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Nanami T, Yamada D, Someya M, Hige T, Kazama H, Kohno T. A lightweight data-driven spiking neuronal network model of Drosophila olfactory nervous system with dedicated hardware support. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1384336. [PMID: 38994271 PMCID: PMC11238178 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1384336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Data-driven spiking neuronal network (SNN) models enable in-silico analysis of the nervous system at the cellular and synaptic level. Therefore, they are a key tool for elucidating the information processing principles of the brain. While extensive research has focused on developing data-driven SNN models for mammalian brains, their complexity poses challenges in achieving precision. Network topology often relies on statistical inference, and the functions of specific brain regions and supporting neuronal activities remain unclear. Additionally, these models demand huge computing facilities and their simulation speed is considerably slower than real-time. Here, we propose a lightweight data-driven SNN model that strikes a balance between simplicity and reproducibility. The model is built using a qualitative modeling approach that can reproduce key dynamics of neuronal activity. We target the Drosophila olfactory nervous system, extracting its network topology from connectome data. The model was successfully implemented on a small entry-level field-programmable gate array and simulated the activity of a network in real-time. In addition, the model reproduced olfactory associative learning, the primary function of the olfactory system, and characteristic spiking activities of different neuron types. In sum, this paper propose a method for building data-driven SNN models from biological data. Our approach reproduces the function and neuronal activities of the nervous system and is lightweight, acceleratable with dedicated hardware, making it scalable to large-scale networks. Therefore, our approach is expected to play an important role in elucidating the brain's information processing at the cellular and synaptic level through an analysis-by-construction approach. In addition, it may be applicable to edge artificial intelligence systems in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Nanami
- Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Meguro Ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daichi Yamada
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Makoto Someya
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Toshihide Hige
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Hokto Kazama
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Takashi Kohno
- Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Meguro Ku, Tokyo, Japan
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2
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Hines AD, Kewin AB, Van De Poll MN, Anggono V, Bademosi AT, van Swinderen B. Synapse-Specific Trapping of SNARE Machinery Proteins in the Anesthetized Drosophila Brain. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0588232024. [PMID: 38749704 PMCID: PMC11170680 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0588-23.2024] [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: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
General anesthetics disrupt brain network dynamics through multiple pathways, in part through postsynaptic potentiation of inhibitory ion channels as well as presynaptic inhibition of neuroexocytosis. Common clinical general anesthetic drugs, such as propofol and isoflurane, have been shown to interact and interfere with core components of the exocytic release machinery to cause impaired neurotransmitter release. Recent studies however suggest that these drugs do not affect all synapse subtypes equally. We investigated the role of the presynaptic release machinery in multiple neurotransmitter systems under isoflurane general anesthesia in the adult female Drosophila brain using live-cell super-resolution microscopy and optogenetic readouts of exocytosis and neural excitability. We activated neurotransmitter-specific mushroom body output neurons and imaged presynaptic function under isoflurane anesthesia. We found that isoflurane impaired synaptic release and presynaptic protein dynamics in excitatory cholinergic synapses. In contrast, isoflurane had little to no effect on inhibitory GABAergic or glutamatergic synapses. These results present a distinct inhibitory mechanism for general anesthesia, whereby neuroexocytosis is selectively impaired at excitatory synapses, while inhibitory synapses remain functional. This suggests a presynaptic inhibitory mechanism that complements the other inhibitory effects of these drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam D Hines
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Queensland, Australia
| | - Amber B Kewin
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Queensland, Australia
| | - Matthew N Van De Poll
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Queensland, Australia
| | - Victor Anggono
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Queensland, Australia
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing and Dementia Research, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Queensland, Australia
| | - Adekunle T Bademosi
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Queensland, Australia
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing and Dementia Research, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Queensland, Australia
| | - Bruno van Swinderen
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Queensland, Australia
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3
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Matsumoto Y, Matsumoto CS, Mizunami M. Critical roles of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in olfactory memory formation and retrieval in crickets. Front Physiol 2024; 15:1345397. [PMID: 38405118 PMCID: PMC10884312 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1345397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Acetylcholine (ACh) is a major excitatory neurotransmitter in the insect central nervous system, and insect neurons express several types of ACh receptors (AChRs). AChRs are classified into two subgroups, muscarinic AChRs and nicotinic AChRs (nAChRs). nAChRs are also divided into two subgroups by sensitivity to α-bungarotoxin (α-BGT). The cricket Gryllus bimaculatus is one of the useful insects for studying the molecular mechanisms in olfactory learning and memory. However, the roles of nAChRs in olfactory learning and memory of the cricket are still unknown. In the present study, to investigate whether nAChRs are involved in cricket olfactory learning and memory, we tested the effects of two different AChR antagonists on long-term memory (LTM) formation and retrieval in a behavioral assay. The two AChR antagonists that we used are mecamylamine (MEC), an α-BGT-insensitive nAChR antagonist, and methyllycaconitine (MLA), an α-BGT-sensitive nAChR antagonist. In crickets, multiple-trial olfactory conditioning induced 1-day memory (LTM), whereas single-trial olfactory conditioning induced 1-h memory (mid-term memory, MTM) but not 1-day memory. Crickets injected with MEC 20 min before the retention test at 1 day after the multiple-trial conditioning exhibited no memory retrieval. This indicates that α-BGT-insensitive nAChRs participate in memory retrieval. In addition, crickets injected with MLA before the multiple-trial conditioning exhibited MTM but not LTM, indicating that α-BGT-sensitive nAChRs participate in the formation of LTM. Moreover, injection of nicotine (an nAChR agonist) before the single-trial conditioning induced LTM. Finally, the nitric oxide (NO)-cGMP signaling pathway is known to participate in the formation of LTM in crickets, and we conducted co-injection experiments with an agonist or inhibitor of the nAChR and an activator or inhibitor of the NO-cGMP signaling pathway. The results suggest that nAChR works upstream of the NO-cGMP signaling system in the LTM formation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukihisa Matsumoto
- Institute of Education, Liberal Arts and Sciences Division, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Ichikawa, Chiba, Japan
| | | | - Makoto Mizunami
- Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
- Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
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Villalobos TV, Ghosh B, DeLeo KR, Alam S, Ricaurte-Perez C, Wang A, Mercola BM, Butsch TJ, Ramos CD, Das S, Eymard ED, Bohnert KA, Johnson AE. Tubular lysosome induction couples animal starvation to healthy aging. NATURE AGING 2023; 3:1091-1106. [PMID: 37580394 PMCID: PMC10501908 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00470-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
Dietary restriction promotes longevity in several species via autophagy activation. However, changes to lysosomes underlying this effect remain unclear. Here using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, we show that the induction of autophagic tubular lysosomes (TLs), which occurs upon dietary restriction or mechanistic target of rapamycin inhibition, is a critical event linking reduced food intake to lifespan extension. We find that starvation induces TLs not only in affected individuals but also in well-fed descendants, and the presence of gut TLs in well-fed progeny is predictive of enhanced lifespan. Furthermore, we demonstrate that expression of Drosophila small VCP-interacting protein, a TL activator in flies, artificially induces TLs in well-fed worms and improves C. elegans health in old age. These findings identify TLs as a new class of lysosomes that couples starvation to healthy aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana V Villalobos
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Bhaswati Ghosh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Kathryn R DeLeo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Sanaa Alam
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | | | - Andrew Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Brennan M Mercola
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Tyler J Butsch
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Cara D Ramos
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Suman Das
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Eric D Eymard
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - K Adam Bohnert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
| | - Alyssa E Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
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Au DD, Liu JC, Park SJ, Nguyen TH, Dimalanta M, Foden AJ, Holmes TC. Drosophila photoreceptor systems converge in arousal neurons and confer light responsive robustness. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1160353. [PMID: 37274190 PMCID: PMC10235467 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1160353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Lateral ventral neurons (LNvs) in the fly circadian neural circuit mediate behaviors other than clock resetting, including light-activated acute arousal. Converging sensory inputs often confer functional redundancy. The LNvs have three distinct light input pathways: (1) cell autonomously expressed cryptochrome (CRY), (2) rhodopsin 7 (Rh7), and (3) synaptic inputs from the eyes and other external photoreceptors that express opsins and CRY. We explored the relative photoelectrical and behavioral input contributions of these three photoreceptor systems to determine their functional impact in flies. Patch-clamp electrophysiology measuring light evoked firing frequency (FF) was performed on large LNvs (l-LNvs) in response to UV (365 nm), violet (405 nm), blue (450 nm), or red (635 nm) LED light stimulation, testing controls versus mutants that lack photoreceptor inputs gl60j, cry-null, rh7-null, and double mutant gl60j-cry-null flies. For UV, violet, and blue short wavelength light inputs, all photoreceptor mutants show significantly attenuated action potential FF responses measured in the l-LNv. In contrast, red light FF responses are only significantly attenuated in double mutant gl60j-cry-null flies. We used a light-pulse arousal assay to compare behavioral responses to UV, violet, blue and red light of control and light input mutants, measuring the awakening arousal response of flies during subjective nighttime at two different intensities to capture potential threshold differences (10 and 400 μW/cm2). The light arousal behavioral results are similar to the electrophysiological results, showing significant attenuation of behavioral light responses for mutants compared to control. These results show that the different LNv convergent photoreceptor systems are integrated and together confer functional redundancy for light evoked behavioral arousal.
