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Zhang X, Sun D, Wong K, Salkini A, Najafi H, Kim WJ. The astrocyte-enriched gene deathstar plays a crucial role in the development, locomotion, and lifespan of D. melanogaster. Fly (Austin) 2024; 18:2368336. [PMID: 38884422 PMCID: PMC11185185 DOI: 10.1080/19336934.2024.2368336] [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: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The Drosophila melanogaster brain is a complex organ with various cell types, orchestrating the development, physiology, and behaviors of the fly. While each cell type in Drosophila brain is known to express a unique gene set, their complete genetic profile is still unknown. Advances in the RNA sequencing techniques at single-cell resolution facilitate identifying novel cell type markers and/or re-examining the specificity of the available ones. In this study, exploiting a single-cell RNA sequencing data of Drosophila optic lobe, we categorized the cells based on their expression pattern for known markers, then the genes with enriched expression in astrocytes were identified. CG11000 was identified as a gene with a comparable expression profile to the Eaat1 gene, an astrocyte marker, in every individual cell inside the Drosophila optic lobe and midbrain, as well as in the entire Drosophila brain throughout its development. Consistent with our bioinformatics data, immunostaining of the brains dissected from transgenic adult flies showed co-expression of CG11000 with Eaat1 in a set of single cells corresponding to the astrocytes in the Drosophila brain. Physiologically, inhibiting CG11000 through RNA interference disrupted the normal development of male D. melanogaster, while having no impact on females. Expression suppression of CG11000 in adult flies led to decreased locomotion activity and also shortened lifespan specifically in astrocytes, indicating the gene's significance in astrocytes. We designated this gene as 'deathstar' due to its crucial role in maintaining the star-like shape of glial cells, astrocytes, throughout their development into adult stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Zhang
- The HIT Center for Life Sciences, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Dongyu Sun
- The HIT Center for Life Sciences, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Kyle Wong
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Ammar Salkini
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Hadi Najafi
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Woo Jae Kim
- The HIT Center for Life Sciences, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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2
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Chaturvedi R, Emery P. Fly into tranquility: GABA's role in Drosophila sleep. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 64:101219. [PMID: 38848811 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2024.101219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Sleep is conserved across the animal kingdom, and Drosophila melanogaster is a prime model to understand its intricate circadian and homeostatic control. GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), the brain's main inhibitory neurotransmitter, plays a central role in sleep. This review delves into GABA's complex mechanisms of actions within Drosophila's sleep-regulating neural networks. We discuss how GABA promotes sleep, both by inhibiting circadian arousal neurons and by being a key neurotransmitter in sleep homeostatic circuits. GABA's impact on sleep is modulated by glia through astrocytic GABA recapture and metabolism. Interestingly, GABA can be coexpressed with other neurotransmitters in sleep-regulating neurons, which likely contributes to context-based sleep plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ratna Chaturvedi
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Patrick Emery
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
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3
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Kramer TS, Flavell SW. Building and integrating brain-wide maps of nervous system function in invertebrates. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2024; 86:102868. [PMID: 38569231 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2024.102868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
The selection and execution of context-appropriate behaviors is controlled by the integrated action of neural circuits throughout the brain. However, how activity is coordinated across brain regions, and how nervous system structure enables these functional interactions, remain open questions. Recent technical advances have made it feasible to build brain-wide maps of nervous system structure and function, such as brain activity maps, connectomes, and cell atlases. Here, we review recent progress in this area, focusing on C. elegans and D. melanogaster, as recent work has produced global maps of these nervous systems. We also describe neural circuit motifs elucidated in studies of specific networks, which highlight the complexities that must be captured to build accurate models of whole-brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talya S Kramer
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; MIT Biology Graduate Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Steven W Flavell
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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4
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Liu W, Li Q. Single-cell transcriptomics dissecting the development and evolution of nervous system in insects. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 63:101201. [PMID: 38608931 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2024.101201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Insects can display a vast repertoire of complex and adaptive behaviors crucial for survival and reproduction. Yet, how the neural circuits underlying insect behaviors are assembled throughout development and remodeled during evolution remains largely obscure. The advent of single-cell transcriptomics has opened new paths to illuminate these historically intractable questions. Insect behavior is governed by its brain, whose functional complexity is realized through operations across multiple levels, from the molecular and cellular to the circuit and organ. Single-cell transcriptomics enables dissecting brain functions across all these levels and allows tracking regulatory dynamics throughout development and under perturbation. In this review, we mainly focus on the achievements of single-cell transcriptomics in dissecting the molecular and cellular architectures of nervous systems in representative insects, then discuss its applications in tracking the developmental trajectory and functional evolution of insect brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Information, Kunming, China.
| | - Qiye Li
- BGI Research, Shenzhen 518083, China; BGI Research, Wuhan 430074, China; College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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5
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Yip C, Wyler SC, Liang K, Yamazaki S, Cobb T, Safdar M, Metai A, Merchant W, Wessells R, Rothenfluh A, Lee S, Elmquist J, You YJ. Neuronal E93 is required for adaptation to adult metabolism and behavior. Mol Metab 2024; 84:101939. [PMID: 38621602 PMCID: PMC11053319 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2024.101939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Metamorphosis is a transition from growth to reproduction, through which an animal adopts adult behavior and metabolism. Yet the neural mechanisms underlying the switch are unclear. Here we report that neuronal E93, a transcription factor essential for metamorphosis, regulates the adult metabolism, physiology, and behavior in Drosophila melanogaster. METHODS To find new neuronal regulators of metabolism, we performed a targeted RNAi-based screen of 70 Drosophila orthologs of the mammalian genes enriched in ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH). Once E93 was identified from the screen, we characterized changes in physiology and behavior when neuronal expression of E93 is knocked down. To identify the neurons where E93 acts, we performed an additional screen targeting subsets of neurons or endocrine cells. RESULTS E93 is required to control appetite, metabolism, exercise endurance, and circadian rhythms. The diverse phenotypes caused by pan-neuronal knockdown of E93, including obesity, exercise intolerance and circadian disruption, can all be phenocopied by knockdown of E93 specifically in either GABA or MIP neurons, suggesting these neurons are key sites of E93 action. Knockdown of the Ecdysone Receptor specifically in MIP neurons partially phenocopies the MIP neuron-specific knockdown of E93, suggesting the steroid signal coordinates adult metabolism via E93 and a neuropeptidergic signal. Finally, E93 expression in GABA and MIP neurons also serves as a key switch for the adaptation to adult behavior, as animals with reduced expression of E93 in the two subsets of neurons exhibit reduced reproductive activity. CONCLUSIONS Our study reveals that E93 is a new monogenic factor essential for metabolic, physiological, and behavioral adaptation from larval behavior to adult behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Yip
- The Center for Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Steven C Wyler
- The Center for Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Katrina Liang
- The Center for Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Shin Yamazaki
- Department of Neuroscience and Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Tyler Cobb
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Maryam Safdar
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Aarav Metai
- The Center for Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Warda Merchant
- The Center for Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Robert Wessells
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Adrian Rothenfluh
- Huntsman Mental Health Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Molecular Medicine Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Syann Lee
- The Center for Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Joel Elmquist
- The Center for Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
| | - Young-Jai You
- The Center for Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
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6
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Xia X, Li Y. A new GRAB sensor reveals differences in the dynamics and molecular regulation between neuropeptide and neurotransmitter release. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.22.595424. [PMID: 38826473 PMCID: PMC11142204 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.22.595424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
The co-existence and co-transmission of neuropeptides and small molecule neurotransmitters in the same neuron is a fundamental aspect of almost all neurons across various species. However, the differences regarding their in vivo spatiotemporal dynamics and underlying molecular regulation remain poorly understood. Here, we developed a GPCR-activation-based (GRAB) sensor for detecting short neuropeptide F (sNPF) with high sensitivity and spatiotemporal resolution. Furthermore, we explore the differences of in vivo dynamics and molecular regulation between sNPF and acetylcholine (ACh) from the same neurons. Interestingly, the release of sNPF and ACh shows different spatiotemporal dynamics. Notably, we found that distinct synaptotagmins (Syt) are involved in these two processes, as Syt7 and Sytα for sNPF release, while Syt1 for ACh release. Thus, this new GRAB sensor provides a powerful tool for studying neuropeptide release and providing new insights into the distinct release dynamics and molecular regulation between neuropeptides and small molecule neurotransmitters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiju Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies (AAIS), and Peking University–Tsinghua University–National Institute of Biological Sciences Joint Graduate Program (PTN), Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies (AAIS), and Peking University–Tsinghua University–National Institute of Biological Sciences Joint Graduate Program (PTN), Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
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7
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Ehrlich A, Xu AA, Luminari S, Kidd S, Treiber CD, Russo J, Blau J. Tango-seq: overlaying transcriptomics on connectomics to identify neurons downstream of Drosophila clock neurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.22.595372. [PMID: 38826334 PMCID: PMC11142192 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.22.595372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Knowing how neural circuits change with neuronal plasticity and differ between individuals is important to fully understand behavior. Connectomes are typically assembled using electron microscopy, but this is low throughput and impractical for analyzing plasticity or mutations. Here, we modified the trans-Tango genetic circuit-tracing technique to identify neurons synaptically downstream of Drosophila s-LNv clock neurons, which show 24hr plasticity rhythms. s-LNv target neurons were labeled specifically in adult flies using a nuclear reporter gene, which facilitated their purification and then single cell sequencing. We call this Tango-seq, and it allows transcriptomic data - and thus cell identity - to be overlayed on top of anatomical data. We found that s-LNvs preferentially make synaptic connections with a subset of the CNMa+ DN1p clock neurons, and that these are likely plastic connections. We also identified synaptic connections between s-LNvs and mushroom body Kenyon cells. Tango-seq should be a useful addition to the connectomics toolkit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Ehrlich
- Department of Biology, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Angelina A Xu
- Department of Biology, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Sofia Luminari
- Department of Biology, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Simon Kidd
- Department of Biology, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Christoph D Treiber
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, UK
- Current address: Department of Biology, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Jordan Russo
- Department of Biology, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Justin Blau
- Department of Biology, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, New York, NY 10003, USA
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology (CGSB), New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
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8
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Meschi E, Duquenoy L, Otto N, Dempsey G, Waddell S. Compensatory enhancement of input maintains aversive dopaminergic reinforcement in hungry Drosophila. Neuron 2024:S0896-6273(24)00325-8. [PMID: 38795709 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.04.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
Hungry animals need compensatory mechanisms to maintain flexible brain function, while modulation reconfigures circuits to prioritize resource seeking. In Drosophila, hunger inhibits aversively reinforcing dopaminergic neurons (DANs) to permit the expression of food-seeking memories. Multitasking the reinforcement system for motivation potentially undermines aversive learning. We find that chronic hunger mildly enhances aversive learning and that satiated-baseline and hunger-enhanced learning require endocrine adipokinetic hormone (AKH) signaling. Circulating AKH influences aversive learning via its receptor in four neurons in the ventral brain, two of which are octopaminergic. Connectomics revealed AKH receptor-expressing neurons to be upstream of several classes of ascending neurons, many of which are presynaptic to aversively reinforcing DANs. Octopaminergic modulation of and output from at least one of these ascending pathways is required for shock- and bitter-taste-reinforced aversive learning. We propose that coordinated enhancement of input compensates for hunger-directed inhibition of aversive DANs to preserve reinforcement when required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Meschi
- University of Oxford, Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | - Lucille Duquenoy
- University of Oxford, Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | - Nils Otto
- University of Oxford, Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | - Georgia Dempsey
- University of Oxford, Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | - Scott Waddell
- University of Oxford, Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK.
