Circadian phenotypes of Drosophila fragile x mutants in alternative genetic backgrounds

Ketogenic Diet Affects Sleep Architecture in C57BL/6J Wild Type and Fragile X Mice

Nearly half of children with fragile X syndrome experience sleep problems including trouble falling asleep and frequent nighttime awakenings. The goals here were to assess sleep-wake cycles in mice in response to Fmr1 genotype and a dietary intervention that reduces hyperactivity. Electroencephalography (EEG) results were compared with published rest-activity patterns to determine if actigraphy is a viable surrogate for sleep EEG. Specifically, sleep-wake patterns in adult wild type and Fmr1KO littermate mice were recorded after EEG electrode implantation and the recordings manually scored for vigilance states. The data indicated that Fmr1KO mice exhibited sleep-wake patterns similar to wild type littermates when maintained on a control purified ingredient diet. Treatment with a high-fat, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet increased the percentage of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep in both wild type and Fmr1KO mice during the dark cycle, which corresponded to decreased activity levels. Treatment with a ketogenic diet flattened diurnal sleep periodicity in both wild type and Fmr1KO mice. Differences in several sleep microstructure outcomes (number and length of sleep and wake bouts) supported the altered sleep states in response to a ketogenic diet and were correlated with altered rest-activity cycles. While actigraphy may be a less expensive, reduced labor surrogate for sleep EEG during the dark cycle, daytime resting in mice did not correlate with EEG sleep states.

A rapid and dynamic role for FMRP in the plasticity of adult neurons

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a neuro-developmental disorder caused by silencing Fmr1, which encodes the RNA-binding protein FMRP. Although Fmr1 is expressed in adult neurons, it has been challenging to separate acute from chronic effects of loss of Fmr1 in models of FXS. We have used the precision of Drosophila genetics to test if Fmr1 acutely affects adult neuronal plasticity in vivo, focusing on the s-LNv circadian pacemaker neurons that show 24 hour rhythms in structural plasticity. We found that over-expressing Fmr1 for only 4 hours blocks the activity-dependent expansion of s-LNv projections without altering the circadian clock or activity-regulated gene expression. Conversely, acutely reducing Fmr1 expression prevented s-LNv projections from retracting. One FMRP target that we identified in s-LNvs is sif, which encodes a Rac1 GEF. Our data indicate that FMRP normally reduces sif mRNA translation at dusk to reduce Rac1 activity. Overall, our data reveal a previously unappreciated rapid and direct role for FMRP in acutely regulating neuronal plasticity in adult neurons, and underscore the importance of RNA-binding proteins in this process.

Drosophila melanogaster as a Model to Study Fragile X-Associated Disorders

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a global neurodevelopmental disorder caused by the expansion of CGG trinucleotide repeats (≥200) in the Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMR1) gene. FXS is the hallmark of Fragile X-associated disorders (FXD) and the most common monogenic cause of inherited intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder. There are several animal models used to study FXS. In the FXS model of Drosophila, the only ortholog of FMR1, dfmr1, is mutated so that its protein is missing. This model has several relevant phenotypes, including defects in the circadian output pathway, sleep problems, memory deficits in the conditioned courtship and olfactory conditioning paradigms, deficits in social interaction, and deficits in neuronal development. In addition to FXS, a model of another FXD, Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), has also been established in Drosophila. This review summarizes many years of research on FXD in Drosophila models.

Deficient Sleep in Mouse Models of Fragile X Syndrome

In patients with fragile X syndrome (FXS), sleep problems are commonly observed but are not well characterized. In animal models of FXS (dfmr1 and Fmr1 knockout (KO)/Fxr2 heterozygote) circadian rhythmicity is affected, but sleep per se has not been examined. We used a home-cage monitoring system to assess total sleep time in both light and dark phases in Fmr1 KO mice at different developmental stages. Fmr1 KOs at P21 do not differ from controls, but genotype × phase interactions in both adult (P70 and P180) groups are statistically significant indicating that sleep in Fmr1 KOs is reduced selectively in the light phase compared to controls. Our results show the emergence of abnormal sleep in Fmr1 KOs during the later stages of brain maturation. Treatment of adult Fmr1 KO mice with a GABA_B agonist, R-baclofen, did not restore sleep duration in the light phase. In adult (P70) Fmr1 KO/Fxr2 heterozygote animals, total sleep time was further reduced, once again in the light phase. Our data highlight the importance of the fragile X genes (Fmr1 and Fxr2) in sleep physiology and confirm the utility of these mouse models in enhancing our understanding of sleep disorders in FXS.

