1
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Ronde M, van der Zee EA, Kas MJH. Default mode network dynamics: An integrated neurocircuitry perspective on social dysfunction in human brain disorders. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 164:105839. [PMID: 39097251 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105839] [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: 05/14/2024] [Revised: 07/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024]
Abstract
Our intricate social brain is implicated in a range of brain disorders, where social dysfunction emerges as a common neuropsychiatric feature cutting across diagnostic boundaries. Understanding the neurocircuitry underlying social dysfunction and exploring avenues for its restoration could present a transformative and transdiagnostic approach to overcoming therapeutic challenges in these disorders. The brain's default mode network (DMN) plays a crucial role in social functioning and is implicated in various neuropsychiatric conditions. By thoroughly examining the current understanding of DMN functionality, we propose that the DMN integrates diverse social processes, and disruptions in brain communication at regional and network levels due to disease hinder the seamless integration of these social functionalities. Consequently, this leads to an altered balance between self-referential and attentional processes, alongside a compromised ability to adapt to social contexts and anticipate future social interactions. Looking ahead, we explore how adopting an integrated neurocircuitry perspective on social dysfunction could pave the way for innovative therapeutic approaches to address brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirthe Ronde
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Neurobiology, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, Groningen 9747 AG, the Netherlands
| | - Eddy A van der Zee
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Neurobiology, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, Groningen 9747 AG, the Netherlands
| | - Martien J H Kas
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Neurobiology, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, Groningen 9747 AG, the Netherlands.
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2
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Peng D, Zheng L, Liu D, Han C, Wang X, Yang Y, Song L, Zhao M, Wei Y, Li J, Ye X, Wei Y, Feng Z, Huang X, Chen M, Gou Y, Xue Y, Zhang L. Large-language models facilitate discovery of the molecular signatures regulating sleep and activity. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3685. [PMID: 38693116 PMCID: PMC11063160 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48005-w] [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: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Sleep, locomotor and social activities are essential animal behaviors, but their reciprocal relationships and underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we elicit information from a cutting-edge large-language model (LLM), generative pre-trained transformer (GPT) 3.5, which interprets 10.2-13.8% of Drosophila genes known to regulate the 3 behaviors. We develop an instrument for simultaneous video tracking of multiple moving objects, and conduct a genome-wide screen. We have identified 758 fly genes that regulate sleep and activities, including mre11 which regulates sleep only in the presence of conspecifics, and NELF-B which regulates sleep regardless of whether conspecifics are present. Based on LLM-reasoning, an educated signal web is modeled for understanding of potential relationships between its components, presenting comprehensive molecular signatures that control sleep, locomotor and social activities. This LLM-aided strategy may also be helpful for addressing other complex scientific questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Peng
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Liubin Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Dan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Cheng Han
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Yan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Li Song
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Miaoying Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Yanfeng Wei
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Jiayi Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Xiaoxue Ye
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Yuxiang Wei
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Zihao Feng
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Xinhe Huang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Miaomiao Chen
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Yujie Gou
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Yu Xue
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China.
- Nanjing University Institute of Artificial Intelligence Biomedicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210031, China.
| | - Luoying Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China.
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Oral and Maxillofacial Development and Regeneration, Wuhan, Hubei, 430022, China.
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3
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Chen CH, Lin YC, Wang SH, Kuo TH, Tsai HY. An automatic system for recognizing fly courtship patterns via an image processing method. BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN FUNCTIONS : BBF 2024; 20:5. [PMID: 38493127 PMCID: PMC10943763 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-024-00231-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Fruit fly courtship behaviors composed of a series of actions have always been an important model for behavioral research. While most related studies have focused only on total courtship behaviors, specific courtship elements have often been underestimated. Identifying these courtship element details is extremely labor intensive and would largely benefit from an automatic recognition system. To address this issue, in this study, we established a vision-based fly courtship behavior recognition system. The system based on the proposed image processing methods can precisely distinguish body parts such as the head, thorax, and abdomen and automatically recognize specific courtship elements, including orientation, singing, attempted copulation, copulation and tapping, which was not detectable in previous studies. This system, which has high identity tracking accuracy (99.99%) and high behavioral element recognition rates (> 97.35%), can ensure correct identification even when flies completely overlap. Using this newly developed system, we investigated the total courtship time, and proportion, and transition of courtship elements in flies across different ages and found that male flies adjusted their courtship strategy in response to their physical condition. We also identified differences in courtship patterns between males with and without successful copulation. Our study therefore demonstrated how image processing methods can be applied to automatically recognize complex animal behaviors. The newly developed system will largely help us investigate the details of fly courtship in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-Hsin Chen
- Department of Power Mechanical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chiao Lin
- Department of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan
| | - Sheng-Hao Wang
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan
| | - Tsung-Han Kuo
- Department of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan.
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan.
- Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan.
| | - Hung-Yin Tsai
- Department of Power Mechanical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan.
- Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan.
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4
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Yadav RSP, Ansari F, Bera N, Kent C, Agrawal P. Lessons from lonely flies: Molecular and neuronal mechanisms underlying social isolation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 156:105504. [PMID: 38061597 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105504] [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: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Animals respond to changes in the environment which affect their internal state by adapting their behaviors. Social isolation is a form of passive environmental stressor that alters behaviors across animal kingdom, including humans, rodents, and fruit flies. Social isolation is known to increase violence, disrupt sleep and increase depression leading to poor mental and physical health. Recent evidences from several model organisms suggest that social isolation leads to remodeling of the transcriptional and epigenetic landscape which alters behavioral outcomes. In this review, we explore how manipulating social experience of fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster can shed light on molecular and neuronal mechanisms underlying isolation driven behaviors. We discuss the recent advances made using the powerful genetic toolkit and behavioral assays in Drosophila to uncover role of neuromodulators, sensory modalities, pheromones, neuronal circuits and molecular mechanisms in mediating social isolation. The insights gained from these studies could be crucial for developing effective therapeutic interventions in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Sai Prathap Yadav
- Centre for Molecular Neurosciences, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka 576104, India
| | - Faizah Ansari
- Centre for Molecular Neurosciences, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka 576104, India
| | - Neha Bera
- Centre for Molecular Neurosciences, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka 576104, India
| | - Clement Kent
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Pavan Agrawal
- Centre for Molecular Neurosciences, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka 576104, India.
