of various features of human behavior. To this end, this article presents a model for interpreting the physical and behavioral modifications throughout major milestones in human brain evolution. This model introduces the concept of a "breakthrough" as a useful tool for interpreting suites of brain modifications and the various adaptive behaviors these modifications enabled. This offers a unique view into the ordered steps by which human brains evolved and suggests several unique hypotheses on the mechanisms of human brain function.
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37
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Bennett MS. What Behavioral Abilities Emerged at Key Milestones in Human Brain Evolution? 13 Hypotheses on the 600-Million-Year Phylogenetic History of Human Intelligence. Front Psychol 2021; 12:685853. [PMID: 34393912 PMCID: PMC8358274 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.685853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper presents 13 hypotheses regarding the specific behavioral abilities that emerged at key milestones during the 600-million-year phylogenetic history from early bilaterians to extant humans. The behavioral, intellectual, and cognitive faculties of humans are complex and varied: we have abilities as diverse as map-based navigation, theory of mind, counterfactual learning, episodic memory, and language. But these faculties, which emerge from the complex human brain, are likely to have evolved from simpler prototypes in the simpler brains of our ancestors. Understanding the order in which behavioral abilities evolved can shed light on how and why our brains evolved. To propose these hypotheses, I review the available data from comparative psychology and evolutionary neuroscience.
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38
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Erhardt B, Marcora MS, Frenkel L, Bochicchio PA, Bodin DH, Silva BA, Farías MI, Allo MÁ, Höcht C, Ferrari CC, Pitossi FJ, Leal MC. Plasma membrane calcium ATPase downregulation in dopaminergic neurons alters cellular physiology and motor behaviour in Drosophila melanogaster. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:5915-5931. [PMID: 34312939 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The accumulation of Ca2+ and its subsequent increase in oxidative stress is proposed to be involved in selective dysfunctionality of dopaminergic neurons, the main cell type affected in Parkinson's disease. To test the in vivo impact of Ca2+ increment in dopaminergic neurons physiology, we downregulated the plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPase (PMCA), a pump that extrudes cytosolic Ca2+ , by expressing PMCARNAi in Drosophila melanogaster dopaminergic neurons. In these animals, we observed major locomotor alterations paralleled to higher cytosolic Ca2+ and increased levels of oxidative stress in mitochondria. Interestingly, although no overt degeneration of dopaminergic neurons was observed, evidences of neuronal dysfunctionality were detected such as increases in presynaptic vesicles in dopaminergic neurons and in the levels of dopamine in the brain, as well as presence of toxic effects when PMCA was downregulated in the eye. Moreover, reduced PMCA levels were found in a Drosophila model of Parkinson's disease, Parkin knock-out, expanding the functional relevance of PMCA reduction to other Parkinson's disease-related models. In all, we have generated a new model to study motor abnormalities caused by increments in Ca2+ that lead to augmented oxidative stress in a dopaminergic environment, added to a rise in synaptic vesicles and dopamine levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda Erhardt
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires (IIBBA)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Fundación Instituto Leloir, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Silvina Marcora
- Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas (IQUIFIB)-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lía Frenkel
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires (IIBBA)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Fundación Instituto Leloir, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Pablo Alejandro Bochicchio
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires (IIBBA)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Fundación Instituto Leloir, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Diego Hernán Bodin
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires (IIBBA)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Berenice Anabel Silva
- Fundación Instituto Leloir, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto de Medicina Traslacional e Ingeniería Biomédica (IMTIB)-CONICET, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Isabel Farías
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires (IIBBA)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Fundación Instituto Leloir, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Miguel Ángel Allo
- Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Christian Höcht
- Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carina Cintia Ferrari
- Fundación Instituto Leloir, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto de Medicina Traslacional e Ingeniería Biomédica (IMTIB)-CONICET, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Fernando Juan Pitossi
