1
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Hindmarsh Sten T, Li R, Hollunder F, Eleazer S, Ruta V. Male-male interactions shape mate selection in Drosophila. Cell 2025; 188:1486-1503.e25. [PMID: 39952248 PMCID: PMC11955089 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2025.01.008] [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: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/03/2025] [Indexed: 02/17/2025]
Abstract
Males of many species have evolved behavioral traits to both attract females and repel rivals. Here, we explore mate selection in Drosophila from both the male and female perspective to shed light on how these key components of sexual selection-female choice and male-male competition-work in concert to guide reproductive strategies. We find that male flies fend off competing suitors by interleaving their courtship of a female with aggressive wing flicks, which both repel competitors and generate a "song" that obscures the female's auditory perception of other potential mates. Two higher-order circuit nodes-P1a and pC1x neurons-are coordinately recruited to allow males to flexibly interleave these agonistic actions with courtship displays, assuring they persistently pursue females until their rival falters. Together, our results suggest that female mating decisions are shaped by male-male interactions, underscoring how a male's ability to subvert his rivals is central to his reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Hindmarsh Sten
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Rufei Li
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Florian Hollunder
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Shade Eleazer
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Vanessa Ruta
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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2
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Chen J, Tu W, Li Z, Ma M, Jiang S, Guan W, Wang R, Pan Y, Peng Q. Diverse functions of sex determination gene doublesex on sexually dimorphic neuronal development and behaviors. J Genet Genomics 2025:S1673-8527(25)00042-6. [PMID: 39984156 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2025.02.005] [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: 10/28/2024] [Revised: 02/13/2025] [Accepted: 02/13/2025] [Indexed: 02/23/2025]
Abstract
Sex-specific neurons play pivotal roles in regulating sexually dimorphic behaviors. In insects, the sex determination gene doublesex (dsx) establishes major sexual dimorphism of the nervous system, in which male-specific dsxM promotes neuronal development, while female-specific dsxF inhibits neuronal development by promoting neuronal apoptosis. In this study, we find that dsx regulates the number of dsx-expressing central neurons in Drosophila in cell-specific manners. Although dsxM overall promotes an increase in the number of dsx neurons, it inhibits the emergence of specific pC1 neurons. dsxF reduces the number of different pC1/pC2 subtypes, but promotes the formation of pC1d. We also find that dsxM and dsxF barely affect the number of some pC2 neurons. Changes in the number of pC1/pC2 neuron numbers alter their roles in regulating different behaviors, including courtship, aggression, and locomotion. Our results illustrate the multifaceted functions of dsx in sexually dimorphic neuronal development and behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangtao Chen
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210096, China
| | - Wen Tu
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210096, China
| | - Ziqi Li
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210096, China
| | - Mingze Ma
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210096, China
| | - Simei Jiang
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210096, China
| | - Wenyue Guan
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210096, China
| | - Rong Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210096, China
| | - Yufeng Pan
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210096, China; Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226019, China.
| | - Qionglin Peng
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210096, China.
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3
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Sengupta S, Kravitz EA. Decoding sex differences: how GABA shapes Drosophila behavior. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2025; 67:101293. [PMID: 39471909 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2024.101293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2024] [Revised: 10/22/2024] [Accepted: 10/24/2024] [Indexed: 11/01/2024]
Abstract
Sexually dimorphic behaviors are fundamental to the biology of many species, including fruit flies and humans. These behaviors are regulated primarily by sex-specific neural circuits or sex-specific modulation of shared neuronal substrates. In fruit flies, GABAergic neurotransmission plays a critical role in governing sexually dimorphic behaviors, such as courtship, copulation, and aggression. This review explores the intricate roles of GABAergic neurons in these behaviors and focuses on how sex-specific differences in GABAergic circuits contribute to their modulation and execution. By examining these mechanisms in Drosophila, we reveal broader implications for understanding sexual dimorphism in more complex organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saheli Sengupta
- Department of Biology, College of the Holy Cross, 1 College St, Worcester, MA 01610, USA.
| | - Edward A Kravitz
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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4
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Yu MQ, Linghu JH, Xie HY, Li G, Zhu F, Smagghe G, Gui SH, Liu TX. Characterization of sulfakinin and its role in larval feeding and molting in Spodoptera frugiperda. INSECT SCIENCE 2025. [PMID: 39760383 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2024] [Revised: 09/29/2024] [Accepted: 10/28/2024] [Indexed: 01/07/2025]
Abstract
Feeding and molting are particularly important physiological processes for insects, and it has been reported that neuropeptides are involved in the nervous regulation of these 2 processes. Sulfakinin (SK) is an important neuropeptide that is widely distributed among insects and plays a pivotal role in regulating feeding, courtship, aggression, and locomotion. In this study, we investigated the involvement of SK in feeding and molting on a highly notorious pest insect, the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda. SK transcript levels were found in all larval stages and there was a predominant expression of SK in the brain of 5th instar larvae. By immunostaining, SK was detected in 2 pairs of cells in the median protocerebrum. But during prolonged periods of starvation, there was a significant reduction in SK messenger RNA levels; however, subsequent refeeding led to a notable increase. To investigate the role of SK in feeding and molting, SK was silenced in S. frugiperda larvae through RNA interference. This resulted in a significant increase in food intake, weight gain, and the molting process happened more rapidly in the double-stranded SK-treated larvae compared to the controls. Conversely, injection of sulfated SK peptide (sSK) caused opposite effects. Interestingly, SK-knockdown in larvae resulted in increased levels of 20-hydroxyecdysone and also of the expression of some of it signaling pathway genes. Altogether, this study highlights the important role played by SK in regulating feeding and molting in S. frugiperda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Qing Yu
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Jun-Hong Linghu
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Hua-Yan Xie
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Gang Li
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Feng Zhu
- Guizhou Center for Pesticide Risk Monitoring, Institute of Plant Protection, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, China
| | - Guy Smagghe
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Shun-Hua Gui
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
- Institute of Plant Health and Medicine, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Tong-Xian Liu
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
- Institute of Plant Health and Medicine, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
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5
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Watanabe K, Chiu H, Anderson DJ. Whole-brain in situ mapping of neuronal activation in Drosophila during social behaviors and optogenetic stimulation. eLife 2024; 12:RP92380. [PMID: 39607760 PMCID: PMC11604218 DOI: 10.7554/elife.92380] [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] [Indexed: 11/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Monitoring neuronal activity at single-cell resolution in freely moving Drosophila engaged in social behaviors is challenging because of their small size and lack of transparency. Extant methods, such as Flyception, are highly invasive. Whole-brain calcium imaging in head-fixed, walking flies is feasible but the animals cannot perform the consummatory phases of social behaviors like aggression or mating under these conditions. This has left open the fundamental question of whether neurons identified as functionally important for such behaviors using loss- or gain-of-function screens are actually active during the natural performance of such behaviors, and if so during which phase(s). Here, we perform brain-wide mapping of active cells expressing the Immediate Early Gene hr38 using a high-sensitivity/low background fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) amplification method called HCR-3.0. Using double-labeling for hr38 mRNA and for GFP, we describe the activity of several classes of aggression-promoting neurons during courtship and aggression, including P1a cells, an intensively studied population of male-specific interneurons. Using HI-FISH in combination with optogenetic activation of aggression-promoting neurons (opto-HI-FISH), we identify candidate downstream functional targets of these cells in a brain-wide, unbiased manner. Finally, we compare the activity of P1a neurons during sequential performance of courtship and aggression, using intronic vs. exonic hr38 probes to differentiate newly synthesized nuclear transcripts from cytoplasmic transcripts synthesized at an earlier time. These data provide evidence suggesting that different subsets of P1a neurons may be active during courtship vs. aggression. HI-FISH and associated methods may help to fill an important lacuna in the armamentarium of tools for neural circuit analysis in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiichi Watanabe