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Affiliation(s)
- David D. Au
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Jenny C. Liu
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Soo Jee Park
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Thanh H. Nguyen
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Mia Dimalanta
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Alexander J. Foden
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Todd C. Holmes
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Center for Neural Circuit Mapping, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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Villalobos-Cantor S, Barrett RM, Condon AF, Arreola-Bustos A, Rodriguez KM, Cohen MS, Martin I. Rapid cell type-specific nascent proteome labeling in Drosophila. eLife 2023; 12:83545. [PMID: 37092974 PMCID: PMC10125018 DOI: 10.7554/elife.83545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Controlled protein synthesis is required to regulate gene expression and is often carried out in a cell type-specific manner. Protein synthesis is commonly measured by labeling the nascent proteome with amino acid analogs or isotope-containing amino acids. These methods have been difficult to implement in vivo as they require lengthy amino acid replacement procedures. O-propargyl-puromycin (OPP) is a puromycin analog that incorporates into nascent polypeptide chains. Through its terminal alkyne, OPP can be conjugated to a fluorophore-azide for directly visualizing nascent protein synthesis, or to a biotin-azide for capture and identification of newly-synthesized proteins. To achieve cell type-specific OPP incorporation, we developed phenylacetyl-OPP (PhAc-OPP), a puromycin analog harboring an enzyme-labile blocking group that can be removed by penicillin G acylase (PGA). Here, we show that cell type-specific PGA expression in Drosophila can be used to achieve OPP labeling of newly-synthesized proteins in targeted cell populations within the brain. Following a brief 2 hr incubation of intact brains with PhAc-OPP, we observe robust imaging and affinity purification of OPP-labeled nascent proteins in PGA-targeted cell populations. We apply this method to show a pronounced age-related decline in neuronal protein synthesis in the fly brain, demonstrating the capability of PhAc-OPP to quantitatively capture in vivo protein synthesis states. This method, which we call POPPi (PGA-dependent OPP incorporation), should be applicable for rapidly visualizing protein synthesis and identifying nascent proteins synthesized under diverse physiological and pathological conditions with cellular specificity in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanny Villalobos-Cantor
- Jungers Center for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
| | - Ruth M Barrett
- Jungers Center for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
| | - Alec F Condon
- Jungers Center for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
| | - Alicia Arreola-Bustos
- Jungers Center for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
| | - Kelsie M Rodriguez
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
| | - Michael S Cohen
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
| | - Ian Martin
- Jungers Center for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
- Parkinson Center of Oregon, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
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Hafez OA, Escribano B, Ziegler RL, Hirtz JJ, Niebur E, Pielage J. The cellular architecture of memory modules in Drosophila supports stochastic input integration. eLife 2023; 12:e77578. [PMID: 36916672 PMCID: PMC10069864 DOI: 10.7554/elife.77578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to associate neutral stimuli with valence information and to store these associations as memories forms the basis for decision making. To determine the underlying computational principles, we build a realistic computational model of a central decision module within the Drosophila mushroom body (MB), the fly's center for learning and memory. Our model combines the electron microscopy-based architecture of one MB output neuron (MBON-α3), the synaptic connectivity of its 948 presynaptic Kenyon cells (KCs), and its membrane properties obtained from patch-clamp recordings. We show that this neuron is electrotonically compact and that synaptic input corresponding to simulated odor input robustly drives its spiking behavior. Therefore, sparse innervation by KCs can efficiently control and modulate MBON activity in response to learning with minimal requirements on the specificity of synaptic localization. This architecture allows efficient storage of large numbers of memories using the flexible stochastic connectivity of the circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar A Hafez
- Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Benjamin Escribano
- Division of Neurobiology and Zoology, Department of Biology, University of KaiserslauternKaiserslauternGermany
| | - Rouven L Ziegler
- Division of Neurobiology and Zoology, Department of Biology, University of KaiserslauternKaiserslauternGermany
| | - Jan J Hirtz
- Physiology of Neuronal Networks Group, Department of Biology, University of KaiserslauternKaiserslauternGermany
| | - Ernst Niebur
- Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreUnited States
- Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Jan Pielage
- Division of Neurobiology and Zoology, Department of Biology, University of KaiserslauternKaiserslauternGermany
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Liu CQ, Qu XC, He MF, Liang DH, Xie SM, Zhang XX, Lin YM, Zhang WJ, Wu KC, Qiao JD. Efficient strategies based on behavioral and electrophysiological methods for epilepsy-related gene screening in the Drosophila model. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1121877. [PMID: 37152436 PMCID: PMC10157486 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1121877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction With the advent of trio-based whole-exome sequencing, the identification of epilepsy candidate genes has become easier, resulting in a large number of potential genes that need to be validated in a whole-organism context. However, conducting animal experiments systematically and efficiently remains a challenge due to their laborious and time-consuming nature. This study aims to develop optimized strategies for validating epilepsy candidate genes using the Drosophila model. Methods This study incorporate behavior, morphology, and electrophysiology for genetic manipulation and phenotypic examination. We utilized the Gal4/UAS system in combination with RNAi techniques to generate loss-of-function models. We performed a range of behavioral tests, including two previously unreported seizure phenotypes, to evaluate the seizure behavior of mutant and wild-type flies. We used Gal4/UAS-mGFP flies to observe the morphological alterations in the brain under a confocal microscope. We also implemented patch-clamp recordings, including a novel electrophysiological method for studying synapse function and improved methods for recording action potential currents and spontaneous EPSCs on targeted neurons. Results We applied different techniques or methods mentioned above to investigate four epilepsy-associated genes, namely Tango14, Klp3A, Cac, and Sbf, based on their genotype-phenotype correlation. Our findings showcase the feasibility and efficiency of our screening system for confirming epilepsy candidate genes in the Drosophila model. Discussion This efficient screening system holds the potential to significantly accelerate and optimize the process of identifying epilepsy candidate genes, particularly in conjunction with trio-based whole-exome sequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chu-Qiao Liu
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- The Second Clinical Medicine School of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Chong Qu
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ming-Feng He
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - De-Hai Liang
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shi-Ming Xie
- The First Clinical Medicine School of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xi-Xing Zhang
- The Second Clinical Medicine School of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yong-Miao Lin
- The Second Clinical Medicine School of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wen-Jun Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ka-Chun Wu
- School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jing-Da Qiao
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Jing-Da Qiao, ; orcid.org/0000-0002-4693-8390
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Qiao J, Yang S, Geng H, Yung WH, Ke Y. Input-timing-dependent plasticity at incoming synapses of the mushroom body facilitates olfactory learning in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4869-4880.e4. [PMID: 36265490 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.09.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Aversive olfactory conditioning in Drosophila is a valuable model for elucidating the mechanism of associative learning. Much effort has centered around the role of neuroplasticity at the mushroom body (MB)-mushroom body output neuron (MBON) synapses in mapping odors to specific behaviors. By electrophysiological recordings from MB neurons, we discovered a form of input-timing-dependent plasticity at the incoming synapses from projection neurons that controls the efficacy of aversive olfactory memory formation. Importantly, this plasticity is facilitated by the neural activity of PPL1, the neuronal cluster that also modulates MB-MBON connections at the output stage of MB. Unlike the MB-MBON synapses that probably utilize dopamine D1-like receptors, this neuroplasticity is dependent on D2-like receptors that are expressed mainly by γ Kenyon cells noticeably in their somato-dendritic region. The D2-like receptors recruit voltage-gated calcium channels, leading to calcium influx in the soma and dendrites of γ neurons. Together, our results reveal a previously unrecognized synaptic component of the MB circuit architecture that not only could increase the salience of a conditioning odor but also couples the process of memory encoding and valency mapping to drive-associative learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingda Qiao
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Shengxi Yang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hongyan Geng
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Wing-Ho Yung
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Ya Ke
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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Wan RP, Liu ZG, Huang XF, Kwan P, Li YP, Qu XC, Ye XG, Chen FY, Zhang DW, He MF, Wang J, Mao YL, Qiao JD. YWHAZ variation causes intellectual disability and global developmental delay with brain malformation. Hum Mol Genet 2022; 32:462-472. [PMID: 36001342 PMCID: PMC9851741 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddac210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
YWHAZ encodes an adapter protein 14-3-3ζ, which is involved in many signaling pathways that control cellular proliferation, migration and differentiation. It has not been definitely correlated to any phenotype in OMIM. To investigate the role of YWHAZ gene in intellectual disability and global developmental delay, we conducted whole-exon sequencing in all of the available members from a large three-generation family and we discovered that a novel variant of the YWHAZ gene was associated with intellectual disability and global developmental delay. This variant is a missense mutation of YWHAZ, p.Lys49Asn/c.147A > T, which was found in all affected members but not found in other unaffected members. We also conducted computational modeling and knockdown/knockin with Drosophila to confirm the role of the YWHAZ variant in intellectual disability. Computational modeling showed that the binding energy was increased in the mutated protein combining with the ligand indicating that the c147A > T variation was a loss-of-function variant. Cognitive defects and mushroom body morphological abnormalities were observed in YWHAZ c.147A > T knockin flies. The YWHAZ knockdown flies also manifested serious cognitive defects with hyperactivity behaviors, which is consistent with the clinical features. Our clinical and experimental results consistently suggested that YWHAZ was a novel intellectual disability pathogenic gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui-Ping Wan
- Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Foshan Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, Guangdong 528011, China
| | - Zhi-Gang Liu
- Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Foshan Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, Guangdong 528011, China
| | - Xiao-Fei Huang
- Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Foshan Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, Guangdong 528011, China
| | - Ping Kwan
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney 2050, Australia
| | - Ya-Ping Li
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Xiao-Chong Qu
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Xing-Guang Ye
- Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Foshan Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, Guangdong 528011, China
| | - Feng-Ying Chen
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Foshan Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, Guangdong 528011, China
| | - Da-Wei Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Foshan Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, Guangdong 528011, China
| | - Ming-Feng He
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Yu-Ling Mao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Key Laboratory for Major Obstetric Diseases of Guangdong Province, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510150, China,Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine of Guangdong Province, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510150, China
| | - Jing-Da Qiao
- To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, China. Tel: 86-13242327861;
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11
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Fernandez-Chiappe F, Muraro NI. Patch-Clamping Fly Brain Neurons. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2022; 2022:Pdb.top107796. [PMID: 35798467 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.top107796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The membrane potential of excitable cells, such as neurons and muscle cells, experiences a rich repertoire of dynamic changes mediated by an array of ligand- and voltage-gated ion channels. Central neurons, in particular, are fantastic computators of information, sensing, and integrating multiple subthreshold currents mediated by synaptic inputs and translating them into action potential patterns. Electrophysiology comprises a group of techniques that allow the direct measurement of electrical signals. There are many different electrophysiological approaches, but, because Drosophila neurons are small, the whole-cell patch-clamp technique is the only applicable method for recording electrical signals from individual central neurons. Here, we provide background on patch-clamp electrophysiology in Drosophila and introduce protocols for dissecting larval and adult brains, as well as for achieving whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of identified neuronal types. Patch clamping is a labor-intensive technique that requires a great deal of practice to become an expert; therefore, a steep learning curve should be anticipated. However, the instant gratification of neuronal spiking is an experience that we wish to share and disseminate, as many more Drosophila patch clampers are needed to study the electrical features of so many fly neuronal types unknown to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florencia Fernandez-Chiappe
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA-CONICET), Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, Buenos Aires C1425FQD, Argentina
| | - Nara I Muraro
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA-CONICET), Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, Buenos Aires C1425FQD, Argentina
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12
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Abnormal Antennal Olfactory Sensilla Phenotypes Involved in Olfactory Deficit in Bactrocera correcta (Diptera: Tephritidae). INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13060535. [PMID: 35735871 PMCID: PMC9224687 DOI: 10.3390/insects13060535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Tephritidae fruit flies sense odorants mainly through antennal olfactory sensilla with nanopores. Therefore, theoretically, the development of nanopore-targeted pest control technologies is an important direction in the future. Here, we report naturally occurring abnormal antennal trichoid and basiconic olfactory sensilla phenotypes consisting of abnormal bulges and reduced nanopore numbers in a long-term laboratory rearing colony of the guava fruit fly Bactrocera correcta, and further find that the reduction of nanopore numbers in these sensilla led to an olfactory deficit. Our findings provide a basis for developing nanopore-targeted pest control technologies in the future. Abstract The guava fruit fly, Bactrocera correcta, is one of the most destructive pests in the genus Bactrocera and detects environmental odorants mainly through antennal olfactory sensilla phenotypes with nanopores. However, it is unclear whether there are naturally occurring abnormal antennal olfactory sensilla phenotypes that affect olfaction. Here, we found that there were abnormal bulges besides nanopores on the surface of trichoid and basiconic olfactory sensilla in the antennal flagellum of long-term laboratory rearing colony (LTC), and that nanopore number in these olfactory sensilla was also remarkably reduced. Notably, the electroantennogram (EAG) responses of LTC insects to methyl eugenol or β-caryophyllene were inhibited, and their behavioral responses elicited by the same odorants were also impaired. These results revealed naturally occurring abnormal antennal olfactory sensilla phenotypes which were involved in olfactory deficit in B. correcta, providing a platform to further study nanopore-targeted pest control technologies in the future.
