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Nässel DR, Zandawala M. Endocrine cybernetics: neuropeptides as molecular switches in behavioural decisions. Open Biol 2022; 12:220174. [PMID: 35892199 PMCID: PMC9326288 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.220174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasticity in animal behaviour relies on the ability to integrate external and internal cues from the changing environment and hence modulate activity in synaptic circuits of the brain. This context-dependent neuromodulation is largely based on non-synaptic signalling with neuropeptides. Here, we describe select peptidergic systems in the Drosophila brain that act at different levels of a hierarchy to modulate behaviour and associated physiology. These systems modulate circuits in brain regions, such as the central complex and the mushroom bodies, which supervise specific behaviours. At the top level of the hierarchy there are small numbers of large peptidergic neurons that arborize widely in multiple areas of the brain to orchestrate or modulate global activity in a state and context-dependent manner. At the bottom level local peptidergic neurons provide executive neuromodulation of sensory gain and intrinsically in restricted parts of specific neuronal circuits. The orchestrating neurons receive interoceptive signals that mediate energy and sleep homeostasis, metabolic state and circadian timing, as well as external cues that affect food search, aggression or mating. Some of these cues can be triggers of conflicting behaviours such as mating versus aggression, or sleep versus feeding, and peptidergic neurons participate in circuits, enabling behaviour choices and switches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dick R. Nässel
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Meet Zandawala
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri-Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland Würzburg 97074, Germany
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2
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Huang H, Possidente DR, Vecsey CG. Optogenetic activation of SIFamide (SIFa) neurons induces a complex sleep-promoting effect in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Physiol Behav 2021; 239:113507. [PMID: 34175361 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Sleep is a universal and extremely complicated function. Sleep is regulated by two systems-sleep homeostasis and circadian rhythms. In a wide range of species, neuropeptides have been found to play a crucial role in the communication and synchronization between different components of both systems. In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, SIFamide (SIFa) is a neuropeptide that has been reported to be expressed in 4 neurons in the pars intercerebralis (PI) area of the brain. Previous work has shown that transgenic ablation of SIFa neurons, mutation of SIFa itself, or knockdown of SIFa receptors reduces sleep, suggesting that SIFa is sleep-promoting. However, those were all constitutive manipulations that could have affected development or resulted in compensation, so the role of SIFa signaling in sleep regulation during adulthood remains unclear. In the current study, we examined the sleep-promoting effect of SIFa through an optogenetic approach, which allowed for neuronal activation with high temporal resolution, while leaving development unaffected. We found that activation of the red-light sensor Chrimson in SIFa neurons promoted sleep in flies in a sexually dimorphic manner, where the magnitude of the sleep effect was greater in females than in males. Because neuropeptidergic neurons often also release other transmitters, we used RNA interference to knock down SIFa while also optogenetically activating SIFa neurons. SIFa knockdown only partially reduced the magnitude of the sleep effect, suggesting that release of other transmitters may contribute to the sleep induction when SIFa neurons are activated. Video-based analysis showed that activation of SIFa neurons for as brief a period as 1 second was able to decrease walking behavior for minutes after the stimulus. Future studies should aim to identify the transmitters that are utilized by SIFa neurons and characterize their upstream activators and downstream targets. It would also be of interest to determine how acute optogenetic activation of SIFa neurons alters other behaviors that have been linked to SIFa, such as mating and feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoyang Huang
- Neuroscience Program, Skidmore College, 815 N. Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
| | - Debra R Possidente
- Neuroscience Program, Skidmore College, 815 N. Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
| | - Christopher G Vecsey
- Neuroscience Program, Skidmore College, 815 N. Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.
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3
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Nettnin EA, Sallese TR, Nasseri A, Saurabh S, Cavanaugh DJ. Dorsal clock neurons in Drosophila sculpt locomotor outputs but are dispensable for circadian activity rhythms. iScience 2021; 24:103001. [PMID: 34505011 PMCID: PMC8413890 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The circadian system is comprised three components: a network of core clock cells in the brain that keeps time, input pathways that entrain clock cells to the environment, and output pathways that use this information to ensure appropriate timing of physiological and behavioral processes throughout the day. Core clock cells can be divided into molecularly distinct populations that likely make unique functional contributions. Here we clarify the role of the dorsal neuron 1 (DN1) population of clock neurons in the transmission of circadian information by the Drosophila core clock network. Using an intersectional genetic approach that allowed us to selectively and comprehensively target DN1 cells, we show that suppressing DN1 neuronal activity alters the magnitude of daily activity and sleep without affecting overt rhythmicity. This suggests that DN1 cells are dispensable for both the generation of circadian information and the propagation of this information across output circuits. Intersectional genetic approach targets DN1 cells comprehensively and selectively DN1p silencing alters distribution and amount of activity and sleep across the day DN1p cell firing is neither necessary nor sufficient for circadian activity rhythms DN1a silencing subtly alters total activity and sleep but leaves rhythmicity intact
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella A Nettnin
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago IL 60660, USA
| | - Thomas R Sallese
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago IL 60660, USA
| | - Anita Nasseri
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago IL 60660, USA
| | - Sumit Saurabh
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago IL 60660, USA
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4