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
| | - Hui Chiu
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
| | - David J Anderson
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
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6
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Tao L, Ayambem D, Barranca VJ, Bhandawat V. Neurons Underlying Aggression-Like Actions That Are Shared by Both Males and Females in Drosophila. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0142242024. [PMID: 39317475 PMCID: PMC11529818 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0142-24.2024] [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: 01/20/2024] [Revised: 09/05/2024] [Accepted: 09/11/2024] [Indexed: 09/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Aggression involves both sexually monomorphic and dimorphic actions. How the brain implements these two types of actions is poorly understood. We found that in Drosophila melanogaster, a set of neurons, which we call CL062, previously shown to mediate male aggression also mediate female aggression. These neurons elicit aggression acutely and without the presence of a target. Although the same set of actions is elicited in males and females, the overall behavior is sexually dimorphic. The CL062 neurons do not express fruitless, a gene required for sexual dimorphism in flies, and expressed by most other neurons important for controlling fly aggression. Connectomic analysis in a female electron microscopy dataset suggests that these neurons have limited connections with fruitless expressing neurons that have been shown to be important for aggression and signal to different descending neurons. Thus, CL062 is part of a monomorphic circuit for aggression that functions parallel to the known dimorphic circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liangyu Tao
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | | | | | - Vikas Bhandawat
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
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7
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Guillemin J, Li J, Li V, McDowell SAT, Audette K, Davis G, Jelen M, Slamani S, Kelliher L, Gordon MD, Stanley M. Taste cells expressing Ionotropic Receptor 94e reciprocally impact feeding and egg laying in Drosophila. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114625. [PMID: 39141516 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114625] [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: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 06/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Chemosensory cells across the body of Drosophila melanogaster evaluate the environment to prioritize certain behaviors. Previous mapping of gustatory receptor neurons (GRNs) on the fly labellum identified a set of neurons in L-type sensilla that express Ionotropic Receptor 94e (IR94e), but the impact of IR94e GRNs on behavior remains unclear. We used optogenetics and chemogenetics to activate IR94e neurons and found that they drive mild feeding suppression but enhance egg laying. In vivo calcium imaging revealed that IR94e GRNs respond strongly to certain amino acids, including glutamate, and that IR94e plus co-receptors IR25a and IR76b are required for amino acid detection. Furthermore, IR94e mutants show behavioral changes to solutions containing amino acids, including increased consumption and decreased egg laying. Overall, our results suggest that IR94e GRNs on the fly labellum discourage feeding and encourage egg laying as part of an important behavioral switch in response to certain chemical cues.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jinfang Li
- Department of Zoology, Life Sciences Institute and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Viktoriya Li
- Department of Zoology, Life Sciences Institute and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Sasha A T McDowell
- Department of Zoology, Life Sciences Institute and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Kayla Audette
- Department of Biology, The University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Grace Davis
- Department of Biology, The University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Meghan Jelen
- Department of Zoology, Life Sciences Institute and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Samy Slamani
- Department of Biology, The University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Liam Kelliher
- Department of Biology, The University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Michael D Gordon
- Department of Zoology, Life Sciences Institute and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| | - Molly Stanley
- Department of Biology, The University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA.
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8
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Watanabe K, Chiu H, Anderson DJ. HI-FISH: WHOLE BRAIN IN SITU MAPPING OF NEURONAL ACTIVATION IN DROSOPHILA DURING SOCIAL BEHAVIORS AND OPTOGENETIC STIMULATION. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.09.28.560045. [PMID: 37808781 PMCID: PMC10557720 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.28.560045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring neuronal activity at single-cell resolution in freely moving Drosophila engaged in social behaviors is challenging because of their small size and lack of transparency. Extant methods, such as Flyception, are highly invasive. Whole-brain calcium imaging in head-fixed, walking flies is feasible but the animals cannot perform the consummatory phases of social behaviors like aggression or mating under these conditions. This has left open the fundamental question of whether neurons identified as functionally important for such behaviors using loss- or gain-of-function screens are actually active during the natural performance of such behaviors, and if so during which phase(s). Here we perform brain-wide mapping of active cells expressing the Immediate Early Gene hr38 using a high-sensitivity/low background FISH amplification method called HCR-3.0. Using double-labeling for hr38 mRNA and for GFP, we describe the activity of several classes of aggression-promoting neurons during courtship and aggression, including P1a cells, an intensively studied population of male-specific interneurons. Using HI-FISH in combination with optogenetic activation of aggression-promoting neurons (opto-HI-FISH) we identify candidate downstream functional targets of these cells in a brain-wide, unbiased manner. Finally we compare the activity of P1a neurons during sequential performance of courtship and aggression, using intronic vs. exonic hr38 probes to differentiate newly synthesized nuclear transcripts from cytoplasmic transcripts synthesized at an earlier time. These data provide evidence suggesting that different subsets of P1a neurons may be active during courtship vs. aggression. HI-FISH and associated methods may help to fill an important lacuna in the armamentarium of tools for neural circuit analysis in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiichi Watanabe
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA USA
- Present address: International Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
- Present address: Department of Medical Research for Intractable Disease, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Hui Chiu
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA USA
- Present address: Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT USA
| | - David J. Anderson
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
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9
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Imoto K, Ishikawa Y, Aso Y, Funke J, Tanaka R, Kamikouchi A. Neural-circuit basis of song preference learning in fruit flies. iScience 2024; 27:110266. [PMID: 39040064 PMCID: PMC11260866 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110266] [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: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
As observed in human language learning and song learning in birds, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster changes its auditory behaviors according to prior sound experiences. This phenomenon, known as song preference learning in flies, requires GABAergic input to pC1 neurons in the brain, with these neurons playing a key role in mating behavior. The neural circuit basis of this GABAergic input, however, is not known. Here, we find that GABAergic neurons expressing the sex-determination gene doublesex are necessary for song preference learning. In the brain, only four doublesex-expressing GABAergic neurons exist per hemibrain, identified as pCd-2 neurons. pCd-2 neurons directly, and in many cases mutually, connect with pC1 neurons, suggesting the existence of reciprocal circuits between them. Moreover, GABAergic and dopaminergic inputs to doublesex-expressing GABAergic neurons are necessary for song preference learning. Together, this study provides a neural circuit model that underlies experience-dependent auditory plasticity at a single-cell resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Imoto
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
| | - Yuki Ishikawa
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Aso
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Jan Funke
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Ryoya Tanaka