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9
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Bukhari H, Nithianandam V, Battaglia RA, Cicalo A, Sarkar S, Comjean A, Hu Y, Leventhal MJ, Dong X, Feany MB. Transcriptional programs mediating neuronal toxicity and altered glial-neuronal signaling in a Drosophila knock-in tauopathy model. Genome Res 2024; 34:590-605. [PMID: 38599684 PMCID: PMC11146598 DOI: 10.1101/gr.278576.123] [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] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Missense mutations in the gene encoding the microtubule-associated protein TAU (current and approved symbol is MAPT) cause autosomal dominant forms of frontotemporal dementia. Multiple models of frontotemporal dementia based on transgenic expression of human TAU in experimental model organisms, including Drosophila, have been described. These models replicate key features of the human disease but do not faithfully recreate the genetic context of the human disorder. Here we use CRISPR-Cas-mediated gene editing to model frontotemporal dementia caused by the TAU P301L mutation by creating the orthologous mutation, P251L, in the endogenous Drosophila tau gene. Flies heterozygous or homozygous for Tau P251L display age-dependent neurodegeneration, display metabolic defects, and accumulate DNA damage in affected neurons. To understand the molecular events promoting neuronal dysfunction and death in knock-in flies, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing on approximately 130,000 cells from brains of Tau P251L mutant and control flies. We found that expression of disease-associated mutant tau altered gene expression cell autonomously in all neuronal cell types identified. Gene expression was also altered in glial cells, suggestive of non-cell-autonomous regulation. Cell signaling pathways, including glial-neuronal signaling, were broadly dysregulated as were brain region and cell type-specific protein interaction networks and gene regulatory programs. In summary, we present here a genetic model of tauopathy that faithfully recapitulates the genetic context and phenotypic features of the human disease, and use the results of comprehensive single-cell sequencing analysis to outline pathways of neurotoxicity and highlight the potential role of non-cell-autonomous changes in glia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Bukhari
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815, USA
| | - Vanitha Nithianandam
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815, USA
| | - Rachel A Battaglia
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815, USA
| | - Anthony Cicalo
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815, USA
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Hub, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Souvarish Sarkar
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Aram Comjean
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Yanhui Hu
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Matthew J Leventhal
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- MIT Ph.D. Program in Computational and Systems Biology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Xianjun Dong
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815, USA
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Hub, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Mel B Feany
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA;
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815, USA
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10
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Eckstein N, Bates AS, Champion A, Du M, Yin Y, Schlegel P, Lu AKY, Rymer T, Finley-May S, Paterson T, Parekh R, Dorkenwald S, Matsliah A, Yu SC, McKellar C, Sterling A, Eichler K, Costa M, Seung S, Murthy M, Hartenstein V, Jefferis GSXE, Funke J. Neurotransmitter classification from electron microscopy images at synaptic sites in Drosophila melanogaster. Cell 2024; 187:2574-2594.e23. [PMID: 38729112 PMCID: PMC11106717 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.016] [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: 04/02/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
High-resolution electron microscopy of nervous systems has enabled the reconstruction of synaptic connectomes. However, we do not know the synaptic sign for each connection (i.e., whether a connection is excitatory or inhibitory), which is implied by the released transmitter. We demonstrate that artificial neural networks can predict transmitter types for presynapses from electron micrographs: a network trained to predict six transmitters (acetylcholine, glutamate, GABA, serotonin, dopamine, octopamine) achieves an accuracy of 87% for individual synapses, 94% for neurons, and 91% for known cell types across a D. melanogaster whole brain. We visualize the ultrastructural features used for prediction, discovering subtle but significant differences between transmitter phenotypes. We also analyze transmitter distributions across the brain and find that neurons that develop together largely express only one fast-acting transmitter (acetylcholine, glutamate, or GABA). We hope that our publicly available predictions act as an accelerant for neuroscientific hypothesis generation for the fly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Eckstein
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA; Institute of Neuroinformatics UZH/ETHZ, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Shakeel Bates
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK; Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, The University of Oxford, Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK; Department of Neurobiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrew Champion
- Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Michelle Du
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Yijie Yin
- Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Philipp Schlegel
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK; Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Sven Dorkenwald
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Arie Matsliah
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Szi-Chieh Yu
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Claire McKellar
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Amy Sterling
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Katharina Eichler
- Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Marta Costa
- Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sebastian Seung
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Mala Murthy
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Volker Hartenstein
- Department of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Gregory S X E Jefferis
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK; Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Jan Funke
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA.
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11
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Nguyen TH, Vicidomini R, Choudhury SD, Han TH, Maric D, Brody T, Serpe M. scRNA-seq data from the larval Drosophila ventral cord provides a resource for studying motor systems function and development. Dev Cell 2024; 59:1210-1230.e9. [PMID: 38569548 PMCID: PMC11078614 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2024.03.016] [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: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
The Drosophila larval ventral nerve cord (VNC) shares many similarities with the spinal cord of vertebrates and has emerged as a major model for understanding the development and function of motor systems. Here, we use high-quality scRNA-seq, validated by anatomical identification, to create a comprehensive census of larval VNC cell types. We show that the neural lineages that comprise the adult VNC are already defined, but quiescent, at the larval stage. Using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS)-enriched populations, we separate all motor neuron bundles and link individual neuron clusters to morphologically characterized known subtypes. We discovered a glutamate receptor subunit required for basal neurotransmission and homeostasis at the larval neuromuscular junction. We describe larval glia and endorse the general view that glia perform consistent activities throughout development. This census represents an extensive resource and a powerful platform for future discoveries of cellular and molecular mechanisms in repair, regeneration, plasticity, homeostasis, and behavioral coordination.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Dragan Maric
- Flow and Imaging Cytometry Core, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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12
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Fiala A, Kaun KR. What do the mushroom bodies do for the insect brain? Twenty-five years of progress. Learn Mem 2024; 31:a053827. [PMID: 38862175 PMCID: PMC11199942 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053827.123] [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] [Received: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
In 1998, a special edition of Learning & Memory was published with a discrete focus of synthesizing the state of the field to provide an overview of the function of the insect mushroom body. While molecular neuroscience and optical imaging of larger brain areas were advancing, understanding the basic functioning of neuronal circuits, particularly in the context of the mushroom body, was rudimentary. In the past 25 years, technological innovations have allowed researchers to map and understand the in vivo function of the neuronal circuits of the mushroom body system, making it an ideal model for investigating the circuit basis of sensory encoding, memory formation, and behavioral decisions. Collaborative efforts within the community have played a crucial role, leading to an interactive connectome of the mushroom body and accessible genetic tools for studying mushroom body circuit function. Looking ahead, continued technological innovation and collaborative efforts are likely to further advance our understanding of the mushroom body and its role in behavior and cognition, providing insights that generalize to other brain structures and species.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Fiala
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology of Behaviour, University of Göttingen, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Karla R Kaun
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02806, USA
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13
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Selcho M. Octopamine in the mushroom body circuitry for learning and memory. Learn Mem 2024; 31:a053839. [PMID: 38862169 PMCID: PMC11199948 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053839.123] [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] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Octopamine, the functional analog of noradrenaline, modulates many different behaviors and physiological processes in invertebrates. In the central nervous system, a few octopaminergic neurons project throughout the brain and innervate almost all neuropils. The center of memory formation in insects, the mushroom bodies, receive octopaminergic innervations in all insects investigated so far. Different octopamine receptors, either increasing or decreasing cAMP or calcium levels in the cell, are localized in Kenyon cells, further supporting the release of octopamine in the mushroom bodies. In addition, different mushroom body (MB) output neurons, projection neurons, and dopaminergic PAM cells are targets of octopaminergic neurons, enabling the modulation of learning circuits at different neural sites. For some years, the theory persisted that octopamine mediates rewarding stimuli, whereas dopamine (DA) represents aversive stimuli. This simple picture has been challenged by the finding that DA is required for both appetitive and aversive learning. Furthermore, octopamine is also involved in aversive learning and a rather complex interaction between these biogenic amines seems to modulate learning and memory. This review summarizes the role of octopamine in MB function, focusing on the anatomical principles and the role of the biogenic amine in learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mareike Selcho
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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14
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Wang X, Zhai Y, Zheng H. Deciphering the cellular heterogeneity of the insect brain with single-cell RNA sequencing. INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 31:314-327. [PMID: 37702319 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Insects show highly complicated adaptive and sophisticated behaviors, including spatial orientation skills, learning ability, and social interaction. These behaviors are controlled by the insect brain, the central part of the nervous system. The tiny insect brain consists of millions of highly differentiated and interconnected cells forming a complex network. Decades of research has gone into an understanding of which parts of the insect brain possess particular behaviors, but exactly how they modulate these functional consequences needs to be clarified. Detailed description of the brain and behavior is required to decipher the complexity of cell types, as well as their connectivity and function. Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) has emerged recently as a breakthrough technology to understand the transcriptome at cellular resolution. With scRNA-seq, it is possible to uncover the cellular heterogeneity of brain cells and elucidate their specific functions and state. In this review, we first review the basic structure of insect brains and the links to insect behaviors mainly focusing on learning and memory. Then the scRNA applications on insect brains are introduced by representative studies. Single-cell RNA-seq has allowed researchers to classify cell subpopulations within different insect brain regions, pinpoint single-cell developmental trajectories, and identify gene regulatory networks. These developments empower the advances in neuroscience and shed light on the intricate problems in understanding insect brain functions and behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofei Wang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, China
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yifan Zhai
- Institute of Plant Protection, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, China
- Key Laboratory of Natural Enemies Insects, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Jinan, China
- Shandong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center on Biocontrol of Crops Diseases and In-sect Pests, Jinan, China
| | - Hao Zheng
- Institute of Plant Protection, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, China
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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15