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Song BJ, Sharp SJ, Rogulja D. Daily rewiring of a neural circuit generates a predictive model of environmental light. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/13/eabe4284. [PMID: 33762336 PMCID: PMC7990339 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe4284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral responsiveness to external stimulation is shaped by context. We studied how sensory information can be contextualized, by examining light-evoked locomotor responsiveness of Drosophila relative to time of day. We found that light elicits an acute increase in locomotion (startle) that is modulated in a time-of-day-dependent manner: Startle is potentiated during the nighttime, when light is unexpected, but is suppressed during the daytime. The internal daytime-nighttime context is generated by two interconnected and functionally opposing populations of circadian neurons-LNvs generating the daytime state and DN1as generating the nighttime state. Switching between the two states requires daily remodeling of LNv and DN1a axons such that the maximum presynaptic area in one population coincides with the minimum in the other. We propose that a dynamic model of environmental light resides in the shifting connectivities of the LNv-DN1a circuit, which helps animals evaluate ongoing conditions and choose a behavioral response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan J Song
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Slater J Sharp
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Dragana Rogulja
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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5
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Beer K, Helfrich-Förster C. Model and Non-model Insects in Chronobiology. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:601676. [PMID: 33328925 PMCID: PMC7732648 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.601676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is an established model organism in chronobiology, because genetic manipulation and breeding in the laboratory are easy. The circadian clock neuroanatomy in D. melanogaster is one of the best-known clock networks in insects and basic circadian behavior has been characterized in detail in this insect. Another model in chronobiology is the honey bee Apis mellifera, of which diurnal foraging behavior has been described already in the early twentieth century. A. mellifera hallmarks the research on the interplay between the clock and sociality and complex behaviors like sun compass navigation and time-place-learning. Nevertheless, there are aspects of clock structure and function, like for example the role of the clock in photoperiodism and diapause, which can be only insufficiently investigated in these two models. Unlike high-latitude flies such as Chymomyza costata or D. ezoana, cosmopolitan D. melanogaster flies do not display a photoperiodic diapause. Similarly, A. mellifera bees do not go into "real" diapause, but most solitary bee species exhibit an obligatory diapause. Furthermore, sociality evolved in different Hymenoptera independently, wherefore it might be misleading to study the social clock only in one social insect. Consequently, additional research on non-model insects is required to understand the circadian clock in Diptera and Hymenoptera. In this review, we introduce the two chronobiology model insects D. melanogaster and A. mellifera, compare them with other insects and show their advantages and limitations as general models for insect circadian clocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Beer
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri Institute, Biocentre, Am Hubland, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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6
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Duhart JM, Herrero A, de la Cruz G, Ispizua JI, Pírez N, Ceriani MF. Circadian Structural Plasticity Drives Remodeling of E Cell Output. Curr Biol 2020; 30:5040-5048.e5. [PMID: 33065014 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.09.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral outputs arise as a result of highly regulated yet flexible communication among neurons. The Drosophila circadian network includes 150 neurons that dictate the temporal organization of locomotor activity; under light-dark (LD) conditions, flies display a robust bimodal pattern. The pigment-dispersing factor (PDF)-positive small ventral lateral neurons (sLNv) have been linked to the generation of the morning activity peak (the "M cells"), whereas the Cryptochrome (CRY)-positive dorsal lateral neurons (LNds) and the PDF-negative sLNv are necessary for the evening activity peak (the "E cells") [1, 2]. While each group directly controls locomotor output pathways [3], an interplay between them along with a third dorsal cluster (the DN1ps) is necessary for the correct timing of each peak and for adjusting behavior to changes in the environment [4-7]. M cells set the phase of roughly half of the circadian neurons (including the E cells) through PDF [5, 8-10]. Here, we show the existence of synaptic input provided by the evening oscillator onto the M cells. Both structural and functional approaches revealed that E-to-M cell connectivity changes across the day, with higher excitatory input taking place before the day-to-night transition. We identified two different neurotransmitters, acetylcholine and glutamate, released by E cells that are relevant for robust circadian output. Indeed, we show that acetylcholine is responsible for the excitatory input from E cells to M cells, which show preferential responsiveness to acetylcholine during the evening. Our findings provide evidence of an excitatory feedback between circadian clusters and unveil an important plastic remodeling of the E cells' synaptic connections.
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Affiliation(s)
- José M Duhart
- Laboratorio de Genética del Comportamiento, Fundación Instituto Leloir, IIBBA-CONICET, Av. Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires 1405-BWE, Argentina
| | - Anastasia Herrero
- Laboratorio de Genética del Comportamiento, Fundación Instituto Leloir, IIBBA-CONICET, Av. Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires 1405-BWE, Argentina
| | - Gabriel de la Cruz
- Laboratorio de Genética del Comportamiento, Fundación Instituto Leloir, IIBBA-CONICET, Av. Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires 1405-BWE, Argentina
| | - Juan I Ispizua
- Laboratorio de Genética del Comportamiento, Fundación Instituto Leloir, IIBBA-CONICET, Av. Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires 1405-BWE, Argentina
| | - Nicolás Pírez
- Laboratorio de Genética del Comportamiento, Fundación Instituto Leloir, IIBBA-CONICET, Av. Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires 1405-BWE, Argentina
| | - M Fernanda Ceriani
- Laboratorio de Genética del Comportamiento, Fundación Instituto Leloir, IIBBA-CONICET, Av. Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires 1405-BWE, Argentina.
