1
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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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2
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Watanabe K, Chiu H, Anderson DJ. HI-FISH: WHOLE BRAIN IN SITU MAPPING OF NEURONAL ACTIVATION IN DROSOPHILA DURING SOCIAL BEHAVIORS AND OPTOGENETIC STIMULATION. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.28.560045. [PMID: 37808781 PMCID: PMC10557720 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.28.560045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring neuronal activity at single-cell resolution in freely moving Drosophila engaged in social behaviors is challenging because of their small size and lack of transparency. Extant methods, such as Flyception, are highly invasive. Whole-brain calcium imaging in head-fixed, walking flies is feasible but the animals cannot perform the consummatory phases of social behaviors like aggression or mating under these conditions. This has left open the fundamental question of whether neurons identified as functionally important for such behaviors using loss- or gain-of-function screens are actually active during the natural performance of such behaviors, and if so during which phase(s). Here we describe a method, called HI-FISH, for brain-wide mapping of active cells expressing the Immediate Early Gene hr38 using a high-sensitivity/low background amplification method called HCR-3.0. Using double-labeling for hr38 mRNA and for GFP, we describe the activity of several classes of aggression-promoting neurons during courtship and aggression, including P1a cells, an intensively studied population of male-specific interneurons. Using HI-FISH in combination with optogenetic activation of aggression-promoting neurons (opto-HI-FISH) we identify candidate downstream functional targets of these cells in a brain-wide, unbiased manner. Finally we compare the activity of P1a neurons during sequential performance of courtship and aggression, using intronic vs. exonic hr38 probes to differentiate newly synthesized nuclear transcripts from cytoplasmic transcripts synthesized at an earlier time. These data provide evidence suggesting that different subsets of P1a neurons may be active during courtship vs. aggression. HI-FISH and associated methods may help to fill an important lacuna in the armamentarium of tools for neural circuit analysis in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiichi Watanabe
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA USA
- Present address: International Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
- Present address: Department of Medical Research for Intractable Disease, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Hui Chiu
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA USA
- Present address: Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT USA
| | - David J. Anderson
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
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3
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Fernandez MP, Trannoy S, Certel SJ. Fighting Flies: Quantifying and Analyzing Drosophila Aggression. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2023; 2023:618-627. [PMID: 37019610 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.top107985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Aggression is an innate behavior that likely evolved in the framework of defending or obtaining resources. This complex social behavior is influenced by genetic, environmental, and internal factors. Drosophila melanogaster remains an effective and exciting model organism with which to unravel the mechanistic basis of aggression due to its small but sophisticated brain, an impressive array of neurogenetic tools, and robust stereotypical behavioral patterns. The investigations of many laboratories have led to the identification of external and internal state factors that promote aggression, sex differences in the patterns and outcome of aggression, and neurotransmitters that regulate aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria P Fernandez
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College, New York City, New York 10027, USA
| | - Severine Trannoy
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Sarah J Certel
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812, USA
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4
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Wan X, Shen P, Shi K, Li J, Wu F, Zhou C. A Neural Circuit Controlling Virgin Female Aggression Induced by Mating-related Cues in Drosophila. Neurosci Bull 2023; 39:1396-1410. [PMID: 36941515 PMCID: PMC10465459 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01050-9] [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: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Females increase aggression for mating opportunities and for acquiring reproductive resources. Although the close relationship between female aggression and mating status is widely appreciated, whether and how female aggression is regulated by mating-related cues remains poorly understood. Here we report an interesting observation that Drosophila virgin females initiate high-frequency attacks toward mated females. We identify 11-cis-vaccenyl acetate (cVA), a male-derived pheromone transferred to females during mating, which promotes virgin female aggression. We subsequently reveal a cVA-responsive neural circuit consisting of four orders of neurons, including Or67d, DA1, aSP-g, and pC1 neurons, that mediate cVA-induced virgin female aggression. We also determine that aSP-g neurons release acetylcholine (ACh) to excite pC1 neurons via the nicotinic ACh receptor nAChRα7. Together, beyond revealing cVA as a mating-related inducer of virgin female aggression, our results identify a neural circuit linking the chemosensory perception of mating-related cues to aggressive behavior in Drosophila females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolu Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Peng Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Kai Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jing Li
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518132, China
| | - Fengming Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Chuan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518132, China
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5
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Zhang J, Lentz L, Goldammer J, Iliescu J, Tanimura J, Riemensperger TD. Asymmetric Presynaptic Depletion of Dopamine Neurons in a Drosophila Model of Parkinson's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108585. [PMID: 37239942 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) often displays a strong unilateral predominance in arising symptoms. PD is correlated with dopamine neuron (DAN) degeneration in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNPC), and in many patients, DANs appear to be affected more severely on one hemisphere than the other. The reason for this asymmetric onset is far from being understood. Drosophila melanogaster has proven its merit to model molecular and cellular aspects of the development of PD. However, the cellular hallmark of the asymmetric degeneration of DANs in PD has not yet been described in Drosophila. We ectopically express human α-synuclein (hα-syn) together with presynaptically targeted syt::HA in single DANs that innervate the Antler (ATL), a symmetric neuropil located in the dorsomedial protocerebrum. We find that expression of hα-syn in DANs innervating the ATL yields asymmetric depletion of synaptic connectivity. Our study represents the first example of unilateral predominance in an invertebrate model of PD and will pave the way to the investigation of unilateral predominance in the development of neurodegenerative diseases in the genetically versatile invertebrate model Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajun Zhang
- Institute of Zoology, Experimental Morphology and Neuroanatomy, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47b, 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Lucie Lentz
- Institute of Zoology, Experimental Morphology and Neuroanatomy, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47b, 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Jens Goldammer
- Institute of Zoology, Experimental Morphology and Neuroanatomy, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47b, 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Jessica Iliescu
- Institute of Zoology, Experimental Morphology and Neuroanatomy, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47b, 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Jun Tanimura
- Neuronal Circuit Division, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Thomas Dieter Riemensperger
- Institute of Zoology, Experimental Morphology and Neuroanatomy, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47b, 50674 Cologne, Germany
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6
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Amino K, Matsuo T. Reproductive advantage of the winners of male-male competition in Drosophila prolongata. Behav Processes 2023; 206:104831. [PMID: 36693576 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2023.104831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
In the resource-defence mating system, where males compete for limited resources to acquire females, male traits associated with fighting ability are selected, leading to the evolution of sexual dimorphism. However, the evolution of sexual dimorphism is also driven by other mechanisms, such as female selection. Therefore, to elucidate the evolutionary mechanisms of male traits, it is necessary to clarify their contribution to fitness through male-male competition. In this regard, it is surprising that numerous studies on sexually dimorphic species have assumed the resource-defence mating system without directly examining the relationship between resource-defending behaviour and mating success. In a sexually dimorphic fruit fly, Drosophila prolongata, the presence of the resource-defence mating system has been suggested, but technical difficulties had prevented spatial quantification of the resource-defending behaviour. In this study, by using an automated behaviour analysis tool previously developed, we located the occurrence of male-male competition and courtship to investigate their relationship in D. prolongata, considering the position of food resources. We found that the male-male competition led to the exclusive occupation of resources, increasing the courtship opportunities of the resource holders. These results illustrate the importance of resource-defending for reproductive success in D. prolongata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Amino