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
| | - Azusa Kamikouchi
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
- Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM), Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
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10
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Nishiike Y, Okubo K. The decision of male medaka to mate or fight depends on two complementary androgen signaling pathways. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2316459121. [PMID: 38781215 PMCID: PMC11145247 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2316459121] [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: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Adult male animals typically court and attempt to mate with females, while attacking other males. Emerging evidence from mice indicates that neurons expressing the estrogen receptor ESR1 in behaviorally relevant brain regions play a central role in mediating these mutually exclusive behavioral responses to conspecifics. However, the findings in mice are unlikely to apply to vertebrates in general because, in many species other than rodents and some birds, androgens-rather than estrogens-have been implicated in male behaviors. Here, we report that male medaka (Oryzias latipes) lacking one of the two androgen receptor subtypes (Ara) are less aggressive toward other males and instead actively court them, while those lacking the other subtype (Arb) are less motivated to mate with females and conversely attack them. These findings indicate that, in male medaka, the Ara- and Arb-mediated androgen signaling pathways facilitate appropriate behavioral responses, while simultaneously suppressing inappropriate responses, to males and females, respectively. Notably, males lacking either receptor retain the ability to discriminate the sex of conspecifics, suggesting a defect in the subsequent decision-making process to mate or fight. We further show that Ara and Arb are expressed in intermingled but largely distinct populations of neurons, and stimulate the expression of different behaviorally relevant genes including galanin and vasotocin, respectively. Collectively, our results demonstrate that male teleosts make adaptive decisions to mate or fight as a result of the activation of one of two complementary androgen signaling pathways, depending on the sex of the conspecific that they encounter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuji Nishiike
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo113-8657, Japan
| | - Kataaki Okubo
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo113-8657, Japan
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11
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Tao L, Ayembem D, Barranca VJ, Bhandawat V. Neurons underlying aggressive actions that are shared by both males and females in Drosophila. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.26.582148. [PMID: 38464020 PMCID: PMC10925114 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.26.582148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Aggression involves both sexually monomorphic and dimorphic actions. How the brain implements these two types of actions is poorly understood. We found that a set of neurons, which we call CL062, previously shown to mediate male aggression also mediate female aggression. These neurons elicit aggression acutely and without the presence of a target. Although the same set of actions is elicited in males and females, the overall behavior is sexually dimorphic. The CL062 neurons do not express fruitless , a gene required for sexual dimorphism in flies, and expressed by most other neurons important for controlling fly aggression. Connectomic analysis suggests that these neurons have limited connections with fruitless expressing neurons that have been shown to be important for aggression, and signal to different descending neurons. Thus, CL062 is part of a monomorphic circuit for aggression that functions parallel to the known dimorphic circuits.
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12
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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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13
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Sten TH, Li R, Hollunder F, Eleazer S, Ruta V. Male-male interactions shape mate selection in Drosophila. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.03.565582. [PMID: 37961193 PMCID: PMC10635267 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.03.565582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Males of many species have evolved behavioral traits to both attract females and repel rivals. Here, we explore mate selection in Drosophila from both the male and female perspective to shed light on how these key components of sexual selection - female choice and male-male competition - work in concert to guide reproductive strategies. We find that male flies fend off competing suitors by interleaving their courtship of a female with aggressive wing flicks, which both repel competitors and generate a 'song' that obscures the female's auditory perception of other potential mates. Two higher-order circuit nodes - P1a and pC1x neurons - are coordinately recruited to allow males to flexibly interleave these agonistic actions with courtship displays, assuring they persistently pursue females until their rival falters. Together, our results suggest that female mating decisions are shaped by male-male interactions, underscoring how a male's ability to subvert his rivals is central to his reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Hindmarsh Sten
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Present address: Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Rufei Li
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Florian Hollunder
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shadé Eleazer
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Vanessa Ruta
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, USA
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14
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Barbasch TA, Behrens C, McLain M, Arredondo E, Bell AM. A distinct neurogenomic response to a trade-off between social challenge and opportunity in male sticklebacks ( Gasterosteus aculeatus). Biol Lett 2023; 19:20230253. [PMID: 37935370 PMCID: PMC10645126 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0253] [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: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals frequently make adaptive decisions about what to prioritize when faced with multiple, competing demands simultaneously. However, the proximate mechanisms of decision-making in the face of competing demands are not well understood. We explored this question using brain transcriptomics in a classic model system: threespined sticklebacks, where males face conflict between courtship and territorial defence. We characterized the behaviour and brain gene expression profiles of males confronted by a trade-off between courtship and territorial defence by comparing them to males not confronted by this trade-off. When faced with the trade-off, males behaviourally prioritized defence over courtship, and this decision was reflected in their brain gene expression profiles. A distinct set of genes and biological processes was recruited in the brain when males faced a trade-off and these responses were largely non-overlapping across two brain regions. Combined, these results raise new questions about the interplay between the neural and molecular mechanisms involved in decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. A. Barbasch
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - C. Behrens
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - M. McLain
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - E. Arredondo
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - A. M. Bell
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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15
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Sun M, Ma M, Deng B, Li N, Peng Q, Pan Y. A neural pathway underlying hunger modulation of sexual receptivity in Drosophila females. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113243. [PMID: 37819758 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113243] [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: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Accepting or rejecting a mate is one of the most crucial decisions a female will make, especially when faced with food shortage. Previous studies have identified the core neural circuity from sensing male courtship or mating status to decision-making for sexual receptivity in Drosophila females, but how hunger and satiety states modulate female receptivity is poorly understood. Here, we identify the neural circuit and its neuromodulation underlying the hunger modulation of female receptivity. We find that adipokinetic hormone receptor (AkhR)-expressing neurons inhibit sexual receptivity in a starvation-dependent manner. AkhR neurons are octopaminergic and act on a subset of Octβ1R-expressing LH421 neurons. Knocking down Octβ1R expression in LH421 neurons eliminates starvation-induced suppression of female receptivity. We further find that LH421 neurons inhibit the sex-promoting pC1 neurons via GABA-resistant to dieldrin (Rdl) signaling. pC1 neurons also integrate courtship stimulation and mating status and thus serve as a common integrator of multiple internal and external cues for decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengshi Sun
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Mingze Ma
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Bowen Deng
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Na Li
- Guangmeiyuan R&D Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, South China Normal University, Meizhou 514779, China
| | - Qionglin Peng
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Yufeng Pan
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China; Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, China.