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5
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Yang S, Xiu M, Li X, Shi Y, Wang S, Wan S, Han S, Yang D, Liu Y, He J. The antioxidant effects of hedysarum polybotrys polysaccharide in extending lifespan and ameliorating aging-related diseases in Drosophila melanogaster. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 241:124609. [PMID: 37105250 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.124609] [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: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Hedysarum polybotrys polysaccharide (HPS) is one of the main active ingredients of Hedysarum with many health-beneficial properties, including antioxidant property, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor. However, the effect of HPS on anti-aging is still unclear. This study was to explore the protective function of HPS on aging and age-related diseases using Drosophila melanogaster. The results demonstrated that HPS supplementation promoted hatchability and prolonged lifespan by enhancing the antioxidative capacity. Administraction of HPS ameliorated age-related symptoms such as imbalanced intestinal homeostasis, sleep disturbances, and beta-amyloid (Aβ) induced Alzheimer's disease (AD) in flies, but did not modulate neurobehavioral deficits in the AD model of tauopathy and the Parkinson's disease (PD) model of Pink1 mutation. Overall, this study reveals that HPS has strong potential in the prevention of aging and age-related diseases, and provided a new candidate for the development of anti-aging drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shipei Yang
- Provincial-level Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine of Major Diseases and The Prevention and Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine Research in Gansu Colleges and University, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China; College of Basic Medicine, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Minghui Xiu
- College of Public Health, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Dunhuang Medicine, Ministry of Education, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xu Li
- College of Public Health, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yan Shi
- Provincial-level Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine of Major Diseases and The Prevention and Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine Research in Gansu Colleges and University, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China; College of Basic Medicine, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Shuwei Wang
- College of Public Health, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Shengfang Wan
- College of Basic Medicine, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Shuzhen Han
- Provincial-level Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine of Major Diseases and The Prevention and Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine Research in Gansu Colleges and University, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China; College of Basic Medicine, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Dan Yang
- Provincial-level Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine of Major Diseases and The Prevention and Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine Research in Gansu Colleges and University, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China; College of Basic Medicine, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yongqi Liu
- Provincial-level Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine of Major Diseases and The Prevention and Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine Research in Gansu Colleges and University, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China; College of Basic Medicine, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Dunhuang Medicine, Ministry of Education, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| | - Jianzheng He
- Provincial-level Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine of Major Diseases and The Prevention and Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine Research in Gansu Colleges and University, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China; College of Basic Medicine, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Dunhuang Medicine, Ministry of Education, Lanzhou 730000, China.
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6
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Petrović M, Meštrović A, Andretić Waldowski R, Filošević Vujnović A. A network-based analysis detects cocaine-induced changes in social interactions in Drosophila melanogaster. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0275795. [PMID: 36952449 PMCID: PMC10035901 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Addiction is a multifactorial biological and behavioral disorder that is studied using animal models, based on simple behavioral responses in isolated individuals. A couple of decades ago it was shown that Drosophila melanogaster can serve as a model organism for behaviors related to alcohol, nicotine and cocaine (COC) addiction. Scoring of COC-induced behaviors in a large group of flies has been technologically challenging, so we have applied a local, middle and global level of network-based analyses to study social interaction networks (SINs) among a group of 30 untreated males compared to those that have been orally administered with 0.50 mg/mL of COC for 24 hours. In this study, we have confirmed the previously described increase in locomotion upon COC feeding. We have isolated new network-based measures associated with COC, and influenced by group on the individual behavior. COC fed flies showed a longer duration of interactions on the local level, and formed larger, more densely populated and compact, communities at the middle level. Untreated flies have a higher number of interactions with other flies in a group at the local level, and at the middle level, these interactions led to the formation of separated communities. Although the network density at the global level is higher in COC fed flies, at the middle level the modularity is higher in untreated flies. One COC specific behavior that we have isolated was an increase in the proportion of individuals that do not interact with the rest of the group, considered as the individual difference in COC induced behavior and/or consequence of group influence on individual behavior. Our approach can be expanded on different classes of drugs with the same acute response as COC to determine drug specific network-based measures and could serve as a tool to determinate genetic and environmental factors that influence both drug addiction and social interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milan Petrović
- Department of Informatics, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
- Center for Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Ana Meštrović
- Department of Informatics, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
- Center for Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Rozi Andretić Waldowski
- Department of Biotechnology, Laboratory for behavioral genetics, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Ana Filošević Vujnović
- Department of Biotechnology, Laboratory for behavioral genetics, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
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Das D, Begum M, Paul P, Dutta I, Mandal S, Ghosh P, Ghosh S. Effects of plant growth retardant daminozide (Alar) on neuromuscular co-ordination behavior in Drosophila melanogaster. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART A 2022; 85:921-936. [PMID: 35996764 DOI: 10.1080/15287394.2022.2114564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Daminozide (alar), a plant growth retardant, is used in different fruit orchard to make fruits attractive and reduce pre-harvest losses. Previously data demonstrated that acute daminozide exposure affected reproductive fitness and produced neurodegeneration in Drosophila melanogaster. The goal of this study was to determine whether continuous exposure to daminozide affects neuromuscular co-ordination in D. melanogaster as manifested in various behavioral responses. Fruit flies were exposed to 200 or 400 mg/L concentration of daminozide for two successive generations. Treated D. melanogaster were examined for the behaviors indicative of neuromuscular coordination and cognitive abilities, that include climbing, social interaction, adult grooming, migration, flight, male aggression, and adult courtship. Aberrant behavioral responses were noted among treated D. melanogaster of both sexes as evidenced by the following parameters: reduction in flight duration, abnormal social interaction, altered copulatory acts, and over-aggressiveness. Data suggest that daminozide produces impairment in neuromuscular coordination and cognitive ability in Drosophila, which was reflected as altered behavioral patterns. As Drosophila is considered as a reliable in vivo model utilized in toxicity testing, our findings may help us to anticipate and monitor potential daminozide-induced toxicity in animals and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debasmita Das
- Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | - Morium Begum
- Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | - Pallab Paul
- Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | - Ishita Dutta
- Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | | | - Papiya Ghosh
- Department of Zoology, Bijoykrishna Girls' College. Howrah. India
| | - Sujay Ghosh
- Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
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8
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Ishii K, Cortese M, Leng X, Shokhirev MN, Asahina K. A neurogenetic mechanism of experience-dependent suppression of aggression. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabg3203. [PMID: 36070378 PMCID: PMC9451153 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg3203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Aggression is an ethologically important social behavior, but excessive aggression can be detrimental to fitness. Social experiences among conspecific individuals reduce aggression in many species, the mechanism of which is largely unknown. We found that loss-of-function mutation of nervy (nvy), a Drosophila homolog of vertebrate myeloid translocation genes (MTGs), increased aggressiveness only in socially experienced flies and that this could be reversed by neuronal expression of human MTGs. A subpopulation of octopaminergic/tyraminergic neurons labeled by nvy was specifically required for such social experience-dependent suppression of aggression, in both males and females. Cell type-specific transcriptomic analysis of these neurons revealed aggression-controlling genes that are likely downstream of nvy. Our results illustrate both genetic and neuronal mechanisms by which the nervous system suppresses aggression in a social experience-dependent manner, a poorly understood process that is considered important for maintaining the fitness of animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenichi Ishii
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Matteo Cortese
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Xubo Leng
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Maxim N. Shokhirev
- Razavi Newman Integrative Genomics and Bioinformatics Core, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kenta Asahina
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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9
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Chiang MH, Ho SM, Wu HY, Lin YC, Tsai WH, Wu T, Lai CH, Wu CL. Drosophila Model for Studying Gut Microbiota in Behaviors and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Biomedicines 2022; 10:596. [PMID: 35327401 PMCID: PMC8945323 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10030596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Mounting evidence indicates that the gut microbiota is linked to several physiological processes and disease development in mammals; however, the underlying mechanisms remained unexplored mostly due to the complexity of the mammalian gut microbiome. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is a valuable animal model for studying host-gut microbiota interactions in translational aspects. The availability of powerful genetic tools and resources in Drosophila allowed the scientists to unravel the mechanisms by which the gut microbes affect fitness, health, and behavior of their hosts. Drosophila models have been extensively used not only to study animal behaviors (i.e., courtship, aggression, sleep, and learning & memory), but also some human related neurodegenerative diseases (i.e., Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease) in the past. This review comprehensively summarizes the current understanding of the gut microbiota of Drosophila and its impact on fly behavior, physiology, and neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Hsuan Chiang
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Department of Microbiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan; (M.-H.C.); (S.-M.H.); (H.-Y.W.); (Y.-C.L.)