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13
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Duhart JC, Mosca TJ. Genetic regulation of central synapse formation and organization in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 2022; 221:6597078. [PMID: 35652253 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A goal of modern neuroscience involves understanding how connections in the brain form and function. Such a knowledge is essential to inform how defects in the exquisite complexity of nervous system growth influence neurological disease. Studies of the nervous system in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster enabled the discovery of a wealth of molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying development of synapses-the specialized cell-to-cell connections that comprise the essential substrate for information flow and processing in the nervous system. For years, the major driver of knowledge was the neuromuscular junction due to its ease of examination. Analogous studies in the central nervous system lagged due to a lack of genetic accessibility of specific neuron classes, synaptic labels compatible with cell-type-specific access, and high resolution, quantitative imaging strategies. However, understanding how central synapses form remains a prerequisite to understanding brain development. In the last decade, a host of new tools and techniques extended genetic studies of synapse organization into central circuits to enhance our understanding of synapse formation, organization, and maturation. In this review, we consider the current state-of-the-field. We first discuss the tools, technologies, and strategies developed to visualize and quantify synapses in vivo in genetically identifiable neurons of the Drosophila central nervous system. Second, we explore how these tools enabled a clearer understanding of synaptic development and organization in the fly brain and the underlying molecular mechanisms of synapse formation. These studies establish the fly as a powerful in vivo genetic model that offers novel insights into neural development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos Duhart
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Timothy J Mosca
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
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14
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Temporal regulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits supports central cholinergic synapse development in Drosophila. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2004685118. [PMID: 34074746 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2004685118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The construction and maturation of the postsynaptic apparatus are crucial for synapse and dendrite development. The fundamental mechanisms underlying these processes are most often studied in glutamatergic central synapses in vertebrates. Whether the same principles apply to excitatory cholinergic synapses, such as those found in the insect central nervous system, is not known. To address this question, we investigated a group of projection neurons in the Drosophila larval visual system, the ventral lateral neurons (LNvs), and identified nAchRα1 (Dα1) and nAchRα6 (Dα6) as the main functional nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAchR) subunits in the larval LNvs. Using morphological analyses and calcium imaging studies, we demonstrated critical roles of these two subunits in supporting dendrite morphogenesis and synaptic transmission. Furthermore, our RNA sequencing analyses and endogenous tagging approach identified distinct transcriptional controls over the two subunits in the LNvs, which led to the up-regulation of Dα1 and down-regulation of Dα6 during larval development as well as to an activity-dependent suppression of Dα1 Additional functional analyses of synapse formation and dendrite dynamics further revealed a close association between the temporal regulation of individual nAchR subunits and their sequential requirements during the cholinergic synapse maturation. Together, our findings support transcriptional control of nAchR subunits as a core element of developmental and activity-dependent regulation of central cholinergic synapses.
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15
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Tracking Single Molecule Dynamics in the Adult Drosophila Brain. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0057-21.2021. [PMID: 33875453 PMCID: PMC8174007 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0057-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Super-resolution microscopy provides valuable insight for understanding the nanoscale organization within living tissue, although this method is typically restricted to cultured or dissociated cells. Here, we develop a method to track the mobility of individual proteins in ex vivo adult Drosophila melanogaster brains, focusing on a key component of the presynaptic release machinery, syntaxin1A (Sx1a). We show that individual Sx1a dynamics can be reliably tracked within neurons in the whole fly brain, and that the mobility of Sx1a molecules increases following conditional neural stimulation. We then apply this preparation to the problem of general anesthesia, to address how different anesthetics might affect single molecule dynamics in intact brain synapses. We find that propofol, etomidate, and isoflurane significantly impair Sx1a mobility, while ketamine and sevoflurane have little effect. Resolving single molecule dynamics in intact fly brains provides a novel approach to link localized molecular effects with systems-level phenomena such as general anesthesia.
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16
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Wang J, Qiao JD, Liu XR, Liu DT, Chen YH, Wu Y, Sun Y, Yu J, Ren RN, Mei Z, Liu YX, Shi YW, Jiang M, Lin SM, He N, Li B, Bian WJ, Li BM, Yi YH, Su T, Liu HK, Gu WY, Liao WP. UNC13B variants associated with partial epilepsy with favourable outcome. Brain 2021; 144:3050-3060. [PMID: 33876820 PMCID: PMC8634081 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The unc-13 homolog B (UNC13B) gene encodes a presynaptic protein, mammalian uncoordinated 13-2 (Munc13-2), that is highly expressed in the brain-predominantly in the cerebral cortex-and plays an essential role in synaptic vesicle priming and fusion, potentially affecting neuronal excitability. However, the functional significance of UNC13B mutation in human disease is not known. In this study we screened for novel genetic variants in a cohort of 446 unrelated cases (families) with partial epilepsy without acquired causes by trio-based whole-exome sequencing. UNC13B variants were identified in 12 individuals affected by partial epilepsy and/or febrile seizures from eight unrelated families. The eight probands all had focal seizures and focal discharges in EEG recordings, including two patients who experienced frequent daily seizures and one who showed abnormalities in the hippocampus by brain MRI; however, all of the patients showed favorable outcome without intellectual or developmental abnormalities. The identified UNC13B variants included one nonsense variant, two variants at or around a splice site, one compound heterozygous missense variant, and four missense variants that cosegregated in the families. The frequency of UNC13B variants identified in the present study was significantly higher than that in a control cohort of Han Chinese and controls of the East Asian and all populations in the Genome Aggregation Database. Computational modeling, including hydrogen bond and docking analyses, suggested that the variants lead to functional impairment. In Drosophila, seizure rate and duration were increased by Unc13b knockdown compared to wild-type flies, but these effects were less pronounced than in sodium voltage-gated channel alpha subunit 1 (Scn1a) knockdown Drosophila. Electrophysiologic recordings showed that excitatory neurons in Unc13b-deficient flies exhibited increased excitability. These results suggest that UNC13B is potentially associated with epilepsy. The frequent daily seizures and hippocampal abnormalities but ultimately favorable outcome under antiepileptic therapy in our patients indicate that partial epilepsy caused by UNC13B variant is a clinically manageable condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing-Da Qiao
- Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Rong Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China
| | - De-Tian Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yan-Hui Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fujian, China
| | - Yi Wu
- Department of Pediatrics, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fujian, China
| | - Yan Sun
- Department of Pediatrics, People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Jing Yu
- Department of Pediatrics, People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Rong-Na Ren
- Department of Pediatrics and Neurosurgery, 900 Hospital of the Joint Logistics Team, Fujian, China
| | - Zhen Mei
- Department of Pediatrics and Neurosurgery, 900 Hospital of the Joint Logistics Team, Fujian, China
| | - Yu-Xi Liu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi, China
| | - Yi-Wu Shi
- Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mi Jiang
- Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Si-Mei Lin
- Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Na He
- Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bin Li
- Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wen-Jun Bian
- Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bing-Mei Li
- Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yong-Hong Yi
- Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tao Su
- Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China
| | | | - Wei-Yue Gu
- Chigene (Beijing) Translational Medical Research Center Co., Beijing, China
| | - Wei-Ping Liao
- Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China
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17
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Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster is a powerful model organism used to study circadian rhythms, historically for elucidating the molecular basis of the clock and, more recently, for allowing for dissection of neural circuits underlying rhythmic behavior. The fly can be used to investigate the neuronal basis of complex behaviors at single-neuron resolution. Patch clamp electrophysiology permits single-neuron recording of resting membrane potential and action potential firing in response to genetic or environmental manipulations or application of drugs and neurotransmitters. Here we describe a protocol for dissecting Drosophila brains for electrophysiology, setting up and using a patch clamp system, and analyzing firing data around the circadian day and in stimulation-response experiments to test for functional neuronal connectivity in circadian circuits.
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18
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Discovery and characterization of the novel conotoxin Lv1d from Conus lividus that presents analgesic activity. Toxicon 2021; 194:70-78. [PMID: 33610632 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2021.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Revised: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Cone snails are predatory gastropod mollusks that are distributed in all tropical marine environments and contain small peptides (conotoxins) in their venom to capture prey. However, the biochemical and molecular aspects of conotoxins remain poorly understood. In this article, a novel α4/7-conotoxin, Lv1d, was obtained from the venom duct cDNA library of the worm-hunting Conus lividus collected from the South China Sea. The cDNA of Lv1c encodes a 65 residue conopeptide precursor, which consists of a 21 residue signal peptide, a 27 residue Pro region, and 17 residues of mature peptide. The mature peptide Lv1d was chemically synthesized according to the sequence GCCSDPPCRHKHQDLCG. It was found that 10 μM Lv1d can completely inhibit frog sciatic nerve-gastrocnemius muscle contractility within 60 min. Moreover, 100 μg/kg Lv1d showed good analgesic effects in mouse hot plate model and formalin test. Patch clamp experiments showed that 5 μM Lv1d can inhibit the cholinergic microexcitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) requency and amplitude of projection neurons in Drosophila. In conclusion, the synthesis of Lv1d and its biological and physiological data might contribute to the development of this peptide as a novel potential drug for therapeutic applications. This finding also expands the knowledge of the targeting mechanism of the α4/7-subfamily conotoxins.
