1
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Tadres D, Saxena N, Louis M. Tracking the Navigation Behavior of Drosophila Larvae in Real and Virtual Odor Gradients by Using the Raspberry Pi Virtual Reality (PiVR) System. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2024; 2024:pdb.top108098. [PMID: 37258056 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.top108098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
In a closed-loop experimental paradigm, an animal experiences a modulation of its sensory input as a function of its own behavior. Tools enabling closed-loop experiments are crucial for delineating causal relationships between the activity of genetically labeled neurons and specific behavioral responses. We have recently developed an experimental platform known as "Raspberry Pi Virtual Reality" (PiVR) that is used to perform closed-loop optogenetic stimulation of neurons in unrestrained animals. PiVR is a system that operates at high temporal resolution (>30-Hz) and with low latencies. Larvae of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster are ideal to study the role of individual neurons in modulating behavior to aid the understanding of the neural pathways underlying various guided behaviors. Here, we introduce larval chemotaxis as an example of a navigational behavior in which an animal seeks to locate a target-in this case, the attractive source of an odor-by tracking a concentration gradient. The methodologies that we describe here combine the use of PiVR with the study of larval chemotaxis in real and virtual odor gradients, but these can also be readily adapted to other sensory modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Tadres
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nitesh Saxena
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA
| | - Matthieu Louis
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA
- Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA
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2
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Perry S, Clark JT, Ngo P, Ray A. Receptors underlying an odorant's valence across concentrations in Drosophila larvae. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb247215. [PMID: 38511428 PMCID: PMC11166451 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.247215] [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: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Odorants interact with receptors expressed in specialized olfactory neurons, and neurons of the same class send their axons to distinct glomeruli in the brain. The stereotypic spatial glomerular activity map generates recognition and the behavioral response for the odorant. The valence of an odorant changes with concentration, typically becoming aversive at higher concentrations. Interestingly, in Drosophila larvae, the odorant (E)-2-hexenal is aversive at low concentrations and attractive at higher concentrations. We investigated the molecular and neural basis of this phenomenon, focusing on how activities of different olfactory neurons conveying opposing effects dictate behaviors. We identified the repellant neuron in the larvae as one expressing the olfactory receptor Or7a, whose activation alone at low concentrations of (E)-2-hexenal elicits an avoidance response in an Or7a-dependent manner. We demonstrate that avoidance can be overcome at higher concentrations by activation of additional neurons that are known to be attractive, most notably odorants that are known activators of Or42a and Or85c. These findings suggest that in the larval stage, the attraction-conveying neurons can overcome the aversion-conveying channels for (E)-2-hexenal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Perry
- Graduate program in Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Jonathan T. Clark
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Paulina Ngo
- Department of Molecular Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Anandasankar Ray
- Graduate program in Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Department of Molecular Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Center for Disease Vector Research, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
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3
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Yang YT, Hu SW, Li X, Sun Y, He P, Kohlmeier KA, Zhu Y. Sex peptide regulates female receptivity through serotoninergic neurons in Drosophila. iScience 2023; 26:106123. [PMID: 36876123 PMCID: PMC9976462 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The courtship ritual is a dynamic interplay between males and females. Courtship successfully leading to copulation is determined by the intention of both parties which is conveyed by complex action sequences. In Drosophila, the neural mechanisms controlling the female's willingness to mate, or sexual receptivity, have only recently become the focus of investigations. Here, we report that pre-mating sexual receptivity in females requires activity within a subset of serotonergic projection neurons (SPNs), which positively regulate courtship success. Of interest, a male-derived sex peptide, SP, which was transferred to females during copulation acted to inhibit the activity of SPN and suppressed receptivity. Downstream of 5-HT, subsets of 5-HT7 receptor neurons played critical roles in SP-induced suppression of sexual receptivity. Together, our study reveals a complex serotonin signaling system in the central brain of Drosophila which manages the female's desire to mate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Tong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China.,Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China.,Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.,Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research, Beijing 101408, China
| | - Shao Wei Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.,ENT Institute and Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye & ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xiaonan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yuanjie Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ping He
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Kristi Anne Kohlmeier
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.,Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research, Beijing 101408, China
| | - Yan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China.,Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.,Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research, Beijing 101408, China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100190, China
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4
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Yoon S, Shin M, Shim J. Inter-organ regulation by the brain in Drosophila development and physiology. J Neurogenet 2022:1-13. [DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2022.2137162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sunggyu Yoon
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Natural Science, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Mingyu Shin
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Natural Science, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiwon Shim
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Natural Science, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Research Institute for Natural Science, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Hanyang Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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5
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Honda T. Optogenetic and thermogenetic manipulation of defined neural circuits and behaviors in Drosophila. Learn Mem 2022; 29:100-109. [PMID: 35332066 PMCID: PMC8973390 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053556.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Neural network dynamics underlying flexible animal behaviors remain elusive. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is considered an excellent model in behavioral neuroscience because of its simple neuroanatomical architecture and the availability of various genetic methods. Moreover, Drosophila larvae's transparent body allows investigators to use optical methods on freely moving animals, broadening research directions. Activating or inhibiting well-defined events in excitable cells with a fine temporal resolution using optogenetics and thermogenetics led to the association of functions of defined neural populations with specific behavioral outputs such as the induction of associative memory. Furthermore, combining optogenetics and thermogenetics with state-of-the-art approaches, including connectome mapping and machine learning-based behavioral quantification, might provide a complete view of the experience- and time-dependent variations of behavioral responses. These methodologies allow further understanding of the functional connections between neural circuits and behaviors such as chemosensory, motivational, courtship, and feeding behaviors and sleep, learning, and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takato Honda
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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6
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Tumkaya T, Burhanudin S, Khalilnezhad A, Stewart J, Choi H, Claridge-Chang A. Most primary olfactory neurons have individually neutral effects on behavior. eLife 2022; 11:71238. [PMID: 35044905 PMCID: PMC8806191 DOI: 10.7554/elife.71238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals use olfactory receptors to navigate mates, food, and danger. However, for complex olfactory systems, it is unknown what proportion of primary olfactory sensory neurons can individually drive avoidance or attraction. Similarly, the rules that govern behavioral responses to receptor combinations are unclear. We used optogenetic analysis in Drosophila to map the behavior elicited by olfactory-receptor neuron (ORN) classes: just one-fifth of ORN-types drove either avoidance or attraction. Although wind and hunger are closely linked to olfaction, neither had much effect on single-class responses. Several pooling rules have been invoked to explain how ORN types combine their behavioral influences; we activated two-way combinations and compared patterns of single- and double-ORN responses: these comparisons were inconsistent with simple pooling. We infer that the majority of primary olfactory sensory neurons have neutral behavioral effects individually, but participate in broad, odor-elicited ensembles with potent behavioral effects arising from complex interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - James Stewart
- Program in Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders, Duke NUS Graduate Medical School
| | - Hyungwon Choi
- Department of Medicine, National University of Singapore
| | - Adam Claridge-Chang
- Program in Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders, Duke NUS Graduate Medical School
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7
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Abreu N, Levitz J. Optogenetic Techniques for Manipulating and Sensing G Protein-Coupled Receptor Signaling. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2173:21-51. [PMID: 32651908 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0755-8_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) form the largest class of membrane receptors in the mammalian genome with nearly 800 human genes encoding for unique subtypes. Accordingly, GPCR signaling is implicated in nearly all physiological processes. However, GPCRs have been difficult to study due in part to the complexity of their function which can lead to a plethora of converging or diverging downstream effects over different time and length scales. Classic techniques such as pharmacological control, genetic knockout and biochemical assays often lack the precision required to probe the functions of specific GPCR subtypes. Here we describe the rapidly growing set of optogenetic tools, ranging from methods for optical control of the receptor itself to optical sensing and manipulation of downstream effectors. These tools permit the quantitative measurements of GPCRs and their downstream signaling with high specificity and spatiotemporal precision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nohely Abreu
- Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joshua Levitz
- Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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8
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Warth Pérez Arias CC, Frosch P, Fiala A, Riemensperger TD. Stochastic and Arbitrarily Generated Input Patterns to the Mushroom Bodies Can Serve as Conditioned Stimuli in Drosophila. Front Physiol 2020; 11:53. [PMID: 32116764 PMCID: PMC7027390 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Single neurons in the brains of insects often have individual genetic identities and can be unambiguously identified between animals. The overall neuronal connectivity is also genetically determined and hard-wired to a large degree. Experience-dependent structural and functional plasticity is believed to be superimposed onto this more-or-less fixed connectome. However, in Drosophila melanogaster, it has been shown that the connectivity between the olfactory projection neurons (OPNs) and Kenyon cells, the intrinsic neurons of the mushroom body, is highly stochastic and idiosyncratic between individuals. Ensembles of distinctly and sparsely activated Kenyon cells represent information about the identity of the olfactory input, and behavioral relevance can be assigned to this representation in the course of associative olfactory learning. Previously, we showed that in the absence of any direct sensory input, artificially and stochastically activated groups of Kenyon cells could be trained to encode aversive cues when their activation coincided with aversive stimuli. Here, we have tested the hypothesis that the mushroom body can learn any stochastic neuronal input pattern as behaviorally relevant, independent of its exact origin. We show that fruit flies can learn thermogenetically generated, stochastic activity patterns of OPNs as conditioned stimuli, irrespective of glomerular identity, the innate valence that the projection neurons carry, or inter-hemispheric symmetry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmina Carelia Warth Pérez Arias
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Patrizia Frosch
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - André Fiala
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Thomas D Riemensperger
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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9
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Ehmann