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires (IIBBA)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Fundación Instituto Leloir, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Celeste Leal
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires (IIBBA)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Fundación Instituto Leloir, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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39
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Traniello IM, Robinson GE. Neural and Molecular Mechanisms of Biological Embedding of Social Interactions. Annu Rev Neurosci 2021; 44:109-128. [PMID: 34236891 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-092820-012959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Animals operate in complex environments, and salient social information is encoded in the nervous system and then processed to initiate adaptive behavior. This encoding involves biological embedding, the process by which social experience affects the brain to influence future behavior. Biological embedding is an important conceptual framework for understanding social decision-making in the brain, as it encompasses multiple levels of organization that regulate how information is encoded and used to modify behavior. The framework we emphasize here is that social stimuli provoke short-term changes in neural activity that lead to changes in gene expression on longer timescales. This process, simplified-neurons are for today and genes are for tomorrow-enables the assessment of the valence of a social interaction, an appropriate and rapid response, and subsequent modification of neural circuitry to change future behavioral inclinations in anticipation of environmental changes. We review recent research on the neural and molecular basis of biological embedding in the context of social interactions, with a special focus on the honeybee.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian M Traniello
- Neuroscience Program and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA;
| | - Gene E Robinson
- Neuroscience Program and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA; .,Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
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40
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Bogdan P, Caetano-Anollés G, Jolles A, Kim H, Morris J, Murphy CA, Royer C, Snell EH, Steinbrenner A, Strausfeld N. Biological networks across scales. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:1991-2010. [PMID: 34021749 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many biological systems across scales of size and complexity exhibit a time-varying complex network structure that emerges and self-organizes as a result of interactions with the environment. Network interactions optimize some intrinsic cost functions that are unknown and involve for example energy efficiency, robustness, resilience, and frailty. A wide range of networks exist in biology, from gene regulatory networks important for organismal development, protein interaction networks that govern physiology and metabolism, and neural networks that store and convey information to networks of microbes that form microbiomes within hosts, animal contact networks that underlie social systems, and networks of populations on the landscape connected by migration. Increasing availability of extensive (big) data is amplifying our ability to quantify biological networks. Similarly, theoretical methods that describe network structure and dynamics are being developed. Beyond static networks representing snapshots of biological systems, collections of longitudinal data series can help either at defining and characterizing network dynamics over time or analyzing the dynamics constrained to networked architectures. Moreover, due to interactions with the environment and other biological systems, a biological network may not be fully observable. Also, subnetworks may emerge and disappear as a result of the need for the biological system to cope with for example invaders or new information flows. The confluence of these developments renders tractable the question of how the structure of biological networks predicts and controls network dynamics. In particular, there may be structural features that result in homeostatic networks with specific higher-order statistics (e.g., multifractal spectrum), which maintain stability over time through robustness and/or resilience to perturbation. Alternative, plastic networks may respond to perturbation by (adaptive to catastrophic) shifts in structure. Here, we explore the opportunity for discovering universal laws connecting the structure of biological networks with their function, positioning them on the spectrum of time-evolving network structure, i.e. dynamics of networks, from highly stable to exquisitely sensitive to perturbation. If such general laws exist, they could transform our ability to predict the response of biological systems to perturbations-an increasingly urgent priority in the face of anthropogenic changes to the environment that affect life across the gamut of organizational scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Bogdan
- Ming-Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | | | - Anna Jolles
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis
| | - Hyunju Kim
- The Beyond Center, Arizona State University, Tempe
| | - James Morris
- Baruch Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia
| | - Cheryl A Murphy
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing
| | | | - Edward H Snell
- Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute and SUNY, Buffalo
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41
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Daack CW, Yeh D, Busch M, Kliethermes CL. GABAergic regulation of locomotion before and during an ethanol exposure in Drosophila melanogaster. Behav Brain Res 2021; 410:113369. [PMID: 34015397 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Ethanol at low doses induces a locomotor stimulant response across a range of phylogenetically diverse species. In rodents, this response is commonly used as an index of ethanol's disinhibitory, anxiolytic, or reinforcing effects, and its expression is regulated by signaling through a number of conserved neurotransmitter systems. In the current experiments, we asked whether ethanol-induced locomotor stimulation in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster might be mediated by ionotropic GABA receptors. We measured basal and ethanol-stimulated locomotion in flies expressing RNAi directed against three known subunits of ionotropic GABA receptors, and also examined the effects of picrotoxin feeding on these behaviors. We found that RNAi-mediated knockdown of a subunit of fly ionotropic GABA receptors, RDL, in all neurons resulted in an increased ethanol-induced locomotor stimulant response, while knockdown of two other subunits, LCCH3 and GRD, did not affect the responses. The effect of pan neuronal RDL knockdown was recapitulated with selective RDL knockdown in cholinergic neurons, and increased ethanol-induced locomotor stimulation was also seen by feeding the GABAA antagonist picrotoxin to flies prior to behavioral testing. However, the increase in ethanol-stimulated locomotion in each of these experiments was largely accounted for by decreased baseline activity. Our results indicate that ionotropic GABA receptors might be a conserved mediator of the locomotor stimulant effects of ethanol, but that alternative experimental approaches will be necessary to disentangle effects of GABAergic manipulations on baseline and ethanol-stimulated locomotion in flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calvin W Daack
- Drake University, 318 Olin Hall, 1344 27thStreet, Des Moines, IA, 50311, United States
| | - Derek Yeh
- Drake University, 318 Olin Hall, 1344 27thStreet, Des Moines, IA, 50311, United States
| | - Marc Busch
- Drake University, 318 Olin Hall, 1344 27thStreet, Des Moines, IA, 50311, United States
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42
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Habenstein J, Thamm M, Rössler W. Neuropeptides as potential modulators of behavioral transitions in the ant Cataglyphis nodus. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:3155-3170. [PMID: 33950523 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Age-related behavioral plasticity is a major prerequisite for the ecological success of insect societies. Although ecological aspects of behavioral flexibility have been targeted in many studies, the underlying intrinsic mechanisms controlling the diverse changes in behavior along the individual life history of social insects are not completely understood. Recently, the neuropeptides allatostatin-A, corazonin, and tachykinin have been associated with the regulation of behavioral transitions in social insects. Here, we investigated changes in brain localization and expression of these neuropeptides following major behavioral transitions in Cataglyphis nodus ants. Our immunohistochemical analyses in the brain revealed that the overall branching pattern of neurons immunoreactive (ir) for the three neuropeptides is largely independent of the behavioral stages. Numerous allatostatin-A- and tachykinin-ir neurons innervate primary sensory neuropils and high-order integration centers of the brain. In contrast, the number of corazonergic neurons is restricted to only four neurons per brain hemisphere with cell bodies located in the pars lateralis and axons extending to the medial protocerebrum and the retrocerebral complex. Most interestingly, the cell-body volumes of these neurons are significantly increased in foragers compared to freshly eclosed ants and interior workers. Quantification of mRNA expression levels revealed a stage-related change in the expression of allatostatin-A and corazonin mRNA in the brain. Given the presence of the neuropeptides in major control centers of the brain and the neurohemal organs, these mRNA-changes strongly suggest an important modulatory role of both neuropeptides in the behavioral maturation of Cataglyphis ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Habenstein
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Markus Thamm
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Rössler
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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43