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7
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Abhilash L, Ramakrishnan A, Priya S, Sheeba V. Waveform Plasticity under Entrainment to 12-h T-cycles in Drosophila melanogaster: Behavior, Neuronal Network, and Evolution. J Biol Rhythms 2020; 35:145-157. [PMID: 31994435 DOI: 10.1177/0748730419899549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
A crucial property of circadian clocks is the ability to regulate the shape of an oscillation over its cycle length (waveform) appropriately, thus enhancing Darwinian fitness. Many studies over the past decade have revealed interesting ways in which the waveform of rodent behavior could be manipulated, one of which is that the activity bout bifurcates under environments that have 2 light/dark cycles within one 24-h day (LDLD). It has been observed that such unique, although unnatural, environments reveal acute changes in the circadian clock network. However, although adaptation of waveforms to different photoperiods is well studied, modulation of waveforms under LDLD has received relatively less attention in research on insect rhythms. Therefore, we undertook this study to ask the following questions: what is the extent of waveform plasticity that Drosophila melanogaster exhibits, and what are the neuronal underpinnings of such plasticity under LDLD? We found that the activity/rest rhythms of wild-type flies do not bifurcate under LDLD. Instead, they show similar but significantly different behavior from that under a long-day LD cycle. This behavior is accompanied by differences in the organization of the circadian neuronal network, which include changes in waveforms of a core clock component and an output molecule. In addition, to understand the functional significance of such variations in the waveform, we examined laboratory selected populations that exhibit divergent eclosion chronotypes (and therefore, waveforms). We found that populations selected for predominant eclosion in an evening window (late chronotypes) showed reduced amplitude plasticity and increased phase plasticity of activity/rest rhythms. This, we argue, is reflective of divergent evolution of circadian neuronal network organization in our laboratory selected flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lakshman Abhilash
- Behavioural Neurogenetics Laboratory, Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Jakkur, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Aishwarya Ramakrishnan
- Behavioural Neurogenetics Laboratory, Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Jakkur, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Srishti Priya
- Behavioural Neurogenetics Laboratory, Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Jakkur, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Vasu Sheeba
- Behavioural Neurogenetics Laboratory, Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Jakkur, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
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8
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King AN, Sehgal A. Molecular and circuit mechanisms mediating circadian clock output in the Drosophila brain. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 51:268-281. [PMID: 30059181 PMCID: PMC6353709 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
A central question in the circadian biology field concerns the mechanisms that translate ~24-hr oscillations of the molecular clock into overt rhythms. Drosophila melanogaster is a powerful system that provided the first understanding of how molecular clocks are generated and is now illuminating the neural basis of circadian behavior. The identity of ~150 clock neurons in the Drosophila brain and their roles in shaping circadian rhythms of locomotor activity have been described before. This review summarizes mechanisms that transmit time-of-day signals from the clock, within the clock network as well as downstream of it. We also discuss the identification of functional multisynaptic circuits between clock neurons and output neurons that regulate locomotor activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna N. King
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | - Amita Sehgal
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
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9
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Liu C, Meng Z, Wiggin TD, Yu J, Reed ML, Guo F, Zhang Y, Rosbash M, Griffith LC. A Serotonin-Modulated Circuit Controls Sleep Architecture to Regulate Cognitive Function Independent of Total Sleep in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2019; 29:3635-3646.e5. [PMID: 31668619 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.08.079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Revised: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Both the structure and the amount of sleep are important for brain function. Entry into deep, restorative stages of sleep is time dependent; short sleep bouts selectively eliminate these states. Fragmentation-induced cognitive dysfunction is a feature of many common human sleep pathologies. Whether sleep structure is normally regulated independent of the amount of sleep is unknown. Here, we show that in Drosophila melanogaster, activation of a subset of serotonergic neurons fragments sleep without major changes in the total amount of sleep, dramatically reducing long episodes that may correspond to deep sleep states. Disruption of sleep structure results in learning deficits that can be rescued by pharmacologically or genetically consolidating sleep. We identify two reciprocally connected sets of ellipsoid body neurons that form the heart of a serotonin-modulated circuit that controls sleep architecture. Taken together, these findings define a circuit essential for controlling the structure of sleep independent of its amount.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Liu
- Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA; Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Zhiqiang Meng
- Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA; Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | | | - Junwei Yu
- Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - Martha L Reed
- Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - Fang Guo
- Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province 310058, China
| | - Yunpeng Zhang
- Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - Michael Rosbash
- Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
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10