- Laboratory of Applied Entomology, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Biology, The University of Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Takashi Matsuo
- Laboratory of Applied Entomology, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Biology, The University of Tokyo, Japan
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7
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Ontogenetic change in social context as a cue for a behavioural switch in spiderlings. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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8
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Gaspar M, Dias S, Vasconcelos ML. Mating pair drives aggressive behavior in female Drosophila. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4734-4742.e4. [PMID: 36167074 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.09.009] [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: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Aggression is an adaptive set of behaviors that allows animals to compete against one another in an environment of limited resources. Typically, males fight for mates and food, whereas females fight for food and nest sites.1 Although the study of male aggression has been facilitated by the extravagant nature of the ritualized displays involved and the remarkable armaments sported by males of many species,2-4 the subtler and rarer instances of inter-female aggression have historically received much less attention. In Drosophila, females display high levels of complex and highly structured aggression on a food patch with conspecific females.5-9 Other contexts of female aggression have not been explored. Indeed, whether females compete for mating partners, as males do, has remained unknown so far. In the present work, we report that Drosophila melanogaster females reliably display aggression toward mating pairs. This aggressive behavior is regulated by mating status and perception of mating opportunities and relies heavily on olfaction. Furthermore, we found that food odor in combination with OR47b-dependent fly odor sensing is required for proper expression of aggressive behavior. Taken together, we describe a social context linked to reproduction in which Drosophila females aspiring to mate produce consistent and stereotyped displays of aggression. These findings open the door for further inquiries into the neural mechanisms that govern this behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Gaspar
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon 1400-038, Portugal
| | - Sophie Dias
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon 1400-038, Portugal
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9
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Nässel DR, Zandawala M. Endocrine cybernetics: neuropeptides as molecular switches in behavioural decisions. Open Biol 2022; 12:220174. [PMID: 35892199 PMCID: PMC9326288 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.220174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasticity in animal behaviour relies on the ability to integrate external and internal cues from the changing environment and hence modulate activity in synaptic circuits of the brain. This context-dependent neuromodulation is largely based on non-synaptic signalling with neuropeptides. Here, we describe select peptidergic systems in the Drosophila brain that act at different levels of a hierarchy to modulate behaviour and associated physiology. These systems modulate circuits in brain regions, such as the central complex and the mushroom bodies, which supervise specific behaviours. At the top level of the hierarchy there are small numbers of large peptidergic neurons that arborize widely in multiple areas of the brain to orchestrate or modulate global activity in a state and context-dependent manner. At the bottom level local peptidergic neurons provide executive neuromodulation of sensory gain and intrinsically in restricted parts of specific neuronal circuits. The orchestrating neurons receive interoceptive signals that mediate energy and sleep homeostasis, metabolic state and circadian timing, as well as external cues that affect food search, aggression or mating. Some of these cues can be triggers of conflicting behaviours such as mating versus aggression, or sleep versus feeding, and peptidergic neurons participate in circuits, enabling behaviour choices and switches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dick R. Nässel
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Meet Zandawala
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri-Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland Würzburg 97074, Germany
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10
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Palavicino-Maggio CB, Sengupta S. The Neuromodulatory Basis of Aggression: Lessons From the Humble Fruit Fly. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:836666. [PMID: 35517573 PMCID: PMC9062135 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.836666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggression is an intrinsic trait that organisms of almost all species, humans included, use to get access to food, shelter, and mating partners. To maximize fitness in the wild, an organism must vary the intensity of aggression toward the same or different stimuli. How much of this variation is genetic and how much is externally induced, is largely unknown but is likely to be a combination of both. Irrespective of the source, one of the principal physiological mechanisms altering the aggression intensity involves neuromodulation. Any change or variation in aggression intensity is most likely governed by a complex interaction of several neuromodulators acting via a meshwork of neural circuits. Resolving aggression-specific neural circuits in a mammalian model has proven challenging due to the highly complex nature of the mammalian brain. In that regard, the fruit fly model Drosophila melanogaster has provided insights into the circuit-driven mechanisms of aggression regulation and its underlying neuromodulatory basis. Despite morphological dissimilarities, the fly brain shares striking similarities with the mammalian brain in genes, neuromodulatory systems, and circuit-organization, making the findings from the fly model extremely valuable for understanding the fundamental circuit logic of human aggression. This review discusses our current understanding of how neuromodulators regulate aggression based on findings from the fruit fly model. We specifically focus on the roles of Serotonin (5-HT), Dopamine (DA), Octopamine (OA), Acetylcholine (ACTH), Sex Peptides (SP), Tachykinin (TK), Neuropeptide F (NPF), and Drosulfakinin (Dsk) in fruit fly male and female aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline B Palavicino-Maggio
- Basic Neuroscience Division, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Saheli Sengupta
- Basic Neuroscience Division, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
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11
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A resource-poor developmental diet reduces adult aggression in male Drosophila melanogaster. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021; 75:110. [PMID: 34720349 PMCID: PMC8549984 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03050-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Aggressive behaviours occur throughout the animal kingdom and agonistic contests often govern access to resources. Nutrition experienced during development has the potential to influence aggressive behaviours in adults through effects on growth, energy budgets and an individual’s internal state. In particular, resource-poor developmental nutrition might decrease adult aggression by limiting growth and energy budgets, or alternatively might increase adult aggression by enhancing motivation to compete for resources. However, the direction of this relationship—and effects of developmental nutrition experienced by rivals—remains unknown in most species, limiting understanding of how early-life environments contribute to variation in aggression. We investigated these alternative hypotheses by assessing male-male aggression in adult fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster, that developed on a low-, medium- or high-resource diet, manipulated via yeast content. We found that a low-resource developmental diet reduced the probability of aggressive lunges in adults, as well as threat displays against rivals that developed on a low-resource diet. These effects appeared to be independent of diet-related differences in body mass. Males performed relatively more aggression on a central food patch when facing rivals of a low-resource diet, suggesting that developmental diet affects aggressive interactions through social effects in addition to individual effects. Our finding that resource-poor developmental diets reduce male-male aggression in D. melanogaster is consistent with the idea that resource budgets mediate aggression and in a mass-independent manner. Our study improves understanding of the links between nutrition and aggression. Significance statement Early-life nutrition can influence social behaviours in adults. Aggression is a widespread social behaviour with important consequences for fitness. Using the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, we show that a poor developmental diet reduces aspects of adult aggressive behaviour in males. Furthermore, males perform more aggression near food patches when facing rivals of poor nutrition. This suggests that early-life nutrition affects aggressive interactions through social effects in addition to individual effects.