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Araujo SM, Bortolotto VC, Poetini MR, Dahleh MMM, Couto SDF, Pinheiro FC, Meichtry LB, Musachio EAS, Ramborger BP, Roehrs R, Guerra GP, Prigol M. γ-Oryzanol produces an antidepressant-like effect in a chronic unpredictable mild stress model of depression in Drosophila melanogaster. Stress 2021; 24:282-293. [PMID: 32723199 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2020.1790519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) is a valid model for inducing depression-like symptoms in animal models, causing predictive behavioral, neurochemical, and physiological responses to this condition. This work aims to evaluate the possible antidepressant effect of γ-oryzanol (ORY) in the CUMS-induced depressive model in male Drosophila melanogaster. We will use the CUMS protocol to continue the study previously conducted by our research group, mimicking a depressive state in these insects. Male flies were subjected to various stressors according to a 10-day randomized schedule and concomitantly treated with ORY or fluoxetine (FLX). After the experimental period, in vivo behavioral tests were performed (open field, forced swimming, aggressiveness test, mating test, male virility, sucrose preference index and light/dark test) and ex vivo analyses measuring serotonin (5HT), dopamine (DA), octopamine (OCT) levels and body weight. We report here that ORY-treated flies and concomitant exposure to CUMS did not exhibit obvious behaviors such as prolonged immobility or increased aggressive behavior, reduced male mating and virility behavior, and anxiolytic behavior, in contrast to ORY, not altering sucrose preference and body weight flies exposed to CUMS. ORY effectively prevented 5HT and OCT reduction and partially protected against DA reduction. The data presented here are consistent and provide evidence for the use of ORY as a potential antidepressant compound.Lay SummaryFlies treated with ORY and concomitant exposure to CUMS did not exhibit obvious depressive-like behaviors, such as prolonged immobility in the FST or increased aggressive behavior, or reduced mating behavior, male virility, or anxiolytic behavior. ORY did not change the preference for sucrose and body weight of flies, about the levels of monoamines in the heads of flies, ORY was effective in preventing the reduction of 5HT and OCT, and we had partial protection of ORY for reducing the levels of DA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stífani Machado Araujo
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluations Applied to Bioactives Molecules - LaftamBio, Federal University of Pampa, Itaqui, Brazil
| | - Vandreza Cardoso Bortolotto
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluations Applied to Bioactives Molecules - LaftamBio, Federal University of Pampa, Itaqui, Brazil
| | - Márcia Rósula Poetini
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluations Applied to Bioactives Molecules - LaftamBio, Federal University of Pampa, Itaqui, Brazil
| | - Mustafa Munir Mustafa Dahleh
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluations Applied to Bioactives Molecules - LaftamBio, Federal University of Pampa, Itaqui, Brazil
| | - Shanda de Freitas Couto
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluations Applied to Bioactives Molecules - LaftamBio, Federal University of Pampa, Itaqui, Brazil
| | - Franciane Cabral Pinheiro
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluations Applied to Bioactives Molecules - LaftamBio, Federal University of Pampa, Itaqui, Brazil
| | - Luana Barreto Meichtry
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluations Applied to Bioactives Molecules - LaftamBio, Federal University of Pampa, Itaqui, Brazil
| | - Elize Aparecida Santos Musachio
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluations Applied to Bioactives Molecules - LaftamBio, Federal University of Pampa, Itaqui, Brazil
| | - Bruna Piaia Ramborger
- Interdisciplinary Group of Research in Teaching Practice, Federal University of Pampa, Uruguaiana, Brazil
| | - Rafael Roehrs
- Interdisciplinary Group of Research in Teaching Practice, Federal University of Pampa, Uruguaiana, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Petri Guerra
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluations Applied to Bioactives Molecules - LaftamBio, Federal University of Pampa, Itaqui, Brazil
| | - Marina Prigol
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluations Applied to Bioactives Molecules - LaftamBio, Federal University of Pampa, Itaqui, Brazil
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44
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Ishimoto H, Kamikouchi A. Molecular and neural mechanisms regulating sexual motivation of virgin female Drosophila. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:4805-4819. [PMID: 33837450 PMCID: PMC11071752 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03820-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
During courtship, multiple information sources are integrated in the brain to reach a final decision, i.e., whether or not to mate. The brain functions for this complex behavior can be investigated by genetically manipulating genes and neurons, and performing anatomical, physiological, and behavioral analyses. Drosophila is a powerful model experimental system for such studies, which need to be integrated from molecular and cellular levels to the behavioral level, and has enabled pioneering research to be conducted. In male flies, which exhibit a variety of characteristic sexual behaviors, we have accumulated knowledge of many genes and neural circuits that control sexual behaviors. On the other hand, despite the importance of the mechanisms of mating decision-making in females from an evolutionary perspective (such as sexual selection), research on the mechanisms that control sexual behavior in females has progressed somewhat slower. In this review, we focus on the pre-mating behavior of female Drosophila melanogaster, and introduce previous key findings on the neuronal and molecular mechanisms that integrate sensory information and selective expression of behaviors toward the courting male.