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Liang X, Ho MCW, Zhang Y, Li Y, Wu MN, Holy TE, Taghert PH. Morning and Evening Circadian Pacemakers Independently Drive Premotor Centers via a Specific Dopamine Relay. Neuron 2019; 102:843-857.e4. [PMID: 30981533 PMCID: PMC6533154 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.03.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Many animals exhibit morning and evening peaks of locomotor behavior. In Drosophila, two corresponding circadian neural oscillators-M (morning) cells and E (evening) cells-exhibit a corresponding morning or evening neural activity peak. Yet we know little of the neural circuitry by which distinct circadian oscillators produce specific outputs to precisely control behavioral episodes. Here, we show that ring neurons of the ellipsoid body (EB-RNs) display spontaneous morning and evening neural activity peaks in vivo: these peaks coincide with the bouts of locomotor activity and result from independent activation by M and E pacemakers. Further, M and E cells regulate EB-RNs via identified PPM3 dopaminergic neurons, which project to the EB and are normally co-active with EB-RNs. These in vivo findings establish the fundamental elements of a circadian neuronal output pathway: distinct circadian oscillators independently drive a common pre-motor center through the agency of specific dopaminergic interneurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xitong Liang
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Margaret C W Ho
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Yajun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Mark N Wu
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Timothy E Holy
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Paul H Taghert
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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11
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Nässel DR, Zandawala M. Recent advances in neuropeptide signaling in Drosophila, from genes to physiology and behavior. Prog Neurobiol 2019; 179:101607. [PMID: 30905728 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2019.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
This review focuses on neuropeptides and peptide hormones, the largest and most diverse class of neuroactive substances, known in Drosophila and other animals to play roles in almost all aspects of daily life, as w;1;ell as in developmental processes. We provide an update on novel neuropeptides and receptors identified in the last decade, and highlight progress in analysis of neuropeptide signaling in Drosophila. Especially exciting is the huge amount of work published on novel functions of neuropeptides and peptide hormones in Drosophila, largely due to the rapid developments of powerful genetic methods, imaging techniques and innovative assays. We critically discuss the roles of peptides in olfaction, taste, foraging, feeding, clock function/sleep, aggression, mating/reproduction, learning and other behaviors, as well as in regulation of development, growth, metabolic and water homeostasis, stress responses, fecundity, and lifespan. We furthermore provide novel information on neuropeptide distribution and organization of peptidergic systems, as well as the phylogenetic relations between Drosophila neuropeptides and those of other phyla, including mammals. As will be shown, neuropeptide signaling is phylogenetically ancient, and not only are the structures of the peptides, precursors and receptors conserved over evolution, but also many functions of neuropeptide signaling in physiology and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dick R Nässel
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Meet Zandawala
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
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12
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Pírez N, Bernabei-Cornejo SG, Fernandez-Acosta M, Duhart JM, Ceriani MF. Contribution of non-circadian neurons to the temporal organization of locomotor activity. Biol Open 2019; 8:bio.039628. [PMID: 30530810 PMCID: PMC6361196 DOI: 10.1242/bio.039628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, the daily cycle of rest and activity is a rhythmic behavior that relies on the activity of a small number of neurons. The small ventral lateral neurons (sLNvs) are considered key in the control of locomotor rhythmicity. Previous work from our laboratory has showed that these neurons undergo structural remodeling on their axonal projections on a daily basis. Such remodeling endows sLNvs with the possibility to make synaptic contacts with different partners at different times throughout the day, as has been previously described. By using different genetic tools to alter membrane excitability of the sLNv putative postsynaptic partners, we tested their functional role in the control of locomotor activity. We also used optical imaging to test the functionality of these contacts. We found that these different neuronal groups affect the consolidation of rhythmic activity, suggesting that non-circadian cells are part of the circuit that controls locomotor activity. Our results suggest that new neuronal groups, in addition to the well-characterized clock neurons, contribute to the operations of the circadian network that controls locomotor activity in D. melanogaster. Summary: Here we characterized the impact of different putative postsynaptic partners of the sLNvs on the control of rhythmic locomotor behavior. We found that some of these novel neuronal clusters are relevant for the control of locomotor activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolás Pírez
- Laboratorio de Genética del Comportamiento, Fundación Instituto Leloir and Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas-Buenos Aires (IIB-BA, CONICET), 1425 Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sofia G Bernabei-Cornejo
- Laboratorio de Genética del Comportamiento, Fundación Instituto Leloir and Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas-Buenos Aires (IIB-BA, CONICET), 1425 Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Magdalena Fernandez-Acosta
- Laboratorio de Genética del Comportamiento, Fundación Instituto Leloir and Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas-Buenos Aires (IIB-BA, CONICET), 1425 Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - José M Duhart
- Laboratorio de Genética del Comportamiento, Fundación Instituto Leloir and Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas-Buenos Aires (IIB-BA, CONICET), 1425 Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - M Fernanda Ceriani
- Laboratorio de Genética del Comportamiento, Fundación Instituto Leloir and Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas-Buenos Aires (IIB-BA, CONICET), 1425 Buenos Aires, Argentina
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13
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Robichaux WG, Cheng X. Intracellular cAMP Sensor EPAC: Physiology, Pathophysiology, and Therapeutics Development. Physiol Rev 2018; 98:919-1053. [PMID: 29537337 PMCID: PMC6050347 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00025.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Revised: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This review focuses on one family of the known cAMP receptors, the exchange proteins directly activated by cAMP (EPACs), also known as the cAMP-regulated guanine nucleotide exchange factors (cAMP-GEFs). Although EPAC proteins are fairly new additions to the growing list of cAMP effectors, and relatively "young" in the cAMP discovery timeline, the significance of an EPAC presence in different cell systems is extraordinary. The study of EPACs has considerably expanded the diversity and adaptive nature of cAMP signaling associated with numerous physiological and pathophysiological responses. This review comprehensively covers EPAC protein functions at the molecular, cellular, physiological, and pathophysiological levels; and in turn, the applications of employing EPAC-based biosensors as detection tools for dissecting cAMP signaling and the implications for targeting EPAC proteins for therapeutic development are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- William G Robichaux