Learning and behavioral deficits associated with the absence of the fragile X mental retardation protein: what a fly and mouse model can teach us

The Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most frequent form of inherited mental disability and is considered a monogenic cause of autism spectrum disorder. FXS is caused by a triplet expansion that inhibits the expression of the FMR1 gene. The gene product, the Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP), regulates mRNA metabolism in brain and nonneuronal cells. During brain development, FMRP controls the expression of key molecules involved in receptor signaling, cytoskeleton remodeling, protein synthesis and, ultimately, spine morphology. Symptoms associated with FXS include neurodevelopmental delay, cognitive impairment, anxiety, hyperactivity, and autistic-like behavior. Twenty years ago the first Fmr1 KO mouse to study FXS was generated, and several years later other key models including the mutant Drosophila melanogaster, dFmr1, have further helped the understanding of the cellular and molecular causes behind this complex syndrome. Here, we review to which extent these biological models are affected by the absence of FMRP, pointing out the similarities with the observed human dysfunction. Additionally, we discuss several potential treatments under study in animal models that are able to partially revert some of the FXS abnormalities.

The central molecular clock is robust in the face of behavioural arrhythmia in a Drosophila model of Alzheimer's disease

Circadian behavioural deficits, including sleep irregularity and restlessness in the evening, are a distressing early feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We have investigated these phenomena by studying the circadian behaviour of transgenic Drosophila expressing the amyloid beta peptide (Aβ). We find that Aβ expression results in an age-related loss of circadian behavioural rhythms despite ongoing normal molecular oscillations in the central clock neurons. Even in the absence of any behavioural correlate, the synchronised activity of the central clock remains protective, prolonging lifespan, in Aβ flies just as it does in control flies. Confocal microscopy and bioluminescence measurements point to processes downstream of the molecular clock as the main site of Aβ toxicity. In addition, there seems to be significant non-cell-autonomous Aβ toxicity resulting in morphological and probably functional signalling deficits in central clock neurons.

Behavior in a Drosophila model of fragile X

This chapter will briefly tie together a captivating string of scientific discoveries that began in the 1800s and catapulted us into the current state of the field where trials are under way in humans that have arisen directly from the discoveries made in model organisms such as Drosophila (fruit flies) and mice. The hope is that research efforts in the field of fragile X currently represent a roadmap that demonstrates the utility of identifying a mutant gene responsible for human disease, tracking down the molecular underpinnings of pathogenic phenotypes, and utilizing model organisms to identify and validate potential pharmacologic targets for testing in afflicted humans. Indeed, in fragile X this roadmap has already yielded successful trials in humans (J. Med. Genetic 46(4) 266-271; Jacquemont et al. Sci Transl Med 3(64):64ra61), although the work in studying these interventions in humans is just getting underway as the work in model organisms continues to generate new potential therapeutic targets.

Molecular and genetic analysis of the Drosophila model of fragile X syndrome

The Drosophila genome contains most genes known to be involved in heritable disease. The extraordinary genetic malleability of Drosophila, coupled to sophisticated imaging, electrophysiology, and behavioral paradigms, has paved the way for insightful mechanistic studies on the causes of developmental and neurological disease as well as many possible interventions. Here, we focus on one of the most advanced examples of Drosophila genetic disease modeling, the Drosophila model of Fragile X Syndrome, which for the past decade has provided key advances into the molecular, cellular, and behavioral defects underlying this devastating disorder. We discuss the multitude of RNAs and proteins that interact with the disease-causing FMR1 gene product, whose function is conserved from Drosophila to human. In turn, we consider FMR1 mechanistic relationships in non-neuronal tissues (germ cells and embryos), peripheral motor and sensory circuits, and central brain circuits involved in circadian clock activity and learning/memory.