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12
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Eddison M. A genetic screen for Drosophila social isolation mutants and analysis of sex pistol. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17395. [PMID: 34462500 PMCID: PMC8405609 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96871-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Prolonged periods of forced social isolation is detrimental to well-being, yet we know little about which genes regulate susceptibility to its effects. In the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, social isolation induces stark changes in behavior including increased aggression, locomotor activity, and resistance to ethanol sedation. To identify genes regulating sensitivity to isolation, I screened a collection of sixteen hundred P-element insertion lines for mutants with abnormal levels of all three isolation-induced behaviors. The screen identified three mutants whose affected genes are likely central to regulating the effects of isolation in flies. One mutant, sex pistol (sxp), became extremely aggressive and resistant to ethanol sedation when socially isolated. sxp also had a high level of male–male courtship. The mutation in sxp reduced the expression of two minor isoforms of the actin regulator hts (adducin), as well as mildly reducing expression of CalpA, a calcium-dependent protease. As a consequence, sxp also had increased expression of the insulin-like peptide, dILP5. Analysis of the social behavior of sxp suggests that these minor hts isoforms function to limit isolation-induced aggression, while chronically high levels of dILP5 increase male–male courtship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Eddison
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA, 20147, USA.
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13
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Edmunds D, Wigby S, Perry JC. 'Hangry' Drosophila: food deprivation increases male aggression. Anim Behav 2021; 177:183-190. [PMID: 34290451 PMCID: PMC8274700 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Aggressive interactions are costly, such that individuals should display modified aggression in response to environmental stress. Many organisms experience frequent periods of food deprivation, which can influence an individual's capacity and motivation to engage in aggression. However, because food deprivation can simultaneously decrease an individual's resource-holding potential and increase its valuation of food resources, its net impact on aggression is unclear. Here, we tested the influence of increasingly prolonged periods of adult food deprivation on intermale aggression in pairs of fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster. We found that males displayed increased aggression following periods of food deprivation longer than a day. Increased aggression in food-deprived flies occurred despite their reduced mass. This result is probably explained by an increased attraction to food resources, as food deprivation increased male occupancy of central food patches, and food patch occupancy was positively associated with aggression. Our findings demonstrate that aggressive strategies in male D. melanogaster are influenced by nutritional experience, highlighting the need to consider past nutritional stresses to understand variation in aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stuart Wigby
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, U.K
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, U.K
| | - Jennifer C. Perry
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, U.K
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, U.K
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14
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Ishimoto H, Kamikouchi A. Molecular and neural mechanisms regulating sexual motivation of virgin female Drosophila. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:4805-4819. [PMID: 33837450 PMCID: PMC11071752 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03820-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
During courtship, multiple information sources are integrated in the brain to reach a final decision, i.e., whether or not to mate. The brain functions for this complex behavior can be investigated by genetically manipulating genes and neurons, and performing anatomical, physiological, and behavioral analyses. Drosophila is a powerful model experimental system for such studies, which need to be integrated from molecular and cellular levels to the behavioral level, and has enabled pioneering research to be conducted. In male flies, which exhibit a variety of characteristic sexual behaviors, we have accumulated knowledge of many genes and neural circuits that control sexual behaviors. On the other hand, despite the importance of the mechanisms of mating decision-making in females from an evolutionary perspective (such as sexual selection), research on the mechanisms that control sexual behavior in females has progressed somewhat slower. In this review, we focus on the pre-mating behavior of female Drosophila melanogaster, and introduce previous key findings on the neuronal and molecular mechanisms that integrate sensory information and selective expression of behaviors toward the courting male.
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Grants
- JP20H03355 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- JP20H04997 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- 19H04933 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- 17K19450 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- 15K07147 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- 18K06332 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- Naito Foundation
- Inamori Foundation
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Ishimoto
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8602, Japan.
| | - Azusa Kamikouchi
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8602, Japan.