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16
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Sato K, Yamamoto D. Molecular and cellular origins of behavioral sex differences: a tiny little fly tells a lot. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1284367. [PMID: 37928065 PMCID: PMC10622783 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1284367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Behavioral sex differences primarily derive from the sexually dimorphic organization of neural circuits that direct the behavior. In Drosophila melanogaster, the sex-determination genes fruitless (fru) and doublesex (dsx) play pivotal roles in producing the sexual dimorphism of neural circuits for behavior. Here we examine three neural groups expressing fru and/or dsx, i.e., the P1 cluster, aSP-f and aSP-g cluster pairs and aDN cluster, in which causal relationships between the dimorphic behavior and dimorphic neural characteristics are best illustrated. aSP-f, aSP-g and aDN clusters represent examples where fru or dsx switches cell-autonomously their neurite structures between the female-type and male-type. Processed sensory inputs impinging on these neurons may result in outputs that encode different valences, which culminate in the execution of distinct behavior according to the sex. In contrast, the P1 cluster is male-specific as its female counterpart undergoes dsx-driven cell death, which lowers the threshold for the induction of male-specific behaviors. We propose that the products of fru and dsx genes, as terminal selectors in sexually dimorphic neuronal wiring, induce and maintain the sex-typical chromatin state at postembryonic stages, orchestrating the transcription of effector genes that shape single neuron structures and govern cell survival and death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosei Sato
- Neuro-ICT Laboratory, Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe, Japan
| | - Daisuke Yamamoto
- Neuro-ICT Laboratory, Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe, Japan
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17
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Coleman RT, Morantte I, Koreman GT, Cheng ML, Ding Y, Ruta V. A modular circuit architecture coordinates the diversification of courtship strategies in Drosophila. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.16.558080. [PMID: 37745588 PMCID: PMC10516016 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.16.558080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Identifying a mate is a central imperative for males of most species but poses the challenge of distinguishing a suitable partner from an array of potential male competitors or females of related species. Mate recognition systems are thus subject to strong selective pressures, driving the rapid coevolution of female sensory cues and male sensory preferences. Here we leverage the rapid evolution of female pheromones across the Drosophila genus to gain insight into how males coordinately adapt their detection and interpretation of these chemical cues to hone their mating strategies. While in some Drosophila species females produce unique pheromones that act to attract and arouse their conspecific males, the pheromones of most species are sexually monomorphic such that females possess no distinguishing chemosensory signatures that males can use for mate recognition. By comparing several close and distantly-related Drosophila species, we reveal that D. yakuba males have evolved the distinct ability to use a sexually-monomorphic pheromone, 7-tricosene (7-T), as an excitatory cue to promote courtship, a sensory innovation that enables D. yakuba males to court in the dark thereby expanding their reproductive opportunities. To gain insight into the neural adaptations that enable 7-T to act as an excitatory cue, we compared the functional properties of two key nodes within the pheromone circuits of D. yakuba and a subset of its closest relatives. We show that the instructive role of 7-T in D. yakuba arises from concurrent peripheral and central circuit changes: a distinct subpopulation of sensory neurons has acquired sensitivity to 7-T which in turn selectively signals to a distinct subset of P1 neurons in the central brain that trigger courtship behaviors. Such a modular circuit organization, in which different sensory inputs can independently couple to multiple parallel courtship control nodes, may facilitate the evolution of mate recognition systems by allowing males to take advantage of novel sensory modalities to become aroused. Together, our findings suggest how peripheral and central circuit adaptations can be flexibly linked to underlie the rapid evolution of mate recognition and courtship strategies across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory T. Coleman
- Laboatory of Neurophysiology and Behavior and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - Ianessa Morantte
- Laboatory of Neurophysiology and Behavior and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - Gabriel T. Koreman
- Laboatory of Neurophysiology and Behavior and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - Megan L. Cheng
- Laboatory of Neurophysiology and Behavior and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - Yun Ding
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Vanessa Ruta
- Laboatory of Neurophysiology and Behavior and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
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18
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Bonheur M, Swartz KJ, Metcalf MG, Wen X, Zhukovskaya A, Mehta A, Connors KE, Barasch JG, Jamieson AR, Martin KC, Axel R, Hattori D. A rapid and bidirectional reporter of neural activity reveals neural correlates of social behaviors in Drosophila. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:1295-1307. [PMID: 37308660 PMCID: PMC10866131 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01357-w] [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: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Neural activity is modulated over different timescales encompassing subseconds to hours, reflecting changes in external environment, internal state and behavior. Using Drosophila as a model, we developed a rapid and bidirectional reporter that provides a cellular readout of recent neural activity. This reporter uses nuclear versus cytoplasmic distribution of CREB-regulated transcriptional co-activator (CRTC). Subcellular distribution of GFP-tagged CRTC (CRTC::GFP) bidirectionally changes on the order of minutes and reflects both increases and decreases in neural activity. We established an automated machine-learning-based routine for efficient quantification of reporter signal. Using this reporter, we demonstrate mating-evoked activation and inactivation of modulatory neurons. We further investigated the functional role of the master courtship regulator gene fruitless (fru) and show that fru is necessary to ensure activation of male arousal neurons by female cues. Together, our results establish CRTC::GFP as a bidirectional reporter of recent neural activity suitable for examining neural correlates in behavioral contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moise Bonheur
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Kurtis J Swartz
- Department of Neuroscience, Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Melissa G Metcalf
- Department of Neuroscience, Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Xinke Wen
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Anna Zhukovskaya
- Department of Neuroscience, Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Avirut Mehta
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Kristin E Connors
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Julia G Barasch
- Department of Neuroscience, Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andrew R Jamieson
- Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Kelsey C Martin
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Simons Foundation, New York, NY, USA
| | - Richard Axel
- Department of Neuroscience, Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Daisuke Hattori
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
- Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
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19
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Sun J, Liu WK, Ellsworth C, Sun Q, Pan Y, Huang YC, Deng WM. Integrating lipid metabolism, pheromone production and perception by Fruitless and Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf6254. [PMID: 37390217 PMCID: PMC10313179 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf6254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Sexual attraction and perception are crucial for mating and reproductive success. In Drosophila melanogaster, the male-specific isoform of Fruitless (Fru), FruM, is a known master neuro-regulator of innate courtship behavior to control the perception of sex pheromones in sensory neurons. Here, we show that the non-sex-specific Fru isoform (FruCOM) is necessary for pheromone biosynthesis in hepatocyte-like oenocytes for sexual attraction. Loss of FruCOM in oenocytes resulted in adults with reduced levels of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), including sex pheromones, and show altered sexual attraction and reduced cuticular hydrophobicity. We further identify Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 (Hnf4) as a key target of FruCOM in directing fatty acid conversion to hydrocarbons. Fru or Hnf4 depletion in oenocytes disrupts lipid homeostasis, resulting in a sex-dimorphic CHC profile that differs from doublesex- and transformer-dependent CHC dimorphism. Thus, Fru couples pheromone perception and production in separate organs to regulate chemosensory communications and ensure efficient mating behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Sun
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Wen-Kan Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Calder Ellsworth
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Qian Sun
- Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Yufeng Pan
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Yi-Chun Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Wu-Min Deng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
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20
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Pantalia M, Lin Z, Tener SJ, Qiao B, Tang G, Ulgherait M, O'Connor R, Delventhal R, Volpi J, Syed S, Itzhak N, Canman JC, Fernández MP, Shirasu-Hiza M. Drosophila mutants lacking the glial neurotransmitter-modifying enzyme Ebony exhibit low neurotransmitter levels and altered behavior. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10411. [PMID: 37369755 PMCID: PMC10300103 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36558-7] [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: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhibitors of enzymes that inactivate amine neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin), such as catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and monoamine oxidase (MAO), are thought to increase neurotransmitter levels and are widely used to treat Parkinson's disease and psychiatric disorders, yet the role of these enzymes in regulating behavior remains unclear. Here, we investigated the genetic loss of a similar enzyme in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. Because the enzyme Ebony modifies and inactivates amine neurotransmitters, its loss is assumed to increase neurotransmitter levels, increasing behaviors such as aggression and courtship and decreasing sleep. Indeed, ebony mutants have been described since 1960 as "aggressive mutants," though this behavior has not been quantified. Using automated machine learning-based analyses, we quantitatively confirmed that ebony mutants exhibited increased aggressive behaviors such as boxing but also decreased courtship behaviors and increased sleep. Through tissue-specific knockdown, we found that ebony's role in these behaviors was specific to glia. Unexpectedly, direct measurement of amine neurotransmitters in ebony brains revealed that their levels were not increased but reduced. Thus, increased aggression is the anomalous behavior for this neurotransmitter profile. We further found that ebony mutants exhibited increased aggression only when fighting each other, not when fighting wild-type controls. Moreover, fights between ebony mutants were less likely to end with a clear winner than fights between controls or fights between ebony mutants and controls. In ebony vs. control fights, ebony mutants were more likely to win. Together, these results suggest that ebony mutants exhibit prolonged aggressive behavior only in a specific context, with an equally dominant opponent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan Pantalia
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Zhi Lin
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Samantha J Tener
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Bing Qiao
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
| | - Grace Tang
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Matthew Ulgherait
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Reed O'Connor
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | | | - Julia Volpi
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Sheyum Syed
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
| | - Nissim Itzhak
- Division of Human Genetics and Metabolic Disease, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Julie C Canman
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - María Paz Fernández
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Mimi Shirasu-Hiza
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
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21
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Wang R, Ma B, Shi K, Wu F, Zhou C. Effects of lithium on aggression in Drosophila. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:754-763. [PMID: 36253547 PMCID: PMC10066353 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01475-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Lithium is a common medication used to treat mania and bipolar disorder, but the mechanisms by which lithium stabilizes mood and modifies aggression are still not fully understood. Here we found that acute but not chronic lithium significantly suppresses aggression without affecting locomotion in Drosophila melanogaster. Male flies treated with acute lithium are also less competitive than control males in establishing dominance. We also provided evidence that glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3), a well-known target of lithium, plays an important role in the anti-aggressive effect of lithium in Drosophila. Our genetic data showed that acute knockdown of GSK-3 in neurons can mimic the inhibitory effect of acute lithium on aggression, while specific overexpression of GSK-3 in a subset of P1 neurons profoundly promotes aggression which can be partially rescued by acute lithium application. Thus, these findings revealed the inhibitory effect of lithium on aggression in Drosophila and laid a groundwork for using Drosophila as a powerful model to investigate the mechanisms by which lithium reduces aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rencong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Baoxu Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Kai Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Fengming Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China.
| | - Chuan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China.
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518132, China.