| | - Shuk-Man Ho
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Department of Microbiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan; (M.-H.C.); (S.-M.H.); (H.-Y.W.); (Y.-C.L.)
| | - Hui-Yu Wu
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Department of Microbiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan; (M.-H.C.); (S.-M.H.); (H.-Y.W.); (Y.-C.L.)
| | - Yu-Chun Lin
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Department of Microbiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan; (M.-H.C.); (S.-M.H.); (H.-Y.W.); (Y.-C.L.)
| | - Wan-Hua Tsai
- Research and Development Department, GenMont Biotech Incorporation, Tainan 74144, Taiwan;
| | - Tony Wu
- Department of Neurology, Molecular Infectious Disease Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan;
- Department of Neurology, New Taipei Municipal Tucheng Hospital, Tucheng 23652, Taiwan
- Department of Neurology, Xiamen Chang Gung Hospital, Xiamen 361028, China
| | - Chih-Ho Lai
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Department of Microbiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan; (M.-H.C.); (S.-M.H.); (H.-Y.W.); (Y.-C.L.)
- Department of Neurology, Molecular Infectious Disease Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan;
- Department of Medical Research, Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University and Hospital, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
- Department of Nursing, Asia University, Taichung 41354, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Lin Wu
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Department of Microbiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan; (M.-H.C.); (S.-M.H.); (H.-Y.W.); (Y.-C.L.)
- Department of Neurology, Molecular Infectious Disease Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan;
- Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
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10
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Mollá-Albaladejo R, Sánchez-Alcañiz JA. Behavior Individuality: A Focus on Drosophila melanogaster. Front Physiol 2021; 12:719038. [PMID: 34916952 PMCID: PMC8670942 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.719038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Among individuals, behavioral differences result from the well-known interplay of nature and nurture. Minute differences in the genetic code can lead to differential gene expression and function, dramatically affecting developmental processes and adult behavior. Environmental factors, epigenetic modifications, and gene expression and function are responsible for generating stochastic behaviors. In the last decade, the advent of high-throughput sequencing has facilitated studying the genetic basis of behavior and individuality. We can now study the genomes of multiple individuals and infer which genetic variations might be responsible for the observed behavior. In addition, the development of high-throughput behavioral paradigms, where multiple isogenic animals can be analyzed in various environmental conditions, has again facilitated the study of the influence of genetic and environmental variations in animal personality. Mainly, Drosophila melanogaster has been the focus of a great effort to understand how inter-individual behavioral differences emerge. The possibility of using large numbers of animals, isogenic populations, and the possibility of modifying neuronal function has made it an ideal model to search for the origins of individuality. In the present review, we will focus on the recent findings that try to shed light on the emergence of individuality with a particular interest in D. melanogaster.
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11
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Chen M, Sokolowski MB. How Social Experience and Environment Impacts Behavioural Plasticity in Drosophila. Fly (Austin) 2021; 16:68-84. [PMID: 34852730 DOI: 10.1080/19336934.2021.1989248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
An organism's behaviour is influenced by its social environment. Experiences such as social isolation or crowding may have profound short or long-term effects on an individual's behaviour. The composition of the social environment also depends on the genetics and previous experiences of the individuals present, leading to additional potential outcomes from each social interaction. In this article, we review selected literature related to the social environment of the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, and how Drosophila respond to variation in their social experiences throughout their lifetimes. We focus on the effects of social environment on behavioural phenotypes such as courtship, aggression, and group dynamics, as well as other phenotypes such as development and physiology. The consequences of phenotypic plasticity due to social environment are discussed with respect to the ecology and evolution of Drosophila. We also relate these studies to laboratory research practices involving Drosophila and other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly Chen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Current Affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 Canada
| | - Marla B Sokolowski
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), Toronto, Ontario M5G 1Z8, Canada
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12
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Li W, Wang Z, Syed S, Lyu C, Lincoln S, O'Neil J, Nguyen AD, Feng I, Young MW. Chronic social isolation signals starvation and reduces sleep in Drosophila. Nature 2021; 597:239-244. [PMID: 34408325 PMCID: PMC8429171 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03837-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Social isolation and loneliness have potent effects on public health1-4. Research in social psychology suggests that compromised sleep quality is a key factor that links persistent loneliness to adverse health conditions5,6. Although experimental manipulations have been widely applied to studying the control of sleep and wakefulness in animal models, how normal sleep is perturbed by social isolation is unknown. Here we report that chronic, but not acute, social isolation reduces sleep in Drosophila. We use quantitative behavioural analysis and transcriptome profiling to differentiate between brain states associated with acute and chronic social isolation. Although the flies had uninterrupted access to food, chronic social isolation altered the expression of metabolic genes and induced a brain state that signals starvation. Chronically isolated animals exhibit sleep loss accompanied by overconsumption of food, which resonates with anecdotal findings of loneliness-associated hyperphagia in humans. Chronic social isolation reduces sleep and promotes feeding through neural activities in the peptidergic fan-shaped body columnar neurons of the fly. Artificial activation of these neurons causes misperception of acute social isolation as chronic social isolation and thereby results in sleep loss and increased feeding. These results present a mechanistic link between chronic social isolation, metabolism, and sleep, addressing a long-standing call for animal models focused on loneliness7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanhe Li
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Zikun Wang
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sheyum Syed
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
| | - Cheng Lyu
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Function, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Samantha Lincoln
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jenna O'Neil
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andrew D Nguyen
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Irena Feng
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael W Young
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
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13
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Toh YP, Dion E, Monteiro A. Dissections of Larval, Pupal and Adult Butterfly Brains for Immunostaining and Molecular Analysis. Methods Protoc 2021; 4:53. [PMID: 34449688 PMCID: PMC8395752 DOI: 10.3390/mps4030053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Butterflies possess impressive cognitive abilities, and investigations into the neural mechanisms underlying these abilities are increasingly being conducted. Exploring butterfly neurobiology may require the isolation of larval, pupal, and/or adult brains for further molecular and histological experiments. This procedure has been largely described in the fruit fly, but a detailed description of butterfly brain dissections is still lacking. Here, we provide a detailed written and video protocol for the removal of Bicyclus anynana adult, pupal, and larval brains. This species is gradually becoming a popular model because it uses a large set of sensory modalities, displays plastic and hormonally controlled courtship behaviour, and learns visual mate preference and olfactory preferences that can be passed on to its offspring. The extracted brain can be used for downstream analyses, such as immunostaining, DNA or RNA extraction, and the procedure can be easily adapted to other lepidopteran species and life stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Peng Toh
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore; (Y.P.T.); (A.M.)
| | - Emilie Dion
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore; (Y.P.T.); (A.M.)
| | - Antónia Monteiro
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore; (Y.P.T.); (A.M.)