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15
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Tremblay M, Rundle HD, Videlier M, Careau V. Territoriality in Drosophila: indirect effects and covariance with body mass and metabolic rate. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Territoriality (i.e., defense of a resource) is the outcome of behavioral interactions that can result in selective advantages in many vertebrates and invertebrates. Since territoriality is expressed in a social context, an individuals’ territoriality may change according to the phenotype of the opponents that they are confronted with (termed “indirect effects”). Defending a territory may also confer energetic costs to individuals, which could be reflected in their standard metabolic rate (SMR), a key component of an ectotherms’ energy budget. Here, we measured territoriality using dyadic contests, body mass, and SMR using flow-through respirometry, twice in each of 192 adult male Drosophila melanogaster. Territoriality, body mass, and (whole-animal) SMR were all significantly repeatable. However, essentially all the among-individual variation in SMR was shared with body mass, as indicated by a very strong among-individual correlation (rind) between body mass and SMR. The among-individual correlation between territoriality and SMR also tended to be positive, suggesting the presence of underlying metabolic costs to territoriality. Although indirect effects on territoriality were present but weak (accounting for 8.4% of phenotypic variance), indirect effects on territoriality were negatively and significantly correlated with body mass. This indicates that larger individuals tended to suppress their opponents territoriality. Variation among individuals in their ability to suppress territoriality in others was not associated with their own territoriality or SMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Tremblay
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, ON, Canada
| | - Howard D Rundle
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, ON, Canada
| | - Mathieu Videlier
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, ON, Canada
| | - Vincent Careau
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, ON, Canada
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16
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Mahishi D, Triphan T, Hesse R, Huetteroth W. The Panopticon-Assessing the Effect of Starvation on Prolonged Fly Activity and Place Preference. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:640146. [PMID: 33841109 PMCID: PMC8026880 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.640146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal behaviours are demonstrably governed by sensory stimulation, previous experience and internal states like hunger. With increasing hunger, priorities shift towards foraging and feeding. During foraging, flies are known to employ efficient path integration strategies. However, general long-term activity patterns for both hungry and satiated flies in conditions of foraging remain to be better understood. Similarly, little is known about how permanent contact chemosensory stimulation affects locomotion. To address these questions, we have developed a novel, simplistic fly activity tracking setup—the Panopticon. Using a 3D-printed Petri dish inset, our assay allows recording of walking behaviour, of several flies in parallel, with all arena surfaces covered by a uniform substrate layer. We tested two constellations of providing food: (i) in single patches and (ii) omnipresent within the substrate layer. Fly tracking is done with FIJI, further assessment, analysis and presentation is done with a custom-built MATLAB analysis framework. We find that starvation history leads to a long-lasting reduction in locomotion, as well as a delayed place preference for food patches which seems to be not driven by immediate hunger motivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepthi Mahishi
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tilman Triphan
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ricarda Hesse
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Wolf Huetteroth
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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17
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Bath E, Edmunds D, Norman J, Atkins C, Harper L, Rostant WG, Chapman T, Wigby S, Perry JC. Sex ratio and the evolution of aggression in fruit flies. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20203053. [PMID: 33726599 PMCID: PMC8059548 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.3053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Aggressive behaviours are among the most striking displayed by animals, and aggression strongly impacts fitness in many species. Aggression varies plastically in response to the social environment, but we lack direct tests of how aggression evolves in response to intra-sexual competition. We investigated how aggression in both sexes evolves in response to the competitive environment, using populations of Drosophila melanogaster that we experimentally evolved under female-biased, equal, and male-biased sex ratios. We found that after evolution in a female-biased environment—with less male competition for mates—males fought less often on food patches, although the total frequency and duration of aggressive behaviour did not change. In females, evolution in a female-biased environment—where female competition for resources is higher—resulted in more frequent aggressive interactions among mated females, along with a greater increase in post-mating aggression. These changes in female aggression could not be attributed solely to evolution either in females or in male stimulation of female aggression, suggesting that coevolved interactions between the sexes determine female post-mating aggression. We found evidence consistent with a positive genetic correlation for aggression between males and females, suggesting a shared genetic basis. This study demonstrates the experimental evolution of a behaviour strongly linked to fitness, and the potential for the social environment to shape the evolution of contest behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Bath
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Danielle Edmunds
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Jessica Norman
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Charlotte Atkins
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Lucy Harper
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Wayne G Rostant
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Tracey Chapman
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Stuart Wigby
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK.,Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Jennifer C Perry
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK.,School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
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18
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Chiu H, Hoopfer ED, Coughlan ML, Pavlou HJ, Goodwin SF, Anderson DJ. A circuit logic for sexually shared and dimorphic aggressive behaviors in Drosophila. Cell 2021; 184:507-520.e16. [PMID: 33382967 PMCID: PMC7856078 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.11.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Aggression involves both sexually monomorphic and dimorphic actions. How the brain implements these two types of actions is poorly understood. We have identified three cell types that regulate aggression in Drosophila: one type is sexually shared, and the other two are sex specific. Shared common aggression-promoting (CAP) neurons mediate aggressive approach in both sexes, whereas functionally downstream dimorphic but homologous cell types, called male-specific aggression-promoting (MAP) neurons in males and fpC1 in females, control dimorphic attack. These symmetric circuits underlie the divergence of male and female aggressive behaviors, from their monomorphic appetitive/motivational to their dimorphic consummatory phases. The strength of the monomorphic → dimorphic functional connection is increased by social isolation in both sexes, suggesting that it may be a locus for isolation-dependent enhancement of aggression. Together, these findings reveal a circuit logic for the neural control of behaviors that include both sexually monomorphic and dimorphic actions, which may generalize to other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Chiu
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
| | - Eric D Hoopfer
- Carleton College, 1 N. College St., Northfield, MN 55057, USA
| | - Maeve L Coughlan
- Mount Holyoke College, 50 College St., South Hadley, MA 01075, USA
| | - Hania J Pavlou
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | - Stephen F Goodwin
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | - David J Anderson
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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19