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Dennis Pauls
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
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10
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Han SY, Clarkson J, Piet R, Herbison AE. Optical Approaches for Interrogating Neural Circuits Controlling Hormone Secretion. Endocrinology 2018; 159:3822-3833. [PMID: 30304401 DOI: 10.1210/en.2018-00594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Developments in optical imaging and optogenetics are transforming the functional investigation of neuronal networks throughout the brain. Recent studies in the neuroendocrine field have used genetic mouse models combined with a variety of light-activated optical tools as well as GCaMP calcium imaging to interrogate the neural circuitry controlling hormone secretion. The present review highlights the benefits and caveats of these approaches for undertaking both acute brain slice and functional studies in vivo. We focus on the use of channelrhodopsin and the inhibitory optogenetic tools, archaerhodopsin and halorhodopsin, in addition to GCaMP imaging of individual cells in vitro and neural populations in vivo using fiber photometry. We also address issues around the use of genetic vs viral delivery of encoded proteins to specific Cre-expressing cell populations, their quantification, and the use of conscious vs anesthetized animal models. To date, optogenetics and GCaMP imaging have proven useful in dissecting functional circuitry within the brain and are likely to become essential investigative tools for deciphering the different neural networks controlling hormone secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Young Han
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Physiology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Jenny Clarkson
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Physiology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Richard Piet
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Physiology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Allan E Herbison
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Physiology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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11
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Pavin A, Fain K, DeHart A, Sitaraman D. Aversive and Appetitive Learning in Drosophila Larvae: A Simple and Powerful Suite of Laboratory Modules for Classroom or Open-ended Research Projects. JOURNAL OF UNDERGRADUATE NEUROSCIENCE EDUCATION : JUNE : A PUBLICATION OF FUN, FACULTY FOR UNDERGRADUATE NEUROSCIENCE 2018; 16:A177-A185. [PMID: 30057500 PMCID: PMC6057766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
A key element of laboratory courses introducing students to neuroscience includes behavioral exercises. Associative learning experiments often conducted in research laboratories are difficult to perform and time consuming. Commonly, these experiments cannot be performed without extensive instrumentation or animal care facilities. Here, we describe three distinct laboratory modules that build on simple chemosensory and memory assays in Drosophila larvae. Additionally, we describe open-ended research projects using these assays that can be developed into semester long independent research experiences. Given that Drosophila is a genetic model organism, these simple behavioral assays can be used to generate multiple hypothesis driven projects aimed at identifying a gene or class of neurons involved in appetitive and aversive learning. These lab modules are ideally suited for undergraduates at all levels to experience and can be incorporated in a lower/upper level neuroscience course or as a high school outreach exercise. Further, these modules enable students to collect their own data sets, work in groups in collating large data sets, performing statistical comparisons, and presenting results in the form of short research papers or traditional laboratory reports that include a short literature review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin Pavin
- Department of Psychological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA-92110
| | - Kevin Fain
- Department of Psychological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA-92110
| | - Allison DeHart
- Department of Psychological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA-92110
| | - Divya Sitaraman
- Department of Psychological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA-92110
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12
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Utashiro N, Williams CR, Parrish JZ, Emoto K. Prior activity of olfactory receptor neurons is required for proper sensory processing and behavior in Drosophila larvae. Sci Rep 2018; 8:8580. [PMID: 29872087 PMCID: PMC5988719 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-26825-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal responses to their environment rely on activation of sensory neurons by external stimuli. In many sensory systems, however, neurons display basal activity prior to the external stimuli. This prior activity is thought to modulate neural functions, yet its impact on animal behavior remains elusive. Here, we reveal a potential role for prior activity in olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) in shaping larval olfactory behavior. We show that prior activity in larval ORNs is mediated by the olfactory receptor complex (OR complex). Mutations of Orco, an odorant co-receptor required for OR complex function, cause reduced attractive behavior in response to optogenetic activation of ORNs. Calcium imaging reveals that Orco mutant ORNs fully respond to optogenetic stimulation but exhibit altered temporal patterns of neural responses. These findings together suggest a critical role for prior activity in information processing upon ORN activation in Drosophila larvae, which in turn contributes to olfactory behavior control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nao Utashiro
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Claire R Williams
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, 24 Kincaid Hall, Box 351800, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.,Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Jay Z Parrish
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, 24 Kincaid Hall, Box 351800, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.,Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Kazuo Emoto
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan. .,International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
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13
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Optogenetic Tools for Subcellular Applications in Neuroscience. Neuron 2017; 96:572-603. [PMID: 29096074 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.09.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 216] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2016] [Revised: 03/30/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The ability to study cellular physiology using photosensitive, genetically encoded molecules has profoundly transformed neuroscience. The modern optogenetic toolbox includes fluorescent sensors to visualize signaling events in living cells and optogenetic actuators enabling manipulation of numerous cellular activities. Most optogenetic tools are not targeted to specific subcellular compartments but are localized with limited discrimination throughout the cell. Therefore, optogenetic activation often does not reflect context-dependent effects of highly localized intracellular signaling events. Subcellular targeting is required to achieve more specific optogenetic readouts and photomanipulation. Here we first provide a detailed overview of the available optogenetic tools with a focus on optogenetic actuators. Second, we review established strategies for targeting these tools to specific subcellular compartments. Finally, we discuss useful tools and targeting strategies that are currently missing from the optogenetics repertoire and provide suggestions for novel subcellular optogenetic applications.
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14
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Ando N, Kanzaki R. Using insects to drive mobile robots - hybrid robots bridge the gap between biological and artificial systems. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2017; 46:723-735. [PMID: 28254451 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2017.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Revised: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The use of mobile robots is an effective method of validating sensory-motor models of animals in a real environment. The well-identified insect sensory-motor systems have been the major targets for modeling. Furthermore, mobile robots implemented with such insect models attract engineers who aim to avail advantages from organisms. However, directly comparing the robots with real insects is still difficult, even if we successfully model the biological systems, because of the physical differences between them. We developed a hybrid robot to bridge the gap. This hybrid robot is an insect-controlled robot, in which a tethered male silkmoth (Bombyx mori) drives the robot in order to localize an odor source. This robot has the following three advantages: 1) from a biomimetic perspective, the robot enables us to evaluate the potential performance of future insect-mimetic robots; 2) from a biological perspective, the robot enables us to manipulate the closed-loop of an onboard insect for further understanding of its sensory-motor system; and 3) the robot enables comparison with insect models as a reference biological system. In this paper, we review the recent works regarding insect-controlled robots and discuss the significance for both engineering and biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriyasu Ando
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan.
| | - Ryohei Kanzaki
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan
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15
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Wang M, Yu Y, Shao J, Heng BC, Ye H. Engineering synthetic optogenetic networks for biomedical applications. QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s40484-017-0105-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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16
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Ando N, Emoto S, Kanzaki R. Insect-controlled Robot: A Mobile Robot Platform to Evaluate the Odor-tracking Capability of an Insect. J Vis Exp 2016. [PMID: 28060258 DOI: 10.3791/54802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Robotic odor source localization has been a challenging area and one to which biological knowledge has been expected to contribute, as finding odor sources is an essential task for organism survival. Insects are well-studied organisms with regard to odor tracking, and their behavioral strategies have been applied to mobile robots for evaluation. This "bottom-up" approach is a fundamental way to develop biomimetic robots; however, the biological analyses and the modeling of behavioral mechanisms are still ongoing. Therefore, it is still unknown how such a biological system actually works as the controller of a robotic platform. To answer this question, we have developed an insect-controlled robot in which a male adult silkmoth (Bombyx mori) drives a robot car in response to odor stimuli; this can be regarded as a prototype of a future insect-mimetic robot. In the cockpit of the robot, a tethered silkmoth walked on an air-supported ball and an optical sensor measured the ball rotations. These rotations were translated into the movement of the two-wheeled robot. The advantage of this "hybrid" approach is that experimenters can manipulate any parameter of the robot, which enables the evaluation of the odor-tracking capability of insects and provides useful suggestions for robotic odor-tracking. Furthermore, these manipulations are non-invasive ways to alter the sensory-motor relationship of a pilot insect and will be a useful technique for understanding adaptive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriyasu Ando
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo;
| | - Shuhei Emoto
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo
| | - Ryohei Kanzaki
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo
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17
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Abstract
Optogenetic techniques enable one to target specific neurons with light-sensitive proteins, e.g., ion channels, ion pumps, or enzymes, and to manipulate their physiological state through illumination. Such artificial interference with selected elements of complex neuronal circuits can help to determine causal relationships between neuronal activity and the effect on the functioning of neuronal circuits controlling animal behavior. The advantages of optogenetics can best be exploited in genetically tractable animals whose nervous systems are, on the one hand, small enough in terms of cell numbers and to a certain degree stereotypically organized, such that distinct and identifiable neurons can be targeted reproducibly. On the other hand, the neuronal circuitry and the behavioral repertoire should be complex enough to enable one to address interesting questions. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is a favorable model organism in this regard. However, the application of optogenetic tools to depolarize or hyperpolarize neurons through light-induced ionic currents has been difficult in adult flies. Only recently, several variants of Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) have been introduced that provide sufficient light sensitivity, expression, and stability to depolarize central brain neurons efficiently in adult Drosophila. Here, we focus on the version currently providing highest photostimulation efficiency, ChR2-XXL. We exemplify the use of this optogenetic tool by applying it to a widely used aversive olfactory learning paradigm. Optogenetic activation of a population of dopamine-releasing neurons mimics the reinforcing properties of a punitive electric shock typically used as an unconditioned stimulus. In temporal coincidence with an odor stimulus this artificially induced neuronal activity causes learning of the odor signal, thereby creating a light-induced memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Riemensperger
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Robert J Kittel
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Röntgenring 9, 97070, Würzburg, Germany
| | - André Fiala
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
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18