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22
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Sun J, Liu WK, Ellsworth C, Sun Q, Pan YF, Huang YC, Deng WM. Integrating lipid metabolism, pheromone production and perception by Fruitless and Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.23.529767. [PMID: 36865119 PMCID: PMC9980076 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.23.529767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Sexual attraction and perception, governed by separate genetic circuits in different organs, are crucial for mating and reproductive success, yet the mechanisms of how these two aspects are integrated remain unclear. In Drosophila , the male-specific isoform of Fruitless (Fru), Fru M , is known as a master neuro-regulator of innate courtship behavior to control perception of sex pheromones in sensory neurons. Here we show that the non-sex specific Fru isoform (Fru COM ) is necessary for pheromone biosynthesis in hepatocyte-like oenocytes for sexual attraction. Loss of Fru COM in oenocytes resulted in adults with reduced levels of the cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), including sex pheromones, and show altered sexual attraction and reduced cuticular hydrophobicity. We further identify Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 ( Hnf4 ) as a key target of Fru COM in directing fatty acid conversion to hydrocarbons in adult oenocytes. fru - and Hnf4 -depletion disrupts lipid homeostasis, resulting in a novel sex-dimorphic CHC profile, which differs from doublesex - and transformer -dependent sexual dimorphism of the CHC profile. Thus, Fru couples pheromone perception and production in separate organs for precise coordination of chemosensory communication that ensures efficient mating behavior. Teaser Fruitless and lipid metabolism regulator HNF4 integrate pheromone biosynthesis and perception to ensure robust courtship behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Sun
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Wen-Kan Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Calder Ellsworth
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Qian Sun
- Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Yu-Feng Pan
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Yi-Chun Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Wu-Min Deng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
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23
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Rosikon KD, Bone MC, Lawal HO. Regulation and modulation of biogenic amine neurotransmission in Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans. Front Physiol 2023; 14:970405. [PMID: 36875033 PMCID: PMC9978017 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.970405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurotransmitters are crucial for the relay of signals between neurons and their target. Monoamine neurotransmitters dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), and histamine are found in both invertebrates and mammals and are known to control key physiological aspects in health and disease. Others, such as octopamine (OA) and tyramine (TA), are abundant in invertebrates. TA is expressed in both Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster and plays important roles in the regulation of essential life functions in each organism. OA and TA are thought to act as the mammalian homologs of epinephrine and norepinephrine respectively, and when triggered, they act in response to the various stressors in the fight-or-flight response. 5-HT regulates a wide range of behaviors in C. elegans including egg-laying, male mating, locomotion, and pharyngeal pumping. 5-HT acts predominantly through its receptors, of which various classes have been described in both flies and worms. The adult brain of Drosophila is composed of approximately 80 serotonergic neurons, which are involved in modulation of circadian rhythm, feeding, aggression, and long-term memory formation. DA is a major monoamine neurotransmitter that mediates a variety of critical organismal functions and is essential for synaptic transmission in invertebrates as it is in mammals, in which it is also a precursor for the synthesis of adrenaline and noradrenaline. In C. elegans and Drosophila as in mammals, DA receptors play critical roles and are generally grouped into two classes, D1-like and D2-like based on their predicted coupling to downstream G proteins. Drosophila uses histamine as a neurotransmitter in photoreceptors as well as a small number of neurons in the CNS. C. elegans does not use histamine as a neurotransmitter. Here, we review the comprehensive set of known amine neurotransmitters found in invertebrates, and discuss their biological and modulatory functions using the vast literature on both Drosophila and C. elegans. We also suggest the potential interactions between aminergic neurotransmitters systems in the modulation of neurophysiological activity and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna D Rosikon
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, United States
| | - Megan C Bone
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, United States
| | - Hakeem O Lawal
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, United States
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Berendzen KM, Manoli DS. Rethinking the Architecture of Attachment: New Insights into the Role for Oxytocin Signaling. AFFECTIVE SCIENCE 2022; 3:734-748. [PMID: 36519145 PMCID: PMC9743890 DOI: 10.1007/s42761-022-00142-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Social attachments, the enduring bonds between individuals and groups, are essential to health and well-being. The appropriate formation and maintenance of social relationships depend upon a number of affective processes, including stress regulation, motivation, reward, as well as reciprocal interactions necessary for evaluating the affective state of others. A genetic, molecular, and neural circuit level understanding of social attachments therefore provides a powerful substrate for probing the affective processes associated with social behaviors. Socially monogamous species form long-term pair bonds, allowing us to investigate the mechanisms underlying attachment. Now, molecular genetic tools permit manipulations in monogamous species. Studies using these tools reveal new insights into the genetic and neuroendocrine factors that design and control the neural architecture underlying attachment behavior. We focus this discussion on the prairie vole and oxytocinergic signaling in this and related species as a model of attachment behavior that has been studied in the context of genetic and pharmacological manipulations. We consider developmental processes that impact the demonstration of bonding behavior across genetic backgrounds, the modularity of mechanisms underlying bonding behaviors, and the distributed circuitry supporting these behaviors. Incorporating such theoretical considerations when interpreting reverse genetic studies in the context of the rich ethological and pharmacological data collected in monogamous species provides an important framework for studies of attachment behavior in both animal models and studies of human relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen M. Berendzen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 95158 USA
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 95158 USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 95158 USA
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 95158 USA
| | - Devanand S. Manoli
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 95158 USA
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 95158 USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 95158 USA
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 95158 USA
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 95158 USA
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25
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Karigo T, Deutsch D. Flexibility of neural circuits regulating mating behaviors in mice and flies. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:949781. [PMID: 36426135 PMCID: PMC9679785 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.949781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mating is essential for the reproduction of animal species. As mating behaviors are high-risk and energy-consuming processes, it is critical for animals to make adaptive mating decisions. This includes not only finding a suitable mate, but also adapting mating behaviors to the animal's needs and environmental conditions. Internal needs include physical states (e.g., hunger) and emotional states (e.g., fear), while external conditions include both social cues (e.g., the existence of predators or rivals) and non-social factors (e.g., food availability). With recent advances in behavioral neuroscience, we are now beginning to understand the neural basis of mating behaviors, particularly in genetic model organisms such as mice and flies. However, how internal and external factors are integrated by the nervous system to enable adaptive mating-related decision-making in a state- and context-dependent manner is less well understood. In this article, we review recent knowledge regarding the neural basis of flexible mating behaviors from studies of flies and mice. By contrasting the knowledge derived from these two evolutionarily distant model organisms, we discuss potential conserved and divergent neural mechanisms involved in the control of flexible mating behaviors in invertebrate and vertebrate brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomomi Karigo
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States,The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States,*Correspondence: Tomomi Karigo,
| | - David Deutsch
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel,David Deutsch,
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26
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Gaspar M, Dias S, Vasconcelos ML. Mating pair drives aggressive behavior in female Drosophila. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4734-4742.e4. [PMID: 36167074 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Aggression is an adaptive set of behaviors that allows animals to compete against one another in an environment of limited resources. Typically, males fight for mates and food, whereas females fight for food and nest sites.1 Although the study of male aggression has been facilitated by the extravagant nature of the ritualized displays involved and the remarkable armaments sported by males of many species,2-4 the subtler and rarer instances of inter-female aggression have historically received much less attention. In Drosophila, females display high levels of complex and highly structured aggression on a food patch with conspecific females.5-9 Other contexts of female aggression have not been explored. Indeed, whether females compete for mating partners, as males do, has remained unknown so far. In the present work, we report that Drosophila melanogaster females reliably display aggression toward mating pairs. This aggressive behavior is regulated by mating status and perception of mating opportunities and relies heavily on olfaction. Furthermore, we found that food odor in combination with OR47b-dependent fly odor sensing is required for proper expression of aggressive behavior. Taken together, we describe a social context linked to reproduction in which Drosophila females aspiring to mate produce consistent and stereotyped displays of aggression. These findings open the door for further inquiries into the neural mechanisms that govern this behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Gaspar
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon 1400-038, Portugal
| | - Sophie Dias
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon 1400-038, Portugal
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27
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The doublesex gene regulates dimorphic sexual and aggressive behaviors in Drosophila. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2201513119. [PMID: 36067320 PMCID: PMC9477402 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2201513119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Most animal species display dimorphic sexual behaviors and male-biased aggressiveness. Current models have focused on the male-specific product from the fruitless (fruM) gene, which controls male courtship and male-specific aggression patterns in fruit flies, and describe a male-specific mechanism underlying sexually dimorphic behaviors. Here we show that the doublesex (dsx) gene, which expresses male-specific DsxM and female-specific DsxF transcription factors, functions in the nervous system to control both male and female sexual and aggressive behaviors. We find that Dsx is not only required in central brain neurons for male and female sexual behaviors, but also functions in approximately eight pairs of male-specific neurons to promote male aggressiveness and approximately two pairs of female-specific neurons to inhibit female aggressiveness. DsxF knockdown females fight more frequently, even with males. Our findings reveal crucial roles of dsx, which is broadly conserved from worms to humans, in a small number of neurons in both sexes to establish dimorphic sexual and aggressive behaviors.