- Yale-NUS College, 10 College Avenue West, Singapore 138609, Singapore
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14
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Sareen PF, McCurdy LY, Nitabach MN. A neuronal ensemble encoding adaptive choice during sensory conflict in Drosophila. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4131. [PMID: 34226544 PMCID: PMC8257655 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24423-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Feeding decisions are fundamental to survival, and decision making is often disrupted in disease. Here, we show that neural activity in a small population of neurons projecting to the fan-shaped body higher-order central brain region of Drosophila represents food choice during sensory conflict. We found that food deprived flies made tradeoffs between appetitive and aversive values of food. We identified an upstream neuropeptidergic and dopaminergic network that relays internal state and other decision-relevant information to a specific subset of fan-shaped body neurons. These neurons were strongly inhibited by the taste of the rejected food choice, suggesting that they encode behavioral food choice. Our findings reveal that fan-shaped body taste responses to food choices are determined not only by taste quality, but also by previous experience (including choice outcome) and hunger state, which are integrated in the fan-shaped body to encode the decision before relay to downstream motor circuits for behavioral implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Preeti F Sareen
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Li Yan McCurdy
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Michael N Nitabach
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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15
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Dombrovski M, Condron B. Critical periods shaping the social brain: A perspective from Drosophila. Bioessays 2020; 43:e2000246. [PMID: 33215730 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202000246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Many sensory processing regions of the central brain undergo critical periods of experience-dependent plasticity. During this time ethologically relevant information shapes circuit structure and function. The mechanisms that control critical period timing and duration are poorly understood, and this is of special importance for those later periods of development, which often give rise to complex cognitive functions such as social behavior. Here, we review recent findings in Drosophila, an organism that has some unique experimental advantages, and introduce novel views for manipulating plasticity in the post-embryonic brain. Critical periods in larval and young adult flies resemble classic vertebrate models with distinct onset and termination, display clear connections with complex behaviors, and provide opportunities to control the time course of plasticity. These findings may extend our knowledge about mechanisms underlying extension and reopening of critical periods, a concept that has great relevance to many human neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Dombrovski
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Barry Condron
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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16
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Klibaite U, Shaevitz JW. Paired fruit flies synchronize behavior: Uncovering social interactions in Drosophila melanogaster. PLoS Comput Biol 2020; 16:e1008230. [PMID: 33021989 PMCID: PMC7567355 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Social behaviors are ubiquitous and crucial to an animal's survival and success. The behaviors an animal performs in a social setting are affected by internal factors, inputs from the environment, and interactions with others. To quantify social behaviors, we need to measure both the stochastic nature of the behavior of isolated individuals and how this behavioral repertoire changes as a function of the environment and interactions between individuals. We probed the behavior of male and female fruit flies in a circular arena as individuals and within all possible pairings. By combining measurements of the animals' position in the arena with an unsupervised analysis of their behaviors, we define the effects of position in the environment and the presence of a partner on locomotion, grooming, singing, and other behaviors that make up an animal's repertoire. We find that geometric context tunes behavioral preference, pairs of animals synchronize their behavioral preferences across shared trials, and paired individuals display signatures of behavioral mimicry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugne Klibaite
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Joshua W Shaevitz
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
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17
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Hol FJH, Lambrechts L, Prakash M. BiteOscope, an open platform to study mosquito biting behavior. eLife 2020; 9:e56829. [PMID: 32960173 PMCID: PMC7535929 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [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: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Female mosquitoes need a blood meal to reproduce, and in obtaining this essential nutrient they transmit deadly pathogens. Although crucial for the spread of mosquito-borne diseases, blood feeding remains poorly understood due to technological limitations. Indeed, studies often expose human subjects to assess biting behavior. Here, we present the biteOscope, a device that attracts mosquitoes to a host mimic which they bite to obtain an artificial blood meal. The host mimic is transparent, allowing high-resolution imaging of the feeding mosquito. Using machine learning, we extract detailed behavioral statistics describing the locomotion, pose, biting, and feeding dynamics of Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, Anopheles stephensi, and Anopheles coluzzii. In addition to characterizing behavioral patterns, we discover that the common insect repellent DEET repels Anopheles coluzzii upon contact with their legs. The biteOscope provides a new perspective on mosquito blood feeding, enabling the high-throughput quantitative characterization of this lethal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix JH Hol
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Insect-Virus Interactions Unit, Institut Pasteur, UMR2000, CNRSParisFrance
- Center for research and Interdisciplinarity, U1284 INSERM, Université de ParisParisFrance
| | - Louis Lambrechts
- Insect-Virus Interactions Unit, Institut Pasteur, UMR2000, CNRSParisFrance
| | - Manu Prakash
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
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18
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Ike KG, de Boer SF, Buwalda B, Kas MJ. Social withdrawal: An initially adaptive behavior that becomes maladaptive when expressed excessively. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 116:251-267. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.06.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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19
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Yost RT, Robinson JW, Baxter CM, Scott AM, Brown LP, Aletta MS, Hakimjavadi R, Lone A, Cumming RC, Dukas R, Mozer B, Simon AF. Abnormal Social Interactions in a Drosophila Mutant of an Autism Candidate Gene: Neuroligin 3. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E4601. [PMID: 32610435 PMCID: PMC7370170 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21134601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Social interactions are typically impaired in neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism, for which the genetic underpinnings are very complex. Social interactions can be modeled by analysis of behaviors, including social spacing, sociability, and aggression, in simpler organisms such as Drosophila melanogaster. Here, we examined the effects of mutants of the autism-related gene neuroligin 3 (nlg3) on fly social and non-social behaviors. Startled-induced negative geotaxis is affected by a loss of function nlg3 mutation. Social space and aggression are also altered in a sex- and social-experience-specific manner in nlg3 mutant flies. In light of the conserved roles that neuroligins play in social behavior, our results offer insight into the regulation of social behavior in other organisms, including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryley T. Yost
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada; (R.T.Y.); (J.W.R.); (L.P.B.); (M.S.A.); (R.H.); (A.L.); (R.C.C.)
| | - J. Wesley Robinson
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada; (R.T.Y.); (J.W.R.); (L.P.B.); (M.S.A.); (R.H.); (A.L.); (R.C.C.)
| | - Carling M. Baxter
- Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour (PNB) McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada; (C.M.B.); (A.M.S.); (R.D.)
| | - Andrew M. Scott
- Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour (PNB) McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada; (C.M.B.); (A.M.S.); (R.D.)
| | - Liam P. Brown
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada; (R.T.Y.); (J.W.R.); (L.P.B.); (M.S.A.); (R.H.); (A.L.); (R.C.C.)
| | - M. Sol Aletta
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada; (R.T.Y.); (J.W.R.); (L.P.B.); (M.S.A.); (R.H.); (A.L.); (R.C.C.)
| | - Ramtin Hakimjavadi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada; (R.T.Y.); (J.W.R.); (L.P.B.); (M.S.A.); (R.H.); (A.L.); (R.C.C.)
| | - Asad Lone
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada; (R.T.Y.); (J.W.R.); (L.P.B.); (M.S.A.); (R.H.); (A.L.); (R.C.C.)
| | - Robert C. Cumming
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada; (R.T.Y.); (J.W.R.); (L.P.B.); (M.S.A.); (R.H.); (A.L.); (R.C.C.)
| | - Reuven Dukas
- Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour (PNB) McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada; (C.M.B.); (A.M.S.); (R.D.)
| | - Brian Mozer
- Office of Research Integrity, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Rockville, MD 20889, USA;
| | - Anne F. Simon
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada; (R.T.Y.); (J.W.R.); (L.P.B.); (M.S.A.); (R.H.); (A.L.); (R.C.C.)