In vivo neuronal function of the fragile X mental retardation protein is regulated by phosphorylation

Fragile X syndrome (FXS), caused by loss of the Fragile X Mental Retardation 1 (FMR1) gene product (FMRP), is the most common heritable cause of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorders. It has been long hypothesized that the phosphorylation of serine 500 (S500) in human FMRP controls its function as an RNA-binding translational repressor. To test this hypothesis in vivo, we employed neuronally targeted expression of three human FMR1 transgenes, including wild-type (hFMR1), dephosphomimetic (S500A-hFMR1) and phosphomimetic (S500D-hFMR1), in the Drosophila FXS disease model to investigate phosphorylation requirements. At the molecular level, dfmr1 null mutants exhibit elevated brain protein levels due to loss of translational repressor activity. This defect is rescued for an individual target protein and across the population of brain proteins by the phosphomimetic, whereas the dephosphomimetic phenocopies the null condition. At the cellular level, dfmr1 null synapse architecture exhibits increased area, branching and bouton number. The phosphomimetic fully rescues these synaptogenesis defects, whereas the dephosphomimetic provides no rescue. The presence of Futsch-positive (microtubule-associated protein 1B) supernumerary microtubule loops is elevated in dfmr1 null synapses. The human phosphomimetic restores normal Futsch loops, whereas the dephosphomimetic provides no activity. At the behavioral level, dfmr1 null mutants exhibit strongly impaired olfactory associative learning. The human phosphomimetic targeted only to the brain-learning center restores normal learning ability, whereas the dephosphomimetic provides absolutely no rescue. We conclude that human FMRP S500 phosphorylation is necessary for its in vivo function as a neuronal translational repressor and regulator of synaptic architecture, and for the manifestation of FMRP-dependent learning behavior.

Fragile X mental retardation protein is required for programmed cell death and clearance of developmentally-transient peptidergic neurons

Fragile X syndrome (FXS), caused by loss of fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene function, is the most common heritable cause of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorders. The FMR1 product (FMRP) is an RNA-binding protein best established to function in activity-dependent modulation of synaptic connections. In the Drosophila FXS disease model, loss of functionally-conserved dFMRP causes synaptic overgrowth and overelaboration in pigment dispersing factor (PDF) peptidergic neurons in the adult brain. Here, we identify a very different component of PDF neuron misregulation in dfmr1 mutants: the aberrant retention of normally developmentally-transient PDF tritocerebral (PDF-TRI) neurons. In wild-type animals, PDF-TRI neurons in the central brain undergo programmed cell death and complete, processive clearance within days of eclosion. In the absence of dFMRP, a defective apoptotic program leads to constitutive maintenance of these peptidergic neurons. We tested whether this apoptotic defect is circuit-specific by examining crustacean cardioactive peptide (CCAP) and bursicon circuits, which are similarly developmentally-transient and normally eliminated immediately post-eclosion. In dfmr1 null mutants, CCAP/bursicon neurons also exhibit significantly delayed clearance dynamics, but are subsequently eliminated from the nervous system, in contrast to the fully persistent PDF-TRI neurons. Thus, the requirement of dFMRP for the retention of transitory peptidergic neurons shows evident circuit specificity. The novel defect of impaired apoptosis and aberrant neuron persistence in the Drosophila FXS model suggests an entirely new level of "pruning" dysfunction may contribute to the FXS disease state.

Human disease models in Drosophila melanogaster and the role of the fly in therapeutic drug discovery

The common fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is a well studied and highly tractable genetic model organism for understanding molecular mechanisms of human diseases. Many basic biological, physiological, and neurological properties are conserved between mammals and D. melanogaster, and nearly 75% of human disease-causing genes are believed to have a functional homolog in the fly. In the discovery process for therapeutics, traditional approaches employ high-throughput screening for small molecules that is based primarily on in vitro cell culture, enzymatic assays, or receptor binding assays. The majority of positive hits identified through these types of in vitro screens, unfortunately, are found to be ineffective and/or toxic in subsequent validation experiments in whole-animal models. New tools and platforms are needed in the discovery arena to overcome these limitations. The incorporation of D. melanogaster into the therapeutic discovery process holds tremendous promise for an enhanced rate of discovery of higher quality leads. D. melanogaster models of human diseases provide several unique features such as powerful genetics, highly conserved disease pathways, and very low comparative costs. The fly can effectively be used for low- to high-throughput drug screens as well as in target discovery. Here, we review the basic biology of the fly and discuss models of human diseases and opportunities for therapeutic discovery for central nervous system disorders, inflammatory disorders, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. We also provide information and resources for those interested in pursuing fly models of human disease, as well as those interested in using D. melanogaster in the drug discovery process.