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Legros J, Tang G, Gautrais J, Fernandez MP, Trannoy S. Long-Term Dietary Restriction Leads to Development of Alternative Fighting Strategies. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 14:599676. [PMID: 33519392 PMCID: PMC7840567 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.599676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In competition for food, mates and territory, most animal species display aggressive behavior through visual threats and/or physical attacks. Such naturally-complex social behaviors have been shaped by evolution. Environmental pressure, such as the one imposed by dietary regimes, forces animals to adapt to specific conditions and ultimately to develop alternative behavioral strategies. The quality of the food resource during contests influence animals' aggression levels. However, little is known regarding the effects of a long-term dietary restriction-based environmental pressure on the development of alternative fighting strategies. To address this, we employed two lines of the wild-type Drosophila melanogaster Canton-S (CS) which originated from the same population but raised under two distinct diets for years. One diet contained both proteins and sugar, while the second one was sugar-free. We set up male-male aggression assays using both CS lines and found differences in aggression levels and the fighting strategies employed to establish dominance relationships. CS males raised on a sugar-containing diet started fights with a physical attack and employed a high number of lunges for establishing dominance but displayed few wing threats throughout the fight. In contrast, the sugar-free-raised males favored wing threats as an initial aggressive demonstration and used fewer lunges to establish dominance, but displayed a higher number of wing threats. This study demonstrates that fruit flies that have been raised under different dietary conditions have adapted their patterns of aggressive behavior and developed distinct fighting strategies: one favoring physical attacks, while the other one favoring visual threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne Legros
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology, Toulouse University, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Grace Tang
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jacques Gautrais
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology, Toulouse University, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Maria Paz Fernandez
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Séverine Trannoy
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology, Toulouse University, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
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20
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Siju KP, De Backer JF, Grunwald Kadow IC. Dopamine modulation of sensory processing and adaptive behavior in flies. Cell Tissue Res 2021; 383:207-225. [PMID: 33515291 PMCID: PMC7873103 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-020-03371-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral flexibility for appropriate action selection is an advantage when animals are faced with decisions that will determine their survival or death. In order to arrive at the right decision, animals evaluate information from their external environment, internal state, and past experiences. How these different signals are integrated and modulated in the brain, and how context- and state-dependent behavioral decisions are controlled are poorly understood questions. Studying the molecules that help convey and integrate such information in neural circuits is an important way to approach these questions. Many years of work in different model organisms have shown that dopamine is a critical neuromodulator for (reward based) associative learning. However, recent findings in vertebrates and invertebrates have demonstrated the complexity and heterogeneity of dopaminergic neuron populations and their functional implications in many adaptive behaviors important for survival. For example, dopaminergic neurons can integrate external sensory information, internal and behavioral states, and learned experience in the decision making circuitry. Several recent advances in methodologies and the availability of a synaptic level connectome of the whole-brain circuitry of Drosophila melanogaster make the fly an attractive system to study the roles of dopamine in decision making and state-dependent behavior. In particular, a learning and memory center-the mushroom body-is richly innervated by dopaminergic neurons that enable it to integrate multi-modal information according to state and context, and to modulate decision-making and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. P. Siju
- School of Life Sciences, Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Jean-Francois De Backer
- School of Life Sciences, Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Ilona C. Grunwald Kadow
- School of Life Sciences, Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
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21
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Collie J, Granela O, Brown EB, Keene AC. Aggression Is Induced by Resource Limitation in the Monarch Caterpillar. iScience 2020; 23:101791. [PMID: 33376972 PMCID: PMC7756136 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Food represents a limiting resource for the growth and developmental progression of many animal species. As a consequence, competition over food, space, or other resources can trigger territoriality and aggressive behavior. In the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus, caterpillars feed predominantly on milkweed, raising the possibility that access to milkweed is critical for growth and survival. Here, we characterize the role of food availability on aggression in monarch caterpillars and find that monarch caterpillars display stereotyped aggressive lunges that increase during development, peaking during the fourth and fifth instar stages. The number of lunges toward a conspecific caterpillar was significantly increased under conditions of low food availability, suggesting resource defense may trigger aggression. These findings establish monarch caterpillars as a model for investigating interactions between resource availability and aggressive behavior under ecologically relevant conditions and set the stage for future investigations into the neuroethology of aggression in this system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Collie
- Department of Biological Sciences, and the Program in Neurogenetics, Florida Atlantic University, 5353 Parkside Drive, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Odelvys Granela
- Department of Biological Sciences, and the Program in Neurogenetics, Florida Atlantic University, 5353 Parkside Drive, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Elizabeth B. Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, and the Program in Neurogenetics, Florida Atlantic University, 5353 Parkside Drive, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
- Corresponding author
| | - Alex C. Keene
- Department of Biological Sciences, and the Program in Neurogenetics, Florida Atlantic University, 5353 Parkside Drive, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
- Corresponding author
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22
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Jacomin AC, Gohel R, Hussain Z, Varga A, Maruzs T, Eddison M, Sica M, Jain A, Moffat KG, Johansen T, Jenny A, Juhasz G, Nezis IP. Degradation of arouser by endosomal microautophagy is essential for adaptation to starvation in Drosophila. Life Sci Alliance 2020; 4:4/2/e202000965. [PMID: 33318080 PMCID: PMC7756965 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202000965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Drosophila EPS8-family protein Arouser is constitutively degraded by endosomal microautophagy; its stabilisation upon starvation is essential to the animal adaptation and survival. Hunger drives food-seeking behaviour and controls adaptation of organisms to nutrient availability and energy stores. Lipids constitute an essential source of energy in the cell that can be mobilised during fasting by autophagy. Selective degradation of proteins by autophagy is made possible essentially by the presence of LIR and KFERQ-like motifs. Using in silico screening of Drosophila proteins that contain KFERQ-like motifs, we identified and characterized the adaptor protein Arouser, which functions to regulate fat storage and mobilisation and is essential during periods of food deprivation. We show that hypomorphic arouser mutants are not satiated, are more sensitive to food deprivation, and are more aggressive, suggesting an essential role for Arouser in the coordination of metabolism and food-related behaviour. Our analysis shows that Arouser functions in the fat body through nutrient-related signalling pathways and is degraded by endosomal microautophagy. Arouser degradation occurs during feeding conditions, whereas its stabilisation during non-feeding periods is essential for resistance to starvation and survival. In summary, our data describe a novel role for endosomal microautophagy in energy homeostasis, by the degradation of the signalling regulatory protein Arouser.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Raksha Gohel
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Zunoon Hussain
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Agnes Varga
- Department of Anatomy, Cell and Developmental Biology, Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tamas Maruzs
- Institute of Genetics, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Mark Eddison
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Margaux Sica
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ashish Jain
- Molecular Cancer Research Group, Institute of Medical Biology, University of Tromsø-The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.,Centre for Cancer Cell Reprogramming, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kevin G Moffat
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Terje Johansen
- Molecular Cancer Research Group, Institute of Medical Biology, University of Tromsø-The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Andreas Jenny
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,Institute for Aging Studies, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,Marion Bessin Liver Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gabor Juhasz
- Department of Anatomy, Cell and Developmental Biology, Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, Hungary.,Institute of Genetics, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ioannis P Nezis
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
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23