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, Texas Therapeutics Institute, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center , Houston, Texas
| | - Xiaodong Cheng
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, Texas Therapeutics Institute, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center , Houston, Texas
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Schubert FK, Hagedorn N, Yoshii T, Helfrich-Förster C, Rieger D. Neuroanatomical details of the lateral neurons of Drosophila melanogaster support their functional role in the circadian system. J Comp Neurol 2018; 526:1209-1231. [PMID: 29424420 PMCID: PMC5873451 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Revised: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster is a long‐standing model organism in the circadian clock research. A major advantage is the relative small number of about 150 neurons, which built the circadian clock in Drosophila. In our recent work, we focused on the neuroanatomical properties of the lateral neurons of the clock network. By applying the multicolor‐labeling technique Flybow we were able to identify the anatomical similarity of the previously described E2 subunit of the evening oscillator of the clock, which is built by the 5th small ventrolateral neuron (5th s‐LNv) and one ITP positive dorsolateral neuron (LNd). These two clock neurons share the same spatial and functional properties. We found both neurons innervating the same brain areas with similar pre‐ and postsynaptic sites in the brain. Here the anatomical findings support their shared function as a main evening oscillator in the clock network like also found in previous studies. A second quite surprising finding addresses the large lateral ventral PDF‐neurons (l‐LNvs). We could show that the four hardly distinguishable l‐LNvs consist of two subgroups with different innervation patterns. While three of the neurons reflect the well‐known branching pattern reproduced by PDF immunohistochemistry, one neuron per brain hemisphere has a distinguished innervation profile and is restricted only to the proximal part of the medulla‐surface. We named this neuron “extra” l‐LNv (l‐LNvx). We suggest the anatomical findings reflect different functional properties of the two l‐LNv subgroups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank K Schubert
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, 97074, Germany
| | - Nicolas Hagedorn
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, 97074, Germany
| | - Taishi Yoshii
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan
| | - Charlotte Helfrich-Förster
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, 97074, Germany
| | - Dirk Rieger
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, 97074, Germany
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16
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Klose M, Duvall L, Li W, Liang X, Ren C, Steinbach JH, Taghert PH. Functional PDF Signaling in the Drosophila Circadian Neural Circuit Is Gated by Ral A-Dependent Modulation. Neuron 2016; 90:781-794. [PMID: 27161526 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2015] [Revised: 01/13/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptide PDF promotes the normal sequencing of circadian behavioral rhythms in Drosophila, but its signaling mechanisms are not well understood. We report daily rhythmicity in responsiveness to PDF in critical pacemakers called small LNvs. There is a daily change in potency, as great as 10-fold higher, around dawn. The rhythm persists in constant darkness and does not require endogenous ligand (PDF) signaling or rhythmic receptor gene transcription. Furthermore, rhythmic responsiveness reflects the properties of the pacemaker cell type, not the receptor. Dopamine responsiveness also cycles, in phase with that of PDF, in the same pacemakers, but does not cycle in large LNv. The activity of RalA GTPase in s-LNv regulates PDF responsiveness and behavioral locomotor rhythms. Additionally, cell-autonomous PDF signaling reversed the circadian behavioral effects of lowered RalA activity. Thus, RalA activity confers high PDF responsiveness, providing a daily gate around the dawn hours to promote functional PDF signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Klose
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Washington University Medical School, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
| | - Laura Duvall
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Washington University Medical School, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
| | - Weihua Li
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Washington University Medical School, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
| | - Xitong Liang
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Washington University Medical School, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
| | - Chi Ren
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Washington University Medical School, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
| | - Joe Henry Steinbach
- Dept. of Anesthesiology, Washington University Medical School, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
| | - Paul H Taghert
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Washington University Medical School, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
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17
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Circadian rhythms in neuronal activity propagate through output circuits. Nat Neurosci 2016; 19:587-95. [PMID: 26928065 PMCID: PMC5066395 DOI: 10.1038/nn.4263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
24hr rhythms in behavior are organized by a network of circadian pacemaker neurons. Rhythmic activity in this network is generated by intrinsic rhythms in clock neuron physiology and communication between clock neurons. However, it is poorly understood how the activity of a small number of pacemaker neurons is translated into rhythmic behavior of the whole animal. To understand this, we screened for signals that could identify circadian output circuits in Drosophila. We found that Leucokinin neuropeptide (LK) and its receptor (LK-R) are required for normal behavioral rhythms. This LK/LK-R circuit connects pacemaker neurons to brain areas that regulate locomotor activity and sleep. Our experiments revealed that pacemaker neurons impose rhythmic activity and excitability on LK and LK-R expressing neurons. We also found pacemaker neuron-dependent activity rhythms in DH44-expressing neurons, a second circadian output pathway. We conclude that rhythmic clock neuron activity propagates to multiple downstream circuits to orchestrate behavioral rhythms.