Fragile X mental retardation protein has a unique, evolutionarily conserved neuronal function not shared with FXR1P or FXR2P

Fragile X syndrome (FXS), resulting solely from the loss of function of the human fragile X mental retardation 1 (hFMR1) gene, is the most common heritable cause of mental retardation and autism disorders, with syndromic defects also in non-neuronal tissues. In addition, the human genome encodes two closely related hFMR1 paralogs: hFXR1 and hFXR2. The Drosophila genome, by contrast, encodes a single dFMR1 gene with close sequence homology to all three human genes. Drosophila that lack the dFMR1 gene (dfmr1 null mutants) recapitulate FXS-associated molecular, cellular and behavioral phenotypes, suggesting that FMR1 function has been conserved, albeit with specific functions possibly sub-served by the expanded human gene family. To test evolutionary conservation, we used tissue-targeted transgenic expression of all three human genes in the Drosophila disease model to investigate function at (1) molecular, (2) neuronal and (3) non-neuronal levels. In neurons, dfmr1 null mutants exhibit elevated protein levels that alter the central brain and neuromuscular junction (NMJ) synaptic architecture, including an increase in synapse area, branching and bouton numbers. Importantly, hFMR1 can, comparably to dFMR1, fully rescue both the molecular and cellular defects in neurons, whereas hFXR1 and hFXR2 provide absolutely no rescue. For non-neuronal requirements, we assayed male fecundity and testes function. dfmr1 null mutants are effectively sterile owing to disruption of the 9+2 microtubule organization in the sperm tail. Importantly, all three human genes fully and equally rescue mutant fecundity and spermatogenesis defects. These results indicate that FMR1 gene function is evolutionarily conserved in neural mechanisms and cannot be compensated by either FXR1 or FXR2, but that all three proteins can substitute for each other in non-neuronal requirements. We conclude that FMR1 has a neural-specific function that is distinct from its paralogs, and that the unique FMR1 function is responsible for regulating neuronal protein expression and synaptic connectivity.

Temporal requirements of the fragile x mental retardation protein in modulating circadian clock circuit synaptic architecture

Loss of fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene function is the most common cause of inherited mental retardation and autism spectrum disorders, characterized by attention disorder, hyperactivity and disruption of circadian activity cycles. Pursuit of effective intervention strategies requires determining when the FMR1 product (FMRP) is required in the regulation of neuronal circuitry controlling these behaviors. In the well-characterized Drosophila disease model, loss of the highly conserved dFMRP causes circadian arrhythmicity and conspicuous abnormalities in the circadian clock circuitry. Here, a novel Sholl Analysis was used to quantify over-elaborated synaptic architecture in dfmr1-null small ventrolateral neurons (sLN_vs), a key subset of clock neurons. The transgenic Gene-Switch system was employed to drive conditional neuronal dFMRP expression in the dfmr1-null mutant background in order to dissect temporal requirements within the clock circuit. Introduction of dFMRP during early brain development, including the stages of neurogenesis, neuronal fate specification and early pathfinding, provided no rescue of dfmr1 mutant phenotypes. Similarly, restoring normal dFMRP expression in the adult failed to restore circadian circuit architecture. In sharp contrast, supplying dFMRP during a transient window of very late brain development, wherein synaptogenesis and substantial subsequent synaptic reorganization (e.g. use-dependent pruning) occur, provided strong morphological rescue to reestablish normal sLN_vs synaptic arbors. We conclude that dFMRP plays a developmentally restricted role in sculpting synaptic architecture in these neurons that cannot be compensated for by later reintroduction of the protein at maturity.

The fragile X mental retardation protein in circadian rhythmicity and memory consolidation

The control of new protein synthesis provides a means to locally regulate the availability of synaptic components necessary for dynamic neuronal processes. The fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), an RNA-binding translational regulator, is a key player mediating appropriate synaptic protein synthesis in response to neuronal activity levels. Loss of FMRP causes fragile X syndrome (FraX), the most commonly inherited form of mental retardation and autism spectrum disorders. FraX-associated translational dysregulation causes wide-ranging neurological deficits including severe impairments of biological rhythms, learning processes, and memory consolidation. Dysfunction in cytoskeletal regulation and synaptic scaffolding disrupts neuronal architecture and functional synaptic connectivity. The understanding of this devastating disease and the implementation of meaningful treatment strategies require a thorough exploration of the temporal and spatial requirements for FMRP in establishing and maintaining neural circuit function.