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Schretter CE, Aso Y, Robie AA, Dreher M, Dolan MJ, Chen N, Ito M, Yang T, Parekh R, Branson KM, Rubin GM. Cell types and neuronal circuitry underlying female aggression in Drosophila. eLife 2020; 9:58942. [PMID: 33141021 PMCID: PMC7787668 DOI: 10.7554/elife.58942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggressive social interactions are used to compete for limited resources and are regulated by complex sensory cues and the organism’s internal state. While both sexes exhibit aggression, its neuronal underpinnings are understudied in females. Here, we identify a population of sexually dimorphic aIPg neurons in the adult Drosophila melanogaster central brain whose optogenetic activation increased, and genetic inactivation reduced, female aggression. Analysis of GAL4 lines identified in an unbiased screen for increased female chasing behavior revealed the involvement of another sexually dimorphic neuron, pC1d, and implicated aIPg and pC1d neurons as core nodes regulating female aggression. Connectomic analysis demonstrated that aIPg neurons and pC1d are interconnected and suggest that aIPg neurons may exert part of their effect by gating the flow of visual information to descending neurons. Our work reveals important regulatory components of the neuronal circuitry that underlies female aggressive social interactions and provides tools for their manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yoshinori Aso
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Alice A Robie
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Marisa Dreher
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Michael-John Dolan
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States.,Current address: Department of Neurology and F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Nan Chen
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Masayoshi Ito
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Tansy Yang
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Ruchi Parekh
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Kristin M Branson
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Gerald M Rubin
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
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24
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Churchill ER, Bridle JR, Thom MD. Spatially clustered resources increase male aggregation and mating duration in Drosophila melanogaster. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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25
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Duhart JM, Baccini V, Zhang Y, Machado DR, Koh K. Modulation of sleep-courtship balance by nutritional status in Drosophila. eLife 2020; 9:60853. [PMID: 33084567 PMCID: PMC7609064 DOI: 10.7554/elife.60853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep is essential but incompatible with other behaviors, and thus sleep drive competes with other motivations. We previously showed Drosophila males balance sleep and courtship via octopaminergic neurons that act upstream of courtship-regulating P1 neurons (Machado et al., 2017). Here, we show nutrition modulates the sleep-courtship balance and identify sleep-regulatory neurons downstream of P1 neurons. Yeast-deprived males exhibited attenuated female-induced nighttime sleep loss yet normal daytime courtship, which suggests male flies consider nutritional status in deciding whether the potential benefit of pursuing female partners outweighs the cost of losing sleep. Trans-synaptic tracing and calcium imaging identified dopaminergic neurons projecting to the protocerebral bridge (DA-PB) as postsynaptic partners of P1 neurons. Activation of DA-PB neurons led to reduced sleep in normally fed but not yeast-deprived males. Additional PB-projecting neurons regulated male sleep, suggesting several groups of PB-projecting neurons act downstream of P1 neurons to mediate nutritional modulation of the sleep-courtship balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- José M Duhart
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Victoria Baccini
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Yanan Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Daniel R Machado
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, United States.,Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's, PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Portugal
| | - Kyunghee Koh
- Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, United States
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26
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Burant JB, Griffin A, Betini GS, Norris DR. An experimental test of the ecological mechanisms driving density-mediated carry-over effects in a seasonal population. CAN J ZOOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2019-0271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Carry-over effects occur when past experience influences current individual performance. Although variation in conspecific density in one season has been shown to carry over to influence dynamics in the following season, the proximate ecological mechanisms driving these effects are unknown. One hypothesis is that high density decreases food availability, resulting in poor physiological condition, which in turn compromises performance the next season. Alternatively, high conspecific density could also lead to a high degree of antagonistic interactions, decreasing the amount of time individuals spend foraging. To investigate these hypotheses, we applied a factorial design where both conspecific density and per capita food availability during the non-breeding period were independently manipulated in seasonal populations of common fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster Meigen, 1830). Individual condition at the beginning of the breeding period was influenced by per capita food availability but not density during the previous non-breeding period. In contrast, reproductive output was most strongly influenced by the interaction between per capita food availability and density in the previous non-breeding period, such that populations that experienced high non-breeding densities and low food availability had the lowest reproductive output. However, the strength of this effect was relatively weak. Our results demonstrate how environmental and social conditions in one part of the annual cycle can carry over to influence individual performance in subsequent periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph B. Burant
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Aidan Griffin
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Gustavo S. Betini
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - D. Ryan Norris
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
- Nature Conservancy of Canada, 245 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 410, Toronto, ON M4P 3J1, Canada
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27
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Gonzales DL, Badhiwala KN, Avants BW, Robinson JT. Bioelectronics for Millimeter-Sized Model Organisms. iScience 2020; 23:100917. [PMID: 32114383 PMCID: PMC7049667 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.100917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in microfabrication technologies and biomaterials have enabled a growing class of electronic devices that can stimulate and record bioelectronic signals. Many of these devices have been developed for humans or vertebrate animals, where miniaturization allows for implantation within the body. There are, however, another class of bioelectronic interfaces that exploit microfabrication and nanoelectronics to record signals from tiny, millimeter-sized organisms. In these cases, rather than implanting a device inside an animal, animals themselves are loaded in large numbers into bioelectronic devices for neural circuit and behavioral interrogation. These scalable interfaces provide platforms to develop new therapeutics as well as better understand basic principles of bioelectronic communication, neuroscience, and behavior. Here we review recent progress in these bioelectronic technologies and describe how they can complement on-chip optical, mechanical, and chemical interrogation methods to achieve high-throughput, multimodal studies of millimeter-sized small animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L Gonzales
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, 206 S. Martin Jischke Dr., West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Krishna N Badhiwala
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Benjamin W Avants
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Jacob T Robinson
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, USA; Applied Physics Program, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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28
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Neurons that Function within an Integrator to Promote a Persistent Behavioral State in Drosophila. Neuron 2019; 105:322-333.e5. [PMID: 31810837 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Innate behaviors involve both reflexive motor programs and enduring internal states, but how these responses are coordinated by the brain is not clear. In Drosophila, male-specific P1 interneurons promote courtship song, as well as a persistent internal state that prolongs courtship and enhances aggressiveness. However, P1 neurons themselves are not persistently active. Here, we identify pCd neurons as persistently active, indirect P1 targets that are required for P1-evoked persistent courtship and aggression. Acute activation of pCd neurons alone is inefficacious but enhances and prolongs courtship or aggression promoted by female cues. Brief female exposure induces a persistent increase in male aggressiveness, an effect abrogated by interruption of pCd activity. pCd activity is not sufficient but necessary for persistent physiological activity, implying an essential role in a persistence network. Thus, P1 neurons coordinate both command-like control of courtship song and a persistent internal state of social arousal mediated by pCd neurons.