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19
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Johnson AE, Orr BO, Fetter RD, Moughamian AJ, Primeaux LA, Geier EG, Yokoyama JS, Miller BL, Davis GW. SVIP is a molecular determinant of lysosomal dynamic stability, neurodegeneration and lifespan. Nat Commun 2021; 12:513. [PMID: 33479240 PMCID: PMC7820495 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20796-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Missense mutations in Valosin-Containing Protein (VCP) are linked to diverse degenerative diseases including IBMPFD, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), muscular dystrophy and Parkinson's disease. Here, we characterize a VCP-binding co-factor (SVIP) that specifically recruits VCP to lysosomes. SVIP is essential for lysosomal dynamic stability and autophagosomal-lysosomal fusion. SVIP mutations cause muscle wasting and neuromuscular degeneration while muscle-specific SVIP over-expression increases lysosomal abundance and is sufficient to extend lifespan in a context, stress-dependent manner. We also establish multiple links between SVIP and VCP-dependent disease in our Drosophila model system. A biochemical screen identifies a disease-causing VCP mutation that prevents SVIP binding. Conversely, over-expression of an SVIP mutation that prevents VCP binding is deleterious. Finally, we identify a human SVIP mutation and confirm the pathogenicity of this mutation in our Drosophila model. We propose a model for VCP disease based on the differential, co-factor-dependent recruitment of VCP to intracellular organelles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa E Johnson
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Brian O Orr
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Richard D Fetter
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Armen J Moughamian
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Logan A Primeaux
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Ethan G Geier
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Jennifer S Yokoyama
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Bruce L Miller
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Graeme W Davis
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
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20
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Knockout of PINK1 altered the neural connectivity of Drosophila dopamine PPM3 neurons at input and output sites. INVERTEBRATE NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 20:11. [PMID: 32766952 DOI: 10.1007/s10158-020-00244-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Impairment of the dopamine system is the main cause of Parkinson disease (PD). PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) is possibly involved in pathogenesis of PD. However, its role in dopaminergic neurons has not been fully established yet. In the present investigation, we have used the PINK1 knockout Drosophila model to explore the role of PINK1 in dopaminergic neurons. Electrophysiological and behavioral tests indicated that PINK1 elimination enhances the neural transmission from the presynaptic part of dopaminergic neurons in the protocerebral posterior medial region 3 (PPM3) to PPM3 neurons (which are homologous to those in the substantia nigra in humans). Firing properties of the action potential in PPM3 neurons were also altered in the PINK1 knockout genotypes. Abnormal motor ability was also observed in these PINK1 knockout animals. Our results indicate that knockout of PINK1 could alter both the input and output properties of PPM3 neurons.
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21
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Hidalgo S, Fuenzalida-Uribe N, Molina-Mateo D, Escobar AP, Oliva C, España RA, Andrés ME, Campusano JM. Study of the release of endogenous amines in Drosophila brain in vivo in response to stimuli linked to aversive olfactory conditioning. J Neurochem 2020; 156:337-351. [PMID: 32596813 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
A highly challenging question in neuroscience is to understand how aminergic neural circuits contribute to the planning and execution of behaviors, including the generation of olfactory memories. In this regard, electrophysiological techniques like Local Field Potential or imaging methods have been used to answer questions relevant to cell and circuit physiology in different animal models, such as the fly Drosophila melanogaster. However, these techniques do not provide information on the neurochemical identity of the circuits of interest. Different approaches including fast scan cyclic voltammetry, allow researchers to identify and quantify in a timely fashion the release of endogenous neuroactive molecules, but have been only used in in vitro Drosophila brain preparations. Here, we report a procedure to record for the first time the release of endogenous amines -dopamine, serotonin and octopamine- in adult fly brain in vivo, by fast scan cyclic voltammetry. As a proof of principle, we carried out recordings in the calyx region of the Mushroom Bodies, the brain area mainly associated to the generation of olfactory memories in flies. By using principal component regression in normalized training sets for in vivo recordings, we detect an increase in octopamine and serotonin levels in response to electric shock and olfactory cues respectively. This new approach allows the study of dynamic changes in amine neurotransmission that underlie complex behaviors in Drosophila and shed new light on the contribution of these amines to olfactory processing in this animal model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Hidalgo
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Ncxeuroscience, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Nicolás Fuenzalida-Uribe
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Daniela Molina-Mateo
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Angélica P Escobar
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carlos Oliva
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rodrigo A España
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Maria Estela Andrés
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jorge M Campusano
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia UC, Santiago, Chile
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22
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Malloy CA, Somasundaram E, Omar A, Bhutto U, Medley M, Dzubuk N, Cooper RL. Pharmacological identification of cholinergic receptor subtypes: modulation of locomotion and neural circuit excitability in Drosophila larvae. Neuroscience 2019; 411:47-64. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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23
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Piezo-like Gene Regulates Locomotion in Drosophila Larvae. Cell Rep 2019; 26:1369-1377.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.01.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 12/16/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
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24
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Shih MFM, Davis FP, Henry GL, Dubnau J. Nuclear Transcriptomes of the Seven Neuronal Cell Types That Constitute the Drosophila Mushroom Bodies. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2019; 9:81-94. [PMID: 30397017 PMCID: PMC6325895 DOI: 10.1534/g3.118.200726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The insect mushroom body (MB) is a conserved brain structure that plays key roles in a diverse array of behaviors. The Drosophila melanogaster MB is the primary invertebrate model of neural circuits related to memory formation and storage, and its development, morphology, wiring, and function has been extensively studied. MBs consist of intrinsic Kenyon Cells that are divided into three major neuron classes (γ, α'/β' and α/β) and 7 cell subtypes (γd, γm, α'/β'ap, α'/β'm, α/βp, α/βs and α/βc) based on their birth order, morphology, and connectivity. These subtypes play distinct roles in memory processing, however the underlying transcriptional differences are unknown. Here, we used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to profile the nuclear transcriptomes of each MB neuronal cell subtypes. We identified 350 MB class- or subtype-specific genes, including the widely used α/β class marker Fas2 and the α'/β' class marker trio Immunostaining corroborates the RNA-seq measurements at the protein level for several cases. Importantly, our data provide a full accounting of the neurotransmitter receptors, transporters, neurotransmitter biosynthetic enzymes, neuropeptides, and neuropeptide receptors expressed within each of these cell types. This high-quality, cell type-level transcriptome catalog for the Drosophila MB provides a valuable resource for the fly neuroscience community.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fred Pejman Davis
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA; National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Gilbert Lee Henry
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA; Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY
| | - Josh Dubnau
- Department of Anesthesiology, Stony Brook School of Medicine; Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
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Mushroom Body Specific Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Dynamic Regulation of Learning and Memory Genes After Acquisition of Long-Term Courtship Memory in Drosophila. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2018; 8:3433-3446. [PMID: 30158319 PMCID: PMC6222587 DOI: 10.1534/g3.118.200560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The formation and recall of long-term memory (LTM) requires neuron activity-induced gene expression. Transcriptome analysis has been used to identify genes that have altered expression after memory acquisition, however, we still have an incomplete picture of the transcriptional changes that are required for LTM formation. The complex spatial and temporal dynamics of memory formation creates significant challenges in defining memory-relevant gene expression changes. The Drosophila mushroom body (MB) is a signaling hub in the insect brain that integrates sensory information to form memories across several different experimental memory paradigms. Here, we performed transcriptome analysis in the MB at two time points after the acquisition of LTM: 1 hr and 24 hr. The MB transcriptome was compared to biologically paired whole head (WH) transcriptomes. In both, we identified more transcript level changes at 1 hr after memory acquisition (WH = 322, MB = 302) than at 24 hr (WH = 23, MB = 20). WH samples showed downregulation of developmental genes and upregulation of sensory response genes. In contrast, MB samples showed vastly different changes in transcripts involved in biological processes that are specifically related to LTM. MB-downregulated genes were highly enriched for metabolic function. MB-upregulated genes were highly enriched for known learning and memory processes, including calcium-mediated neurotransmitter release and cAMP signaling. The neuron activity inducible genes Hr38 and sr were also specifically induced in the MB. These results highlight the importance of sampling time and cell type in capturing biologically relevant transcript level changes involved in learning and memory. Our data suggests that MB cells transiently upregulate known memory-related pathways after memory acquisition and provides a critical frame of reference for further investigation into the role of MB-specific gene regulation in memory.