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Grants
- JP20H03355 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- JP20H04997 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- 19H04933 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- 17K19450 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- 15K07147 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- 18K06332 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- Naito Foundation
- Inamori Foundation
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Ishimoto
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8602, Japan.
| | - Azusa Kamikouchi
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8602, Japan.
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45
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Quigley TP, Amdam GV. Social modulation of ageing: mechanisms, ecology, evolution. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20190738. [PMID: 33678020 PMCID: PMC7938163 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Human life expectancy increases, but the disease-free part of lifespan (healthspan) and the quality of life in old people may not show the same development. The situation poses considerable challenges to healthcare systems and economies, and calls for new strategies to increase healthspan and for sustainable future approaches to elder care. This call has motivated innovative research on the role of social relationships during ageing. Correlative data from clinical surveys indicate that social contact promotes healthy ageing, and it is time to reveal the causal mechanisms through experimental research. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is a prolific model animal, but insects with more developed social behaviour can be equally instrumental for this research. Here, we discuss the role of social contact in ageing, and identify lines of study where diverse insect models can help uncover the mechanisms that are involved. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ageing and sociality: why, when and how does sociality change ageing patterns?'
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler P. Quigley
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, PO Box 874501, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Gro V. Amdam
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, PO Box 874501, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 5002, N-1432 Aas, Norway
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46
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Scaplen KM, Petruccelli E. Receptors and Channels Associated with Alcohol Use: Contributions from Drosophila. Neurosci Insights 2021; 16:26331055211007441. [PMID: 33870197 PMCID: PMC8020223 DOI: 10.1177/26331055211007441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a debilitating disorder that manifests as problematic patterns of alcohol use. At the core of AUD's behavioral manifestations are the profound structural, physiological, cellular, and molecular effects of alcohol on the brain. While the field has made considerable progress in understanding the neuromolecular targets of alcohol we still lack a comprehensive understanding of alcohol's actions and effective treatment strategies. Drosophila melanogaster is a powerful model for investigating the neuromolecular targets of alcohol because flies model many of the core behavioral elements of AUD and offer a rich genetic toolkit to precisely reveal the in vivo molecular actions of alcohol. In this review, we focus on receptors and channels that are often targeted by alcohol within the brain. We discuss the general roles of these proteins, their role in alcohol-associated behaviors across species, and propose ways in which Drosophila models can help advance the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin M Scaplen
- Department of Psychology, Bryant University, Smithfield, RI, USA
- Center for Health and Behavioral Studies, Bryant University, Smithfield, RI, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Emily Petruccelli
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL, USA
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47
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Hardcastle BJ, Omoto JJ, Kandimalla P, Nguyen BCM, Keleş MF, Boyd NK, Hartenstein V, Frye MA. A visual pathway for skylight polarization processing in Drosophila. eLife 2021; 10:e63225. [PMID: 33755020 PMCID: PMC8051946 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many insects use patterns of polarized light in the sky to orient and navigate. Here, we functionally characterize neural circuitry in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, that conveys polarized light signals from the eye to the central complex, a brain region essential for the fly's sense of direction. Neurons tuned to the angle of polarization of ultraviolet light are found throughout the anterior visual pathway, connecting the optic lobes with the central complex via the anterior optic tubercle and bulb, in a homologous organization to the 'sky compass' pathways described in other insects. We detail how a consistent, map-like organization of neural tunings in the peripheral visual system is transformed into a reduced representation suited to flexible processing in the central brain. This study identifies computational motifs of the transformation, enabling mechanistic comparisons of multisensory integration and central processing for navigation in the brains of insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben J Hardcastle
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Jaison J Omoto
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Pratyush Kandimalla