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29
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Gonzales DL, Zhou J, Fan B, Robinson JT. A microfluidic-induced C. elegans sleep state. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5035. [PMID: 31695031 PMCID: PMC6834590 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13008-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
An important feature of animal behavior is the ability to switch rapidly between activity states, however, how the brain regulates these spontaneous transitions based on the animal's perceived environment is not well understood. Here we show a C. elegans sleep-like state on a scalable platform that enables simultaneous control of multiple environmental factors including temperature, mechanical stress, and food availability. This brief quiescent state, which we refer to as microfluidic-induced sleep, occurs spontaneously in microfluidic chambers, which allows us to track animal movement and perform whole-brain imaging. With these capabilities, we establish that microfluidic-induced sleep meets the behavioral requirements of C. elegans sleep and depends on multiple factors, such as satiety and temperature. Additionally, we show that C. elegans sleep can be induced through mechanosensory pathways. Together, these results establish a model system for studying how animals process multiple sensory pathways to regulate behavioral states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L Gonzales
- Applied Physics Program, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Jasmine Zhou
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Bo Fan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Jacob T Robinson
- Applied Physics Program, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX, 77005, USA.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX, 77005, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX, 77005, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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30
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Siva-Jothy JA, Vale PF. Viral infection causes sex-specific changes in fruit fly social aggregation behaviour. Biol Lett 2019; 15:20190344. [PMID: 31530113 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Host behavioural changes following infection are common and could be important determinants of host behavioural competence to transmit pathogens. Identifying potential sources of variation in sickness behaviours is therefore central to our understanding of disease transmission. Here, we test how group social aggregation and individual locomotor activity vary between different genotypes of male and female fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) following septic infection with Drosophila C virus (DCV). We find genetic-based variation in both locomotor activity and social aggregation, but we did not detect an effect of DCV infection on fly activity or sleep patterns within the initial days following infection. However, DCV infection caused sex-specific effects on social aggregation, as male flies in most genetic backgrounds increased the distance to their nearest neighbour when infected. We discuss possible causes for these differences in the context of individual variation in immunity and their potential consequences for disease transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathon A Siva-Jothy
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Pedro F Vale
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK.,Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
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31
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Divergent allocation of sperm and the seminal proteome along a competition gradient in Drosophila melanogaster. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:17925-17933. [PMID: 31431535 PMCID: PMC6731677 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1906149116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Ejaculate quality plays an essential role in fertility, sperm competition, and offspring health. A key modulator of ejaculate quality is the social environment. Although males across taxa are known to strategically allocate sperm in response to rivals, how this applies to myriad other ejaculate components is poorly resolved. Here, we take a multilevel approach, from protein to fitness, to show that Drosophila melanogaster males divergently allocate sperm and seminal fluid proteins along a competition gradient. Using a combination of fluorescence-labeled sperm, quantitative proteomics, and multimating assays, we demonstrate that males are remarkably sensitive to the intensity of competition they perceive, show compositional change across and within portions of the ejaculate, and that this compositional change carries distinct costs and benefits. Sperm competition favors large, costly ejaculates, and theory predicts the evolution of allocation strategies that enable males to plastically tailor ejaculate expenditure to sperm competition threat. While greater sperm transfer in response to a perceived increase in the risk of sperm competition is well-supported, we have a poor understanding of whether males (i) respond to changes in perceived intensity of sperm competition, (ii) use the same allocation rules for sperm and seminal fluid, and (iii) experience changes in current and future reproductive performance as a result of ejaculate compositional changes. Combining quantitative proteomics with fluorescent sperm labeling, we show that Drosophila melanogaster males exercise independent control over the transfer of sperm and seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) under different levels of male–male competition. While sperm transfer peaks at low competition, consistent with some theoretical predictions based on sperm competition intensity, the abundance of transferred SFPs generally increases at high competition levels. However, we find that clusters of SFPs vary in the directionality and sensitivity of their response to competition, promoting compositional change in seminal fluid. By tracking the degree of decline in male mating probability and offspring production across successive matings, we provide evidence that ejaculate compositional change represents an adaptive response to current sperm competition, but one that comes at a cost to future mating performance. Our work reveals a previously unknown divergence in ejaculate component allocation rules, exposes downstream costs of elevated ejaculate investment, and ultimately suggests a central role for ejaculate compositional plasticity in sexual selection.
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32
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Burnett CJ, Funderburk SC, Navarrete J, Sabol A, Liang-Guallpa J, Desrochers TM, Krashes MJ. Need-based prioritization of behavior. eLife 2019; 8:44527. [PMID: 30907726 PMCID: PMC6433464 DOI: 10.7554/elife.44527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
When presented with a choice, organisms need to assimilate internal information with external stimuli and past experiences to rapidly and flexibly optimize decisions on a moment-to-moment basis. We hypothesized that increasing hunger intensity would curb expression of social behaviors such as mating or territorial aggression; we further hypothesized social interactions, reciprocally, would influence food consumption. We assessed competition between these motivations from both perspectives of mice within a resident-intruder paradigm. We found that as hunger state escalated, resident animal social interactions with either a female or male intruder decreased. Furthermore, intense hunger states, especially those evoked via AgRP photoactivation, fundamentally altered sequences of behavioral choice; effects dependent on food availibility. Additionally, female, but not male, intrusion attenuated resident mouse feeding. Lastly, we noted environmental context-dependent gating of food intake in intruding mice, suggesting a dynamic influence of context cues on the expression of feeding behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Joseph Burnett
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States.,National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, United States.,Brown University Graduate Partnerships Program, Providence, United States
| | - Samuel C Funderburk
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States.,National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, United States
| | - Jovana Navarrete
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States.,National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, United States
| | - Alexander Sabol
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States.,National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, United States
| | - Jing Liang-Guallpa
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States.,National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, United States
| | | | - Michael J Krashes
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States.,National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, United States
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33
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Makowicz AM, Moore T, Schlupp I. Clonal fish are more aggressive to distant relatives in a low resource environment. BEHAVIOUR 2018. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Kin selection explains conditions under which closely related individuals should be less antagonistic towards one another. One benefit of kin selection is a reduction in aggression towards kin in various social contexts, such as foraging. In the gynogenetic Amazon molly, females have been shown to differentiate between clone types, preferring to associate with clonal sisters to non-sisters, regulating their aggressive behaviours accordingly. We ask if Amazon mollies in resource-limited environments retain the ability to regulate aggressive behaviours according to relatedness. We found that focal females regulated their aggressive behaviours depending on partner type. Females spent more time behaving aggressively towards the heterospecific females than either of the clonal lineages, and towards non-sister clones compared to clonal sisters. We are able to confirm that kin discrimination is maintained, resulting in females showing more aggression towards heterospecific females and non-sister clones in a food-limited environment, and that this aggression scales with relatedness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber M. Makowicz