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Bukhari H, Nithianandam V, Battaglia RA, Cicalo A, Sarkar S, Comjean A, Hu Y, Leventhal MJ, Dong X, Feany MB. Transcriptional programs mediating neuronal toxicity and altered glial-neuronal signaling in a Drosophila knock-in tauopathy model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.02.578624. [PMID: 38352559 PMCID: PMC10862891 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.02.578624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Missense mutations in the gene encoding the microtubule-associated protein tau cause autosomal dominant forms of frontotemporal dementia. Multiple models of frontotemporal dementia based on transgenic expression of human tau in experimental model organisms, including Drosophila, have been described. These models replicate key features of the human disease, but do not faithfully recreate the genetic context of the human disorder. Here we use CRISPR-Cas mediated gene editing to model frontotemporal dementia caused by the tau P301L mutation by creating the orthologous mutation, P251L, in the endogenous Drosophila tau gene. Flies heterozygous or homozygous for tau P251L display age-dependent neurodegeneration, metabolic defects and accumulate DNA damage in affected neurons. To understand the molecular events promoting neuronal dysfunction and death in knock-in flies we performed single-cell RNA sequencing on approximately 130,000 cells from brains of tau P251L mutant and control flies. We found that expression of disease-associated mutant tau altered gene expression cell autonomously in all neuronal cell types identified and non-cell autonomously in glial cells. Cell signaling pathways, including glial-neuronal signaling, were broadly dysregulated as were brain region and cell-type specific protein interaction networks and gene regulatory programs. In summary, we present here a genetic model of tauopathy, which faithfully recapitulates the genetic context and phenotypic features of the human disease and use the results of comprehensive single cell sequencing analysis to outline pathways of neurotoxicity and highlight the role of non-cell autonomous changes in glia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Bukhari
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
| | - Vanitha Nithianandam
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
| | - Rachel A. Battaglia
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
| | - Anthony Cicalo
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Hub, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115
| | - Souvarish Sarkar
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Aram Comjean
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Yanhui Hu
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Matthew J. Leventhal
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- MIT Ph.D. Program in Computational and Systems Biology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Xianjun Dong
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Hub, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115
| | - Mel B. Feany
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
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16
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Dopp J, Ortega A, Davie K, Poovathingal S, Baz ES, Liu S. Single-cell transcriptomics reveals that glial cells integrate homeostatic and circadian processes to drive sleep-wake cycles. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:359-372. [PMID: 38263460 PMCID: PMC10849968 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01549-4] [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: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
The sleep-wake cycle is determined by circadian and sleep homeostatic processes. However, the molecular impact of these processes and their interaction in different brain cell populations are unknown. To fill this gap, we profiled the single-cell transcriptome of adult Drosophila brains across the sleep-wake cycle and four circadian times. We show cell type-specific transcriptomic changes, with glia displaying the largest variation. Glia are also among the few cell types whose gene expression correlates with both sleep homeostat and circadian clock. The sleep-wake cycle and sleep drive level affect the expression of clock gene regulators in glia, and disrupting clock genes specifically in glia impairs homeostatic sleep rebound after sleep deprivation. These findings provide a comprehensive view of the effects of sleep homeostatic and circadian processes on distinct cell types in an entire animal brain and reveal glia as an interaction site of these two processes to determine sleep-wake dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Dopp
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, VIB-KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Antonio Ortega
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, VIB-KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kristofer Davie
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, VIB-KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Suresh Poovathingal
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, VIB-KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - El-Sayed Baz
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, VIB-KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Sha Liu
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, VIB-KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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17
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Yin C, Morita T, Parrish JZ. A cell atlas of the larval Aedes aegypti ventral nerve cord. Neural Dev 2024; 19:2. [PMID: 38297398 PMCID: PMC10829479 DOI: 10.1186/s13064-023-00178-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Mosquito-borne diseases account for nearly 1 million human deaths annually, yet we have a limited understanding of developmental events that influence host-seeking behavior and pathogen transmission in mosquitoes. Mosquito-borne pathogens are transmitted during blood meals, hence adult mosquito behavior and physiology have been intensely studied. However, events during larval development shape adult traits, larvae respond to many of the same sensory cues as adults, and larvae are susceptible to infection by many of the same disease-causing agents as adults. Hence, a better understanding of larval physiology will directly inform our understanding of physiological processes in adults. Here, we use single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to provide a comprehensive view of cellular composition in the Aedes aegypti larval ventral nerve cord (VNC), a central hub of sensory inputs and motor outputs which additionally controls multiple aspects of larval physiology. We identify more than 35 VNC cell types defined in part by neurotransmitter and neuropeptide expression. We also explore diversity among monoaminergic and peptidergic neurons that likely control key elements of larval physiology and developmental timing, and identify neuroblasts and immature neurons, providing a view of neuronal differentiation in the VNC. Finally, we find that larval cell composition, number, and position are preserved in the adult abdominal VNC, suggesting studies of larval VNC form and function will likely directly inform our understanding adult mosquito physiology. Altogether, these studies provide a framework for targeted analysis of VNC development and neuronal function in Aedes aegypti larvae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Yin
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Division of Education, Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL Street, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA
| | - Takeshi Morita
- Division of Education, Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL Street, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Jay Z Parrish
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
- Division of Education, Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL Street, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA.
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18
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Chen J, Mu X, Liu H, Yong Q, Ouyang X, Liu Y, Zheng L, Chen H, Zhai Y, Ma J, Meng L, Liu S, Zheng H. Rotenone impairs brain glial energetics and locomotor behavior in bumblebees. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 907:167870. [PMID: 37865240 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Bumblebees are essential pollinators of both wildflowers and crops and face multiple anthropogenic stressors, particularly the utilization of pesticides. Rotenone is an extensively applied neurotoxic pesticide that possesses insecticidal activities against a wide range of pests. However, whether environmentally realistic exposure levels of rotenone can damage neurons in bumblebee brains is still uncertain. Using single-cell RNA-seq, we revealed that rotenone induced cell-specific responses in bumblebee brains, emphasizing the disruption of energy metabolism and mitochondrial dysfunction in glial cells. Correspondingly, the gene regulatory network associated with neurotransmission was also suppressed. Notably, rotenone could specially reduce the number of dopaminergic neurons, impairing bumblebee's ability to fly and crawl. We also found impaired intestinal motility in rotenone-treated bumblebees. Finally, we demonstrated that many differentially expressed genes in our snRNA-seq data overlapped with rotenone-induced Parkinson's disease risk genes, especially in glial cells. Although rotenone is widely used owing to its hypotoxicity, we found that environmentally realistic exposure levels of rotenone induced disturbed glial energetics and locomotor dysfunction in bumblebees, which may lead to an indirect decline in this essential pollinator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jieteng Chen
- Institute of Plant Protection, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China; College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Xiaohuan Mu
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Huiling Liu
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Qiyao Yong
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Xiaoman Ouyang
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Li Zheng
- Institute of Plant Protection, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Hao Chen
- Institute of Plant Protection, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Yifan Zhai
- Institute of Plant Protection, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Jie Ma
- BGI-Qingdao, Qingdao 266555, China
| | | | | | - Hao Zheng
- Institute of Plant Protection, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China.
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19
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Jürgensen AM, Schmitt FJ, Nawrot MP. Minimal circuit motifs for second-order conditioning in the insect mushroom body. Front Physiol 2024; 14:1326307. [PMID: 38269060 PMCID: PMC10806035 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1326307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
In well-established first-order conditioning experiments, the concurrence of a sensory cue with reinforcement forms an association, allowing the cue to predict future reinforcement. In the insect mushroom body, a brain region central to learning and memory, such associations are encoded in the synapses between its intrinsic and output neurons. This process is mediated by the activity of dopaminergic neurons that encode reinforcement signals. In second-order conditioning, a new sensory cue is paired with an already established one that presumably activates dopaminergic neurons due to its predictive power of the reinforcement. We explored minimal circuit motifs in the mushroom body for their ability to support second-order conditioning using mechanistic models. We found that dopaminergic neurons can either be activated directly by the mushroom body's intrinsic neurons or via feedback from the output neurons via several pathways. We demonstrated that the circuit motifs differ in their computational efficiency and robustness. Beyond previous research, we suggest an additional motif that relies on feedforward input of the mushroom body intrinsic neurons to dopaminergic neurons as a promising candidate for experimental evaluation. It differentiates well between trained and novel stimuli, demonstrating robust performance across a range of model parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Maria Jürgensen
- Computational Systems Neuroscience, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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20
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Qu S, Zhou X, Wang Z, Wei Y, Zhou H, Zhang X, Zhu Q, Wang Y, Yang Q, Jiang L, Ma Y, Gao Y, Kong L, Zhang L. The effects of methylphenidate and atomoxetine on Drosophila brain at single-cell resolution and potential drug repurposing for ADHD treatment. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:165-185. [PMID: 37957291 PMCID: PMC11078728 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02314-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
The stimulant methylphenidate (MPH) and the non-stimulant atomoxetine (ATX) are frequently used for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); however, the function of these drugs in different types of brain cells and their effects on related genes remain largely unknown. To address these questions, we built a pipeline for the simultaneous examination of the activity behavior and transcriptional responses of Drosophila melanogaster at single-cell resolution following drug treatment. We selected the Drosophila with significantly increased locomotor activities (hyperactivity-like behavior) following the administration of each drug in comparison with the control (same food as the drug-treated groups with 5% sucrose, yeast, and blue food dye solution) using EasyFlyTracker. Subsequently, single cell RNA sequencing (scRNASEQ) was used to capture the transcriptome of 82,917 cells, unsupervised clustering analysis of which yielded 28 primary cell clusters representing the major cell types in adult Drosophila brain. Indeed, both neuronal and glial cells responded to MPH and ATX. Further analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) revealed distinct transcriptional changes associated with these two drugs, such as two well-studied dopamine receptor genes (Dop2R and DopEcR) were responsive to MPH but not to ATX at their optimal doses, in addition to genes involved in dopamine metabolism pathways such as Syt1, Sytalpha, Syt7, and Ih in different cell types. More importantly, MPH also suppressed the expression of genes encoding other neurotransmitter receptors and synaptic signaling molecules in many cell types, especially those for Glu and GABA, while the responsive effects of ATX were much weaker. In addition to monoaminergic neuronal transmitters, other neurotransmitters have also shown a similar pattern with respect to a stronger effect associated with MPH than with ATX. Moreover, we identified four distinct glial cell subtypes responsive to the two drugs and detected a greater number of differentially expressed genes associated with ensheathing and astrocyte-like glia. Furthermore, our study provides a rich resource of candidate target genes, supported by drug set enrichment analysis (P = 2.10E-4; hypergeometric test), for the further exploration of drug repurposing. The whole list of candidates can be found at ADHDrug ( http://adhdrug.cibr.ac.cn/ ). In conclusion, we propose a fast and cost-efficient pipeline to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms of ADHD drug treatment in Drosophila brain at single-cell resolution, which may further facilitate drug repurposing applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susu Qu
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China.
| | - Xiangyu Zhou
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Zhicheng Wang
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Wei
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Han Zhou
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | | | - Qingjie Zhu
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Yanmin Wang
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Quanjun Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Likun Jiang
- Department of Computer Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yuan Ma
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Kong
- Center for Bioinformatics, State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China.