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20
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Qiao P, Hou Y. Application of discrete fruit fly algorithm in enhancement of wireless sensor node coverage. JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT & FUZZY SYSTEMS 2020. [DOI: 10.3233/jifs-179835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peixin Qiao
- College of Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Ying Hou
- Department of Physics and Engineering Technology, Guilin Normal College, Guilin, China
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21
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Friedman DA, Johnson BR, Linksvayer TA. Distributed physiology and the molecular basis of social life in eusocial insects. Horm Behav 2020; 122:104757. [PMID: 32305342 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The traditional focus of physiological and functional genomic research is on molecular processes that play out within a single multicellular organism. In the colonial (eusocial) insects such as ants, bees, and termites, molecular and behavioral responses of interacting nestmates are tightly linked, and key physiological processes are regulated at the scale of the colony. Such colony-level physiological processes regulate nestmate physiology in a distributed fashion, through various social communication mechanisms. As a result of physiological decentralization over evolutionary time, organismal mechanisms, for example related to pheromone detection, hormone signaling, and neural signaling pathways, are deployed in novel contexts to influence nestmate and colony traits. Here we explore how functional genomic, physiological, and behavioral studies can benefit from considering the traits of eusocial insects in this light. We highlight functional genomic work exploring how nestmate-level and colony-level traits arise and are influenced by interactions among physiologically-specialized nestmates of various developmental stages. We also consider similarities and differences between nestmate-level (organismal) and colony-level (superorganismal) physiological processes, and make specific hypotheses regarding the physiology of eusocial taxa. Integrating theoretical models of distributed systems with empirical functional genomics approaches will be useful in addressing fundamental questions related to the evolution of eusociality and collective behavior in natural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Friedman
- University of California, Davis, Department of Entomology, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America.
| | - B R Johnson
- University of California, Davis, Department of Entomology, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America
| | - T A Linksvayer
- University of Pennsylvania, Department of Biology, Pennsylvania, PA 19104, United States of America
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22
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Edwards KA, Hoppa MB, Bosco G. The Photoconvertible Fluorescent Probe, CaMPARI, Labels Active Neurons in Freely-Moving Intact Adult Fruit Flies. Front Neural Circuits 2020; 14:22. [PMID: 32457580 PMCID: PMC7227398 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2020.00022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Linking neural circuitry to behavior by mapping active neurons in vivo is a challenge. Both genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs) and intermediate early genes (IEGs) have been used to pinpoint active neurons during a stimulus or behavior but have drawbacks such as limiting the movement of the organism, requiring a priori knowledge of the active region or having poor temporal resolution. Calcium-modulated photoactivatable ratiometric integrator (CaMPARI) was engineered to overcome these spatial-temporal challenges. CaMPARI is a photoconvertible protein that only converts from green to red fluorescence in the presence of high calcium concentration and 405 nm light. This allows the experimenter to precisely mark active neurons within defined temporal windows. The photoconversion can then be quantified by taking the ratio of the red fluorescence to the green. CaMPARI promises the ability to trace active neurons during a specific stimulus; however, CaMPARI's uses in adult Drosophila have been limited to photoconversion during fly immobilization. Here, we demonstrate a method that allows photoconversion of multiple freely-moving intact adult flies during a stimulus. Flies were placed in a dish with filter paper wet with acetic acid (pH = 2) or neutralized acetic acid (pH = 7) and exposed to photoconvertible light (60 mW) for 30 min (500 ms on, 200 ms off). Immediately following photoconversion, whole flies were fixed and imaged by confocal microscopy. The red:green ratio was quantified for the DC4 glomerulus, a bundle of neurons expressing Ir64a, an ionotropic receptor that senses acids in the Drosophila antennal lobe. Flies exposed to acetic acid showed 1.3-fold greater photoconversion than flies exposed to neutralized acetic acid. This finding was recapitulated using a more physiological stimulus of apple cider vinegar. These results indicate that CaMPARI can be used to label neurons in intact, freely-moving adult flies and will be useful for identifying the circuitry underlying complex behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie A. Edwards
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
| | - Michael B. Hoppa
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
| | - Giovanni Bosco
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
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23
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Ishii K, Wohl M, DeSouza A, Asahina K. Sex-determining genes distinctly regulate courtship capability and target preference via sexually dimorphic neurons. eLife 2020; 9:e52701. [PMID: 32314964 PMCID: PMC7173972 DOI: 10.7554/elife.52701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
For successful mating, a male animal must execute effective courtship behaviors toward a receptive target sex, which is female. Whether the courtship execution capability and upregulation of courtship toward females are specified through separable sex-determining genetic pathways remains uncharacterized. Here, we found that one of the two Drosophila sex-determining genes, doublesex (dsx), specifies a male-specific neuronal component that serves as an execution mechanism for courtship behavior, whereas fruitless (fru) is required for enhancement of courtship behavior toward females. The dsx-dependent courtship execution mechanism includes a specific subclass within a neuronal cluster that co-express dsx and fru. This cluster contains at least another subclass that is specified cooperatively by both dsx and fru. Although these neuronal populations can also promote aggressive behavior toward male flies, this capacity requires fru-dependent mechanisms. Our results uncover how sex-determining genes specify execution capability and female-specific enhancement of courtship behavior through separable yet cooperative neurogenetic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenichi Ishii
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological StudiesLa JollaUnited States
| | - Margot Wohl
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological StudiesLa JollaUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Andre DeSouza
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological StudiesLa JollaUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Kenta Asahina
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological StudiesLa JollaUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
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24
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Jiang L, Cheng Y, Gao S, Zhong Y, Ma C, Wang T, Zhu Y. Emergence of social cluster by collective pairwise encounters in Drosophila. eLife 2020; 9:51921. [PMID: 31959283 PMCID: PMC6989122 DOI: 10.7554/elife.51921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals exhibit an astonishing ability to form groups of large numbers of individuals. The dynamic properties of such groups have been the subject of intensive investigation. The actual grouping processes and underlying neural mechanisms, however, remain elusive. Here, we established a social clustering paradigm in Drosophila to investigate the principles governing social group formation. Fruit flies spontaneously assembled into a stable cluster mimicking a distributed network. Social clustering was exhibited as a highly dynamic process including all individuals, which participated in stochastic pair-wise encounters mediated by appendage touches. Depriving sensory inputs resulted in abnormal encounter responses and a high failure rate of cluster formation. Furthermore, the social distance of the emergent network was regulated by ppk-specific neurons, which were activated by contact-dependent social grouping. Taken together, these findings revealed the development of an orderly social structure from initially unorganised individuals via collective actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lifen Jiang