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Xu L, He J, Kaiser A, Gräber N, Schläger L, Ritze Y, Scholz H. A Single Pair of Serotonergic Neurons Counteracts Serotonergic Inhibition of Ethanol Attraction in Drosophila. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0167518. [PMID: 27936023 PMCID: PMC5147910 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Attraction to ethanol is common in both flies and humans, but the neuromodulatory mechanisms underlying this innate attraction are not well understood. Here, we dissect the function of the key regulator of serotonin signaling—the serotonin transporter–in innate olfactory attraction to ethanol in Drosophila melanogaster. We generated a mutated version of the serotonin transporter that prolongs serotonin signaling in the synaptic cleft and is targeted via the Gal4 system to different sets of serotonergic neurons. We identified four serotonergic neurons that inhibit the olfactory attraction to ethanol and two additional neurons that counteract this inhibition by strengthening olfactory information. Our results reveal that compensation can occur on the circuit level and that serotonin has a bidirectional function in modulating the innate attraction to ethanol. Given the evolutionarily conserved nature of the serotonin transporter and serotonin, the bidirectional serotonergic mechanisms delineate a basic principle for how random behavior is switched into targeted approach behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Xu
- Zoology, Albertus Magnus University Cologne, Köln, Germany
| | - Jianzheng He
- Zoology, Albertus Magnus University Cologne, Köln, Germany
| | - Andrea Kaiser
- Zoology, Albertus Magnus University Cologne, Köln, Germany
| | - Nikolas Gräber
- Zoology, Albertus Magnus University Cologne, Köln, Germany
| | - Laura Schläger
- Zoology, Albertus Magnus University Cologne, Köln, Germany
| | - Yvonne Ritze
- Institute of Genetics and Neurobiology, Julius Maximillian University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Henrike Scholz
- Zoology, Albertus Magnus University Cologne, Köln, Germany
- Institute of Genetics and Neurobiology, Julius Maximillian University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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19
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Will cardiac optogenetics find the way through the obscure angles of heart physiology? Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2016; 482:515-523. [PMID: 27871856 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.11.104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Optogenetics is a technique exploded in the last 10 years, which revolutionized several areas of biological research. The brightest side of this technology is the use of light to modulate non-invasively, with high spatial resolution and millisecond time scale, excitable cells genetically modified to express light-sensitive microbial ion channels (opsins). Neuroscience has first benefited from such fascinating strategy, in intact organisms. By shining light to specific neuronal subpopulations, optogenetics allowed unearth the mechanisms involved in cell-to-cell communication within the context of intact organs, such as the brain, formed by complex neuronal circuits. More recently, scientists looked at optogenetics as a tool to answer some of the questions, remained in the dark, of cardiovascular physiology. In this review, we focus on the application of optogenetics in the study of the heart, a complex multicellular organ, homing different populations of excitable cells, spatially and functionally interconnected. Moving from the first proof-of-principle works, published in 2010, to the present time, we discuss the in vitro and in vivo applications of optogenetics for the study of electrophysiology of the different cardiac cell types, and for the dissection of cellular mechanisms underlying arrhythmias. We also present how molecular biology and technology foster the evolution of cardiac optogenetics, with the aim to further our understanding of fundamental questions in cardiac physiology and pathology. Finally, we confer about the therapeutic potential of such biotechnological strategy for the treatment of heart rhythm disturbances (e.g. cardiac pacing, cardioversion).
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20
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Wystrach A, Lagogiannis K, Webb B. Continuous lateral oscillations as a core mechanism for taxis in Drosophila larvae. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27751233 PMCID: PMC5117870 DOI: 10.7554/elife.15504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Taxis behaviour in Drosophila larva is thought to consist of distinct control mechanisms triggering specific actions. Here, we support a simpler hypothesis: that taxis results from direct sensory modulation of continuous lateral oscillations of the anterior body, sparing the need for ‘action selection’. Our analysis of larvae motion reveals a rhythmic, continuous lateral oscillation of the anterior body, encompassing all head-sweeps, small or large, without breaking the oscillatory rhythm. Further, we show that an agent-model that embeds this hypothesis reproduces a surprising number of taxis signatures observed in larvae. Also, by coupling the sensory input to a neural oscillator in continuous time, we show that the mechanism is robust and biologically plausible. The mechanism provides a simple architecture for combining information across modalities, and explaining how learnt associations modulate taxis. We discuss the results in the light of larval neural circuitry and make testable predictions. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.15504.001
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Wystrach
- School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Centre de recherche sur la cognition animal, CNRS, Universite de Toulouse, Toulouse, United Kingdom
| | | | - Barbara Webb
- School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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21
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Papanicolaou A, Schetelig MF, Arensburger P, Atkinson PW, Benoit JB, Bourtzis K, Castañera P, Cavanaugh JP, Chao H, Childers C, Curril I, Dinh H, Doddapaneni H, Dolan A, Dugan S, Friedrich M, Gasperi G, Geib S, Georgakilas G, Gibbs RA, Giers SD, Gomulski LM, González-Guzmán M, Guillem-Amat A, Han Y, Hatzigeorgiou AG, Hernández-Crespo P, Hughes DST, Jones JW, Karagkouni D, Koskinioti P, Lee SL, Malacrida AR, Manni M, Mathiopoulos K, Meccariello A, Munoz-Torres M, Murali SC, Murphy TD, Muzny DM, Oberhofer G, Ortego F, Paraskevopoulou MD, Poelchau M, Qu J, Reczko M, Robertson HM, Rosendale AJ, Rosselot AE, Saccone G, Salvemini M, Savini G, Schreiner P, Scolari F, Siciliano P, Sim SB, Tsiamis G, Ureña E, Vlachos IS, Werren JH, Wimmer EA, Worley KC, Zacharopoulou A, Richards S, Handler AM. The whole genome sequence of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), reveals insights into the biology and adaptive evolution of a highly invasive pest species. Genome Biol 2016; 17:192. [PMID: 27659211 PMCID: PMC5034548 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-016-1049-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly), Ceratitis capitata, is a major destructive insect pest due to its broad host range, which includes hundreds of fruits and vegetables. It exhibits a unique ability to invade and adapt to ecological niches throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world, though medfly infestations have been prevented and controlled by the sterile insect technique (SIT) as part of integrated pest management programs (IPMs). The genetic analysis and manipulation of medfly has been subject to intensive study in an effort to improve SIT efficacy and other aspects of IPM control. Results The 479 Mb medfly genome is sequenced from adult flies from lines inbred for 20 generations. A high-quality assembly is achieved having a contig N50 of 45.7 kb and scaffold N50 of 4.06 Mb. In-depth curation of more than 1800 messenger RNAs shows specific gene expansions that can be related to invasiveness and host adaptation, including gene families for chemoreception, toxin and insecticide metabolism, cuticle proteins, opsins, and aquaporins. We identify genes relevant to IPM control, including those required to improve SIT. Conclusions The medfly genome sequence provides critical insights into the biology of one of the most serious and widespread agricultural pests. This knowledge should significantly advance the means of controlling the size and invasive potential of medfly populations. Its close relationship to Drosophila, and other insect species important to agriculture and human health, will further comparative functional and structural studies of insect genomes that should broaden our understanding of gene family evolution. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13059-016-1049-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexie Papanicolaou
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Marc F Schetelig
- Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Institute for Insect Biotechnology, 35394, Giessen, Germany
| | - Peter Arensburger
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona, CA, 91768, USA
| | - Peter W Atkinson
- Department of Entomology and Center for Disease Vector Research, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA.,Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Genetics, Genomics & Bioinformatics, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Joshua B Benoit
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Kostas Bourtzis
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Programme of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Seibersdorf, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Management, University of Patras, Agrinio, Greece
| | - Pedro Castañera
- Department of Environmental Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - John P Cavanaugh
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Hsu Chao
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | | | - Ingrid Curril
- Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Huyen Dinh
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - HarshaVardhan Doddapaneni
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Amanda Dolan
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Shannon Dugan
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Markus Friedrich
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA
| | - Giuliano Gasperi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Scott Geib
- USDA-ARS, Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA
| | - Georgios Georgakilas
- DIANA-Lab, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Thessaly, 382 21 Volos, Greece and Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521, Athens, Greece
| | - Richard A Gibbs
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Sarah D Giers
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Ludvik M Gomulski
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Miguel González-Guzmán
- Department of Environmental Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Guillem-Amat
- Department of Environmental Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Yi Han
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Artemis G Hatzigeorgiou
- DIANA-Lab, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Thessaly, 382 21 Volos, Greece and Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521, Athens, Greece
| | - Pedro Hernández-Crespo
- Department of Environmental Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel S T Hughes
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jeffery W Jones
- Department of Biological Sciences, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, 48309, USA
| | - Dimitra Karagkouni
- DIANA-Lab, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Thessaly, 382 21 Volos, Greece and Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521, Athens, Greece
| | - Panagiota Koskinioti
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Sandra L Lee
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Anna R Malacrida
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Mosè Manni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Kostas Mathiopoulos
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Angela Meccariello
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Shwetha C Murali
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Terence D Murphy
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Donna M Muzny
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Georg Oberhofer
- Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Félix Ortego
- Department of Environmental Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria D Paraskevopoulou
- DIANA-Lab, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Thessaly, 382 21 Volos, Greece and Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521, Athens, Greece
| | - Monica Poelchau
- National Agricultural Library, USDA, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Jiaxin Qu
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Martin Reczko
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre "Alexander Fleming", Vari, Greece
| | - Hugh M Robertson
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Andrew J Rosendale
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Andrew E Rosselot
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Giuseppe Saccone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Salvemini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Grazia Savini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Patrick Schreiner
- Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Genetics, Genomics & Bioinformatics, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Francesca Scolari
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Paolo Siciliano
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Sheina B Sim
- USDA-ARS, Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA
| | - George Tsiamis
- Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Management, University of Patras, Agrinio, Greece
| | - Enric Ureña
- Department of Environmental Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ioannis S Vlachos
- DIANA-Lab, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Thessaly, 382 21 Volos, Greece and Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521, Athens, Greece
| | - John H Werren
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Ernst A Wimmer
- Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kim C Worley
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | | | - Stephen Richards
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Alfred M Handler
- USDA-ARS, Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, 1700 S.W. 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA.