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Beckwith EJ, Ceriani MF. Communication between circadian clusters: The key to a plastic network. FEBS Lett 2015; 589:3336-42. [PMID: 26297822 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2015.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2015] [Revised: 08/10/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster is a model organism that has been instrumental in understanding the circadian clock at different levels. A range of studies on the anatomical and neurochemical properties of clock neurons in the fly led to a model of interacting neural circuits that control circadian behavior. Here we focus on recent research on the dynamics of the multiple communication pathways between clock neurons, and, particularly, on how the circadian timekeeping system responds to changes in environmental conditions. It is increasingly clear that the fly clock employs multiple signalling cues, such as neuropeptides, fast neurotransmitters, and other signalling molecules, in the dynamic interplay between neuronal clusters. These neuronal groups seem to interact in a plastic fashion, e.g., rearranging their hierarchy in response to changing environmental conditions. A picture is emerging supporting that these dynamic mechanisms are in place to provide an optimal balance between flexibility and an extraordinary accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esteban J Beckwith
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom.
| | - M Fernanda Ceriani
- Laboratorio de Genética del Comportamiento, Fundación Instituto Leloir, IIB-BA-CONICET, Buenos Aires 1405 BWE, Argentina.
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19
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Patel N, Gold MG. The genetically encoded tool set for investigating cAMP: more than the sum of its parts. Front Pharmacol 2015; 6:164. [PMID: 26300778 PMCID: PMC4526808 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2015.00164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2015] [Accepted: 07/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular fluctuations of the second messenger cyclic AMP (cAMP) are regulated with spatial and temporal precision. This regulation is supported by the sophisticated arrangement of cyclases, phosphodiesterases, anchoring proteins, and receptors for cAMP. Discovery of these nuances to cAMP signaling has been facilitated by the development of genetically encodable tools for monitoring and manipulating cAMP and the proteins that support cAMP signaling. In this review, we discuss the state-of-the-art in development of different genetically encoded tools for sensing cAMP and the activity of its primary intracellular receptor protein kinase A (PKA). We introduce sequences for encoding adenylyl cyclases that enable cAMP levels to be artificially elevated within cells. We chart the evolution of sequences for selectively modifying protein-protein interactions that support cAMP signaling, and for driving cAMP sensors and manipulators to different subcellular locations. Importantly, these different genetically encoded tools can be applied synergistically, and we highlight notable instances that take advantage of this property. Finally, we consider prospects for extending the utility of the tool set to support further insights into the role of cAMP in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Patel
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London London, UK
| | - Matthew G Gold
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London London, UK
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20
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Langenhan T, Barr MM, Bruchas MR, Ewer J, Griffith LC, Maiellaro I, Taghert PH, White BH, Monk KR. Model Organisms in G Protein-Coupled Receptor Research. Mol Pharmacol 2015; 88:596-603. [PMID: 25979002 DOI: 10.1124/mol.115.098764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2015] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) has benefited greatly from experimental approaches that interrogate their functions in controlled, artificial environments. Working in vitro, GPCR receptorologists discovered the basic biologic mechanisms by which GPCRs operate, including their eponymous capacity to couple to G proteins; their molecular makeup, including the famed serpentine transmembrane unit; and ultimately, their three-dimensional structure. Although the insights gained from working outside the native environments of GPCRs have allowed for the collection of low-noise data, such approaches cannot directly address a receptor's native (in vivo) functions. An in vivo approach can complement the rigor of in vitro approaches: as studied in model organisms, it imposes physiologic constraints on receptor action and thus allows investigators to deduce the most salient features of receptor function. Here, we briefly discuss specific examples in which model organisms have successfully contributed to the elucidation of signals controlled through GPCRs and other surface receptor systems. We list recent examples that have served either in the initial discovery of GPCR signaling concepts or in their fuller definition. Furthermore, we selectively highlight experimental advantages, shortcomings, and tools of each model organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Langenhan
- Institute of Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology (T.L.), and Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Rudolf Virchow Center (I.M.), University of Würzburg, Germany, Würzburg, Germany; Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey (M.M.B.); Division of Basic Research, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center (M.R.B.), Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology (M.R.B., P.H.T.), and Department of Developmental Biology, Hope Center for Neurologic Disorders, (K.R.M.), Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia, Universidad de Valparaiso, Valparaiso, Chile (J.E.); National Center of Behavioral Genomics, Volen Center for Complex Systems, and Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts (L.C.G.); and Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institutes of Health National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland (B.H.W.)
| | - Maureen M Barr
- Institute of Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology (T.L.), and Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Rudolf Virchow Center (I.M.), University of Würzburg, Germany, Würzburg, Germany; Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey (M.M.B.); Division of Basic Research, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center (M.R.B.), Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology (M.R.B., P.H.T.), and Department of Developmental Biology, Hope Center for Neurologic Disorders, (K.R.M.), Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia, Universidad de Valparaiso, Valparaiso, Chile (J.E.); National Center of Behavioral Genomics, Volen Center for Complex Systems, and Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts (L.C.G.); and Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institutes of Health National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland (B.H.W.)
| | - Michael R Bruchas
- Institute of Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology (T.L.), and Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Rudolf Virchow Center (I.M.), University of Würzburg, Germany, Würzburg, Germany; Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey (M.M.B.); Division of Basic Research, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center (M.R.B.), Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology (M.R.B., P.H.T.), and Department of Developmental Biology, Hope Center for Neurologic Disorders, (K.R.M.), Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia, Universidad de Valparaiso, Valparaiso, Chile (J.E.); National Center of Behavioral Genomics, Volen Center for Complex Systems, and Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts (L.C.G.); and Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institutes of Health National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland (B.H.W.)