- School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.,State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yaxin Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yincheng Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chengrui Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tianyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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25
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Heifetz Y, Wolfner MF. Editorial overview: Networks, phase transitions, sociality, and reproduction: Inter-insect interactions that change molecular physiological state. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 35:vii-ix. [PMID: 31629477 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2019.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yael Heifetz
- The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
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26
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Beckwith EJ, French AS. Sleep in Drosophila and Its Context. Front Physiol 2019; 10:1167. [PMID: 31572216 PMCID: PMC6749028 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.01167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A prominent idea emerging from the study of sleep is that this key behavioural state is regulated in a complex fashion by ecologically and physiologically relevant environmental factors. This concept implies that sleep, as a behaviour, is plastic and can be regulated by external agents and changes in internal state. Drosophila melanogaster constitutes a resourceful model system to study behaviour. In the year 2000, the utility of the fly to study sleep was realised, and has since extensively contributed to this exciting field. At the centre of this review, we will discuss studies showing that temperature, food availability/quality, and interactions with conspecifics can regulate sleep. Indeed the relationship can be reciprocal and sleep perturbation can also affect feeding and social interaction. In particular, different environmental temperatures as well as gradual changes in temperature regulate when, and how much flies sleep. Moreover, the satiation/starvation status of an individual dictates the balance between sleep and foraging. Nutritional composition of diet also has a direct impact on sleep amount and its fragmentation. Likewise, aggression between males, courtship, sexual arousal, mating, and interactions within large groups of animals has an acute and long-lasting effect on sleep amount and quality. Importantly, the genes and neuronal circuits that relay information about the external environment and internal state to sleep centres are starting to be elucidated in the fly and are the focus of this review. In conclusion, sleep, as with most behaviours, needs the full commitment of the individual, preventing participation in other vital activities. A vast array of behaviours that are modulated by external and internal factors compete with the need to sleep and thus have a significant role in regulating it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esteban J Beckwith
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alice S French
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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27
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Brenman-Suttner DB, Yost RT, Frame AK, Robinson JW, Moehring AJ, Simon AF. Social behavior and aging: A fly model. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2019; 19:e12598. [PMID: 31286644 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The field of behavioral genetics has recently begun to explore the effect of age on social behaviors. Such studies are particularly important, as certain neuropsychiatric disorders with abnormal social interactions, like autism and schizophrenia, have been linked to older parents. Appropriate social interaction can also have a positive impact on longevity, and is associated with successful aging in humans. Currently, there are few genetic models for understanding the effect of aging on social behavior and its potential transgenerational inheritance. The fly is emerging as a powerful model for identifying the basic molecular mechanisms underlying neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. In this review, we discuss these recent advancements, with a focus on how studies in Drosophila melanogaster have provided insight into the effect of aging on aspects of social behavior, including across generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dova B Brenman-Suttner
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ryley T Yost
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ariel K Frame
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - J Wesley Robinson
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Amanda J Moehring
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anne F Simon
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
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28
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Chen K, Luan X, Liu Q, Wang J, Chang X, Snijders AM, Mao JH, Secombe J, Dan Z, Chen JH, Wang Z, Dong X, Qiu C, Chang X, Zhang D, Celniker SE, Liu X. Drosophila Histone Demethylase KDM5 Regulates Social Behavior through Immune Control and Gut Microbiota Maintenance. Cell Host Microbe 2019; 25:537-552.e8. [PMID: 30902578 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2019.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2018] [Revised: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Loss-of-function mutations in the histone demethylases KDM5A, KDM5B, or KDM5C are found in intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) patients. Here, we use the model organism Drosophila melanogaster to delineate how KDM5 contributes to ID and ASD. We show that reducing KDM5 causes intestinal barrier dysfunction and changes in social behavior that correlates with compositional changes in the gut microbiota. Therapeutic alteration of the dysbiotic microbiota through antibiotic administration or feeding with a probiotic Lactobacillus strain partially rescues the behavioral, lifespan, and cellular phenotypes observed in kdm5-deficient flies. Mechanistically, KDM5 was found to transcriptionally regulate component genes of the immune deficiency (IMD) signaling pathway and subsequent maintenance of host-commensal bacteria homeostasis in a demethylase-dependent manner. Together, our study uses a genetic approach to dissect the role of KDM5 in the gut-microbiome-brain axis and suggests that modifying the gut microbiome may provide therapeutic benefits for ID and ASD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Chen
- Department of Pathogen Biology-Microbiology Division, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; Key Laboratory of Pathogen of Jiangsu Province, Center of Global Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; Key Laboratory of Human Functional Genomics of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Enterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210011, China
| | - Xiaoting Luan
- Department of Pathogen Biology-Microbiology Division, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Qisha Liu
- Department of Pathogen Biology-Microbiology Division, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; Key Laboratory of Pathogen of Jiangsu Province, Center of Global Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Jianwei Wang
- Department of Pathogen Biology-Microbiology Division, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; Key Laboratory of Pathogen of Jiangsu Province, Center of Global Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Xinxia Chang
- Department of Pathogen Biology-Microbiology Division, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; Key Laboratory of Pathogen of Jiangsu Province, Center of Global Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Antoine M Snijders
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Jian-Hua Mao
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Julie Secombe
- Departments of Genetics and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Zhou Dan
- Department of Pathogen Biology-Microbiology Division, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Jian-Huan Chen
- Genomic and Precision Medicine Laboratory, Department of Public Health, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Zibin Wang
- Center for Analysis and Testing, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Xiao Dong
- Departments of Genetics and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Chen Qiu
- Department of Pathogen Biology-Microbiology Division, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Xiaoai Chang
- Key Laboratory of Human Functional Genomics of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Dong Zhang
- Department of Pathogen Biology-Microbiology Division, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Susan E Celniker
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Xingyin Liu
- Department of Pathogen Biology-Microbiology Division, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; Key Laboratory of Pathogen of Jiangsu Province, Center of Global Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; Key Laboratory of Human Functional Genomics of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Enterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210011, China.