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21
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Sun C, Shao Y, Iqbal J. Insect Insights at the Single-Cell Level: Technologies and Applications. Cells 2023; 13:91. [PMID: 38201295 PMCID: PMC10777908 DOI: 10.3390/cells13010091] [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: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Single-cell techniques are a promising way to unravel the complexity and heterogeneity of transcripts at the cellular level and to reveal the composition of different cell types and functions in a tissue or organ. In recent years, advances in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) have further changed our view of biological systems. The application of scRNA-seq in insects enables the comprehensive characterization of both common and rare cell types and cell states, the discovery of new cell types, and revealing how cell types relate to each other. The recent application of scRNA-seq techniques to insect tissues has led to a number of exciting discoveries. Here we provide an overview of scRNA-seq and its application in insect research, focusing on biological applications, current challenges, and future opportunities to make new discoveries with scRNA-seq in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Sun
- Analysis Center of Agrobiology and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China;
| | - Yongqi Shao
- Institute of Sericulture and Apiculture, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Junaid Iqbal
- Institute of Sericulture and Apiculture, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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22
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Jin P, Zhu B, Jia Y, Zhang Y, Wang W, Shen Y, Zhong Y, Zheng Y, Wang Y, Tong Y, Zhang W, Li S. Single-cell transcriptomics reveals the brain evolution of web-building spiders. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:2125-2142. [PMID: 37919396 PMCID: PMC10697844 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02238-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Spiders are renowned for their efficient capture of flying insects using intricate aerial webs. How the spider nervous systems evolved to cope with this specialized hunting strategy and various environmental clues in an aerial space remains unknown. Here we report a brain-cell atlas of >30,000 single-cell transcriptomes from a web-building spider (Hylyphantes graminicola). Our analysis revealed the preservation of ancestral neuron types in spiders, including the potential coexistence of noradrenergic and octopaminergic neurons, and many peptidergic neuronal types that are lost in insects. By comparing the genome of two newly sequenced plesiomorphic burrowing spiders with three aerial web-building spiders, we found that the positively selected genes in the ancestral branch of web-building spiders were preferentially expressed (42%) in the brain, especially in the three mushroom body-like neuronal types. By gene enrichment analysis and RNAi experiments, these genes were suggested to be involved in the learning and memory pathway and may influence the spiders' web-building and hunting behaviour. Our results provide key sources for understanding the evolution of behaviour in spiders and reveal how molecular evolution drives neuron innovation and the diversification of associated complex behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengyu Jin
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bingyue Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yinjun Jia
- School of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yiming Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China
| | - Yunxiao Shen
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yami Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Tong
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shuqiang Li
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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23
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Tianle C, Yunhan F, Delong L, Haitao X, Lanting M, Xueqing S, Liuxu Y, Yu H, Guizhi W. Transcriptomic analysis to elucidate the response of Apis mellifera ligustica brain tissue to fluvalinate exposure. Anim Biotechnol 2023; 34:4175-4186. [PMID: 35436166 DOI: 10.1080/10495398.2022.2061506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
As a commonly used acaricide in apiculture, fluvalinate is used to kill Varroa mites, while it also damages the nervous system of honeybees. To date, the transcriptomic characteristics associated with fluvalinate-induced neuronal injury in the bee brain have not been reported. Here, we performed transcriptome sequencing on Apis mellifera ligustica (A. mellifera ligustica) brain tissues collected before and after fluvalinate treatment. A total of 546 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected, and these DEGs mainly showed 4 different expression patterns. Further analysis revealed that DEGs with different expression patterns were mainly involved in lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, visual transduction, and neural response-related GO terms and KEGG pathways. Moreover, protein-protein interaction network analysis revealed five protein-coding DEGs as key genes, which may play important roles in the resistance to fluvalinate-induced honeybee brain nerve tissue damage. In summary, this study is the first to perform a detailed characterization and functional analysis of genes related to fluvalinate stimulation in honeybee brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Tianle
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, China
| | - Fan Yunhan
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, China
| | - Lou Delong
- Comprehensive Testing and Inspection Center, Shandong Provincial Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Bureau, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xia Haitao
- Animal Husbandry Development Center of Linqu County, Weifang, Shandong, China
| | - Ma Lanting
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, China
| | - Shan Xueqing
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, China
| | - Yang Liuxu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, China
| | - He Yu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, China
| | - Wang Guizhi
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, China
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24
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Liu X, Zhang Z, Hu B, Chen K, Yu Y, Xiang H, Tan A. Single-cell transcriptomes provide insights into expansion of glial cells in Bombyx mori. INSECT SCIENCE 2023. [PMID: 37984500 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
The diversity of cell types in the brain and how these change during different developmental stages, remains largely unknown. The life cycle of insects is short and goes through 4 distinct stages including embryonic, larval, pupal, and adult stages. During postembryonic life, the larval brain transforms into a mature adult version after metamorphosis. The silkworm, Bombyx mori, is a lepidopteran model insect. Here, we characterized the brain cell repertoire of larval and adult B. mori by obtaining 50 708 single-cell transcriptomes. Seventeen and 12 cell clusters from larval and adult brains were assigned based on marker genes, respectively. Identified cell types include Kenyon cells, optic lobe cells, monoaminergic neurons, surface glia, and astrocyte glia. We further assessed the cell type compositions of larval and adult brains. We found that the transition from larva to adult resulted in great expansion of glial cells. The glial cell accounted for 49.8% of adult midbrain cells. Compared to flies and ants, the mushroom body kenyon cell is insufficient in B. mori, which accounts for 5.4% and 3.6% in larval and adult brains, respectively. Analysis of neuropeptide expression showed that the abundance and specificity of expression varied among individual neuropeptides. Intriguingly, we found that ion transport peptide was specifically expressed in glial cells of larval and adult brains. The cell atlas dataset provides an important resource to explore cell diversity, neural circuits and genetic profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojing Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, The Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Zhongjie Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, The Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Bo Hu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, The Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Kai Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, The Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Ye Yu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, The Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Hui Xiang
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology and School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Anjiang Tan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, The Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
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25
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Amin H, Nolte SS, Swain B, von Philipsborn AC. GABAergic signaling shapes multiple aspects of Drosophila courtship motor behavior. iScience 2023; 26:108069. [PMID: 37860694 PMCID: PMC10583093 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108069] [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: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhibitory neurons are essential for orchestrating and structuring behavior. We use one of the best studied behaviors in Drosophila, male courtship, to analyze how inhibitory, GABAergic neurons shape the different steps of this multifaceted motor sequence. RNAi-mediated knockdown of the GABA-producing enzyme GAD1 and the ionotropic receptor Rdl in sex specific, fruitless expressing neurons in the ventral nerve cord causes uncoordinated and futile copulation attempts, defects in wing extension choice and severe alterations of courtship song. Altered song of GABA depleted males fails to stimulate female receptivity, but rescue of song patterning alone is not sufficient to rescue male mating success. Knockdown of GAD1 and Rdl in male brain circuits abolishes courtship conditioning. We characterize the around 220 neurons coexpressing GAD1 and Fruitless in the Drosophila male nervous system and propose inhibitory circuit motifs underlying key features of courtship behavior based on the observed phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoger Amin
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and Department of Biomedicine, Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE), Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Stella S. Nolte
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and Department of Biomedicine, Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE), Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Bijayalaxmi Swain
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and Department of Biomedicine, Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE), Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Anne C. von Philipsborn
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and Department of Biomedicine, Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE), Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Neuroscience and Movement Science, Medicine Section, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
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26
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Ahmed OM, Crocker A, Murthy M. Transcriptional profiling of Drosophila male-specific P1 (pC1) neurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.07.566045. [PMID: 37986870 PMCID: PMC10659367 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.07.566045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
In Drosophila melanogaster, the P1 (pC1) cluster of male-specific neurons both integrates sensory cues and drives or modulates behavioral programs such as courtship, in addition to contributing to a social arousal state. The behavioral function of these neurons is linked to the genes they express, which underpin their capacity for synaptic signaling, neuromodulation, and physiology. Yet, P1 (pC1) neurons have not been fully characterized at the transcriptome level. Moreover, it is unknown how the molecular landscape of P1 (pC1) neurons acutely changes after flies engage in social behaviors, where baseline P1 (pC1) neural activity is expected to increase. To address these two gaps, we use single cell-type RNA sequencing to profile and compare the transcriptomes of P1 (pC1) neurons harvested from socially paired versus solitary male flies. Compared to control transcriptome datasets, we find that P1 (pC1) neurons are enriched in 2,665 genes, including those encoding receptors, neuropeptides, and cell-adhesion molecules (dprs/DIPs). Furthermore, courtship is characterized by changes in ~300 genes, including those previously implicated in regulating behavior (e.g. DopEcR, Octβ3R, Fife, kairos, rad). Finally, we identify a suite of genes that link conspecific courtship with the innate immune system. Together, these data serve as a molecular map for future studies of an important set of higher-order and sexually-dimorphic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osama M Ahmed
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Amanda Crocker
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 05753, USA
| | - Mala Murthy
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
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27
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Jovanoski KD, Duquenoy L, Mitchell J, Kapoor I, Treiber CD, Croset V, Dempsey G, Parepalli S, Cognigni P, Otto N, Felsenberg J, Waddell S. Dopaminergic systems create reward seeking despite adverse consequences. Nature 2023; 623:356-365. [PMID: 37880370 PMCID: PMC10632144 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06671-8] [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: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Resource-seeking behaviours are ordinarily constrained by physiological needs and threats of danger, and the loss of these controls is associated with pathological reward seeking1. Although dysfunction of the dopaminergic valuation system of the brain is known to contribute towards unconstrained reward seeking2,3, the underlying reasons for this behaviour are unclear. Here we describe dopaminergic neural mechanisms that produce reward seeking despite adverse consequences in Drosophila melanogaster. Odours paired with optogenetic activation of a defined subset of reward-encoding dopaminergic neurons become cues that starved flies seek while neglecting food and enduring electric shock punishment. Unconstrained seeking of reward is not observed after learning with sugar or synthetic engagement of other dopaminergic neuron populations. Antagonism between reward-encoding and punishment-encoding dopaminergic neurons accounts for the perseverance of reward seeking despite punishment, whereas synthetic engagement of the reward-encoding dopaminergic neurons also impairs the ordinary need-dependent dopaminergic valuation of available food. Connectome analyses reveal that the population of reward-encoding dopaminergic neurons receives highly heterogeneous input, consistent with parallel representation of diverse rewards, and recordings demonstrate state-specific gating and satiety-related signals. We propose that a similar dopaminergic valuation system dysfunction is likely to contribute to maladaptive seeking of rewards by mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucille Duquenoy
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jessica Mitchell
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ishaan Kapoor
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Vincent Croset
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Georgia Dempsey
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sai Parepalli