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Wang K, Zhang M, Huang Y, Yang Z, Su S, Chen M. Characterisation of imidacloprid resistance in the bird cherry-oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi, a serious pest on wheat crops. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2018; 74:1457-1465. [PMID: 29266699 DOI: 10.1002/ps.4834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Revised: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rhopalosiphum padi is a destructive insect pest of wheat worldwide. Studies have shown that R. padi has developed resistance to different insecticides, including imidacloprid. We studied the mechanisms conferring resistance to imidacloprid at the biochemical and molecular levels. RESULTS An R. padi imidacloprid-resistant (IM-R) strain and a susceptible (SS) strain were established. Fitness analysis using life-tables showed that the IM-R strain had obvious disadvantages in several parameters, indicating reduced fitness. Profiles of cross-resistance of IM-R and SS to seven insecticides were detected. Both synergistic and enzyme activity data suggested that P450 plays a role in resistance. Furthermore, the mRNA expression levels of cytochrome P450 (CYP) genes CYP6CY3-1 and CYP6CY3-2 were significantly increased in the IM-R strain. No target-site mutation within the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunits was detected in the IM-R strain. Interestingly, the expression levels of the nAChR α1, α2, α3, α7-2, and β1 subunit genes were significantly decreased, suggesting that down-regulation of these subunits may be involved in resistance. CONCLUSION Multiple mechanisms confer imidacloprid resistance in R. padi. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang Wang
- Northwest A&F University, State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Key Laboratory of Crop Pest Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China
| | - Yanna Huang
- Northwest A&F University, State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Key Laboratory of Crop Pest Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Zhuolin Yang
- Northwest A&F University, State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Key Laboratory of Crop Pest Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Sha Su
- Northwest A&F University, State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Key Laboratory of Crop Pest Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Maohua Chen
- Northwest A&F University, State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Key Laboratory of Crop Pest Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
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27
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Umezaki Y, Hayley SE, Chu ML, Seo HW, Shah P, Hamada FN. Feeding-State-Dependent Modulation of Temperature Preference Requires Insulin Signaling in Drosophila Warm-Sensing Neurons. Curr Biol 2018; 28:779-787.e3. [PMID: 29478858 PMCID: PMC5893154 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.01.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Revised: 12/08/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Starvation is life-threatening and therefore strongly modulates many aspects of animal behavior and physiology [1]. In mammals, hunger causes a reduction in body temperature and metabolism [2], resulting in conservation of energy for survival. However, the molecular basis of the modulation of thermoregulation by starvation remains largely unclear. Whereas mammals control their body temperature internally, small ectotherms, such as Drosophila, set their body temperature by selecting an ideal environmental temperature through temperature preference behaviors [3, 4]. Here, we demonstrate in Drosophila that starvation results in a lower preferred temperature, which parallels the reduction in body temperature in mammals. The insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling (IIS) pathway is involved in starvation-induced behaviors and physiology and is well conserved in vertebrates and invertebrates [5-7]. We show that insulin-like peptide 6 (Ilp6) in the fat body (fly liver and adipose tissues) is responsible for the starvation-induced reduction in preferred temperature (Tp). Temperature preference behavior is controlled by the anterior cells (ACs), which respond to warm temperatures via transient receptor potential A1 (TrpA1) [4]. We demonstrate that starvation decreases the responding temperature of ACs via insulin signaling, resulting in a lower Tp than in nutrient-rich conditions. Thus, we show that hunger information is conveyed from fat tissues via Ilp6 and influences the sensitivity of warm-sensing neurons in the brain, resulting in a lower temperature set point. Because starvation commonly results in a lower body temperature in both flies and mammals, we propose that insulin signaling is an ancient mediator of starvation-induced thermoregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujiro Umezaki
- Visual Systems Group, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Sean E Hayley
- Visual Systems Group, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Michelle L Chu
- Visual Systems Group, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Hanna W Seo
- Visual Systems Group, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Prasun Shah
- Visual Systems Group, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Fumika N Hamada
- Visual Systems Group, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
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Zhao X, Lenek D, Dag U, Dickson BJ, Keleman K. Persistent activity in a recurrent circuit underlies courtship memory in Drosophila. eLife 2018; 7:31425. [PMID: 29322941 PMCID: PMC5800849 DOI: 10.7554/elife.31425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Recurrent connections are thought to be a common feature of the neural circuits that encode memories, but how memories are laid down in such circuits is not fully understood. Here we present evidence that courtship memory in Drosophila relies on the recurrent circuit between mushroom body gamma (MBγ), M6 output, and aSP13 dopaminergic neurons. We demonstrate persistent neuronal activity of aSP13 neurons and show that it transiently potentiates synaptic transmission from MBγ>M6 neurons. M6 neurons in turn provide input to aSP13 neurons, prolonging potentiation of MBγ>M6 synapses over time periods that match short-term memory. These data support a model in which persistent aSP13 activity within a recurrent circuit lays the foundation for a short-term memory. Memories help to shape behavior, and can last from a few seconds to an entire lifetime. Working memory, in which information is temporarily held available for use in an ongoing task, is the most fleeting form of memory. It relies on persistent activation of a network of nerve cells or neurons that represent the information in question. Strengthening the connections between those neurons may result in a longer-lasting memory. But the mechanisms that support the formation of memories of different durations are not fully understood. Zhao et al. have now explored these mechanisms in the fruit fly by studying memory for courtship behavior. Inexperienced male fruit flies will attempt to court both virgin females and females who have recently mated. But the latter reject courtship attempts, and male fruit flies therefore learn to avoid them. This is known as courtship memory, and it relies on a network of neurons within a region of the fruit fly brain called the mushroom body. Within the mushroom body, dopamine neuron sends signals to a neuron called the Kenyon cell, which in turn sends signals to a mushroom body output neuron. The latter activates circuits responsible for decision-making and movement. But it also activates the dopamine neuron, thereby forming a recurrent circuit or loop. When the courtship is rejected, the dopamine neuron becomes persistently active, which generates a working memory of the experience. If the circuit is activated again during this period of persistent firing, the working memory may be converted into a longer-lasting memory. The results of Zhao et al. provide insights into the mechanisms by which memories form and undergo strengthening. They suggest that distinct processes within a single neural circuit give rise to memories of different durations. Recurrent loops are also present within the brains of mammals. Similar processes may thus support the formation and persistence of our own memories.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniela Lenek
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ugur Dag
- Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, United States
| | - Barry J Dickson
- Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, United States.,Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - Krystyna Keleman
- Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, United States.,Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna, Austria
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Roemmich AJ, Schutte SS, O'Dowd DK. Ex vivo Whole-cell Recordings in Adult Drosophila Brain. Bio Protoc 2018; 8:e2467. [PMID: 30148187 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.2467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Cost-effective and efficient, the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) has been used to make many key discoveries in the field of neuroscience and to model a number of neurological disorders. Great strides in understanding have been made using sophisticated molecular genetic tools and behavioral assays. Functional analysis of neural activity was initially limited to the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) and in the central nervous system (CNS) of embryos and larvae. Elucidating the cellular mechanisms underlying neurological processes and disorders in the mature nervous system have been more challenging due to difficulty in recording from neurons in adult brains. To this aim we developed an ex vivo preparation in which a whole brain is isolated from the head capsule of an adult fly and placed in a recording chamber. With this preparation, whole cell recording of identified neurons in the adult brain can be combined with genetic, pharmacological and environmental manipulations to explore cellular mechanisms of neuronal function and dysfunction. It also serves as an important platform for evaluating the mechanism of action of new therapies identified through behavioral assays for treating neurological diseases. Here we present our protocol for ex vivo preparations and whole-cell recordings in the adult Drosophila brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexa J Roemmich
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Soleil S Schutte
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Diane K O'Dowd
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
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Fedotov SA, Bragina JV, Besedina NG, Danilenkova LV, Kamysheva EA, Kamyshev NG. Gene CG15630 (fipi) is involved in regulation of the interpulse interval in Drosophila courtship song. J Neurogenet 2017; 32:15-26. [PMID: 29191114 DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2017.1405000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
To study the central pattern generators functioning, previously we identified genes, whose neurospecific knockdowns led to deviations in the courtship song of Drosophila melanogaster males. Reduced expression of the gene CG15630 caused a decrease in the interpulse interval. To investigate the role of CG15630, which we have called here fipi (factor of interpulse interval), in the courtship song production, at first, we have characterized fipi transcripts and protein (FIPI) in the mutant flies carrying P insertion and deletions in this gene and in flies with its RNAi knockdown. FIPI is homologous to the mammalian NCAM2 protein, an important factor of neuronal development in the olfactory system. In this study, we have revealed that local fipi knockdown in the antennal olfactory sensory neurons (OR67d and IR84a), which are responsible for reception of chemosignals modulating courtship behavior, alters the interpulse interval in the opposite directions. Thus, a proper fipi expression seems to be necessary for perception of sexual chemosignals, and the effect of fipi knockdown on IPI value depends on the type of chemoreceptor neurons affected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey A Fedotov
- a Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences , St. Petersburg , Russia
| | - Julia V Bragina
- a Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences , St. Petersburg , Russia
| | - Natalia G Besedina
- a Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences , St. Petersburg , Russia
| | - Larisa V Danilenkova
- a Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences , St. Petersburg , Russia
| | - Elena A Kamysheva
- a Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences , St. Petersburg , Russia
| | - Nikolai G Kamyshev
- a Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences , St. Petersburg , Russia
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31
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Azevedo AW, Wilson RI. Active Mechanisms of Vibration Encoding and Frequency Filtering in Central Mechanosensory Neurons. Neuron 2017; 96:446-460.e9. [PMID: 28943231 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2017] [Revised: 07/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
To better understand biophysical mechanisms of mechanosensory processing, we investigated two cell types in the Drosophila brain (A2 and B1 cells) that are postsynaptic to antennal vibration receptors. A2 cells receive excitatory synaptic currents in response to both directions of movement: thus, twice per vibration cycle. The membrane acts as a low-pass filter, so that voltage and spiking mainly track the vibration envelope rather than individual cycles. By contrast, B1 cells are excited by only forward or backward movement, meaning they are sensitive to vibration phase. They receive oscillatory synaptic currents at the stimulus frequency, and they bandpass filter these inputs to favor specific frequencies. Different cells prefer different frequencies, due to differences in their voltage-gated conductances. Both Na+ and K+ conductances suppress low-frequency synaptic inputs, so cells with larger voltage-gated conductances prefer higher frequencies. These results illustrate how membrane properties and voltage-gated conductances can extract distinct stimulus features into parallel channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony W Azevedo
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rachel I Wilson
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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32