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29
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Méndez-Valderrama JF, Kinkhabwala YA, Silver J, Cohen I, Arias TA. Density-functional fluctuation theory of crowds. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3538. [PMID: 30166535 PMCID: PMC6117271 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05750-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
A primary goal of collective population behavior studies is to determine the rules governing crowd distributions in order to predict future behaviors in new environments. Current top-down modeling approaches describe, instead of predict, specific emergent behaviors, whereas bottom-up approaches must postulate, instead of directly determine, rules for individual behaviors. Here, we employ classical density functional theory (DFT) to quantify, directly from observations of local crowd density, the rules that predict mass behaviors under new circumstances. To demonstrate our theory-based, data-driven approach, we use a model crowd consisting of walking fruit flies and extract two functions that separately describe spatial and social preferences. The resulting theory accurately predicts experimental fly distributions in new environments and provides quantification of the crowd “mood”. Should this approach generalize beyond milling crowds, it may find powerful applications in fields ranging from spatial ecology and active matter to demography and economics. Tools from statistical physics can be used to investigate a large variety of fields ranging from economics to biology. Here the authors first adapt density-functional theory to predict the distributions of crowds in new environments and then validate their approach using groups of fruit flies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yunus A Kinkhabwala
- Department of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Jeffrey Silver
- Metron Inc., Scientific Solutions, Reston, VA, 2019, USA
| | - Itai Cohen
- Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - T A Arias
- Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
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30
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Alisch T, Crall JD, Kao AB, Zucker D, de Bivort BL. MAPLE (modular automated platform for large-scale experiments), a robot for integrated organism-handling and phenotyping. eLife 2018; 7:37166. [PMID: 30117804 PMCID: PMC6193762 DOI: 10.7554/elife.37166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Lab organisms are valuable in part because of large-scale experiments like screens, but performing such experiments over long time periods by hand is arduous and error-prone. Organism-handling robots could revolutionize large-scale experiments in the way that liquid-handling robots accelerated molecular biology. We developed a modular automated platform for large-scale experiments (MAPLE), an organism-handling robot capable of conducting lab tasks and experiments, and then deployed it to conduct common experiments in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Caenorhabditis elegans, Physarum polycephalum, Bombus impatiens, and Drosophila melanogaster. Focusing on fruit flies, we developed a suite of experimental modules that permitted the automated collection of virgin females and execution of an intricate and laborious social behavior experiment. We discovered that (1) pairs of flies exhibit persistent idiosyncrasies in social behavior, which (2) require olfaction and vision, and (3) social interaction network structure is stable over days. These diverse examples demonstrate MAPLE’s versatility for automating experimental biology. Biological research can, at times, be mind-numbingly tedious: scientists often have to do the same experiment over and over on many different samples. When working with animals such as fruit flies, this means researchers have to physically handle large numbers of specimens, selecting certain individuals or moving them from one container to another to perform the study. This represents a serious bottleneck that slows down discovery. Automation represents an obvious solution to this issue. In fact, it has already revolutionized fields like molecular biology, where robots can handle the liquids required for the experiments. Yet, it is not so easy to automate tasks that involve animals larger than a millimeter. To fill that gap, Alisch et al. have developed a robotic system called Modular Automated Platform for Large-scale Experiments (MAPLE) that can manipulate fruit flies and other small organisms. Using gentle vacuum, MAPLE can pick up individual flies to move them from one compartment to another. These areas could be places where the insects grow or where experimental measurements are automatically gathered. Putting the robot to work, Alisch et al. used MAPLE to collect virgin female flies for genetic experiments, a common task in fruit flies laboratories. The system was also configured to load flies into arenas where their behavior could be measured. Finally, MAPLE assisted with an experiment that involved tracking the interactions of known individuals to examine if the flies exhibited social networks, and if those networks were stable. This logistically complicated experiment would have been difficult to run without the help of an automated system. Alisch et al. also show that the robot can be adjusted to work with various species often used for research, such as nematode worms, yeast, slime mould and even bumblebees. This allows the system to be useful in a range of research fields. As MAPLE fits on a table top and is fairly affordable, the hope is that it could help many scientists do their experiments faster and with greater consistency, freeing up time for creative thinking and new ideas. Ultimately, this tool could help to speed up scientific progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Alisch
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - James D Crall
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,Planetary Health Alliance, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Albert B Kao
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | | | - Benjamin L de Bivort
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,FlySorter LLC, Seattle, United States
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31
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Yoshimizu T, Shidara H, Ashida K, Hotta K, Oka K. Effect of interactions among individuals on the chemotaxis behaviours of Caenorhabditis elegans. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.182790. [PMID: 29691312 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.182790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In many species, individual social animals interact with others in their group and change their collective behaviours. For the solitary nematode Caenorhabditis elegans strain N2, previous research suggests that individuals can change the behaviour of other worms via pheromones and mechanosensory interactions. In particular, pheromones affect foraging behaviour, so that the chemotactic behaviours of individuals in a group (population) can be modulated by interactions with other individuals in the population. To investigate this, we directly compared the chemotactic behaviours of isolated (single) worms with those of individual animals within a population. We found that worms approached an odour source in a distinct manner depending on whether they were alone or in a population. Analysis of behaviours of the N2 worm and a pheromone production-defective mutant revealed that the 'pirouette' strategy was modulated by interaction of the worms via pheromones. Thus, pheromones play an important role in the characteristic collective behaviours seen in the population condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiki Yoshimizu
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan
| | - Hisashi Shidara
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan
| | - Keita Ashida
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan
| | - Kohji Hotta
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan
| | - Kotaro Oka
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan .,Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City 807, Taiwan
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32
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Jiang L, Zhan Y, Zhu Y. Combining Quantitative Food-intake Assays and Forcibly Activating Neurons to Study Appetite in Drosophila. J Vis Exp 2018. [PMID: 29757269 DOI: 10.3791/56900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Food consumption is under the tight control of the brain, which integrates the physiological status, palatability, and nutritional contents of the food, and issues commands to start or stop feeding. Deciphering the processes underlying the decision-making of timely and moderate feeding carries major implications in our understanding of physiological and psychological disorders related to feeding control. Simple, quantitative, and robust methods are required to measure the food ingestion of animals after experimental manipulation, such as forcibly increasing the activities of certain target neurons. Here, we introduced dye-labeling-based feeding assays to facilitate the neurogenetic study of feeding control in adult fruit flies. We review available feeding assays, and then describe our methods step-by-step from setup to analysis, which combine thermogenetic and optogenetic manipulation of neurons controlling feeding motivation with dye-labeled food intake assay. We also discuss the advantages and limitations of our methods, compared with other feeding assays, to help readers choose an appropriate assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lifen Jiang
- School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China; State key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
| | - Yinpeng Zhan
- State key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
| | - Yan Zhu
- State key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences;
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33
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Brenman-Suttner DB, Long SQ, Kamesan V, de Belle JN, Yost RT, Kanippayoor RL, Simon AF. Progeny of old parents have increased social space in Drosophila melanogaster. Sci Rep 2018; 8:3673. [PMID: 29487349 PMCID: PMC5829228 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-21731-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