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Paola Cognigni
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Northern Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Nils Otto
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Institute of Anatomy and Molecular Neurobiology, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Münster, Germany
| | - Johannes Felsenberg
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Scott Waddell
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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28
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Buck SA, Rubin SA, Kunkhyen T, Treiber CD, Xue X, Fenno LE, Mabry SJ, Sundar VR, Yang Z, Shah D, Ketchesin KD, Becker-Krail DD, Vasylieva I, Smith MC, Weisel FJ, Wang W, Erickson-Oberg MQ, O’Leary EI, Aravind E, Ramakrishnan C, Kim YS, Wu Y, Quick M, Coleman JA, MacDonald WA, Elbakri R, De Miranda BR, Palladino MJ, McCabe BD, Fish KN, Seney ML, Rayport S, Mingote S, Deisseroth K, Hnasko TS, Awatramani R, Watson AM, Waddell S, Cheetham CEJ, Logan RW, Freyberg Z. Sexually dimorphic mechanisms of VGLUT-mediated protection from dopaminergic neurodegeneration. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.02.560584. [PMID: 37873436 PMCID: PMC10592912 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.02.560584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) targets some dopamine (DA) neurons more than others. Sex differences offer insights, with females more protected from DA neurodegeneration. The mammalian vesicular glutamate transporter VGLUT2 and Drosophila ortholog dVGLUT have been implicated as modulators of DA neuron resilience. However, the mechanisms by which VGLUT2/dVGLUT protects DA neurons remain unknown. We discovered DA neuron dVGLUT knockdown increased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species in a sexually dimorphic manner in response to depolarization or paraquat-induced stress, males being especially affected. DA neuron dVGLUT also reduced ATP biosynthetic burden during depolarization. RNA sequencing of VGLUT+ DA neurons in mice and flies identified candidate genes that we functionally screened to further dissect VGLUT-mediated DA neuron resilience across PD models. We discovered transcription factors modulating dVGLUT-dependent DA neuroprotection and identified dj-1β as a regulator of sex-specific DA neuron dVGLUT expression. Overall, VGLUT protects DA neurons from PD-associated degeneration by maintaining mitochondrial health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silas A. Buck
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Sophie A. Rubin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Tenzin Kunkhyen
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Christoph D. Treiber
- Centre for Neural Circuits & Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Xiangning Xue
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA
| | - Lief E. Fenno
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Samuel J. Mabry
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Varun R. Sundar
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Zilu Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Divia Shah
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Kyle D. Ketchesin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Darius D. Becker-Krail
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Iaroslavna Vasylieva
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Center for Biologic Imaging, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Megan C. Smith
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Center for Biologic Imaging, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Florian J. Weisel
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Wenjia Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA
| | - M. Quincy Erickson-Oberg
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Emma I. O’Leary
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Eshan Aravind
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Charu Ramakrishnan
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Yoon Seok Kim
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Yanying Wu
- Centre for Neural Circuits & Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Matthias Quick
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Jonathan A. Coleman
- Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | | | - Rania Elbakri
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA
| | - Briana R. De Miranda
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Michael J. Palladino
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
- Pittsburgh Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Brian D. McCabe
- Brain Mind Institute, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kenneth N. Fish
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Marianne L. Seney
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Stephen Rayport
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Susana Mingote
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Neuroscience Initiative, Advanced Science Research Center, Graduate Center of The City University of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Thomas S. Hnasko
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92161, USA
| | | | - Alan M. Watson
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Center for Biologic Imaging, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Scott Waddell
- Centre for Neural Circuits & Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | | | - Ryan W. Logan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Zachary Freyberg
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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29
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Ju L, Glastad KM, Sheng L, Gospocic J, Kingwell CJ, Davidson SM, Kocher SD, Bonasio R, Berger SL. Hormonal gatekeeping via the blood-brain barrier governs caste-specific behavior in ants. Cell 2023; 186:4289-4309.e23. [PMID: 37683635 PMCID: PMC10807403 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Here, we reveal an unanticipated role of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in regulating complex social behavior in ants. Using scRNA-seq, we find localization in the BBB of a key hormone-degrading enzyme called juvenile hormone esterase (Jhe), and we show that this localization governs the level of juvenile hormone (JH3) entering the brain. Manipulation of the Jhe level reprograms the brain transcriptome between ant castes. Although ant Jhe is retained and functions intracellularly within the BBB, we show that Drosophila Jhe is naturally extracellular. Heterologous expression of ant Jhe into the Drosophila BBB alters behavior in fly to mimic what is seen in ants. Most strikingly, manipulation of Jhe levels in ants reprograms complex behavior between worker castes. Our study thus uncovers a remarkable, potentially conserved role of the BBB serving as a molecular gatekeeper for a neurohormonal pathway that regulates social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linyang Ju
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Karl M Glastad
- Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Lihong Sheng
- Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Janko Gospocic
- Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Urology and Institute of Neuropathology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Callum J Kingwell
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Shawn M Davidson
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Sarah D Kocher
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Lewis-Sigler Institute for Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Roberto Bonasio
- Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Shelley L Berger
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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30
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Sizemore TR, Jonaitis J, Dacks AM. Heterogeneous receptor expression underlies non-uniform peptidergic modulation of olfaction in Drosophila. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5280. [PMID: 37644052 PMCID: PMC10465596 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41012-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory systems are dynamically adjusted according to the animal's ongoing needs by neuromodulators, such as neuropeptides. Neuropeptides are often widely-distributed throughout sensory networks, but it is unclear whether such neuropeptides uniformly modulate network activity. Here, we leverage the Drosophila antennal lobe (AL) to resolve whether myoinhibitory peptide (MIP) uniformly modulates AL processing. Despite being uniformly distributed across the AL, MIP decreases olfactory input to some glomeruli, while increasing olfactory input to other glomeruli. We reveal that a heterogeneous ensemble of local interneurons (LNs) are the sole source of AL MIP, and show that differential expression of the inhibitory MIP receptor across glomeruli allows MIP to act on distinct intraglomerular substrates. Our findings demonstrate how even a seemingly simple case of modulation can have complex consequences on network processing by acting non-uniformly within different components of the overall network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler R Sizemore
- Department of Biology, Life Sciences Building, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA.
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale Science Building, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520-8103, USA.
| | - Julius Jonaitis
- Department of Biology, Life Sciences Building, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Andrew M Dacks
- Department of Biology, Life Sciences Building, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA.
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31
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Wang M, Ho MS. Profiling neurotransmitter-evoked glial responses by RNA-sequencing analysis. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1252759. [PMID: 37645568 PMCID: PMC10461064 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1252759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Fundamental properties of neurons and glia are distinctively different. Neurons are excitable cells that transmit information, whereas glia have long been considered as passive bystanders. Recently, the concept of tripartite synapse is proposed that glia are structurally and functionally incorporated into the synapse, the basic unit of information processing in the brains. It has then become intriguing how glia actively communicate with the presynaptic and postsynaptic compartments to influence the signal transmission. Here we present a thorough analysis at the transcriptional level on how glia respond to different types of neurotransmitters. Adult fly glia were purified from brains incubated with different types of neurotransmitters ex vivo. Subsequent RNA-sequencing analyses reveal distinct and overlapping patterns for these transcriptomes. Whereas Acetylcholine (ACh) and Glutamate (Glu) more vigorously activate glial gene expression, GABA retains its inhibitory effect. All neurotransmitters fail to trigger a significant change in the expression of their synthesis enzymes, yet Glu triggers increased expression of neurotransmitter receptors including its own and nAChRs. Expressions of transporters for GABA and Glutamate are under diverse controls from DA, GABA, and Glu, suggesting that the evoked intracellular pathways by these neurotransmitters are interconnected. Furthermore, changes in the expression of genes involved in calcium signaling also functionally predict the change in the glial activity. Finally, neurotransmitters also trigger a general metabolic suppression in glia except the DA, which upregulates a number of genes involved in transporting nutrients and amino acids. Our findings fundamentally dissect the transcriptional change in glia facing neuronal challenges; these results provide insights on how glia and neurons crosstalk in a synaptic context and underlie the mechanism of brain function and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Margaret S. Ho
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
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32
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Ferreira AAG, Desplan C. An Atlas of the Developing Drosophila Visual System Glia and Subcellular mRNA Localization of Transcripts in Single Cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.06.552169. [PMID: 37609218 PMCID: PMC10441313 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.06.552169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Glial cells are essential for proper nervous system development and function. To understand glial development and function, we comprehensively annotated glial cells in a single-cell mRNA-sequencing (scRNAseq) atlas of the developing Drosophila visual system. This allowed us to study their developmental trajectories, from larval to adult stages, and to understand how specific types of glia diversify during development. For example, neuropil glia that are initially transcriptionally similar in larvae, split into ensheathing and astrocyte-like glia during pupal stages. Other glial types, such as chiasm glia change gradually during development without splitting into two cell types. The analysis of scRNA-seq allowed us to discover that the transcriptome of glial cell bodies can be distinguished from that of their broken processes. The processes contain distinct enriched mRNAs that were validated in vivo. Therefore, we have identified most glial types in the developing optic lobe and devised a computational approach to identify mRNA species that are localized to cell bodies or cellular processes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Claude Desplan
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
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33
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Traniello IM, Bukhari SA, Dibaeinia P, Serrano G, Avalos A, Ahmed AC, Sankey AL, Hernaez M, Sinha S, Zhao SD, Catchen J, Robinson GE. Single-cell dissection of aggression in honeybee colonies. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:1232-1244. [PMID: 37264201 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02090-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how genotypic variation results in phenotypic variation is especially difficult for collective behaviour because group phenotypes arise from complex interactions among group members. A genome-wide association study identified hundreds of genes associated with colony-level variation in honeybee aggression, many of which also showed strong signals of positive selection, but the influence of these 'colony aggression genes' on brain function was unknown. Here we use single-cell (sc) transcriptomics and gene regulatory network (GRN) analyses to test the hypothesis that genetic variation for colony aggression influences individual differences in brain gene expression and/or gene regulation. We compared soldiers, which respond to territorial intrusion with stinging attacks, and foragers, which do not. Colony environment showed stronger influences on soldier-forager differences in brain gene regulation compared with brain gene expression. GRN plasticity was strongly associated with colony aggression, with larger differences in GRN dynamics detected between soldiers and foragers from more aggressive relative to less aggressive colonies. The regulatory dynamics of subnetworks composed of genes associated with colony aggression genes were more strongly correlated with each other across different cell types and brain regions relative to other genes, especially in brain regions involved with olfaction and vision and multimodal sensory integration, which are known to mediate bee aggression. These results show how group genetics can shape a collective phenotype by modulating individual brain gene regulatory network architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian M Traniello
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Urbana, IL, USA.