| | - John Ewer
- Institute of Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology (T.L.), and Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Rudolf Virchow Center (I.M.), University of Würzburg, Germany, Würzburg, Germany; Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey (M.M.B.); Division of Basic Research, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center (M.R.B.), Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology (M.R.B., P.H.T.), and Department of Developmental Biology, Hope Center for Neurologic Disorders, (K.R.M.), Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia, Universidad de Valparaiso, Valparaiso, Chile (J.E.); National Center of Behavioral Genomics, Volen Center for Complex Systems, and Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts (L.C.G.); and Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institutes of Health National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland (B.H.W.)
| | - Leslie C Griffith
- Institute of Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology (T.L.), and Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Rudolf Virchow Center (I.M.), University of Würzburg, Germany, Würzburg, Germany; Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey (M.M.B.); Division of Basic Research, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center (M.R.B.), Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology (M.R.B., P.H.T.), and Department of Developmental Biology, Hope Center for Neurologic Disorders, (K.R.M.), Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia, Universidad de Valparaiso, Valparaiso, Chile (J.E.); National Center of Behavioral Genomics, Volen Center for Complex Systems, and Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts (L.C.G.); and Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institutes of Health National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland (B.H.W.)
| | - Isabella Maiellaro
- Institute of Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology (T.L.), and Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Rudolf Virchow Center (I.M.), University of Würzburg, Germany, Würzburg, Germany; Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey (M.M.B.); Division of Basic Research, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center (M.R.B.), Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology (M.R.B., P.H.T.), and Department of Developmental Biology, Hope Center for Neurologic Disorders, (K.R.M.), Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia, Universidad de Valparaiso, Valparaiso, Chile (J.E.); National Center of Behavioral Genomics, Volen Center for Complex Systems, and Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts (L.C.G.); and Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institutes of Health National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland (B.H.W.)
| | - Paul H Taghert
- Institute of Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology (T.L.), and Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Rudolf Virchow Center (I.M.), University of Würzburg, Germany, Würzburg, Germany; Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey (M.M.B.); Division of Basic Research, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center (M.R.B.), Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology (M.R.B., P.H.T.), and Department of Developmental Biology, Hope Center for Neurologic Disorders, (K.R.M.), Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia, Universidad de Valparaiso, Valparaiso, Chile (J.E.); National Center of Behavioral Genomics, Volen Center for Complex Systems, and Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts (L.C.G.); and Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institutes of Health National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland (B.H.W.)
| | - Benjamin H White
- Institute of Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology (T.L.), and Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Rudolf Virchow Center (I.M.), University of Würzburg, Germany, Würzburg, Germany; Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey (M.M.B.); Division of Basic Research, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center (M.R.B.), Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology (M.R.B., P.H.T.), and Department of Developmental Biology, Hope Center for Neurologic Disorders, (K.R.M.), Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia, Universidad de Valparaiso, Valparaiso, Chile (J.E.); National Center of Behavioral Genomics, Volen Center for Complex Systems, and Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts (L.C.G.); and Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institutes of Health National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland (B.H.W.)
| | - Kelly R Monk
- Institute of Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology (T.L.), and Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Rudolf Virchow Center (I.M.), University of Würzburg, Germany, Würzburg, Germany; Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey (M.M.B.); Division of Basic Research, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center (M.R.B.), Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology (M.R.B., P.H.T.), and Department of Developmental Biology, Hope Center for Neurologic Disorders, (K.R.M.), Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia, Universidad de Valparaiso, Valparaiso, Chile (J.E.); National Center of Behavioral Genomics, Volen Center for Complex Systems, and Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts (L.C.G.); and Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institutes of Health National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland (B.H.W.)
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21
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Mayer G, Hering L, Stosch JM, Stevenson PA, Dircksen H. Evolution of pigment-dispersing factor neuropeptides in panarthropoda: Insights from onychophora (velvet worms) and tardigrada (water bears). J Comp Neurol 2015; 523:1865-85. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.23767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2014] [Revised: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Georg Mayer
- Animal Evolution and Development; Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig; D-04103 Leipzig Germany
- Department of Zoology; Institute of Biology, University of Kassel; D-34132 Kassel Germany
| | - Lars Hering
- Animal Evolution and Development; Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig; D-04103 Leipzig Germany
| | - Juliane M. Stosch
- Animal Evolution and Development; Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig; D-04103 Leipzig Germany
| | - Paul A. Stevenson
- Physiology of Animals and Behavior; Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig; D-04103 Leipzig Germany
| | - Heinrich Dircksen
- Department of Zoology; Stockholm University; S-10691 Stockholm Sweden
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22
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Hermann-Luibl C, Helfrich-Förster C. Clock network in Drosophila. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2015; 7:65-70. [PMID: 32846682 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2014.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2014] [Revised: 11/14/2014] [Accepted: 11/19/2014] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The circadian clock consists of a network of peptidergic neurons in the brain of all animals. The function of this peptidergic network has been largely revealed in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster due to the relatively few well characterized clock neurons and because these neurons can be genetically manipulated. Here we review the neuronal organization of the circadian network and the role of individual clock neurons and neuropeptides in it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiane Hermann-Luibl
- Department of Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Germany
| | - Charlotte Helfrich-Förster
- Department of Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Germany.