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Bao-Chau M Nguyen
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Mehmet F Keleş
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Natalie K Boyd
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Volker Hartenstein
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Mark A Frye
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
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48
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Ferguson ST, Bakis I, Zwiebel LJ. Advances in the Study of Olfaction in Eusocial Ants. INSECTS 2021; 12:252. [PMID: 33802783 PMCID: PMC8002415 DOI: 10.3390/insects12030252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decade, spurred in part by the sequencing of the first ant genomes, there have been major advances in the field of olfactory myrmecology. With the discovery of a significant expansion of the odorant receptor gene family, considerable efforts have been directed toward understanding the olfactory basis of complex social behaviors in ant colonies. Here, we review recent pivotal studies that have begun to reveal insights into the development of the olfactory system as well as how olfactory stimuli are peripherally and centrally encoded. Despite significant biological and technical impediments, substantial progress has been achieved in the application of gene editing and other molecular techniques that notably distinguish the complex olfactory system of ants from other well-studied insect model systems, such as the fruit fly. In doing so, we hope to draw attention not only to these studies but also to critical knowledge gaps that will serve as a compass for future research endeavors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Laurence J. Zwiebel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; (S.T.F.); (I.B.)
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49
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Abstract
Many species from diverse and often distantly related animal groups (e.g. monkeys, crows, fish and bees) have a sense of number. This means that they can assess the number of items in a set - its 'numerosity'. The brains of these phylogenetically distant species are markedly diverse. This Review examines the fundamentally different types of brains and neural mechanisms that give rise to numerical competence across the animal tree of life. Neural correlates of the number sense so far exist only for specific vertebrate species: the richest data concerning explicit and abstract number representations have been collected from the cerebral cortex of mammals, most notably human and nonhuman primates, but also from the pallium of corvid songbirds, which evolved independently of the mammalian cortex. In contrast, the neural data relating to implicit and reflexive numerical representations in amphibians and fish is limited. The neural basis of a number sense has not been explored in any protostome so far. However, promising candidate regions in the brains of insects, spiders and cephalopods - all of which are known to have number skills - are identified in this Review. A comparative neuroscientific approach will be indispensable for identifying evolutionarily stable neuronal circuits and deciphering codes that give rise to a sense of number across phylogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Nieder
- Animal Physiology Unit, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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50
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Scaplen KM, Talay M, Fisher JD, Cohn R, Sorkaç A, Aso Y, Barnea G, Kaun KR. Transsynaptic mapping of Drosophila mushroom body output neurons. eLife 2021; 10:e63379. [PMID: 33570489 PMCID: PMC7877909 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The mushroom body (MB) is a well-characterized associative memory structure within the Drosophila brain. Analyzing MB connectivity using multiple approaches is critical for understanding the functional implications of this structure. Using the genetic anterograde transsynaptic tracing tool, trans-Tango, we identified divergent projections across the brain and convergent downstream targets of the MB output neurons (MBONs). Our analysis revealed at least three separate targets that receive convergent input from MBONs: other MBONs, the fan-shaped body (FSB), and the lateral accessory lobe (LAL). We describe, both anatomically and functionally, a multilayer circuit in which inhibitory and excitatory MBONs converge on the same genetic subset of FSB and LAL neurons. This circuit architecture enables the brain to update and integrate information with previous experience before executing appropriate behavioral responses. Our use of trans-Tango provides a genetically accessible anatomical framework for investigating the functional relevance of components within these complex and interconnected circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin M Scaplen
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
- Department of Psychology, Bryant UniversitySmithfieldUnited States
- Center for Health and Behavioral Sciences, Bryant UniversitySmithfieldUnited States
| | - Mustafa Talay
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - John D Fisher
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - Raphael Cohn
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Altar Sorkaç
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - Yoshi Aso
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteAshburnUnited States
| | - Gilad Barnea
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - Karla R Kaun
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
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