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Bykhovskaia M, Vasin A. Electrophysiological analysis of synaptic transmission in Drosophila. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2017; 6:10.1002/wdev.277. [PMID: 28544556 PMCID: PMC5980642 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2017] [Revised: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 04/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Synaptic transmission is dynamic, plastic, and highly regulated. Drosophila is an advantageous model system for genetic and molecular studies of presynaptic and postsynaptic mechanisms and plasticity. Electrical recordings of synaptic responses represent a wide-spread approach to study neuronal signaling and synaptic transmission. We discuss experimental techniques that allow monitoring synaptic transmission in Drosophila neuromuscular and central systems. Recordings of synaptic potentials or currents at the larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ) are most common and provide numerous technical advantages due to robustness of the preparation, large and identifiable muscles, and synaptic boutons which can be readily visualized. In particular, focal macropatch recordings combined with the analysis of neurosecretory quanta enable rigorous quantification of the magnitude and kinetics of transmitter release. Patch-clamp recordings of synaptic transmission from the embryonic NMJ enable overcoming the problem of lethality in mutant lines. Recordings from the adult NMJ proved instrumental in the studies of temperature-sensitive paralytic mutants. Genetic studies of behavioral learning in Drosophila compel an investigation of synaptic transmission in the central nervous system (CNS), including primary cultured neurons and an intact brain. Cholinergic and GABAergic synaptic transmission has been recorded from the Drosophila CNS both in vitro and in vivo. In vivo patch-clamp recordings of synaptic transmission from the neurons in the olfactory pathway is a very powerful approach, which has a potential to elucidate how synaptic transmission is associated with behavioral learning. WIREs Dev Biol 2017, 6:e277. doi: 10.1002/wdev.277 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexander Vasin
- Department of Neurology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
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Golovin RM, Broadie K. Developmental experience-dependent plasticity in the first synapse of the Drosophila olfactory circuit. J Neurophysiol 2016; 116:2730-2738. [PMID: 27683892 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00616.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence accumulating over the past 15 years soundly refutes the dogma that the Drosophila nervous system is hardwired. The preponderance of studies reveals activity-dependent neural circuit refinement driving optimization of behavioral outputs. We describe developmental, sensory input-dependent plasticity in the brain olfactory antennal lobe, which we term long-term central adaption (LTCA). LTCA is evoked by prolonged exposure to an odorant during the first week of posteclosion life, resulting in a persistently decreased response to aversive odors and an enhanced response to attractive odors. This limited window of early-use, experience-dependent plasticity represents a critical period of olfactory circuit refinement tuned by initial sensory input. Consequent behavioral adaptations have been associated with changes in the output of olfactory projection neurons to higher brain centers. Recent studies have indicated a central role for local interneuron signaling in LTCA presentation. Genetic and molecular analyses have implicated the mRNA-binding fragile X mental retardation protein and ataxin-2 regulators, Notch trans-synaptic signaling, and cAMP signal transduction as core regulatory steps driving LTCA. In this article, we discuss the structural, functional, and behavioral changes associated with LTCA and review our current understanding of the molecular pathways underlying these developmental, experience-dependent changes in the olfactory circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randall M Golovin
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; and
| | - Kendal Broadie
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; and .,Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
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Park JY, Dus M, Kim S, Abu F, Kanai MI, Rudy B, Suh GSB. Drosophila SLC5A11 Mediates Hunger by Regulating K(+) Channel Activity. Curr Biol 2016; 26:1965-1974. [PMID: 27397890 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.05.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Revised: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Hunger is a powerful drive that stimulates food intake. Yet, the mechanism that determines how the energy deficits that result in hunger are represented in the brain and promote feeding is not well understood. We previously described SLC5A11-a sodium/solute co-transporter-like-(or cupcake) in Drosophila melanogaster, which is required for the fly to select a nutritive sugar over a sweeter nonnutritive sugar after periods of food deprivation. SLC5A11 acts on approximately 12 pairs of ellipsoid body (EB) R4 neurons to trigger the selection of nutritive sugars, but the underlying mechanism is not understood. Here, we report that the excitability of SLC5A11-expressing EB R4 neurons increases dramatically during starvation and that this increase is abolished in the SLC5A11 mutation. Artificial activation of SLC5A11-expresssing neurons is sufficient to promote feeding and hunger-driven behaviors; silencing these neurons has the opposite effect. Notably, SLC5A11 transcript levels in the brain increase significantly when flies are starved and decrease shortly after starved flies are refed. Furthermore, expression of SLC5A11 is sufficient for promoting hunger-driven behaviors and enhancing the excitability of SLC5A11-expressing neurons. SLC5A11 inhibits the function of the Drosophila KCNQ potassium channel in a heterologous expression system. Accordingly, a knockdown of dKCNQ expression in SLC5A11-expressing neurons produces hunger-driven behaviors even in fed flies, mimicking the overexpression of SLC5A11. We propose that starvation increases SLC5A11 expression, which enhances the excitability of SLC5A11-expressing neurons by suppressing dKCNQ channels, thereby conferring the hunger state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Yong Park
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA; Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Monica Dus
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA; Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Seonil Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Farhan Abu
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA; Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Makoto I Kanai
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA; Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Bernardo Rudy
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Physiology and Neuroscience , New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Greg S B Suh
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA; Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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35
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Gai Y, Liu Z, Cervantes-Sandoval I, Davis RL. Drosophila SLC22A Transporter Is a Memory Suppressor Gene that Influences Cholinergic Neurotransmission to the Mushroom Bodies. Neuron 2016; 90:581-95. [PMID: 27146270 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2015] [Revised: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The mechanisms that constrain memory formation are of special interest because they provide insights into the brain's memory management systems and potential avenues for correcting cognitive disorders. RNAi knockdown in the Drosophila mushroom body neurons (MBn) of a newly discovered memory suppressor gene, Solute Carrier DmSLC22A, a member of the organic cation transporter family, enhances olfactory memory expression, while overexpression inhibits it. The protein localizes to the dendrites of the MBn, surrounding the presynaptic terminals of cholinergic afferent fibers from projection neurons (Pn). Cell-based expression assays show that this plasma membrane protein transports cholinergic compounds with the highest affinity among several in vitro substrates. Feeding flies choline or inhibiting acetylcholinesterase in Pn enhances memory, an effect blocked by overexpression of the transporter in the MBn. The data argue that DmSLC22A is a memory suppressor protein that limits memory formation by helping to terminate cholinergic neurotransmission at the Pn:MBn synapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunchao Gai
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute Florida, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Ze Liu
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute Florida, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | | | - Ronald L Davis
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute Florida, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA.
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Naganos S, Ueno K, Horiuchi J, Saitoe M. Learning defects in Drosophila growth restricted chico mutants are caused by attenuated adenylyl cyclase activity. Mol Brain 2016; 9:37. [PMID: 27048332 PMCID: PMC4822261 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-016-0217-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Reduced insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling (IIS) is a major cause of symmetrical intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), an impairment in cell proliferation during prenatal development that results in global growth defects and mental retardation. In Drosophila, chico encodes the only insulin receptor substrate. Similar to other animal models of IUGR, chico mutants have defects in global growth and associative learning. However, the physiological and molecular bases of learning defects caused by chico mutations, and by symmetrical IUGR, are not clear. Results In this study, we found that chico mutations impair memory-associated synaptic plasticity in the mushroom bodies (MBs), neural centers for olfactory learning. Mutations in chico reduce expression of the rutabaga-type adenylyl cyclase (rut), leading to decreased cAMP synthesis in the MBs. Expressing a rut+ transgene in the MBs restores memory-associated plasticity and olfactory associative learning in chico mutants, without affecting growth. Thus chico mutations disrupt olfactory learning, at least in part, by reducing cAMP signaling in the MBs. Conclusions Our results suggest that some cognitive defects associated with reduced IIS may occur, independently of developmental defects, from acute reductions in cAMP signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shintaro Naganos
- Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6, Kamikitazawa, Setagaya, 185-8506, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kohei Ueno
- Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6, Kamikitazawa, Setagaya, 185-8506, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Junjiro Horiuchi
- Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6, Kamikitazawa, Setagaya, 185-8506, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Minoru Saitoe
- Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6, Kamikitazawa, Setagaya, 185-8506, Tokyo, Japan.
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Guven-Ozkan T, Busto GU, Schutte SS, Cervantes-Sandoval I, O'Dowd DK, Davis RL. MiR-980 Is a Memory Suppressor MicroRNA that Regulates the Autism-Susceptibility Gene A2bp1. Cell Rep 2016; 14:1698-1709. [PMID: 26876166 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.01.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2015] [Revised: 10/26/2015] [Accepted: 01/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs have been associated with many different biological functions, but little is known about their roles in conditioned behavior. We demonstrate that Drosophila miR-980 is a memory suppressor gene functioning in multiple regions of the adult brain. Memory acquisition and stability were both increased by miR-980 inhibition. Whole cell recordings and functional imaging experiments indicated that miR-980 regulates neuronal excitability. We identified the autism susceptibility gene, A2bp1, as an mRNA target for miR-980. A2bp1 levels varied inversely with miR-980 expression; memory performance was directly related to A2bp1 levels. In addition, A2bp1 knockdown reversed the memory gains produced by miR-980 inhibition, consistent with A2bp1 being a downstream target of miR-980 responsible for the memory phenotypes. Our results indicate that miR-980 represses A2bp1 expression to tune the excitable state of neurons, and the overall state of excitability translates to memory impairment or improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tugba Guven-Ozkan
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute Florida, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Germain U Busto
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute Florida, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Soleil S Schutte
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | | | - Diane K O'Dowd
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Ronald L Davis
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute Florida, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA.
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Xu Y, Yan Y, He M, Liao Z, Ran D, Sun X, Liu Y, Wang X, Huang Y, Xu H, Gu H. A giant local interneuron modulates the rhythmic activities of the antennal lobe in Pupae Drosophila. Neurosci Lett 2015. [PMID: 26200249 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2015.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
In Drosophila, olfaction is tightly related to feeding and reproduction. There are three classes of neurons forming synapses in the olfactory circuit: the olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs), projection neurons (PNs), and local interneurons (LNs). Here, we showed that giant local interneurons named GLNs, which were different from the classical neurons in the olfactory circuits, displayed distinctive rhythmic activities in the dorsolateral side of antennal lobe (AL) in Drosophila Pupae. Anatomically, GLNs were much larger than ipsilateral LNs and extended arborizations throughout the AL. Electrophysiologically, GLN exhibited typical 4-phased rhythmic spontaneous membrane activities, and the surrounding cells were dye-coupled when biocytin was injected into the cell body of GLN. Our study demonstrated that spontaneous activities of GLNs correlated with that of LNs and PNs. After the GLNs were damaged, the membrane activities of ipsilateral LNs and PNs became smaller, but faster. By depressing the firing frequencies of PNs and LNs, GLNs modulated the synchronization of AL and might play an important role as a "modulator" in the local circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyang Xu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, PR China
| | - Ying Yan
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology of the Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China
| | - Mintong He
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, PR China
| | - Zhiheng Liao
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, PR China
| | - Dongzhi Ran
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, PR China
| | - Xicui Sun
- Affiliated Psychiatric Hospital of Guangzhou, Medical College, Guangzhou 510080, PR China
| | - Yulou Liu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, PR China
| | - Xutian Wang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, PR China
| | - Yingcheng Huang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, PR China
| | - Hanhong Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology of the Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China.
| | - Huaiyu Gu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, PR China.