- Carl R Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, UIUC, Urbana, IL, USA.
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | | | | | - Guillermo Serrano
- Computational Biology Program, CIMA University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Arian Avalos
- Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Services, United States Department of Agriculture, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Amy Cash Ahmed
- Carl R Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, UIUC, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Alison L Sankey
- Carl R Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, UIUC, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Mikel Hernaez
- Computational Biology Program, CIMA University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Saurabh Sinha
- Carl R Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, UIUC, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Computer Science, UIUC, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Sihai Dave Zhao
- Carl R Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, UIUC, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Statistics, UIUC, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Julian Catchen
- Carl R Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, UIUC, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, UIUC, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Gene E Robinson
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Urbana, IL, USA.
- Carl R Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, UIUC, Urbana, IL, USA.
- Department of Entomology, UIUC, Urbana, IL, USA.
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34
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Tsuji M, Nishizuka Y, Emoto K. Threat gates visual aversion via theta activity in Tachykinergic neurons. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3987. [PMID: 37443364 PMCID: PMC10345120 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39667-z] [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: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals must adapt sensory responses to an ever-changing environment for survival. Such sensory modulation is especially critical in a threatening situation, in which animals often promote aversive responses to, among others, visual stimuli. Recently, threatened Drosophila has been shown to exhibit a defensive internal state. Whether and how threatened Drosophila promotes visual aversion, however, remains elusive. Here we report that mechanical threats to Drosophila transiently gate aversion from an otherwise neutral visual object. We further identified the neuropeptide tachykinin, and a single cluster of neurons expressing it ("Tk-GAL42 ∩ Vglut neurons"), that are responsible for gating visual aversion. Calcium imaging analysis revealed that mechanical threats are encoded in Tk-GAL42 ∩ Vglut neurons as elevated activity. Remarkably, we also discovered that a visual object is encoded in Tk-GAL42 ∩ Vglut neurons as θ oscillation, which is causally linked to visual aversion. Our data reveal how a single cluster of neurons adapt organismal sensory response to a threatening situation through a neuropeptide and a combination of rate/temporal coding schemes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masato Tsuji
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yuto Nishizuka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Kazuo Emoto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate 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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35
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Dorkenwald S, Matsliah A, Sterling AR, Schlegel P, Yu SC, McKellar CE, Lin A, Costa M, Eichler K, Yin Y, Silversmith W, Schneider-Mizell C, Jordan CS, Brittain D, Halageri A, Kuehner K, Ogedengbe O, Morey R, Gager J, Kruk K, Perlman E, Yang R, Deutsch D, Bland D, Sorek M, Lu R, Macrina T, Lee K, Bae JA, Mu S, Nehoran B, Mitchell E, Popovych S, Wu J, Jia Z, Castro M, Kemnitz N, Ih D, Bates AS, Eckstein N, Funke J, Collman F, Bock DD, Jefferis GS, Seung HS, Murthy M. Neuronal wiring diagram of an adult brain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.27.546656. [PMID: 37425937 PMCID: PMC10327113 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.27.546656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Connections between neurons can be mapped by acquiring and analyzing electron microscopic (EM) brain images. In recent years, this approach has been applied to chunks of brains to reconstruct local connectivity maps that are highly informative, yet inadequate for understanding brain function more globally. Here, we present the first neuronal wiring diagram of a whole adult brain, containing 5×107 chemical synapses between ~130,000 neurons reconstructed from a female Drosophila melanogaster. The resource also incorporates annotations of cell classes and types, nerves, hemilineages, and predictions of neurotransmitter identities. Data products are available by download, programmatic access, and interactive browsing and made interoperable with other fly data resources. We show how to derive a projectome, a map of projections between regions, from the connectome. We demonstrate the tracing of synaptic pathways and the analysis of information flow from inputs (sensory and ascending neurons) to outputs (motor, endocrine, and descending neurons), across both hemispheres, and between the central brain and the optic lobes. Tracing from a subset of photoreceptors all the way to descending motor pathways illustrates how structure can uncover putative circuit mechanisms underlying sensorimotor behaviors. The technologies and open ecosystem of the FlyWire Consortium set the stage for future large-scale connectome projects in other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sven Dorkenwald
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
- Computer Science Department, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Arie Matsliah
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Amy R Sterling
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
- Eyewire, Boston, USA
| | - Philipp Schlegel
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
- Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Szi-chieh Yu
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | | | - Albert Lin
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
- Center for the Physics of Biological Function, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Marta Costa
- Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Katharina Eichler
- Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yijie Yin
- Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Will Silversmith
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | | | - Chris S. Jordan
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | | | - Akhilesh Halageri
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Kai Kuehner
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | | | - Ryan Morey
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Jay Gager
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | | | | | - Runzhe Yang
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
- Computer Science Department, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - David Deutsch
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Doug Bland
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Marissa Sorek
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
- Eyewire, Boston, USA
| | - Ran Lu
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Thomas Macrina
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
- Computer Science Department, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Kisuk Lee
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
- Brain & Cognitive Sciences Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA
| | - J. Alexander Bae
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Shang Mu
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Barak Nehoran
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
- Computer Science Department, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Eric Mitchell
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Sergiy Popovych
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
- Computer Science Department, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Jingpeng Wu
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Zhen Jia
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Manuel Castro
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Nico Kemnitz
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Dodam Ih
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Alexander Shakeel Bates
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
- Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, The University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nils Eckstein
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, USA
| | - Jan Funke
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, USA
| | | | - Davi D. Bock
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, USA
| | - Gregory S.X.E Jefferis
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
- Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - H. Sebastian Seung
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
- Computer Science Department, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Mala Murthy
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
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36
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Chen N, Zhang Y, Rivera-Rodriguez EJ, Yu AD, Hobin M, Rosbash M, Griffith LC. Widespread posttranscriptional regulation of cotransmission. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg9836. [PMID: 37267358 PMCID: PMC10413644 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg9836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
While neurotransmitter identity was once considered singular and immutable for mature neurons, it is now appreciated that one neuron can release multiple neuroactive substances (cotransmission) whose identities can even change over time. To explore the mechanisms that tune the suite of transmitters a neuron releases, we developed transcriptional and translational reporters for cholinergic, glutamatergic, and GABAergic signaling in Drosophila. We show that many glutamatergic and GABAergic cells also transcribe cholinergic genes, but fail to accumulate cholinergic effector proteins. Suppression of cholinergic signaling involves posttranscriptional regulation of cholinergic transcripts by the microRNA miR-190; chronic loss of miR-190 function allows expression of cholinergic machinery, reducing and fragmenting sleep. Using a "translation-trap" strategy, we show that neurons in these populations have episodes of transient translation of cholinergic proteins, demonstrating that suppression of cotransmission is actively modulated. Posttranscriptional restriction of fast transmitter cotransmission provides a mechanism allowing reversible tuning of neuronal output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nannan Chen
- Department of Biology, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454-9110, USA
| | - Yunpeng Zhang
- Department of Biology, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454-9110, USA
| | - Emmanuel J. Rivera-Rodriguez
- Department of Biology, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454-9110, USA
| | - Albert D. Yu
- Department of Biology, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454-9110, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454-9110, USA
| | - Michael Hobin
- Department of Biology, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454-9110, USA
| | - Michael Rosbash
- Department of Biology, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454-9110, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454-9110, USA
| | - Leslie C. Griffith
- Department of Biology, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454-9110, USA
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37
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Nakayama M, Nishimura O, Nishimura Y, Kitaichi M, Kuraku S, Sone M, Hama C. Control of Synaptic Levels of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor by the Sequestering Subunit Dα5 and Secreted Scaffold Protein Hig. J Neurosci 2023; 43:3989-4004. [PMID: 37117011 PMCID: PMC10255049 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2243-21.2023] [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: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The presentation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) on synaptic membranes is crucial for generating cholinergic circuits, some of which are associated with memory function and neurodegenerative disorders. Although the physiology and structure of nAChR, a cation channel comprising five subunits, have been extensively studied, little is known about how the receptor levels in interneuronal synapses are determined and which nAChR subunits participate in the regulatory process in cooperation with synaptic cleft matrices and intracellular proteins. By a genetic screen of Drosophila, we identified mutations in the nAChR subunit Dα5 gene as suppressors that restored the mutant phenotypes of hig, which encodes a secretory matrix protein localized to cholinergic synaptic clefts in the brain. Only the loss of function of Dα5 among the 10 nAChR subunits suppressed hig mutant phenotypes in both male and female flies. Dα5 behaved as a lethal factor when Hig was defective; loss of Dα5 in hig mutants rescued lethality, upregulating Dα6 synaptic levels. By contrast, levels of Dα5, Dα6, and Dα7 subunits were all reduced in hig mutants. These three subunits have distinct properties for interaction with Hig or trafficking, as confirmed by chimeric subunit experiments. Notably, the chimeric Dα5 protein, which has the extracellular sequences that display no positive interaction with Hig, exhibited abnormal distribution and lethality even in the presence of Hig. We propose that the sequestering subunit Dα5 functions by reducing synaptic levels of nAChR through internalization, and this process is blocked by Hig, which tethers Dα5 to the synaptic cleft matrix.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Because the cholinergic synapse is one of the major synapses that generate various brain functions, numerous studies have sought to reveal the physiology and structure of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). However, little is known about how synaptic levels of nAChR are controlled and which nAChR subunits participate in the regulatory process in cooperation with synaptic cleft matrices. By a genetic screen of Drosophila, we identified mutations in the nAChR subunit Dα5 gene as suppressors that restored the mutant phenotypes of hig, which encodes a secretory matrix protein localized to cholinergic synaptic clefts. Our data indicate that Dα5 functions in reducing synaptic levels of nAChR, and this process is blocked by Hig, which tethers Dα5 to the synaptic cleft matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minoru Nakayama
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kyoto 603-8555, Japan
- Faculty of Science, Toho University, Funabashi 274-8510, Japan
| | - Osamu Nishimura
- Laboratory for Phyloinformatics, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, RIKEN, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Yuhi Nishimura
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kyoto 603-8555, Japan
| | - Miwa Kitaichi
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kyoto 603-8555, Japan
| | - Shigehiro Kuraku
- Laboratory for Phyloinformatics, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, RIKEN, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Masaki Sone
- Faculty of Science, Toho University, Funabashi 274-8510, Japan
| | - Chihiro Hama
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kyoto 603-8555, Japan
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38
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Schwartz S, Wilson SJ, Hale TK, Fitzsimons HL. Ankyrin2 is essential for neuronal morphogenesis and long-term courtship memory in Drosophila. Mol Brain 2023; 16:42. [PMID: 37194019 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-023-01026-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Dysregulation of HDAC4 expression and/or nucleocytoplasmic shuttling results in impaired neuronal morphogenesis and long-term memory in Drosophila melanogaster. A recent genetic screen for genes that interact in the same molecular pathway as HDAC4 identified the cytoskeletal adapter Ankyrin2 (Ank2). Here we sought to investigate the role of Ank2 in neuronal morphogenesis, learning and memory. We found that Ank2 is expressed widely throughout the Drosophila brain where it localizes predominantly to axon tracts. Pan-neuronal knockdown of Ank2 in the mushroom body, a region critical for memory formation, resulted in defects in axon morphogenesis. Similarly, reduction of Ank2 in lobular plate tangential neurons of the optic lobe disrupted dendritic branching and arborization. Conditional knockdown of Ank2 in the mushroom body of adult Drosophila significantly impaired long-term memory (LTM) of courtship suppression, and its expression was essential in the γ neurons of the mushroom body for normal LTM. In summary, we provide the first characterization of the expression pattern of Ank2 in the adult Drosophila brain and demonstrate that Ank2 is critical for morphogenesis of the mushroom body and for the molecular processes required in the adult brain for the formation of long-term memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Schwartz
- School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
- Current Address: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Life NanoScience, Rome, Italy
| | - Sarah J Wilson
- School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Tracy K Hale