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22
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Clark JT, Ray A. Olfactory Mechanisms for Discovery of Odorants to Reduce Insect-Host Contact. J Chem Ecol 2016; 42:919-930. [PMID: 27628342 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-016-0770-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2016] [Revised: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Insects have developed highly sophisticated and sensitive olfactory systems to find animal or plant hosts for feeding. Some insects vector pathogens that cause diseases in hundreds of millions of people and destroy billions of dollars of food products every year. There is great interest, therefore, in understanding how the insect olfactory system can be manipulated to reduce their contact with hosts. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of insect olfactory detection mechanisms, which may serve as a foundation for designing insect control programs based on manipulation of their behaviors by using odorants. Because every insect species has a unique set of olfactory receptors and olfactory-mediated behaviors, we focus primarily on general principles of odor detection that potentially apply to most insects. While these mechanisms have emerged from studies on model systems for study of insect olfaction, such as Drosophila melanogaster, they provide a foundation for discovery of odorants to repel vector insects or reduce their host-seeking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan T Clark
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Anandasankar Ray
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA. .,Entomology Department, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA. .,Center for Disease Vector Research, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA.
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23
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Abstract
Fruit flies of the genus Drosophila have been an attractive and effective genetic model organism since Thomas Hunt Morgan and colleagues made seminal discoveries with them a century ago. Work with Drosophila has enabled dramatic advances in cell and developmental biology, neurobiology and behavior, molecular biology, evolutionary and population genetics, and other fields. With more tissue types and observable behaviors than in other short-generation model organisms, and with vast genome data available for many species within the genus, the fly's tractable complexity will continue to enable exciting opportunities to explore mechanisms of complex developmental programs, behaviors, and broader evolutionary questions. This primer describes the organism's natural history, the features of sequenced genomes within the genus, the wide range of available genetic tools and online resources, the types of biological questions Drosophila can help address, and historical milestones.
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24
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Honda T, Lee CY, Honjo K, Furukubo-Tokunaga K. Artificial Induction of Associative Olfactory Memory by Optogenetic and Thermogenetic Activation of Olfactory Sensory Neurons and Octopaminergic Neurons in Drosophila Larvae. Front Behav Neurosci 2016; 10:137. [PMID: 27445732 PMCID: PMC4923186 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The larval brain of Drosophila melanogaster provides an excellent system for the study of the neurocircuitry mechanism of memory. Recent development of neurogenetic techniques in fruit flies enables manipulations of neuronal activities in freely behaving animals. This protocol describes detailed steps for artificial induction of olfactory associative memory in Drosophila larvae. In this protocol, the natural reward signal is substituted by thermogenetic activation of octopaminergic neurons in the brain. In parallel, the odor signal is substituted by optogenetic activation of a specific class of olfactory receptor neurons. Association of reward and odor stimuli is achieved with the concomitant application of blue light and heat that leads to activation of both sets of neurons in living transgenic larvae. Given its operational simplicity and robustness, this method could be utilized to further our knowledge on the neurocircuitry mechanism of memory in the fly brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takato Honda
- Institute of Biological Sciences, University of TsukubaTsukuba, Japan; Ph.D. Program in Human Biology, School of Integrative and Global Majors, University of TsukubaTsukuba, Japan; International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of TsukubaTsukuba, Japan
| | - Chi-Yu Lee
- Institute of Biological Sciences, University of TsukubaTsukuba, Japan; International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of TsukubaTsukuba, Japan
| | - Ken Honjo
- Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Tsukuba Tsukuba, Japan
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25
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Bell JS, Wilson RI. Behavior Reveals Selective Summation and Max Pooling among Olfactory Processing Channels. Neuron 2016; 91:425-38. [PMID: 27373835 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2016] [Revised: 03/28/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The olfactory system is divided into processing channels (glomeruli), each receiving input from a different type of olfactory receptor neuron (ORN). Here we investigated how glomeruli combine to control behavior in freely walking Drosophila. We found that optogenetically activating single ORN types typically produced attraction, although some ORN types produced repulsion. Attraction consisted largely of a behavioral program with the following rules: at fictive odor onset, flies walked upwind, and at fictive odor offset, they reversed. When certain pairs of attractive ORN types were co-activated, the level of the behavioral response resembled the sum of the component responses. However, other pairs of attractive ORN types produced a response resembling the larger component (max pooling). Although activation of different ORN combinations produced different levels of behavior, the rules of the behavioral program were consistent. Our results illustrate a general method for inferring how groups of neurons work together to modulate behavioral programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph S Bell
- 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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26
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Berck ME, Khandelwal A, Claus L, Hernandez-Nunez L, Si G, Tabone CJ, Li F, Truman JW, Fetter RD, Louis M, Samuel AD, Cardona A. The wiring diagram of a glomerular olfactory system. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27177418 PMCID: PMC4930330 DOI: 10.7554/elife.14859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2016] [Accepted: 05/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The sense of smell enables animals to react to long-distance cues according to learned and innate valences. Here, we have mapped with electron microscopy the complete wiring diagram of the Drosophila larval antennal lobe, an olfactory neuropil similar to the vertebrate olfactory bulb. We found a canonical circuit with uniglomerular projection neurons (uPNs) relaying gain-controlled ORN activity to the mushroom body and the lateral horn. A second, parallel circuit with multiglomerular projection neurons (mPNs) and hierarchically connected local neurons (LNs) selectively integrates multiple ORN signals already at the first synapse. LN-LN synaptic connections putatively implement a bistable gain control mechanism that either computes odor saliency through panglomerular inhibition, or allows some glomeruli to respond to faint aversive odors in the presence of strong appetitive odors. This complete wiring diagram will support experimental and theoretical studies towards bridging the gap between circuits and behavior. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.14859.001 Our sense of smell can tell us about bread being baked faraway in the kitchen, or whether a leftover piece finally went bad. Similarly to the eyes, the nose enables us to make up a mental image of what lies at a distance. In mammals, the surface of the nose hosts a huge number of olfactory sensory cells, each of which is tuned to respond to a small set of scent molecules. The olfactory sensory cells communicate with a region of the brain called the olfactory bulb. Olfactory sensory cells of the same type converge onto the same small pocket of the olfactory bulb, forming a structure called a glomerulus. Similarly to how the retina generates an image, the combined activity of multiple glomeruli defines an odor. A particular smell is the combination of many volatile compounds, the odorants. Therefore the interactions between different olfactory glomeruli are important for defining the nature of the perceived odor. Although the types of neurons involved in these interactions were known in insects, fish and mice, a precise wiring diagram of a complete set of glomeruli had not been described. In particular, the points of contact through which neurons communicate with each other – known as synapses – among all the neurons participating in an olfactory system were not known. Berck, Khandelwal et al. have now taken advantage of the small size of the olfactory system of the larvae of Drosophila fruit flies to fully describe, using high-resolution imaging, all its neurons and their synapses. The results define the complete wiring diagram of the neural circuit that processes the signals sent by olfactory sensory neurons in the larva’s olfactory circuits. In addition to the neurons that read out the activity of a single glomerulus and send it to higher areas of the brain for further processing, there are also numerous neurons that read out activity from multiple glomeruli. These neurons represent a system, encoded in the genome, for quickly extracting valuable olfactory information and then relaying it to other areas of the brain. An essential aspect of sensation is the ability to stop noticing a stimulus if it doesn't change. This allows an animal to, for example, find food by moving in a direction that increases the intensity of an odor. Inhibition mediates some aspects of this capability. The discovery of structure in the inhibitory connections among glomeruli, together with prior findings on the inner workings of the olfactory system, enabled Berck, Khandelwal et al. to hypothesize how the olfactory circuits enable odor gradients to be navigated. Further investigation revealed more about how the circuits could detect slight changes in odor concentration regardless of whether the overall odor intensity is strong or faint. And, crucially, it revealed how the worst odors – which can signal danger – can still be perceived in the presence of very strong pleasant odors. With the wiring diagram, theories about the sense of smell can now be tested using the genetic tools available for Drosophila, leading to an understanding of how neural circuits work. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.14859.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E Berck
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Avinash Khandelwal
- EMBL-CRG Systems Biology Program, Centre for Genomic Regulation, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lindsey Claus
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Luis Hernandez-Nunez
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Guangwei Si
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | | | - Feng Li
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - James W Truman
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Rick D Fetter
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Matthieu Louis
- EMBL-CRG Systems Biology Program, Centre for Genomic Regulation, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aravinthan Dt Samuel
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Albert Cardona
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
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27
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Miazzi F, Hansson BS, Wicher D. Odor-induced cAMP production in Drosophila melanogaster olfactory sensory neurons. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 219:1798-803. [PMID: 27045092 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.137901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Insect odorant receptors are seven transmembrane domain proteins that form cation channels, whose functional properties such as receptor sensitivity are subject to regulation by intracellular signaling cascades. Here, we used the cAMP fluorescent indicator Epac1-camps to investigate the occurrence of odor-induced cAMP production in olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) of Drosophila melanogaster We show that stimulation of the receptor complex with an odor mixture or with the synthetic agonist VUAA1 induces a cAMP response. Moreover, we show that while the intracellular Ca(2+) concentration influences cAMP production, the OSN-specific receptor OrX is necessary to elicit cAMP responses in Ca(2+)-free conditions. These results provide direct evidence of a relationship between odorant receptor stimulation and cAMP production in olfactory sensory neurons in the fruit fly antenna and show that this method can be used to further investigate the role that this second messenger plays in insect olfaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Miazzi