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Silva B, Molina-Fernández C, Ugalde MB, Tognarelli EI, Angel C, Campusano JM. Muscarinic ACh Receptors Contribute to Aversive Olfactory Learning in Drosophila. Neural Plast 2015; 2015:658918. [PMID: 26380118 PMCID: PMC4562076 DOI: 10.1155/2015/658918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2014] [Revised: 04/21/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The most studied form of associative learning in Drosophila consists in pairing an odorant, the conditioned stimulus (CS), with an unconditioned stimulus (US). The timely arrival of the CS and US information to a specific Drosophila brain association region, the mushroom bodies (MB), can induce new olfactory memories. Thus, the MB is considered a coincidence detector. It has been shown that olfactory information is conveyed to the MB through cholinergic inputs that activate acetylcholine (ACh) receptors, while the US is encoded by biogenic amine (BA) systems. In recent years, we have advanced our understanding on the specific neural BA pathways and receptors involved in olfactory learning and memory. However, little information exists on the contribution of cholinergic receptors to this process. Here we evaluate for the first time the proposition that, as in mammals, muscarinic ACh receptors (mAChRs) contribute to memory formation in Drosophila. Our results show that pharmacological and genetic blockade of mAChRs in MB disrupts olfactory aversive memory in larvae. This effect is not explained by an alteration in the ability of animals to respond to odorants or to execute motor programs. These results show that mAChRs in MB contribute to generating olfactory memories in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryon Silva
- Laboratorio Neurogenética de la Conducta, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Alameda 340, 8331150 Santiago, Chile
| | - Claudia Molina-Fernández
- Laboratorio Neurogenética de la Conducta, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Alameda 340, 8331150 Santiago, Chile
| | - María Beatriz Ugalde
- Laboratorio Neurogenética de la Conducta, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Alameda 340, 8331150 Santiago, Chile
| | - Eduardo I. Tognarelli
- Laboratorio Neurogenética de la Conducta, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Alameda 340, 8331150 Santiago, Chile
| | - Cristian Angel
- Laboratorio Neurogenética de la Conducta, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Alameda 340, 8331150 Santiago, Chile
| | - Jorge M. Campusano
- Laboratorio Neurogenética de la Conducta, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Alameda 340, 8331150 Santiago, Chile
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ZHAO XIAOFENG, SUN XICUI, CAI SONG, RAN DONGZHI, YAN YING, PEI ZHONG. Role of α-synuclein in cognitive dysfunction: Studies in Drosophila melanogaster. Mol Med Rep 2015; 12:2683-8. [DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2015.3763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2014] [Accepted: 07/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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Duan S, Guan X, Lin R, Liu X, Yan Y, Lin R, Zhang T, Chen X, Huang J, Sun X, Li Q, Fang S, Xu J, Yao Z, Gu H. Silibinin inhibits acetylcholinesterase activity and amyloid β peptide aggregation: a dual-target drug for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Aging 2015; 36:1792-807. [PMID: 25771396 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2015.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2014] [Revised: 02/03/2015] [Accepted: 02/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by amyloid β (Aβ) peptide aggregation and cholinergic neurodegeneration. Therefore, in this paper, we examined silibinin, a flavonoid extracted from Silybum marianum, to determine its potential as a dual inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and Aβ peptide aggregation for AD treatment. To achieve this, we used molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations to examine the affinity of silibinin with Aβ and AChE in silico. Next, we used circular dichroism and transmission electron microscopy to study the anti-Aβ aggregation capability of silibinin in vitro. Moreover, a Morris Water Maze test, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunohistochemistry, 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine double labeling, and a gene gun experiment were performed on silibinin-treated APP/PS1 transgenic mice. In molecular dynamics simulations, silibinin interacted with Aβ and AChE to form different stable complexes. After the administration of silibinin, AChE activity and Aβ aggregations were down-regulated, and the quantity of AChE also decreased. In addition, silibinin-treated APP/PS1 transgenic mice had greater scores in the Morris Water Maze. Moreover, silibinin could increase the number of newly generated microglia, astrocytes, neurons, and neuronal precursor cells. Taken together, these data suggest that silibinin could act as a dual inhibitor of AChE and Aβ peptide aggregation, therefore suggesting a therapeutic strategy for AD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songwei Duan
- Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaoyin Guan
- Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Runxuan Lin
- Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xincheng Liu
- Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ying Yan
- Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruibang Lin
- Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Tianqi Zhang
- Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xueman Chen
- Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiaqi Huang
- Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xicui Sun
- Guangzhou Brain and Psychiatric Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingqing Li
- Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shaoliang Fang
- Key Lab of High Performance Computing of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun Xu
- Research Center for Drug Discovery and Institute of Human Virology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhibin Yao
- Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huaiyu Gu
- Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
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PKA and cAMP/CNG Channels Independently Regulate the Cholinergic Ca(2+)-Response of Drosophila Mushroom Body Neurons. eNeuro 2015; 2:eN-NWR-0054-14. [PMID: 26464971 PMCID: PMC4596083 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0054-14.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2014] [Revised: 04/03/2015] [Accepted: 04/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The mushroom bodies (MBs) are the most prominent structures in adult Drosophila brain. They have been involved in several crucial functions, such as learning and memory, sleep, locomotor activity, and decision making. The mushroom bodies (MBs), one of the main structures in the adult insect brain, play a critical role in olfactory learning and memory. Though historical genes such as dunce and rutabaga, which regulate the level of cAMP, were identified more than 30 years ago, their in vivo effects on cellular and physiological mechanisms and particularly on the Ca2+-responses still remain largely unknown. In this work, performed in Drosophila, we took advantage of in vivo bioluminescence imaging, which allowed real-time monitoring of the entire MBs (both the calyx/cell-bodies and the lobes) simultaneously. We imaged neuronal Ca2+-activity continuously, over a long time period, and characterized the nicotine-evoked Ca2+-response. Using both genetics and pharmacological approaches to interfere with different components of the cAMP signaling pathway, we first show that the Ca2+-response is proportional to the levels of cAMP. Second, we reveal that an acute change in cAMP levels is sufficient to trigger a Ca2+-response. Third, genetic manipulation of protein kinase A (PKA), a direct effector of cAMP, suggests that cAMP also has PKA-independent effects through the cyclic nucleotide-gated Ca2+-channel (CNG). Finally, the disruption of calmodulin, one of the main regulators of the rutabaga adenylate cyclase (AC), yields different effects in the calyx/cell-bodies and in the lobes, suggesting a differential and regionalized regulation of AC. Our results provide insights into the complex Ca2+-response in the MBs, leading to the conclusion that cAMP modulates the Ca2+-responses through both PKA-dependent and -independent mechanisms, the latter through CNG-channels.
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Cholinergic synaptic transmissions were altered after single sevoflurane exposure in Drosophila pupa. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 2015:485709. [PMID: 25705662 PMCID: PMC4331166 DOI: 10.1155/2015/485709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2014] [Revised: 11/06/2014] [Accepted: 11/06/2014] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Purpose. Sevoflurane, one of the most used general anesthetics, is widely used in clinical practice all over the world. Previous studies indicated that sevoflurane could induce neuron apoptosis and neural deficit causing query in the safety of anesthesia using sevoflurane. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of sevoflurane on electrophysiology in Drosophila pupa whose excitatory neurotransmitter is acetylcholine early after sevoflurane exposure using whole brain recording technique. Methods. Wide types of Drosophila (canton-s flies) were allocated to control and sevoflurane groups randomly. Sevoflurane groups (1% sevoflurane; 2% sevoflurane; 3% sevoflurane) were exposed to sevoflurane and the exposure lasted 5 hours, respectively. All flies were subjected to electrophysiology experiment using patch clamp 24 hours after exposure. Results. The results showed that, 24 hours after sevoflurane exposure, frequency but not the amplitude of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) was significantly reduced (P < 0.05). Furthermore, we explored the underlying mechanism and found that calcium currents density, which partially regulated the frequency of mEPSCs, was significantly reduced after sevoflurane exposure (P < 0.05). Conclusions. All these suggested that sevoflurane could alter the mEPSCs that are related to synaptic plasticity partially through modulating calcium channel early after sevoflurane exposure.
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Flourakis M, Allada R. Patch-clamp electrophysiology in Drosophila circadian pacemaker neurons. Methods Enzymol 2014; 552:23-44. [PMID: 25707271 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2014.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Circadian clocks modulate the action potential firing frequency of pacemaker neurons. This daily variation in membrane excitability has been described in multiple species: from mollusks to fruit flies and mammals. Here, we provide an overview of the Drosophila pacemaker neural network, how circadian clocks drive neuronal activity within this network and we will present electrophysiological methods that we have applied to directly measure neuronal activity and reveal signal transduction pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthieu Flourakis
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA.
| | - Ravi Allada
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA.