We report the effects of aging and parental age in Drosophila melanogaster on two types of responses to social cues: the choice of preferred social spacing in an undisturbed group and the response to the Drosophila stress odorant (dSO) emitted by stressed flies. The patterns of changes during aging were notably different for these two social responses. Flies were initially closer in space and then became further apart. However, the pattern of change in response to dSO followed a more typical decline in performance, similarly to changes in locomotion. Interestingly, the increased social space of old parents, as well as their reduced performance in avoiding dSO, was passed on to their progeny, such that young adults adopted the behavioural characteristic of their old parents. While the response to social cues was inherited, the changes in locomotion were not. We were able to scale the changes in the social space of parents and their progeny by accelerating or decelerating the physiological process of aging by increasing temperatures and exposure to oxidative stress, or via caloric restriction, respectively. Finally, when we aged only one parent, only the male progeny of old fathers and the progeny of very old mothers were more distant.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shirley Q Long
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Vashine Kamesan
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Jade N de Belle
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Ryley T Yost
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | | | - Anne F Simon
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
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34
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Ruland C, Berlandi J, Eikmeier K, Weinert T, Lin FJ, Ambree O, Seggewiss J, Paulus W, Jeibmann A. Decreased cerebral Irp-1B limits impact of social isolation in wild type and Alzheimer's disease modeled in Drosophila melanogaster. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2018; 17:e12451. [PMID: 29251829 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Environmental factors, such as housing conditions and cognitively stimulating activities, have been shown to affect behavioral phenotypes and to modulate neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting cognitive functions. Epidemiological evidence and experimental studies using rodent models have indicated that social interaction reduces development and progression of disease. Drosophila models of Aβ42-associated AD lead to AD-like phenotypes, such as long-term memory impairment, locomotor and survival deficits, while effects of environmental conditions on AD-associated phenotypes have not been assessed in the fly. Here, we show that single housing reduced survival and motor performance of Aβ42 expressing and control flies. Gene expression analyses of Aβ42 expressing and control flies that had been exposed to different housing conditions showed upregulation of Iron regulatory protein 1B (Irp-1B) in fly brains following single housing. Downregulating Irp-1B in neurons of single-housed Aβ42 expressing and control flies rescued both survival and motor performance deficits. Thus, we provide novel evidence that increased cerebral expression of Irp-1B may underlie worsened behavioral outcome in socially deprived flies and can additionally modulate AD-like phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Ruland
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - J Berlandi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - K Eikmeier
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - T Weinert
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - F J Lin
- Department of Biology, Coastal Carolina University, Conway, South Carolina
| | - O Ambree
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.,Department of Behavioral Biology, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - J Seggewiss
- Institute for Human Genetics, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - W Paulus
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - A Jeibmann
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
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35
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Dukas R. Cognitive innovations and the evolutionary biology of expertise. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:20160427. [PMID: 29061899 PMCID: PMC5665814 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal life can be perceived as the selective use of information for maximizing survival and reproduction. All organisms including bacteria and protists rely on genetic networks to build and modulate sophisticated structures and biochemical mechanisms for perceiving information and responding to environmental changes. Animals, however, have gone through a series of innovations that dramatically increased their capacity to acquire, retain and act upon information. Multicellularity was associated with the evolution of the nervous system, which took over many tasks of internal communication and coordination. This paved the way for the evolution of learning, initially based on individual experience and later also via social interactions. The increased importance of social learning also led to the evolution of language in a single lineage. Individuals' ability to dramatically increase performance via learning may have led to an evolutionary cycle of increased lifespan and greater investment in cognitive abilities, as well as in the time necessary for the development and refinement of expertise. We still know little, however, about the evolutionary biology, genetics and neurobiological mechanisms that underlie such expertise and its development.This article is part of the themed issue 'Process and pattern in innovations from cells to societies'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reuven Dukas
- Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1
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36
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Abstract
The study of behavior requires manipulation of the controlling neural circuits. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is an ideal model for studying behavior because of its relatively small brain and the numerous sophisticated genetic tools that have been developed for this animal. Relatively recent technical advances allow the manipulation of a small subset of neurons with temporal resolution in flies while they are subject to behavior assays. This review briefly describes the most important genetic techniques, reagents, and approaches that are available to study and manipulate the neural circuits involved in Drosophila behavior. We also describe some examples of these genetic tools in the study of the olfactory receptor system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Martín
- a Department of Functional Biology (Genetics) , University of Oviedo , Oviedo , Spain
| | - Esther Alcorta
- a Department of Functional Biology (Genetics) , University of Oviedo , Oviedo , Spain
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37
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Louis M, de Polavieja G. Collective Behavior: Social Digging in Drosophila Larvae. Curr Biol 2017; 27:R1010-R1012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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38
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Dombrovski M, Poussard L, Moalem K, Kmecova L, Hogan N, Schott E, Vaccari A, Acton S, Condron B. Cooperative Behavior Emerges among Drosophila Larvae. Curr Biol 2017; 27:2821-2826.e2. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.07.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Revised: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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39
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Berlandi J, Lin FJ, Ambrée O, Rieger D, Paulus W, Jeibmann A. Swing Boat: Inducing and Recording Locomotor Activity in a Drosophila melanogaster Model of Alzheimer's Disease. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:159. [PMID: 28912696 PMCID: PMC5582087 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies indicate that physical activity can slow down progression of neurodegeneration in humans. To date, automated ways to induce activity have been predominantly described in rodent models. To study the impact of activity on behavior and survival in adult Drosophila melanogaster, we aimed to develop a rotating tube device "swing boat" which is capable of monitoring activity and sleep patterns as well as survival rates of flies. For the purpose of a first application, we tested our device on a transgenic fly model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Activity of flies was recorded in a climate chamber using the Drosophila Activity Monitoring (DAM) System connected to data acquisition software. Locomotor activity was induced by a rotating tube device "swing boat" by repetitively tilting the tubes for 30 min per day. A non-exercising group of flies was used as control and activity and sleep patterns were obtained. The GAL4-/UAS system was used to drive pan-neuronal expression of human Aβ42 in flies. Immunohistochemical stainings for Aβ42 were performed on paraffin sections of adult fly brains. Daily rotation of the fly tubes evoked a pronounced peak of activity during the 30 min exercise period. Pan-neuronal expression of human Aβ42 in flies caused abnormalities in locomotor activity, reduction of life span and elevated sleep fragmentation in comparison to wild type flies. Furthermore, the formation of amyloid accumulations was observed in the adult fly brain. Gently induced activity over 12 days did not evoke prominent effects in wild type flies but resulted in prolongation of median survival time by 7 days (32.6%) in Aβ42-expressing flies. Additionally, restoration of abnormally decreased night time sleep (10%) and reduced sleep fragmentation (28%) were observed compared to non-exercising Aβ42-expressing flies. On a structural level no prominent effects regarding prevalence of amyloid aggregations and Aβ42 RNA expression were detected following activity induction. The rotating tube device successfully induced activity in flies shown by quantitative activity analysis. Our setup enabled quantitative analysis of activity and sleep patterns as well as of survival rates. Induced activity in a Drosophila model of Alzheimer's disease improved survival and ameliorated sleep phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Berlandi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital MünsterMünster, Germany
| | - Fang-Ju Lin
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital MünsterMünster, Germany.,Department of Biology, Coastal Carolina UniversityConway, SC, United States
| | - Oliver Ambrée
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital MünsterMünster, Germany.,Department of Behavioral Biology, University of OsnabrückOsnabrück, Germany
| | - Dirk Rieger
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri Institute, Biocenter, University of WürzburgWürzburg, Germany
| | - Werner Paulus
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital MünsterMünster, Germany
| | - Astrid Jeibmann
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital MünsterMünster, Germany
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