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, Jena D-07745, Germany
| | - Bill S Hansson
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, Jena D-07745, Germany
| | - Dieter Wicher
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, Jena D-07745, Germany
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28
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Macharia R, Mireji P, Murungi E, Murilla G, Christoffels A, Aksoy S, Masiga D. Genome-Wide Comparative Analysis of Chemosensory Gene Families in Five Tsetse Fly Species. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004421. [PMID: 26886411 PMCID: PMC4757090 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 01/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
For decades, odour-baited traps have been used for control of tsetse flies (Diptera; Glossinidae), vectors of African trypanosomes. However, differential responses to known attractants have been reported in different Glossina species, hindering establishment of a universal vector control tool. Availability of full genome sequences of five Glossina species offers an opportunity to compare their chemosensory repertoire and enhance our understanding of their biology in relation to chemosensation. Here, we identified and annotated the major chemosensory gene families in Glossina. We identified a total of 118, 115, 124, and 123 chemosensory genes in Glossina austeni, G. brevipalpis, G. f. fuscipes, G. pallidipes, respectively, relative to 127 reported in G. m. morsitans. Our results show that tsetse fly genomes have fewer chemosensory genes when compared to other dipterans such as Musca domestica (n>393), Drosophila melanogaster (n = 246) and Anopheles gambiae (n>247). We also found that Glossina chemosensory genes are dispersed across distantly located scaffolds in their respective genomes, in contrast to other insects like D. melanogaster whose genes occur in clusters. Further, Glossina appears to be devoid of sugar receptors and to have expanded CO2 associated receptors, potentially reflecting Glossina's obligate hematophagy and the need to detect hosts that may be out of sight. We also identified, in all species, homologs of Ir84a; a Drosophila-specific ionotropic receptor that promotes male courtship suggesting that this is a conserved trait in tsetse flies. Notably, our selection analysis revealed that a total of four gene loci (Gr21a, GluRIIA, Gr28b, and Obp83a) were under positive selection, which confers fitness advantage to species. These findings provide a platform for studies to further define the language of communication of tsetse with their environment, and influence development of novel approaches for control. Chemical sensing is crucial to survival of tsetse flies; the sole cyclical vectors of African trypanosomes that cause the neglected zoonotic tropical disease sleeping sickness in humans. For many years, vector control has been used to mitigate trypanosome infections among rural populations of sub-Saharan Africa. Nevertheless, development of an all-inclusive strategy to control tsetse flies using odour-baited traps has been limited by disparate responses to the odors exhibited by various tsetse species. In this study, proteins that are putatively involved in chemical sensing were identified and compared among five tsetse species and their close relatives with an aim of enhancing our knowledge on tsetse olfaction. Our findings suggest that the chemosensory genes are conserved across tsetse fly species despite their documented differential responses in odours. We found no species-specific sequence variations among the five species to suggest that differential response to odours is due to loss or gain of genes. It could therefore be hypothesized that the observed differences emerge during the downstream processing of odour molecules involving post translational modification of the chemosensory proteins. We thus recommend functional studies on the identified proteins to determine their roles and molecular interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosaline Macharia
- Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics Unit, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya
- South African National Bioinformatics Institute, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Paul Mireji
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Heath, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Kikuyu, Kenya
- * E-mail: (PM); (DM)
| | - Edwin Murungi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Egerton University, Njoro, Kenya
| | - Grace Murilla
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Kikuyu, Kenya
| | - Alan Christoffels
- South African National Bioinformatics Institute, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Serap Aksoy
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Heath, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Daniel Masiga
- Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics Unit, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya
- * E-mail: (PM); (DM)
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29
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Boyle SM, McInally S, Tharadra S, Ray A. Short-term memory trace mediated by termination kinetics of olfactory receptor. Sci Rep 2016; 6:19863. [PMID: 26830661 PMCID: PMC4735300 DOI: 10.1038/srep19863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2013] [Accepted: 12/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Odorants activate receptors in the peripheral olfactory neurons, which sends information to higher brain centers where behavioral valence is determined. Movement and airflow continuously change what odor plumes an animal encounters and little is known about the effect one plume has on the detection of another. Using the simple Drosophila melanogaster larval model to study this relationship we identify an unexpected phenomenon: response to an attractant can be selectively blocked by previous exposure to some odorants that activates the same receptor. At a mechanistic level, we find that exposure to this type of odorant causes prolonged tonic responses from a receptor (Or42b), which can block subsequent detection of a strong activator of that same receptor. We identify naturally occurring odorants with prolonged tonic responses for other odorant receptors (Ors) as well, suggesting that termination-kinetics is a factor for olfactory coding mechanisms. This mechanism has implications for odor-coding in any system and for designing applications to modify odor-driven behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean Michael Boyle
- Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics Program, University of California, Riverside, California, CA 92521
| | - Shane McInally
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, California, CA 92521
| | - Sana Tharadra
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, California, CA 92521
| | - Anandasankar Ray
- Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics Program, University of California, Riverside, California, CA 92521.,Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, California, CA 92521.,Center for Disease Vector Research, University of California, Riverside, California, CA 92521.,Institute of Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, California, CA 92521
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30
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Abstract
This review elaborates on the possible applications of nanomaterials in optogenetics and analyses the benefits of nanomaterial-mediated optogenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering
- National University of Singapore
- Singapore 117576
- Singapore
| | - Qingqing Dou
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering
- A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research)
- Singapore 138634
- Singapore
| | - Xian Jun Loh
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering
- A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research)
- Singapore 138634
- Singapore
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering
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31
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The chemical ecology of the fly. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2015; 34:95-102. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2015.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2015] [Revised: 02/18/2015] [Accepted: 02/18/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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32
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Patel N, Gold MG. The genetically encoded tool set for investigating cAMP: more than the sum of its parts. Front Pharmacol 2015; 6:164. [PMID: 26300778 PMCID: PMC4526808 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2015.00164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2015] [Accepted: 07/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular fluctuations of the second messenger cyclic AMP (cAMP) are regulated with spatial and temporal precision. This regulation is supported by the sophisticated arrangement of cyclases, phosphodiesterases, anchoring proteins, and receptors for cAMP. Discovery of these nuances to cAMP signaling has been facilitated by the development of genetically encodable tools for monitoring and manipulating cAMP and the proteins that support cAMP signaling. In this review, we discuss the state-of-the-art in development of different genetically encoded tools for sensing cAMP and the activity of its primary intracellular receptor protein kinase A (PKA). We introduce sequences for encoding adenylyl cyclases that enable cAMP levels to be artificially elevated within cells. We chart the evolution of sequences for selectively modifying protein-protein interactions that support cAMP signaling, and for driving cAMP sensors and manipulators to different subcellular locations. Importantly, these different genetically encoded tools can be applied synergistically, and we highlight notable instances that take advantage of this property. Finally, we consider prospects for extending the utility of the tool set to support further insights into the role of cAMP in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Patel
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London London, UK
| | - Matthew G Gold
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London London, UK
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33
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Zhou XX, Pan M, Lin MZ. Investigating neuronal function with optically controllable proteins. Front Mol Neurosci 2015; 8:37. [PMID: 26257603 PMCID: PMC4508517 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2015.00037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the nervous system, protein activities are highly regulated in space and time. This regulation allows for fine modulation of neuronal structure and function during development and adaptive responses. For example, neurite extension and synaptogenesis both involve localized and transient activation of cytoskeletal and signaling proteins, allowing changes in microarchitecture to occur rapidly and in a localized manner. To investigate the role of specific protein regulation events in these processes, methods to optically control the activity of specific proteins have been developed. In this review, we focus on how photosensory domains enable optical control over protein activity and have been used in neuroscience applications. These tools have demonstrated versatility in controlling various proteins and thereby cellular functions, and possess enormous potential for future applications in nervous systems. Just as optogenetic control of neuronal firing using opsins has changed how we investigate the function of cellular circuits in vivo, optical control may yet yield another revolution in how we study the circuitry of intracellular signaling in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin X Zhou
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Michael Pan
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Michael Z Lin
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University Stanford, CA, USA ; Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University Stanford, CA, USA
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34