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, 730 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - Tana Moore
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, 730 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - Ingo Schlupp
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, 730 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK 73019, USA
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34
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Chouhan NS, Mohan K, Ghose A. cAMP signaling mediates behavioral flexibility and consolidation of social status in Drosophila aggression. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 220:4502-4514. [PMID: 28993465 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.165811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Social rituals, such as male-male aggression in Drosophila, are often stereotyped and the component behavioral patterns modular. The likelihood of transition from one behavioral pattern to another is malleable by experience and confers flexibility to the behavioral repertoire. Experience-dependent modification of innate aggressive behavior in flies alters fighting strategies during fights and establishes dominant-subordinate relationships. Dominance hierarchies resulting from agonistic encounters are consolidated to longer-lasting, social-status-dependent behavioral modifications, resulting in a robust loser effect. We showed that cAMP dynamics regulated by the calcium-calmodulin-dependent adenylyl cyclase, Rut, and the cAMP phosphodiesterase, Dnc, but not the Amn gene product, in specific neuronal groups of the mushroom body and central complex, mediate behavioral plasticity necessary to establish dominant-subordinate relationships. rut and dnc mutant flies were unable to alter fighting strategies and establish dominance relationships during agonistic interactions. This real-time flexibility during a fight was independent of changes in aggression levels. Longer-term consolidation of social status in the form of a loser effect, however, required additional Amn-dependent inputs to cAMP signaling and involved a circuit-level association between the α/β and γ neurons of the mushroom body. Our findings implicate cAMP signaling in mediating the plasticity of behavioral patterns in aggressive behavior and in the generation of a temporally stable memory trace that manifests as a loser effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitin Singh Chouhan
- Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411 008, India
| | - Krithika Mohan
- Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411 008, India
| | - Aurnab Ghose
- Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411 008, India
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35
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Abstract
In this review, I discuss current knowledge and outstanding questions on the neuromodulators that influence aggressive behavior of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. I first present evidence that Drosophila exchange information during an agonistic interaction and choose appropriate actions based on this information. I then discuss the influence of several biogenic amines and neuropeptides on aggressive behavior. One striking characteristic of neuromodulation is that it can configure a neural circuit dynamically, enabling one circuit to generate multiple outcomes. I suggest a consensus effect of each neuromodulatory molecule on Drosophila aggression, as well as effects of receptor proteins where relevant data are available. Lastly, I consider neuromodulation in the context of strategic action choices during agonistic interactions. Genetic components of neuromodulatory systems are highly conserved across animals, suggesting that molecular and cellular mechanisms controlling Drosophila aggression can shed light on neural principles governing action choice during social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenta Asahina
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California 92037;
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36
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Chng WBA, Hietakangas V, Lemaitre B. Physiological Adaptations to Sugar Intake: New Paradigms from Drosophila melanogaster. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2017; 28:131-142. [PMID: 27923532 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2016.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Revised: 10/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Sugars are important energy sources, but high sugar intake poses a metabolic challenge and leads to diseases. Drosophila melanogaster is a generalist fruit breeder that encounters high levels of dietary sugars in its natural habitat. Consequently, Drosophila displays adaptive responses to dietary sugars, including highly conserved and unique metabolic adaptations not described in mammals. Carbohydrate homeostasis is maintained by a network comprising intracellular energy sensors, transcriptional regulators, and hormonal and neuronal mechanisms that together coordinate animal behavior, gut function, and metabolic flux. Here we give an overview of the physiological responses associated with sugar intake and discuss some of the emerging themes and applications of the Drosophila model in understanding sugar sensing and carbohydrate metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Bin Alfred Chng
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, EPFL, Station 19, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Ville Hietakangas
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, 00790 Helsinki, Finland; Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Bruno Lemaitre
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, EPFL, Station 19, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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37
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38
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Neural control of aggression in Drosophila. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2016; 38:109-18. [PMID: 27179788 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2016.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Like most animal species, fruit flies fight to obtain and defend resources essential to survival and reproduction. Aggressive behavior in Drosophila is genetically specified and also strongly influenced by the fly's social context, past experiences and internal states, making it an excellent framework for investigating the neural mechanisms that regulate complex social behaviors. Here, I summarize our current knowledge of the neural control of aggression in Drosophila and discuss recent advances in understanding the sensory pathways that influence the decision to fight or court, the neuromodulatory control of aggression, the neural basis by which internal states can influence both fighting and courtship, and how social experience modifies aggressive behavior.
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39
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Hoopfer ED, Jung Y, Inagaki HK, Rubin GM, Anderson DJ. P1 interneurons promote a persistent internal state that enhances inter-male aggression in Drosophila. eLife 2015; 4. [PMID: 26714106 PMCID: PMC4749567 DOI: 10.7554/elife.11346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
How brains are hardwired to produce aggressive behavior, and how aggression circuits are related to those that mediate courtship, is not well understood. A large-scale screen for aggression-promoting neurons in Drosophila identified several independent hits that enhanced both inter-male aggression and courtship. Genetic intersections revealed that 8-10 P1 interneurons, previously thought to exclusively control male courtship, were sufficient to promote fighting. Optogenetic experiments indicated that P1 activation could promote aggression at a threshold below that required for wing extension. P1 activation in the absence of wing extension triggered persistent aggression via an internal state that could endure for minutes. High-frequency P1 activation promoted wing extension and suppressed aggression during photostimulation, whereas aggression resumed and wing extension was inhibited following photostimulation offset. Thus, P1 neuron activation promotes a latent, internal state that facilitates aggression and courtship, and controls the overt expression of these social behaviors in a threshold-dependent, inverse manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric D Hoopfer
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States.,Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, United States
| | - Yonil Jung
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, United States
| | - Hidehiko K Inagaki
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, United States
| | - Gerald M Rubin
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - David J Anderson
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, United States.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, United States
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40
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How doth the little busy bee: unexpected metabolism. Trends Neurosci 2015; 38:1-2. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2014.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2014] [Revised: 11/14/2014] [Accepted: 11/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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