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Shan Z, Cai S, Zhang T, Kuang L, Wang Q, Xiu H, Wen J, Gu H, Xu K. Effects of sevoflurane on leucine-rich repeat kinase 2-associated Drosophila model of Parkinson's disease. Mol Med Rep 2014; 11:2062-70. [PMID: 25406035 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2014.2966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2014] [Accepted: 09/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) often require surgery, and therefore may receive inhalation anesthesia. However, it is currently unknown whether inhalation anesthetics affect the prognosis of the disease. Leucine‑rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) genetic mutations are the most common cause of familial PD, contributing to ~39% of all cases in certain populations. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of inhaled anesthetics on PD, by observing the influence of sevoflurane on a LRRK2‑associated Drosophila model of PD. PD transgenic Drosophila overexpressing LRRK2 were generated by crossing flies expressing an LRRK2 upstream activation sequence, with tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)‑Gal4 flies. Western blot analysis successfully verified that the transgenic Drosophila overexpressed LRRK2. Three days prior to eclosion, three genotypes of Drosophila were divided into four groups, and were exposed to air, 1, 2, or 3% sevoflurane, for 5 hours. Twenty‑four hours after the exposure, the electrophysiological activities of the projection neurons (PN) in the brains of the Drosophila were recorded using a patch clamp. The locomotor activities were tested on days 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 following eclosion. The frequency of miniature excitatory synaptic currents (mEPSCs) obtained from the PNs of the TH‑wild type LRRK2 (TH‑WT) Drosophila brain, following exposure to air (1.60±0.05 Hz), was lower as compared with the wild type LRRK2 (WT) (2.51±0.07 Hz) and W1118 (2.41±0.10 Hz) Drosophila. After exposure to 1, 2 and 3% sevoflurane, the frequency of mEPSCs in the brains of the TH‑WT group decreased to 0.82±0.04 Hz, 0.63±0.16 Hz and 0.55±0.04 Hz, respectively. The percentage decrease of the frequency of mEPSCs, from exposure to air to 1% sevoflurane, of the TH‑WT group (48.32%±3.08%) was significantly higher, as compared with the WT (39.17%±1.42%) and W1118 (35.10%±2.66%) groups, and there was no statistical difference between the WT and W1118 groups. The transgenic TH‑WT Drosophila presented an early decrease in locomotor ability, as compared with the WT and W1118 groups. Following a 5 hour exposure to sevoflurane, the percentage decrease of the climbing abilities of the TH‑WT group, from exposure to air to 1% sevoflurane, were significantly lower, as compared with the WT and W1118 groups. In conclusion, sevoflurane had negative effects on the control W1118 flies, and also severely aggravated the prognosis of PD in the LRRK2‑associated Drosophila model, through synaptic cholinergic deficits and impairment on locomotor abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiming Shan
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‑sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China
| | - Song Cai
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat‑sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‑sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China
| | - Liting Kuang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‑sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat‑sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China
| | - Huanhuan Xiu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‑sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China
| | - Jing Wen
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‑sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China
| | - Huaiyu Gu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat‑sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China
| | - Kangqing Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‑sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China
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Andlauer TFM, Scholz-Kornehl S, Tian R, Kirchner M, Babikir HA, Depner H, Loll B, Quentin C, Gupta VK, Holt MG, Dipt S, Cressy M, Wahl MC, Fiala A, Selbach M, Schwärzel M, Sigrist SJ. Drep-2 is a novel synaptic protein important for learning and memory. eLife 2014; 3. [PMID: 25392983 PMCID: PMC4229683 DOI: 10.7554/elife.03895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2014] [Accepted: 10/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
CIDE-N domains mediate interactions between the DNase Dff40/CAD and its inhibitor Dff45/ICAD. In this study, we report that the CIDE-N protein Drep-2 is a novel synaptic protein important for learning and behavioral adaptation. Drep-2 was found at synapses throughout the Drosophila brain and was strongly enriched at mushroom body input synapses. It was required within Kenyon cells for normal olfactory short- and intermediate-term memory. Drep-2 colocalized with metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). Chronic pharmacological stimulation of mGluRs compensated for drep-2 learning deficits, and drep-2 and mGluR learning phenotypes behaved non-additively, suggesting that Drep 2 might be involved in effective mGluR signaling. In fact, Drosophila fragile X protein mutants, shown to benefit from attenuation of mGluR signaling, profited from the elimination of drep-2. Thus, Drep-2 is a novel regulatory synaptic factor, probably intersecting with metabotropic signaling and translational regulation. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03895.001 Synapses are specialized structures that connect nerve cells to one another and allow information to be transmitted between the cells. Synapses are essential for learning and storing memories. Many proteins that regulate how signals are transmitted at synapses have already been studied. In this manner, much has been learned about their function in learning and memory. Cells can commit suicide by a process called apoptosis, also known as programmed cell death. Apoptosis is not only triggered in damaged cells but is also necessary for an organism to develop correctly. In fruit flies, the protein Drep-2 is a member of a family of proteins that degrade the DNA of cells that undergo apoptosis. Andlauer et al. found no evidence that Drep-2 plays a role in apoptosis, but have now found Drep-2 at the synapses of the brain of the fruit fly Drosophila. Drep-2 could be observed in close proximity to another type of protein called metabotropic glutamate receptors. Metabotropic glutamate receptors and their signaling pathways are important for regulating certain changes to the synapses that mediate learning processes. Indeed, Andlauer et al. found that flies that have lost the gene that produces Drep-2 were unable to remember smells when these were paired with a punishment. Stimulating the regulatory glutamate receptors with drugs helped to overcome learning deficits that result from the lack of Drep-2. Alterations in the production of a protein called FMRP cause fragile X syndrome in humans, the most common form of hereditary mental disability originating from a single gene defect. Flies lacking the FMRP protein show learning deficits that are very similar to the ones seen in flies that cannot produce Drep-2. However, Andlauer et al. observed that flies lacking both Drep-2 and FMRP can learn normally. Exactly how Drep-2 works in synapses to help with memory formation remains to be discovered, although there are indications that it boosts the effects of signaling from the glutamate receptors and counteracts FMRP. Further research will be needed to establish whether the mammalian proteins related to Drep-2 perform similar roles in the brains of mammals. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03895.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Till F M Andlauer
- Genetics, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Rui Tian
- Genetics, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marieluise Kirchner
- Department of Cell Signalling and Mass Spectrometry, Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin, Berlin-Buch, Germany
| | - Husam A Babikir
- Genetics, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Harald Depner
- Genetics, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bernhard Loll
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemisty, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christine Quentin
- Genetics, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Varun K Gupta
- Genetics, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthew G Holt
- Department Laboratory of Glia Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB) Center for the Biology of Disease, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Shubham Dipt
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Michael Cressy
- Department of Neuroscience, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, United States
| | - Markus C Wahl
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemisty, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - André Fiala
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Matthias Selbach
- Department of Cell Signalling and Mass Spectrometry, Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin, Berlin-Buch, Germany
| | - Martin Schwärzel
- Genetics, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stephan J Sigrist
- Genetics, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Schinaman JM, Giesey RL, Mizutani CM, Lukacsovich T, Sousa-Neves R. The KRÜPPEL-like transcription factor DATILÓGRAFO is required in specific cholinergic neurons for sexual receptivity in Drosophila females. PLoS Biol 2014; 12:e1001964. [PMID: 25291190 PMCID: PMC4188565 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2014] [Accepted: 08/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Courtship is a widespread behavior in which one gender conveys to the other a series of cues about their species identity, gender, and suitability as mates. In many species, females decode these male displays and either accept or reject them. Despite the fact that courtship has been investigated for a long time, the genes and circuits that allow females to generate these mutually exclusive responses remain largely unknown. Here, we provide evidence that the Krüppel-like transcription factor datilógrafo (dati) is required for proper locomotion and courtship acceptance in adult Drosophila females. dati mutant females are completely unable to decode male courtship and almost invariably reject males. Molecular analyses reveal that dati is broadly expressed in the brain and its specific removal in excitatory cholinergic neurons recapitulates the female courtship behavioral phenotype but not the locomotor deficits, indicating that these are two separable functions. Clonal analyses in female brains identified three discrete foci where dati is required to generate acceptance. These include neurons around the antennal lobe, the lateral horn, and the posterior superior lateral protocerebrum. Together, these results show that dati is required to organize and maintain a relatively simple excitatory circuit in the brain that allows females to either accept or reject courting males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Moeller Schinaman
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Rachel Lynn Giesey
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Claudia Mieko Mizutani
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Tamas Lukacsovich
- Department of Developmental & Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Rui Sousa-Neves
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
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Abstract
Drosophila have been used in classical conditioning experiments for over 40 years, thus greatly facilitating our understanding of memory, including the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms involved in cognitive diseases. Learning and memory can be assayed in larvae to study the effect of neurodevelopmental genes and in flies to measure the contribution of adult plasticity genes. Furthermore, the short lifespan of Drosophila facilitates the analysis of genes mediating age-related memory impairment. The availability of many inducible promoters that subdivide the Drosophila nervous system makes it possible to determine when and where a gene of interest is required for normal memory as well as relay of different aspects of the reinforcement signal. Studying memory in adult Drosophila allows for a detailed analysis of the behavior and circuitry involved and a measurement of long-term memory. The length of the adult stage accommodates longer-term genetic, behavioral, dietary and pharmacological manipulations of memory, in addition to determining the effect of aging and neurodegenerative disease on memory. Classical conditioning is induced by the simultaneous presentation of a neutral odor cue (conditioned stimulus, CS(+)) and a reinforcement stimulus, e.g., an electric shock or sucrose, (unconditioned stimulus, US), that become associated with one another by the animal. A second conditioned stimulus (CS(-)) is subsequently presented without the US. During the testing phase, Drosophila are simultaneously presented with CS+ and CS- odors. After the Drosophila are provided time to choose between the odors, the distribution of the animals is recorded. This procedure allows associative aversive or appetitive conditioning to be reliably measured without a bias introduced by the innate preference for either of the conditioned stimuli. Various control experiments are also performed to test whether all genotypes respond normally to odor and reinforcement alone.
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Palmer MJ, Harvey J. Honeybee Kenyon cells are regulated by a tonic GABA receptor conductance. J Neurophysiol 2014; 112:2026-35. [PMID: 25031259 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00180.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The higher cognitive functions of insects are dependent on their mushroom bodies (MBs), which are particularly large in social insects such as honeybees. MB Kenyon cells (KCs) receive multisensory input and are involved in associative learning and memory. In addition to receiving sensory input via excitatory nicotinic synapses, KCs receive inhibitory GABAergic input from MB feedback neurons. Cultured honeybee KCs exhibit ionotropic GABA receptor currents, but the properties of GABA-mediated inhibition in intact MBs are currently unknown. Here, using whole cell recordings from KCs in acutely isolated honeybee brain, we show that KCs exhibit a tonic current that is inhibited by picrotoxin but not by bicuculline. Bath application of GABA (5 μM) and taurine (1 mM) activate a tonic current in KCs, but l-glutamate (0.1-0.5 mM) has no effect. The tonic current is strongly potentiated by the allosteric GABAA receptor modulator pentobarbital and is reduced by inhibition of Ca(2+) channels with Cd(2+) or nifedipine. Noise analysis of the GABA-evoked current gives a single-channel conductance value for the underlying receptors of 27 ± 3 pS, similar to that of resistant to dieldrin (RDL) receptors. The amount of injected current required to evoke action potential firing in KCs is significantly lower in the presence of picrotoxin. KCs recorded in an intact honeybee head preparation similarly exhibit a tonic GABA receptor conductance that reduces neuronal excitability, a property that is likely to contribute to the sparse coding of sensory information in insect MBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary J Palmer
- Division of Neuroscience, Medical Research Institute, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Jenni Harvey
- Division of Neuroscience, Medical Research Institute, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
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50
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Qiao J, Zou X, Lai D, Yan Y, Wang Q, Li W, Deng S, Xu H, Gu H. Azadirachtin blocks the calcium channel and modulates the cholinergic miniature synaptic current in the central nervous system of Drosophila. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2014; 70:1041-7. [PMID: 24002996 DOI: 10.1002/ps.3644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2013] [Revised: 08/27/2013] [Accepted: 09/03/2013] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Azadirachtin is a botanical pesticide, which possesses conspicuous biological actions such as insecticidal, anthelmintic, antifeedancy, antimalarial effects as well as insect growth regulation. Deterrent for chemoreceptor functions appears to be the main mechanism involved in the potent biological actions of Azadirachtin, although the cytotoxicity and subtle changes to skeletal muscle physiology may also contribute to its insecticide responses. In order to discover the effects of Azadirachtin on the central nervous system (CNS), patch-clamp recording was applied to Drosophila melanogaster, which has been widely used in neurological research. RESULTS Here, we describe the electrophysiological properties of a local neuron located in the suboesophageal ganglion region of D. melanogaster using the whole brain. The patch-clamp recordings suggested that Azadirachtin modulates the properties of cholinergic miniature excitatory postsynaptic current (mEPSC) and calcium currents, which play important roles in neural activity of the CNS. The frequency of mEPSC and the peak amplitude of the calcium currents significantly decreased after application of Azadirachtin. CONCLUSION Our study indicates that Azadirachtin can interfere with the insect's CNS via inhibition of excitatory cholinergic transmission and partly blocking the calcium channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingda Qiao
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
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