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28
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Ishii K, Cortese M, Leng X, Shokhirev MN, Asahina K. A neurogenetic mechanism of experience-dependent suppression of aggression. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabg3203. [PMID: 36070378 PMCID: PMC9451153 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg3203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Aggression is an ethologically important social behavior, but excessive aggression can be detrimental to fitness. Social experiences among conspecific individuals reduce aggression in many species, the mechanism of which is largely unknown. We found that loss-of-function mutation of nervy (nvy), a Drosophila homolog of vertebrate myeloid translocation genes (MTGs), increased aggressiveness only in socially experienced flies and that this could be reversed by neuronal expression of human MTGs. A subpopulation of octopaminergic/tyraminergic neurons labeled by nvy was specifically required for such social experience-dependent suppression of aggression, in both males and females. Cell type-specific transcriptomic analysis of these neurons revealed aggression-controlling genes that are likely downstream of nvy. Our results illustrate both genetic and neuronal mechanisms by which the nervous system suppresses aggression in a social experience-dependent manner, a poorly understood process that is considered important for maintaining the fitness of animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenichi Ishii
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Matteo Cortese
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Xubo Leng
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Maxim N. Shokhirev
- Razavi Newman Integrative Genomics and Bioinformatics Core, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kenta Asahina
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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29
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Huang G, Dierick HA. The need for unbiased genetic screens to dissect aggression in Drosophila melanogaster. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:901453. [PMID: 35979224 PMCID: PMC9377312 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.901453] [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: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggression is an evolutionarily conserved behavior present in most animals and is necessary for survival when competing for limited resources and mating partners. Studies have shown that aggression is modulated both genetically and epigenetically, but details of how the molecular and cellular mechanisms interact to determine aggressive behavior remain to be elucidated. In recent decades, Drosophila melanogaster has emerged as a powerful model system to understand the mechanisms that regulate aggression. Surprisingly most of the findings discovered to date have not come from genetic screens despite the fly's long and successful history of using screens to unravel its biology. Here, we highlight the tools and techniques used to successfully screen for aggression-linked behavioral elements in Drosophila and discuss the potential impact future screens have in advancing our knowledge of the underlying genetic and neural circuits governing aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary Huang
- Department of Molecular & Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Herman A Dierick
- Department of Molecular & Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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30
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Casado-Navarro R, Serrano-Saiz E. DMRT Transcription Factors in the Control of Nervous System Sexual Differentiation. Front Neuroanat 2022; 16:937596. [PMID: 35958734 PMCID: PMC9361473 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2022.937596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual phenotypic differences in the nervous system are one of the most prevalent features across the animal kingdom. The molecular mechanisms responsible for sexual dimorphism throughout metazoan nervous systems are extremely diverse, ranging from intrinsic cell autonomous mechanisms to gonad-dependent endocrine control of sexual traits, or even extrinsic environmental cues. In recent years, the DMRT ancient family of transcription factors has emerged as being central in the development of sex-specific differentiation in all animals in which they have been studied. In this review, we provide an overview of the function of Dmrt genes in nervous system sexual regulation from an evolutionary perspective.
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31
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Nässel DR, Zandawala M. Endocrine cybernetics: neuropeptides as molecular switches in behavioural decisions. Open Biol 2022; 12:220174. [PMID: 35892199 PMCID: PMC9326288 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.220174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasticity in animal behaviour relies on the ability to integrate external and internal cues from the changing environment and hence modulate activity in synaptic circuits of the brain. This context-dependent neuromodulation is largely based on non-synaptic signalling with neuropeptides. Here, we describe select peptidergic systems in the Drosophila brain that act at different levels of a hierarchy to modulate behaviour and associated physiology. These systems modulate circuits in brain regions, such as the central complex and the mushroom bodies, which supervise specific behaviours. At the top level of the hierarchy there are small numbers of large peptidergic neurons that arborize widely in multiple areas of the brain to orchestrate or modulate global activity in a state and context-dependent manner. At the bottom level local peptidergic neurons provide executive neuromodulation of sensory gain and intrinsically in restricted parts of specific neuronal circuits. The orchestrating neurons receive interoceptive signals that mediate energy and sleep homeostasis, metabolic state and circadian timing, as well as external cues that affect food search, aggression or mating. Some of these cues can be triggers of conflicting behaviours such as mating versus aggression, or sleep versus feeding, and peptidergic neurons participate in circuits, enabling behaviour choices and switches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dick R. Nässel
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Meet Zandawala
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri-Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland Würzburg 97074, Germany
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32
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Gegenhuber B, Wu MV, Bronstein R, Tollkuhn J. Gene regulation by gonadal hormone receptors underlies brain sex differences. Nature 2022; 606:153-159. [PMID: 35508660 PMCID: PMC9159952 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04686-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Oestradiol establishes neural sex differences in many vertebrates1-3 and modulates mood, behaviour and energy balance in adulthood4-8. In the canonical pathway, oestradiol exerts its effects through the transcription factor oestrogen receptor-α (ERα)9. Although ERα has been extensively characterized in breast cancer, the neuronal targets of ERα, and their involvement in brain sex differences, remain largely unknown. Here we generate a comprehensive map of genomic ERα-binding sites in a sexually dimorphic neural circuit that mediates social behaviours. We conclude that ERα orchestrates sexual differentiation of the mouse brain through two mechanisms: establishing two male-biased neuron types and activating a sustained male-biased gene expression program. Collectively, our findings reveal that sex differences in gene expression are defined by hormonal activation of neuronal steroid receptors. The molecular targets we identify may underlie the effects of oestradiol on brain development, behaviour and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Gegenhuber
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
| | - M V Wu
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
| | - R Bronstein
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
| | - J Tollkuhn
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA.