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Schulze A, Gomez-Marin A, Rajendran VG, Lott G, Musy M, Ahammad P, Deogade A, Sharpe J, Riedl J, Jarriault D, Trautman ET, Werner C, Venkadesan M, Druckmann S, Jayaraman V, Louis M. Dynamical feature extraction at the sensory periphery guides chemotaxis. eLife 2015; 4. [PMID: 26077825 PMCID: PMC4468351 DOI: 10.7554/elife.06694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2015] [Accepted: 05/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral strategies employed for chemotaxis have been described across phyla, but the sensorimotor basis of this phenomenon has seldom been studied in naturalistic contexts. Here, we examine how signals experienced during free olfactory behaviors are processed by first-order olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) of the Drosophila larva. We find that OSNs can act as differentiators that transiently normalize stimulus intensity—a property potentially derived from a combination of integral feedback and feed-forward regulation of olfactory transduction. In olfactory virtual reality experiments, we report that high activity levels of the OSN suppress turning, whereas low activity levels facilitate turning. Using a generalized linear model, we explain how peripheral encoding of olfactory stimuli modulates the probability of switching from a run to a turn. Our work clarifies the link between computations carried out at the sensory periphery and action selection underlying navigation in odor gradients. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06694.001 Fruit flies are attracted to the smell of rotting fruit, and use it to guide them to nearby food sources. However, this task is made more challenging by the fact that the distribution of scent or odor molecules in the air is constantly changing. Fruit flies therefore need to cope with, and exploit, this variation if they are to use odors as cues. Odor molecules bind to receptors on the surface of nerve cells called olfactory sensory neurons, and trigger nerve impulses that travel along these cells. While many studies have investigated how fruit flies can distinguish between different odors, less is known about how animals can use variation in the strength of an odor to guide them towards its source. Optogenetics is a technique that allows neuroscientists to control the activities of individual nerve cells, simply by shining light on to them. Because fruit fly larvae are almost transparent, optogenetics can be used on freely moving animals. Now, Schulze, Gomez-Marin et al. have used optogenetics in these larvae to trigger patterns of activity in individual olfactory sensory neurons that mimic the activity patterns elicited by real odors. These virtual realities were then used to study, in detail, some of the principles that control the sensory navigation of a larva—as it moves using a series of forward ‘runs’ and direction-changing ‘turns’. Olfactory sensory neurons responded most strongly whenever light levels changed rapidly in strength (which simulated a rapid change in odor concentration). On the other hand, these neurons showed relatively little response to constant light levels (i.e., constant odors). This indicates that the activity of olfactory sensory neurons typically represents the rate of change in the concentration of an odor. An independent study by Kim et al. found that olfactory sensory neurons in adult fruit flies also respond in a similar way. Schulze, Gomez-Marin et al. went on to show that the signals processed by a single type of olfactory sensory neuron could be used to predict a larva's behavior. Larvae tended to turn less when their olfactory sensory neurons were highly active. Low levels and inhibition of activity in the olfactory sensory neurons had the opposite effect; this promoted turning. It remains to be determined how this relatively simple control principle is implemented by the neural circuits that connect sensory neurons to the parts of a larva's nervous system that are involved with movement. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06694.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Aljoscha Schulze
- EMBL-CRG Systems Biology Program, Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alex Gomez-Marin
- EMBL-CRG Systems Biology Program, Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vani G Rajendran
- EMBL-CRG Systems Biology Program, Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gus Lott
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Marco Musy
- EMBL-CRG Systems Biology Program, Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Parvez Ahammad
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Ajinkya Deogade
- EMBL-CRG Systems Biology Program, Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona, Spain
| | - James Sharpe
- EMBL-CRG Systems Biology Program, Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Julia Riedl
- EMBL-CRG Systems Biology Program, Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona, Spain
| | - David Jarriault
- EMBL-CRG Systems Biology Program, Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eric T Trautman
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Christopher Werner
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Madhusudhan Venkadesan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Yale University, New Haven, United States
| | - Shaul Druckmann
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Vivek Jayaraman
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Matthieu Louis
- EMBL-CRG Systems Biology Program, Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona, Spain
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35
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Hernandez-Nunez L, Belina J, Klein M, Si G, Claus L, Carlson JR, Samuel AD. Reverse-correlation analysis of navigation dynamics in Drosophila larva using optogenetics. eLife 2015; 4. [PMID: 25942453 PMCID: PMC4466337 DOI: 10.7554/elife.06225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2014] [Accepted: 05/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural circuits for behavior transform sensory inputs into motor outputs in patterns with strategic value. Determining how neurons along a sensorimotor circuit contribute to this transformation is central to understanding behavior. To do this, a quantitative framework to describe behavioral dynamics is needed. In this study, we built a high-throughput optogenetic system for Drosophila larva to quantify the sensorimotor transformations underlying navigational behavior. We express CsChrimson, a red-shifted variant of channelrhodopsin, in specific chemosensory neurons and expose large numbers of freely moving animals to random optogenetic activation patterns. We quantify their behavioral responses and use reverse-correlation analysis to uncover the linear and static nonlinear components of navigation dynamics as functions of optogenetic activation patterns of specific sensory neurons. We find that linear–nonlinear models accurately predict navigational decision-making for different optogenetic activation waveforms. We use our method to establish the valence and dynamics of navigation driven by optogenetic activation of different combinations of bitter-sensing gustatory neurons. Our method captures the dynamics of optogenetically induced behavior in compact, quantitative transformations that can be used to characterize circuits for sensorimotor processing and their contribution to navigational decision making. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06225.001 Living organisms can sense their surroundings and respond in appropriate ways. For example, animals will often move towards the smell of food or away from potential threats, such as predators. However, it is not fully understood how an animal's nervous system is setup to allow sensory information to control how the animal navigates its environment. Optogenetics is a technique that allows neuroscientists to control the activities of individual nerve cells in freely moving animals, simply by shining light on to them. Here, Hernandez-Nunez et al. have used optogenetics in fruit fly larvae to activate nerve cells that normally respond to smells and tastes, while the larvae's movements were tracked. Fruit fly larvae were chosen because they have a simple, but well-studied, nervous system. These larvae also move in two distinct ways: ‘runs’, in which a larva moves forward; and ‘turns’, during which a larva sweeps its head back and forth until it selects the direction of a new run. The data from these experiments were quantified using a specific type of statistical analysis called ‘reverse correlation’ and used to build mathematical models that predict navigational behavior. This analysis of the experiments allowed Hernandez-Nunez et al. to reveal how specific sensory nerve cells can contribute to pathways that control an animal's navigation—and an independent study by Gepner, Mihovilovic Skanata et al. revealed similar results. The approach of using optogenetics in combination with quantitative analysis, as used in these two independent studies, is now opening the door to a more complete understanding of the connections between the activity of sensory nerve cells and perception and behavior. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06225.002
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonas Belina
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, United States
| | - Mason Klein
- Department of Physics and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Guangwei Si
- Department of Physics and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Lindsey Claus
- Department of Physics and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - John R Carlson
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, United States
| | - Aravinthan Dt Samuel
- Department of Physics and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
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36
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Kim T, Folcher M, Baba MDE, Fussenegger M. A Synthetic Erectile Optogenetic Stimulator Enabling Blue-Light-Inducible Penile Erection. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201412204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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37
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Kim T, Folcher M, Doaud-El Baba M, Fussenegger M. A synthetic erectile optogenetic stimulator enabling blue-light-inducible penile erection. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2015; 54:5933-8. [PMID: 25788334 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201412204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2015] [Revised: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Precise spatiotemporal control of physiological processes by optogenetic devices inspired by synthetic biology may provide novel treatment opportunities for gene- and cell-based therapies. An erectile optogenetic stimulator (EROS), a synthetic designer guanylate cyclase producing a blue-light-inducible surge of the second messenger cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) in mammalian cells, enabled blue-light-dependent penile erection associated with occasional ejaculation after illumination of EROS-transfected corpus cavernosum in male rats. Photostimulated short-circuiting of complex psychological, neural, vascular, and endocrine factors to stimulate penile erection in the absence of sexual arousal may foster novel advances in the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taeuk Kim
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, CH-4058 Basel (Switzerland)
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38
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AzimiHashemi N, Erbguth K, Vogt A, Riemensperger T, Rauch E, Woodmansee D, Nagpal J, Brauner M, Sheves M, Fiala A, Kattner L, Trauner D, Hegemann P, Gottschalk A, Liewald JF. Synthetic retinal analogues modify the spectral and kinetic characteristics of microbial rhodopsin optogenetic tools. Nat Commun 2014; 5:5810. [PMID: 25503804 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2014] [Accepted: 11/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Optogenetic tools have become indispensable in neuroscience to stimulate or inhibit excitable cells by light. Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) variants have been established by mutating the opsin backbone or by mining related algal genomes. As an alternative strategy, we surveyed synthetic retinal analogues combined with microbial rhodopsins for functional and spectral properties, capitalizing on assays in C. elegans, HEK cells and larval Drosophila. Compared with all-trans retinal (ATR), Dimethylamino-retinal (DMAR) shifts the action spectra maxima of ChR2 variants H134R and H134R/T159C from 480 to 520 nm. Moreover, DMAR decelerates the photocycle of ChR2(H134R) and (H134R/T159C), thereby reducing the light intensity required for persistent channel activation. In hyperpolarizing archaerhodopsin-3 and Mac, naphthyl-retinal and thiophene-retinal support activity alike ATR, yet at altered peak wavelengths. Our experiments enable applications of retinal analogues in colour tuning and altering photocycle characteristics of optogenetic tools, thereby increasing the operational light sensitivity of existing cell lines or transgenic animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- N AzimiHashemi
- 1] Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 15, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany [2] Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - K Erbguth
- 1] Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 15, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany [2] Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - A Vogt
- Institute for Biology-Experimental Biophysics, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstraße 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - T Riemensperger
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - E Rauch