- School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Helen L Fitzsimons
- School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
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39
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Sheng L, Shields EJ, Gospocic J, Sorida M, Ju L, Byrns CN, Carranza F, Berger SL, Bonini N, Bonasio R. Ensheathing glia promote increased lifespan and healthy brain aging. Aging Cell 2023; 22:e13803. [PMID: 36840361 PMCID: PMC10186613 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Glia have an emergent role in brain aging and disease. In the Drosophila melanogaster brain, ensheathing glia function as phagocytic cells and respond to acute neuronal damage, analogous to mammalian microglia. We previously reported changes in glia composition over the life of ants and fruit flies, including a decline in the relative proportion of ensheathing glia with time. How these changes influence brain health and life expectancy is unknown. Here, we show that ensheathing glia but not astrocytes decrease in number during Drosophila melanogaster brain aging. The remaining ensheathing glia display dysregulated expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism and apoptosis, which may lead to lipid droplet accumulation, cellular dysfunction, and death. Inhibition of apoptosis rescued the decline of ensheathing glia with age, improved the neuromotor performance of aged flies, and extended lifespan. Furthermore, an expanded ensheathing glia population prevented amyloid-beta accumulation in a fly model of Alzheimer's disease and delayed the premature death of the diseased animals. These findings suggest that ensheathing glia play a vital role in regulating brain health and animal longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihong Sheng
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain ScienceInstitutes of Brain Science, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Epigenetics InstituteUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Cell and Developmental BiologyUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Emily J. Shields
- Epigenetics InstituteUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Cell and Developmental BiologyUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Urology and Institute of NeuropathologyMedical Center–University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Janko Gospocic
- Epigenetics InstituteUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Cell and Developmental BiologyUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Urology and Institute of NeuropathologyMedical Center–University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Masato Sorida
- Epigenetics InstituteUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Cell and Developmental BiologyUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Linyang Ju
- Epigenetics InstituteUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Cell and Developmental BiologyUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - China N. Byrns
- Medical Scientist Training ProgramUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Neuroscience Graduate GroupUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Faith Carranza
- Department of BiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Shelley L. Berger
- Epigenetics InstituteUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Cell and Developmental BiologyUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of BiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of GeneticsUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Nancy Bonini
- Neuroscience Graduate GroupUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of BiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Roberto Bonasio
- Epigenetics InstituteUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Cell and Developmental BiologyUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Urology and Institute of NeuropathologyMedical Center–University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
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40
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Rusin LY. Evolution of homology: From archetype towards a holistic concept of cell type. J Morphol 2023; 284:e21569. [PMID: 36789784 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
The concept of homology lies in the heart of comparative biological science. The distinction between homology as structure and analogy as function has shaped the evolutionary paradigm for a century and formed the axis of comparative anatomy and embryology, which accept the identity of structure as a ground measure of relatedness. The advent of single-cell genomics overturned the classical view of cell homology by establishing a backbone regulatory identity of cell types, the basic biological units bridging the molecular and phenotypic dimensions, to reveal that the cell is the most flexible unit of living matter and that many approaches of classical biology need to be revised to understand evolution and diversity at the cellular level. The emerging theory of cell types explicitly decouples cell identity from phenotype, essentially allowing for the divergence of evolutionarily related morphotypes beyond recognition, as well as it decouples ontogenetic cell lineage from cell-type phylogeny, whereby explicating that cell types can share common descent regardless of their structure, function or developmental origin. The article succinctly summarizes current progress and opinion in this field and formulates a more generalistic view of biological cell types as avatars, transient or terminal cell states deployed in a continuum of states by the developmental programme of one and the same omnipotent cell, capable of changing or combining identities with distinct evolutionary histories or inventing ad hoc identities that never existed in evolution or development. It highlights how the new logic grounded in the regulatory nature of cell identity transforms the concepts of cell homology and phenotypic stability, suggesting that cellular evolution is inherently and massively network-like, with one-to-one homologies being rather uncommon and restricted to shallower levels of the animal tree of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonid Y Rusin
- Laboratory for Mathematic Methods and Models in Bioinformatics, Institute for Information Transmission Problems (Kharkevich Institute), Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- EvoGenome Analytics LLC, Odintsovo, Moscow Region, Russia
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41
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Chen N, Zhang Y, Rivera-Rodriguez EJ, Yu AD, Hobin M, Rosbash M, Griffith LC. Widespread post-transcriptional regulation of co-transmission. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.01.530653. [PMID: 36909471 PMCID: PMC10002718 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.01.530653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
While neurotransmitter identity was once considered singular and immutable for mature neurons, it is now appreciated that one neuron can release multiple neuroactive substances (co-transmission) whose identities can even change over time. To explore the mechanisms that tune the suite of transmitters a neuron releases, we developed transcriptional and translational reporters for cholinergic, glutamatergic, and GABAergic signaling in Drosophila . We show that many glutamatergic and GABAergic cells also transcribe cholinergic genes, but fail to accumulate cholinergic effector proteins. Suppression of cholinergic signaling involves posttranscriptional regulation of cholinergic transcripts by the microRNA miR-190; chronic loss of miR-190 function allows expression of cholinergic machinery, reducing and fragmenting sleep. Using a "translation-trap" strategy we show that neurons in these populations have episodes of transient translation of cholinergic proteins, demonstrating that suppression of co-transmission is actively modulated. Posttranscriptional restriction of fast transmitter co-transmission provides a mechanism allowing reversible tuning of neuronal output. One-Sentence Summary Cholinergic co-transmission in large populations of glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons in the Drosophila adult brain is controlled by miR-190.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nannan Chen
- Department of Biology, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454-9110, USA
| | - Yunpeng Zhang
- Department of Biology, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454-9110, USA
| | - Emmanuel J. Rivera-Rodriguez
- Department of Biology, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454-9110, USA
| | - Albert D. Yu
- Department of Biology, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454-9110, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454-9110, USA
| | - Michael Hobin
- Department of Biology, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454-9110, USA
| | - Michael Rosbash
- Department of Biology, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454-9110, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454-9110, USA
| | - Leslie C. Griffith
- Department of Biology, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454-9110, USA
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42
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Witwicka A, López‐Osorio F, Patterson V, Wurm Y. Expression of subunits of an insecticide target receptor varies across tissues, life stages, castes, and species of social bees. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:1034-1044. [PMID: 36478483 PMCID: PMC10947401 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16811] [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: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Global losses of insects jeopardize ecosystem stability and crop pollination. Robust evidence indicates that insecticides have contributed to these losses. Notably, insecticides targeting nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) have neurotoxic effects on beneficial insects. Because each nAChR consists of five subunits, the alternative arrangements of subunits could create a multitude of receptors differing in structure and function. Therefore, understanding whether the use of subunits varies is essential for evaluating and predicting the effects of insecticides targeting such receptors. To better understand how the use and composition of nAChRs differ within and between insect pollinators, we analysed RNA-seq gene expression data from tissues and castes of Apis mellifera honey bees and life stages and castes of the Bombus terrestris bumble bees. We reveal that all analysed tissues express nAChRs and that relative expression levels of nAChR subunits vary widely across almost all comparisons. Our work thus shows fine-tuned spatial and temporal expression of nAChRs. Given that coexpression of subunits underpins the compositional diversity of functional receptors and that the affinities of insecticides depend on nAChR composition, our findings provide a likely mechanism for the various damaging effects of nAChR-targeting insecticides on insects. Furthermore, our results indicate that the appraisal of insecticide risks should carefully consider variation in molecular targets.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Yannick Wurm
- Biology DepartmentQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUK
- Digital Environment Research InstituteQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUK
- Alan Turing InstituteLondonUK
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43
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Ma D, Herndon N, Le JQ, Abruzzi KC, Zinn K, Rosbash M. Neural connectivity molecules best identify the heterogeneous clock and dopaminergic cell types in the Drosophila adult brain. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade8500. [PMID: 36812309 PMCID: PMC9946362 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade8500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Our recent single-cell sequencing of most adult Drosophila circadian neurons indicated notable and unexpected heterogeneity. To address whether other populations are similar, we sequenced a large subset of adult brain dopaminergic neurons. Their gene expression heterogeneity is similar to that of clock neurons, i.e., both populations have two to three cells per neuron group. There was also unexpected cell-specific expression of neuron communication molecule messenger RNAs: G protein-coupled receptor or cell surface molecule (CSM) transcripts alone can define adult brain dopaminergic and circadian neuron cell type. Moreover, the adult expression of the CSM DIP-beta in a small group of clock neurons is important for sleep. We suggest that the common features of circadian and dopaminergic neurons are general, essential for neuronal identity and connectivity of the adult brain, and that these features underlie the complex behavioral repertoire of Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dingbang Ma
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - Nicholas Herndon
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - Jasmine Quynh Le
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - Katharine C. Abruzzi
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - Kai Zinn
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Michael Rosbash
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
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44
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Palmateer CM, Artikis C, Brovero SG, Friedman B, Gresham A, Arbeitman MN. Single-cell transcriptome profiles of Drosophila fruitless-expressing neurons from both sexes. eLife 2023; 12:e78511. [PMID: 36724009 PMCID: PMC9891730 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster reproductive behaviors are orchestrated by fruitless neurons. We performed single-cell RNA-sequencing on pupal neurons that produce sex-specifically spliced fru transcripts, the fru P1-expressing neurons. Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP) with clustering generates an atlas containing 113 clusters. While the male and female neurons overlap in UMAP space, more than half the clusters have sex differences in neuron number, and nearly all clusters display sex-differential expression. Based on an examination of enriched marker genes, we annotate clusters as circadian clock neurons, mushroom body Kenyon cell neurons, neurotransmitter- and/or neuropeptide-producing, and those that express doublesex. Marker gene analyses also show that genes that encode members of the immunoglobulin superfamily of cell adhesion molecules, transcription factors, neuropeptides, neuropeptide receptors, and Wnts have unique patterns of enriched expression across the clusters. In vivo spatial gene expression links to the clusters are examined. A functional analysis of fru P1 circadian neurons shows they have dimorphic roles in activity and period length. Given that most clusters are comprised of male and female neurons indicates that the sexes have fru P1 neurons with common gene expression programs. Sex-specific expression is overlaid on this program, to build the potential for vastly different sex-specific behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen M Palmateer
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, College of MedicineTallahasseeUnited States
| | - Catherina Artikis
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, College of MedicineTallahasseeUnited States
| | - Savannah G Brovero
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, College of MedicineTallahasseeUnited States
| | - Benjamin Friedman
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, College of MedicineTallahasseeUnited States
| | - Alexis Gresham
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, College of MedicineTallahasseeUnited States
| | - Michelle N Arbeitman
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, College of MedicineTallahasseeUnited States
- Program of Neuroscience, Florida State UniversityTallahasseeUnited States
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45
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Sabandal PR, Saldes EB, Han KA. Acetylcholine deficit causes dysfunctional inhibitory control in an aging-dependent manner. Sci Rep 2022; 12:20903. [PMID: 36463374 PMCID: PMC9719532 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25402-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibitory control is a key executive function that limits unnecessary thoughts and actions, enabling an organism to appropriately execute goal-driven behaviors. The efficiency of this inhibitory capacity declines with normal aging or in neurodegenerative dementias similar to memory or other cognitive functions. Acetylcholine signaling is crucial for executive function and also diminishes with aging. Acetylcholine's contribution to the aging- or dementia-related decline in inhibitory control, however, remains elusive. We addressed this in Drosophila using a Go/No-Go task that measures inhibition capacity. Here, we report that inhibition capacity declines with aging in wild-type flies, which is mitigated by lessening acetylcholine breakdown and augmented by reducing acetylcholine biosynthesis. We identified the mushroom body (MB) γ neurons as a chief neural site for acetylcholine's contribution to the aging-associated inhibitory control deficit. In addition, we found that the MB output neurons MBON-γ2α'1 having dendrites at the MB γ2 and α'1 lobes and axons projecting to the superior medial protocerebrum and the crepine is critical for sustained movement suppression per se. This study reveals, for the first time, the central role of acetylcholine in the aging-associated loss of inhibitory control and provides a framework for further mechanistic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Rafael Sabandal
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79968, USA.