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23
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Haynes PR, Christmann BL, Griffith LC. A single pair of neurons links sleep to memory consolidation in Drosophila melanogaster. eLife 2015; 4:e03868. [PMID: 25564731 PMCID: PMC4305081 DOI: 10.7554/elife.03868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2014] [Accepted: 01/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep promotes memory consolidation in humans and many other species, but the physiological and anatomical relationships between sleep and memory remain unclear. Here, we show the dorsal paired medial (DPM) neurons, which are required for memory consolidation in Drosophila, are sleep-promoting inhibitory neurons. DPMs increase sleep via release of GABA onto wake-promoting mushroom body (MB) α'/β' neurons. Functional imaging demonstrates that DPM activation evokes robust increases in chloride in MB neurons, but is unable to cause detectable increases in calcium or cAMP. Downregulation of α'/β' GABAA and GABABR3 receptors results in sleep loss, suggesting these receptors are the sleep-relevant targets of DPM-mediated inhibition. Regulation of sleep by neurons necessary for consolidation suggests that these brain processes may be functionally interrelated via their shared anatomy. These findings have important implications for the mechanistic relationship between sleep and memory consolidation, arguing for a significant role of inhibitory neurotransmission in regulating these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula R Haynes
- Department of Biology, Volen Center for Complex Systems, National Center for Behavioral Genomics, Brandeis University, Waltham, United States
| | - Bethany L Christmann
- Department of Biology, Volen Center for Complex Systems, National Center for Behavioral Genomics, Brandeis University, Waltham, United States
| | - Leslie C Griffith
- Department of Biology, Volen Center for Complex Systems, National Center for Behavioral Genomics, Brandeis University, Waltham, United States
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24
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Shafer OT, Yao Z. Pigment-Dispersing Factor Signaling and Circadian Rhythms in Insect Locomotor Activity. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2014; 1:73-80. [PMID: 25386391 PMCID: PMC4224320 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2014.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Though expressed in relatively few neurons in insect nervous systems, pigment-dispersing factor (PDF) plays many roles in the control of behavior and physiology. PDF's role in circadian timekeeping is its best-understood function and the focus of this review. Here we recount the isolation and characterization of insect PDFs, review the evidence that PDF acts as a circadian clock output factor, and discuss emerging models of how PDF functions within circadian clock neuron network of Drosophila, the species in which this peptide's circadian roles are best understood.
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25
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Rebollo E, Karkali K, Mangione F, Martín-Blanco E. Live imaging in Drosophila: The optical and genetic toolkits. Methods 2014; 68:48-59. [PMID: 24814031 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2014.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2014] [Revised: 04/27/2014] [Accepted: 04/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological imaging based on light microscopy comes at the core of the methods that let us understanding morphology and its dynamics in synergy to the spatiotemporal distribution of cellular and molecular activities as the organism develops and becomes functional. Non-linear optical tools and superesolution methodologies are under constant development and their applications to live imaging of whole organisms keep improving as we speak. Genetically coded biosensors, multicolor clonal methods and optogenetics in different organisms and, in particular, in Drosophila follow equivalent paths. We anticipate a brilliant future for live imaging providing the roots for the holistic understanding, rather than for individual parts, of development and function at the whole-organism level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Rebollo
- Instituto de Biología Molecular de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Parc Cientific de Barcelona, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Katerina Karkali
- Instituto de Biología Molecular de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Parc Cientific de Barcelona, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Federica Mangione
- Instituto de Biología Molecular de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Parc Cientific de Barcelona, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Enrique Martín-Blanco
- Instituto de Biología Molecular de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Parc Cientific de Barcelona, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
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26
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Vecsey CG, Pírez N, Griffith LC. The Drosophila neuropeptides PDF and sNPF have opposing electrophysiological and molecular effects on central neurons. J Neurophysiol 2014; 111:1033-45. [PMID: 24353297 PMCID: PMC3949227 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00712.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2013] [Accepted: 12/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptides have widespread effects on behavior, but how these molecules alter the activity of their target cells is poorly understood. We employed a new model system in Drosophila melanogaster to assess the electrophysiological and molecular effects of neuropeptides, recording in situ from larval motor neurons, which transgenically express a receptor of choice. We focused on two neuropeptides, pigment-dispersing factor (PDF) and small neuropeptide F (sNPF), which play important roles in sleep/rhythms and feeding/metabolism. PDF treatment depolarized motor neurons expressing the PDF receptor (PDFR), increasing excitability. sNPF treatment had the opposite effect, hyperpolarizing neurons expressing the sNPF receptor (sNPFR). Live optical imaging using a genetically encoded fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based sensor for cyclic AMP (cAMP) showed that PDF induced a large increase in cAMP, whereas sNPF caused a small but significant decrease in cAMP. Coexpression of pertussis toxin or RNAi interference to disrupt the G-protein Gαo blocked the electrophysiological responses to sNPF, showing that sNPFR acts via Gαo signaling. Using a fluorescent sensor for intracellular calcium, we observed that sNPF-induced hyperpolarization blocked spontaneous waves of activity propagating along the ventral nerve cord, demonstrating that the electrical effects of sNPF can cause profound changes in natural network activity in the brain. This new model system provides a platform for mechanistic analysis of how neuropeptides can affect target cells at the electrical and molecular level, allowing for predictions of how they regulate brain circuits that control behaviors such as sleep and feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher G Vecsey
- National Center for Behavioral Genomics, Volen National Center for Complex Systems and Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts
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