- Endotherm, Science-Park II, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - D Woodmansee
- Department of Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstraße 5-13, 81377 München, Germany
| | - J Nagpal
- 1] Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 15, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany [2] Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - M Brauner
- Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - M Sheves
- Department of Organic Chemistry, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - A Fiala
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - L Kattner
- Endotherm, Science-Park II, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - D Trauner
- Department of Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstraße 5-13, 81377 München, Germany
| | - P Hegemann
- Institute for Biology-Experimental Biophysics, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstraße 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - A Gottschalk
- 1] Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 15, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany [2] Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany [3] Cluster of Excellence Frankfurt Macromolecular Complexes (CEF-MC), Goethe University, Max-von-Laue Straße 15 60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - J F Liewald
- 1] Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 15, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany [2] Institute of Biochemistry, Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
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Thoma M, Hansson BS, Knaden M. Compound valence is conserved in binary odor mixtures in Drosophila melanogaster. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 217:3645-55. [PMID: 25189369 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.106591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Most naturally occurring olfactory signals do not consist of monomolecular odorants but, rather, are mixtures whose composition and concentration ratios vary. While there is ample evidence for the relevance of complex odor blends in ecological interactions and for interactions of chemicals in both peripheral and central neuronal processing, a fine-scale analysis of rules governing the innate behavioral responses of Drosophila melanogaster towards odor mixtures is lacking. In this study we examine whether the innate valence of odors is conserved in binary odor mixtures. We show that binary mixtures of attractants are more attractive than individual mixture constituents. In contrast, mixing attractants with repellents elicits responses that are lower than the responses towards the corresponding attractants. This decrease in attraction is repellent-specific, independent of the identity of the attractant and more stereotyped across individuals than responses towards the repellent alone. Mixtures of repellents are either less attractive than the individual mixture constituents or these mixtures represent an intermediate. Within the limits of our data set, most mixture responses are quantitatively predictable on the basis of constituent responses. In summary, the valence of binary odor mixtures is predictable on the basis of valences of mixture constituents. Our findings will further our understanding of innate behavior towards ecologically relevant odor blends and will serve as a powerful tool for deciphering the olfactory valence code.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Thoma
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Bill S Hansson
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Markus Knaden
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
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Obiero GFO, Mireji PO, Nyanjom SRG, Christoffels A, Robertson HM, Masiga DK. Odorant and gustatory receptors in the tsetse fly Glossina morsitans morsitans. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2014; 8:e2663. [PMID: 24763191 PMCID: PMC3998910 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2013] [Accepted: 12/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Tsetse flies use olfactory and gustatory responses, through odorant and gustatory receptors (ORs and GRs), to interact with their environment. Glossina morsitans morsitans genome ORs and GRs were annotated using homologs of these genes in Drosophila melanogaster and an ab initio approach based on OR and GR specific motifs in G. m. morsitans gene models coupled to gene ontology (GO). Phylogenetic relationships among the ORs or GRs and the homologs were determined using Maximum Likelihood estimates. Relative expression levels among the G. m. morsitans ORs or GRs were established using RNA-seq data derived from adult female fly. Overall, 46 and 14 putative G. m. morsitans ORs and GRs respectively were recovered. These were reduced by 12 and 59 ORs and GRs respectively compared to D. melanogaster. Six of the ORs were homologous to a single D. melanogaster OR (DmOr67d) associated with mating deterrence in females. Sweet taste GRs, present in all the other Diptera, were not recovered in G. m. morsitans. The GRs associated with detection of CO2 were conserved in G. m. morsitans relative to D. melanogaster. RNA-sequence data analysis revealed expression of GmmOR15 locus represented over 90% of expression profiles for the ORs. The G. m. morsitans ORs or GRs were phylogenetically closer to those in D. melanogaster than to other insects assessed. We found the chemoreceptor repertoire in G. m. morsitans smaller than other Diptera, and we postulate that this may be related to the restricted diet of blood-meal for both sexes of tsetse flies. However, the clade of some specific receptors has been expanded, indicative of their potential importance in chemoreception in the tsetse. Tsetse flies navigate their environments using chemosensory receptors, which permit them to locate hosts, mating partners, and resting and larviposition sites. The genome of G. m. morsitans was interrogated for coding genes of odorant receptors (ORs) and gustatory receptors (GRs) that express in antennae and maxillary palp, and detect the volatile and soluble chemical signals. The signals are then transmitted to the central nervous system and translated to phenotypes. Majority of these genes in G. m. morsitans were spread across different scaffolds, but a few were found to occur in clusters, which suggested possible co-regulation of their expression. The number of ORs and GRs were much reduced in the G. m. morsitans genome, including the apparent loss of receptors for sugar when compared to selected Diptera. There was also an apparent numerical expansion of some receptors, presumably to maximize on their restricted blood-meal diet. The annotation of the chemoreceptor package of G. m. morsitans provides a resource for investigating key activities of tsetse flies that could be exploited for their control.
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Affiliation(s)
- George F. O. Obiero
- Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics Unit, International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi, Kenya
- South African Bioinformatics Institute (SANBI), South African MRC Bioinformatics Unit, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa
| | - Paul O. Mireji
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Egerton University, Njoro, Kenya
| | - Steven R. G. Nyanjom
- Department of Biochemistry, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Alan Christoffels
- South African Bioinformatics Institute (SANBI), South African MRC Bioinformatics Unit, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa
| | - Hugh M. Robertson
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Daniel K. Masiga
- Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics Unit, International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi, Kenya
- * E-mail:
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41
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Inagaki HK, Jung Y, Hoopfer ED, Wong AM, Mishra N, Lin JY, Tsien RY, Anderson DJ. Optogenetic control of Drosophila using a red-shifted channelrhodopsin reveals experience-dependent influences on courtship. Nat Methods 2014; 11:325-32. [PMID: 24363022 PMCID: PMC4151318 DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.2765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 188] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2013] [Accepted: 11/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Optogenetics allows the manipulation of neural activity in freely moving animals with millisecond precision, but its application in Drosophila melanogaster has been limited. Here we show that a recently described red activatable channelrhodopsin (ReaChR) permits control of complex behavior in freely moving adult flies, at wavelengths that are not thought to interfere with normal visual function. This tool affords the opportunity to control neural activity over a broad dynamic range of stimulation intensities. Using time-resolved activation, we show that the neural control of male courtship song can be separated into (i) probabilistic, persistent and (ii) deterministic, command-like components. The former, but not the latter, neurons are subject to functional modulation by social experience, which supports the idea that they constitute a locus of state-dependent influence. This separation is not evident using thermogenetic tools, a result underscoring the importance of temporally precise control of neuronal activation in the functional dissection of neural circuits in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidehiko K Inagaki
- 1] Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Pasadena, California, USA. [2] Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA. [3]
| | - Yonil Jung
- 1] Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Pasadena, California, USA. [2] Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA. [3]
| | - Eric D Hoopfer
- 1] Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Pasadena, California, USA. [2] Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Allan M Wong
- 1] Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Pasadena, California, USA. [2] Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Neeli Mishra
- Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - John Y Lin
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Roger Y Tsien
- 1] Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Pasadena, California, USA. [2] Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - David J Anderson
- 1] Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Pasadena, California, USA. [2] Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
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42
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Costa WS, Liewald J, Gottschalk A. Photoactivated adenylyl cyclases as optogenetic modulators of neuronal activity. Methods Mol Biol 2014; 1148:161-75. [PMID: 24718801 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-0470-9_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, optogenetic methods became invaluable tools, particularly in neurobiological research. Most prominently, optogenetic methods utilize microbial rhodopsins to elicit neuronal de- or hyperpolarization. However, other optogenetic tools have emerged that allow influencing neuronal function by different approaches. In this chapter we describe the use of photoactivated adenylyl cyclases (PACs) as modulators of neuronal activity. Using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism, this chapter shows how to measure the effect of PAC photoactivation by behavioral and electrophysiological assays, as well as their significance to neurobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wagner Steuer Costa
- Institute of Biochemistry and Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 15; room 1.652, D-60438, Frankfurt, Germany
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43
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Schneider A, Ruppert M, Hendrich O, Giang T, Ogueta M, Hampel S, Vollbach M, Büschges A, Scholz H. Neuronal basis of innate olfactory attraction to ethanol in Drosophila. PLoS One 2012; 7:e52007. [PMID: 23284851 PMCID: PMC3527413 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2012] [Accepted: 11/07/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The decision to move towards a mating partner or a food source is essential for life. The mechanisms underlying these behaviors are not well understood. Here, we investigated the role of octopamine - the invertebrate analogue of noradrenaline - in innate olfactory attraction to ethanol. We confirmed that preference is caused via an olfactory stimulus by dissecting the function of the olfactory co-receptor Orco (formally known as OR83b). Orco function is not required for ethanol recognition per se, however it plays a role in context dependent recognition of ethanol. Odor-evoked ethanol preference requires the function of Tbh (Tyramine β hydroxalyse), the rate-limiting enzyme of octopamine synthesis. In addition, neuronal activity in a subset of octopaminergic neurons is necessary for olfactory ethanol preference. Notably, a specific neuronal activation pattern of tyraminergic/octopaminergic neurons elicit preference and is therefore sufficient to induce preference. In contrast, dopamine dependent increase in locomotor activity is not sufficient for olfactory ethanol preference. Consistent with the role of noradrenaline in mammalian drug induced rewards, we provide evidence that in adult Drosophila the octopaminergic neurotransmitter functions as a reinforcer and that the molecular dissection of the innate attraction to ethanol uncovers the basic properties of a response selection system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Schneider