| | - Erick Benjamin Saldes
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79968, USA
| | - Kyung-An Han
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79968, USA.
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46
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Galili DS, Jefferis GS, Costa M. Connectomics and the neural basis of behaviour. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 54:100968. [PMID: 36113710 PMCID: PMC7614087 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2022.100968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Methods to acquire and process synaptic-resolution electron-microscopy datasets have progressed very rapidly, allowing production and annotation of larger, more complete connectomes. More accurate neuronal matching techniques are enriching cell type data with gene expression, neuron activity, behaviour and developmental information, providing ways to test hypotheses of circuit function. In a variety of behaviours such as learned and innate olfaction, navigation and sexual behaviour, connectomics has already revealed interconnected modules with a hierarchical structure, recurrence and integration of sensory streams. Comparing individual connectomes to determine which circuit features are robust and which are variable is one key research area; new work in comparative connectomics across development, experience, sex and species will establish strong links between neuronal connectivity and brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana S Galili
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Gregory Sxe Jefferis
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK; Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Marta Costa
- Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK.
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47
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Qiao J, Yang S, Geng H, Yung WH, Ke Y. Input-timing-dependent plasticity at incoming synapses of the mushroom body facilitates olfactory learning in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4869-4880.e4. [PMID: 36265490 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.09.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Aversive olfactory conditioning in Drosophila is a valuable model for elucidating the mechanism of associative learning. Much effort has centered around the role of neuroplasticity at the mushroom body (MB)-mushroom body output neuron (MBON) synapses in mapping odors to specific behaviors. By electrophysiological recordings from MB neurons, we discovered a form of input-timing-dependent plasticity at the incoming synapses from projection neurons that controls the efficacy of aversive olfactory memory formation. Importantly, this plasticity is facilitated by the neural activity of PPL1, the neuronal cluster that also modulates MB-MBON connections at the output stage of MB. Unlike the MB-MBON synapses that probably utilize dopamine D1-like receptors, this neuroplasticity is dependent on D2-like receptors that are expressed mainly by γ Kenyon cells noticeably in their somato-dendritic region. The D2-like receptors recruit voltage-gated calcium channels, leading to calcium influx in the soma and dendrites of γ neurons. Together, our results reveal a previously unrecognized synaptic component of the MB circuit architecture that not only could increase the salience of a conditioning odor but also couples the process of memory encoding and valency mapping to drive-associative learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingda Qiao
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Shengxi Yang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hongyan Geng
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Wing-Ho Yung
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Ya Ke
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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48
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Manoim JE, Davidson AM, Weiss S, Hige T, Parnas M. Lateral axonal modulation is required for stimulus-specific olfactory conditioning in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4438-4450.e5. [PMID: 36130601 PMCID: PMC9613607 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Effective and stimulus-specific learning is essential for animals' survival. Two major mechanisms are known to aid stimulus specificity of associative learning. One is accurate stimulus-specific representations in neurons. The second is a limited effective temporal window for the reinforcing signals to induce neuromodulation after sensory stimuli. However, these mechanisms are often imperfect in preventing unspecific associations; different sensory stimuli can be represented by overlapping populations of neurons, and more importantly, the reinforcing signals alone can induce neuromodulation even without coincident sensory-evoked neuronal activity. Here, we report a crucial neuromodulatory mechanism that counteracts both limitations and is thereby essential for stimulus specificity of learning. In Drosophila, olfactory signals are sparsely represented by cholinergic Kenyon cells (KCs), which receive dopaminergic reinforcing input. We find that KCs have numerous axo-axonic connections mediated by the muscarinic type-B receptor (mAChR-B). By using functional imaging and optogenetic approaches, we show that these axo-axonic connections suppress both odor-evoked calcium responses and dopamine-evoked cAMP signals in neighboring KCs. Strikingly, behavior experiments demonstrate that mAChR-B knockdown in KCs impairs olfactory learning by inducing undesired changes to the valence of an odor that was not associated with the reinforcer. Thus, this local neuromodulation acts in concert with sparse sensory representations and global dopaminergic modulation to achieve effective and accurate memory formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia E Manoim
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Andrew M Davidson
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Shirley Weiss
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Toshihide Hige
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
| | - Moshe Parnas
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
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49
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Dissel S, Klose MK, van Swinderen B, Cao L, Ford M, Periandri EM, Jones JD, Li Z, Shaw PJ. Sleep-promoting neurons remodel their response properties to calibrate sleep drive with environmental demands. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001797. [PMID: 36173939 PMCID: PMC9521806 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Falling asleep at the wrong time can place an individual at risk of immediate physical harm. However, not sleeping degrades cognition and adaptive behavior. To understand how animals match sleep need with environmental demands, we used live-brain imaging to examine the physiological response properties of the dorsal fan-shaped body (dFB) following interventions that modify sleep (sleep deprivation, starvation, time-restricted feeding, memory consolidation) in Drosophila. We report that dFB neurons change their physiological response-properties to dopamine (DA) and allatostatin-A (AstA) in response to different types of waking. That is, dFB neurons are not simply passive components of a hard-wired circuit. Rather, the dFB neurons intrinsically regulate their response to the activity from upstream circuits. Finally, we show that the dFB appears to contain a memory trace of prior exposure to metabolic challenges induced by starvation or time-restricted feeding. Together, these data highlight that the sleep homeostat is plastic and suggests an underlying mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephane Dissel
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Systems, School of Science and Engineering, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri, United States of America
- * E-mail: (SD); (PJS)
| | - Markus K. Klose
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Bruno van Swinderen
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - Lijuan Cao
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Melanie Ford
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Erica M. Periandri
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Joseph D. Jones
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Systems, School of Science and Engineering, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Zhaoyi Li
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Paul J. Shaw
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- * E-mail: (SD); (PJS)
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50
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Park A, Croset V, Otto N, Agarwal D, Treiber CD, Meschi E, Sims D, Waddell S. Gliotransmission of D-serine promotes thirst-directed behaviors in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2022; 32:3952-3970.e8. [PMID: 35963239 PMCID: PMC9616736 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.07.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Thirst emerges from a range of cellular changes that ultimately motivate an animal to consume water. Although thirst-responsive neuronal signals have been reported, the full complement of brain responses is unclear. Here, we identify molecular and cellular adaptations in the brain using single-cell sequencing of water-deprived Drosophila. Water deficiency primarily altered the glial transcriptome. Screening the regulated genes revealed astrocytic expression of the astray-encoded phosphoserine phosphatase to bi-directionally regulate water consumption. Astray synthesizes the gliotransmitter D-serine, and vesicular release from astrocytes is required for drinking. Moreover, dietary D-serine rescues aay-dependent drinking deficits while facilitating water consumption and expression of water-seeking memory. D-serine action requires binding to neuronal NMDA-type glutamate receptors. Fly astrocytes contribute processes to tripartite synapses, and the proportion of astrocytes that are themselves activated by glutamate increases with water deprivation. We propose that thirst elevates astrocytic D-serine release, which awakens quiescent glutamatergic circuits to enhance water procurement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie Park
- Centre for Neural Circuits & Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Vincent Croset
- Centre for Neural Circuits & Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK; Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK.
| | - Nils Otto
- Centre for Neural Circuits & Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Devika Agarwal
- Centre for Neural Circuits & Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK; MRC Computational Genomics Analysis and Training Programme (CGAT), MRC Centre for Computational Biology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Christoph D Treiber
- Centre for Neural Circuits & Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Eleonora Meschi
- Centre for Neural Circuits & Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - David Sims
- MRC Computational Genomics Analysis and Training Programme (CGAT), MRC Centre for Computational Biology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Scott Waddell
- Centre for Neural Circuits & Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK.
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