- University of Cologne, Biocenter, Zoological Institute, Department of Animal Physiology/Neurobiology, Cologne, Germany
| | - Manuela Ruppert
- University of Cologne, Biocenter, Zoological Institute, Department of Animal Physiology/Neurobiology, Cologne, Germany
| | - Oliver Hendrich
- University of Cologne, Biocenter, Zoological Institute, Department of Animal Physiology/Neurobiology, Cologne, Germany
| | - Thomas Giang
- University of Cologne, Biocenter, Zoological Institute, Department of Animal Physiology/Neurobiology, Cologne, Germany
| | - Maite Ogueta
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y León, Departmento Biología Celular y Patología, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Stefanie Hampel
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Farm Research Campus, Ashburn, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Marvin Vollbach
- University of Cologne, Biocenter, Zoological Institute, Department of Animal Physiology/Neurobiology, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ansgar Büschges
- University of Cologne, Biocenter, Zoological Institute, Department of Animal Physiology/Neurobiology, Cologne, Germany
| | - Henrike Scholz
- University of Cologne, Biocenter, Zoological Institute, Department of Animal Physiology/Neurobiology, Cologne, Germany
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Braubach OR, Fine A, Croll RP. Distribution and functional organization of glomeruli in the olfactory bulbs of zebrafish (Danio rerio). J Comp Neurol 2012; 520:2317-39, Spc1. [PMID: 22581687 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Odor molecules are transduced by thousands of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) located in the nasal cavity. Each OSN expresses a single functional odorant receptor protein and projects an axon from the sensory epithelia to an olfactory bulb glomerulus, which is selectively innervated by only one or a few OSN types. We used whole-mount immunocytochemistry to study the neurochemistry and anatomical organization of glomeruli in the zebrafish olfactory system. By employing combinations of antibodies against G-protein α subunits, calcium-binding proteins, and general neuronal markers, we selectively labeled various OSN types, their axonal projections to glomeruli, and the detailed anatomical distributions of individual glomeruli in different regions of the olfactory bulb. In this way we identified ≈140 glomeruli in each olfactory bulb of mature zebrafish. A small subset (27) of these glomeruli was unambiguously identifiable in nearly all animals examined. These units were large and, located mainly in the medial olfactory bulbs. Most glomeruli, however, were comparatively small, anatomically indistinguishable, and located in coarsely circumscribed regions; almost all of these latter glomeruli were innervated by OSNs that were labeled with anti-G(α s/olf) and/or anti-calretinin antibodies. Collectively, our results provide a uniquely detailed description of a vertebrate olfactory system and highlight anatomically distinct parallel neural pathways that mediate early aspects of olfactory processing in the zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver R Braubach
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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45
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Abstract
Optogenetics is a powerful tool that enables the spatiotemporal control of neuronal activity and circuits in behaving animals. Here, we describe our protocol for optical activation of neurons in Drosophila larvae. As an example, we discuss the use of optogenetics to activate larval nociceptors and nociception behaviors in the third-larval instar. We have previously shown that, using spatially defined GAL4 drivers and potent UAS (upstream activation sequence)-channelrhodopsin-2∷YFP transgenic strains developed in our laboratory, it is possible to manipulate neuronal populations in response to illumination by blue light and to test whether the activation of defined neural circuits is sufficient to shape behaviors of interest. Although we have only used the protocol described here in larval stages, the procedure can be adapted to study neurons in adult flies--with the caveat that blue light may not sufficiently penetrate the adult cuticle to stimulate neurons deep in the brain. This procedure takes 1 week to culture optogenetic flies and ~1 h per group for the behavioral assays.
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46
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Active sensation during orientation behavior in the Drosophila larva: more sense than luck. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2011; 22:208-15. [PMID: 22169055 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2011.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2011] [Revised: 11/08/2011] [Accepted: 11/11/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The fruit fly Drosophila larva demonstrates a sophisticated repertoire of behavior under the control of a numerically simple neural system. Historically, the stereotyped responses of larvae to light and odors captivated the attention of biologists. More recently, the sensory receptors responsible for chemosensation, thermosensation, and vision have been identified. While our understanding of the molecular logic of perception has clearly progressed, little is known about the neural and computational mechanisms guiding movement in sensory gradients. Here we review evidence that larvae orient based on active sensation-a feature distinct from the strategies used by simpler model organisms. Reorientation maneuvers are controlled by the spatiotemporal integration of changes in stimulus intensity detected during runs and lateral head movements.
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SULKOWSKI MIKOLAJJ, KUROSAWA MATHIEUS, OX DANIELN. Growing pains: development of the larval nocifensive response in Drosophila. THE BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN 2011; 221:300-306. [PMID: 22186918 PMCID: PMC4209481 DOI: 10.1086/bblv221n3p300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The ability to perceive and avoid harmful substances or stimuli is key to an organism's survival. The neuronal cognate of the perception of pain is known as nociception, and the reflexive motion to avoid pain is termed the nocifensive response. As the nocifensive response is an ancient and evolutionarily conserved behavioral response to nociceptive stimuli, it is amenable to study in relatively simple and genetically tractable model systems such as Drosophila. Recent studies have taken advantage of the useful properties of Drosophila larvae to begin elucidating the neuronal connectivity and molecular machinery underlying the nocifensive response. However, these studies have primarily utilized the third-instar larval stage, and many mutations that potentially influence nociception survive only until earlier larval stages. Here we characterize the nocifensive responses of Drosophila throughout larval development and find dramatic changes in the nature of the behavior. Notably, we find that prior to the third instar, larvae are unable to perform the characteristic "corkscrew-like roll" behavior. Also, we identify an avoidance behavior consistent with a nocifensive response that is present immediately after larval hatching, representing a paradigm that may be useful in examining mutations with an early lethal phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- MIKOLAJ J. SULKOWSKI
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Manassas, Virginia 20120
- Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22030
| | - MATHIEU S. KUROSAWA
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Manassas, Virginia 20120
- Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22030
| | - DANIEL N. OX
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Manassas, Virginia 20120
- Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22030
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Abstract
Genetically encoded, single-component optogenetic tools have made a significant impact on neuroscience, enabling specific modulation of selected cells within complex neural tissues. As the optogenetic toolbox contents grow and diversify, the opportunities for neuroscience continue to grow. In this review, we outline the development of currently available single-component optogenetic tools and summarize the application of various optogenetic tools in diverse model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lief Fenno
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
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49
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Khurana S, Robinson BG, Wang Z, Shropshire WC, Zhong AC, Garcia LE, Corpuz J, Chow J, Hatch MM, Precise EF, Cady A, Godinez RM, Pulpanyawong T, Nguyen AT, Li WK, Seiter M, Jahanian K, Sun JC, Shah R, Rajani S, Chen WY, Ray S, Ryazanova NV, Wakou D, Prabhu RK, Atkinson NS. Olfactory conditioning in the third instar larvae of Drosophila melanogaster using heat shock reinforcement. Behav Genet 2011; 42:151-61. [PMID: 21833772 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-011-9487-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2010] [Accepted: 07/13/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Adult Drosophila melanogaster has long been a popular model for learning and memory studies. Now the larval stage of the fruit fly is also being used in an increasing number of classical conditioning studies. In this study, we employed heat shock as a novel negative reinforcement for larvae and obtained high learning scores following just one training trial. We demonstrated heat-shock conditioning in both reciprocal and non-reciprocal paradigms and observed that the time window of association for the odor and heat shock reinforcement is on the order of a few minutes. This is slightly wider than the time window for electroshock conditioning reported in previous studies, possibly due to lingering effects of the high temperature. To test the utility of this simplified assay for the identification of new mutations that disrupt learning, we examined flies carrying mutations in the dnc gene. While the sensitivity to heat shock, as tested by writhing, was similar for wild type and dnc homozygotes, dnc mutations strongly diminished learning. We confirmed that the learning defect in dnc flies was indeed due to mutation in the dnc gene using non-complementation analysis. Given that heat shock has not been employed as a reinforcement for larvae in the past, we explored learning as a function of heat shock intensity and found that optimal learning occurred around 41 °C, with higher and lower temperatures both resulting in lower learning scores. In summary, we have developed a very simple, robust paradigm of learning in fruit fly larvae using heat shock reinforcement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sukant Khurana
- Section of Neurobiology and Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
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50
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Abstract
The neural representation of a sensory stimulus evolves with time, and animals keep that representation even after stimulus cessation (i.e., a stimulus "trace"). To contrast the memories of an odor and an odor trace, we here establish a rigorous trace conditioning paradigm in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. We modify the olfactory associative learning paradigm, in which the odor and electric shock are presented with a temporal overlap (delay conditioning). Given a few-second temporal gap between the presentations of the odor and the shock in trace conditioning, the odor trace must be kept until the arrival of electric shock to form associative memory. We found that memories after trace and delay conditioning have striking similarities: both reached the same asymptotic learning level, although at different rates, and both kinds of memory have similar decay kinetics and highly correlated generalization profiles across odors. In search of the physiological correlate of the odor trace, we used in vivo calcium imaging to characterize the odor-evoked activity of the olfactory receptor neurons in the antennal lobe. After the offset of odor presentation, the receptor neurons showed persistent, odor-specific response patterns that lasted for a few seconds and were fundamentally different from the response patterns during the stimulation. Weak correlation between the behavioral odor generalization profile in trace conditioning and the physiological odor similarity profiles in the antennal lobe suggest that the odor trace used for associative learning may be encoded downstream of the olfactory receptor neurons.
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