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33
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Neural Control of Action Selection Among Innate Behaviors. Neurosci Bull 2022; 38:1541-1558. [PMID: 35633465 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-022-00886-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Nervous systems must not only generate specific adaptive behaviors, such as reproduction, aggression, feeding, and sleep, but also select a single behavior for execution at any given time, depending on both internal states and external environmental conditions. Despite their tremendous biological importance, the neural mechanisms of action selection remain poorly understood. In the past decade, studies in the model animal Drosophila melanogaster have demonstrated valuable neural mechanisms underlying action selection of innate behaviors. In this review, we summarize circuit mechanisms with a particular focus on a small number of sexually dimorphic neurons in controlling action selection among sex, fight, feeding, and sleep behaviors in both sexes of flies. We also discuss potentially conserved circuit configurations and neuromodulation of action selection in both the fly and mouse models, aiming to provide insights into action selection and the sexually dimorphic prioritization of innate behaviors.
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34
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Palavicino-Maggio CB, Sengupta S. The Neuromodulatory Basis of Aggression: Lessons From the Humble Fruit Fly. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:836666. [PMID: 35517573 PMCID: PMC9062135 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.836666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggression is an intrinsic trait that organisms of almost all species, humans included, use to get access to food, shelter, and mating partners. To maximize fitness in the wild, an organism must vary the intensity of aggression toward the same or different stimuli. How much of this variation is genetic and how much is externally induced, is largely unknown but is likely to be a combination of both. Irrespective of the source, one of the principal physiological mechanisms altering the aggression intensity involves neuromodulation. Any change or variation in aggression intensity is most likely governed by a complex interaction of several neuromodulators acting via a meshwork of neural circuits. Resolving aggression-specific neural circuits in a mammalian model has proven challenging due to the highly complex nature of the mammalian brain. In that regard, the fruit fly model Drosophila melanogaster has provided insights into the circuit-driven mechanisms of aggression regulation and its underlying neuromodulatory basis. Despite morphological dissimilarities, the fly brain shares striking similarities with the mammalian brain in genes, neuromodulatory systems, and circuit-organization, making the findings from the fly model extremely valuable for understanding the fundamental circuit logic of human aggression. This review discusses our current understanding of how neuromodulators regulate aggression based on findings from the fruit fly model. We specifically focus on the roles of Serotonin (5-HT), Dopamine (DA), Octopamine (OA), Acetylcholine (ACTH), Sex Peptides (SP), Tachykinin (TK), Neuropeptide F (NPF), and Drosulfakinin (Dsk) in fruit fly male and female aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline B Palavicino-Maggio
- Basic Neuroscience Division, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Saheli Sengupta
- Basic Neuroscience Division, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
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35
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Nässel DR, Wu SF. Cholecystokinin/sulfakinin peptide signaling: conserved roles at the intersection between feeding, mating and aggression. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:188. [PMID: 35286508 PMCID: PMC8921109 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04214-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Neuropeptides are the most diverse messenger molecules in metazoans and are involved in regulation of daily physiology and a wide array of behaviors. Some neuropeptides and their cognate receptors are structurally and functionally well conserved over evolution in bilaterian animals. Among these are peptides related to gastrin and cholecystokinin (CCK). In mammals, CCK is produced by intestinal endocrine cells and brain neurons, and regulates gall bladder contractions, pancreatic enzyme secretion, gut functions, satiety and food intake. Additionally, CCK plays important roles in neuromodulation in several brain circuits that regulate reward, anxiety, aggression and sexual behavior. In invertebrates, CCK-type peptides (sulfakinins, SKs) are, with a few exceptions, produced by brain neurons only. Common among invertebrates is that SKs mediate satiety and regulate food ingestion by a variety of mechanisms. Also regulation of secretion of digestive enzymes has been reported. Studies of the genetically tractable fly Drosophila have advanced our understanding of SK signaling mechanisms in regulation of satiety and feeding, but also in gustatory sensitivity, locomotor activity, aggression and reproductive behavior. A set of eight SK-expressing brain neurons plays important roles in regulation of these competing behaviors. In males, they integrate internal state and external stimuli to diminish sex drive and increase aggression. The same neurons also diminish sugar gustation, induce satiety and reduce feeding. Although several functional roles of CCK/SK signaling appear conserved between Drosophila and mammals, available data suggest that the underlying mechanisms differ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dick R Nässel
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Shun-Fan Wu
- College of Plant Protection/Laboratory of Bio-Interactions and Crop Health, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
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36
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Sato K, Yamamoto D. Mutually exclusive expression of sex-specific and non-sex-specific fruitless gene products in the Drosophila central nervous system. Gene Expr Patterns 2022; 43:119232. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2022.119232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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37
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GABA transmission from mAL interneurons regulates aggression in Drosophila males. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2117101119. [PMID: 35082150 PMCID: PMC8812560 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2117101119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggression is dependent on the sex of the conspecific in almost all animal species. But the neuronal basis of how sex-specific chemosensory signals regulate aggression is poorly understood. Using the fruit fly model of Drosophila melanogaster, we demonstrate that activation of a group of GABAergic central brain neurons, known to respond to sex-specific pheromonal stimuli, enhances aggression in dyadic male encounters. Inactivation of this neuronal group decreases aggression and increases the reciprocal social behavior of courtship. Our results can help trace the neural circuit from pheromone processing in the sensory neurons to behavior integration in the central brain and ultimately help understand how neurons encode the behavior of aggression. Aggression is known to be regulated by pheromonal information in many species. But how central brain neurons processing this information modulate aggression is poorly understood. Using the fruit fly model of Drosophila melanogaster, we systematically characterize the role of a group of sexually dimorphic GABAergic central brain neurons, popularly known as mAL, in aggression regulation. The mAL neurons are known to be activated by male and female pheromones. In this report, we show that mAL activation robustly increases aggression, whereas its inactivation decreases aggression and increases intermale courtship, a behavior considered reciprocal to aggression. GABA neurotransmission from mAL is crucial for this behavior regulation. Exploiting the genetic toolkit of the fruit fly model, we also find a small group of approximately three to five GABA+ central brain neurons with anatomical similarities to mAL. Activation of the mAL resembling group of neurons is necessary for increasing intermale aggression. Overall, our findings demonstrate how changes in activity of GABA+ central brain neurons processing pheromonal information, such as mAL in Drosophila melanogaster, directly modulate the social behavior of aggression in male–male pairings.
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38
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Voina D, Recanatesi S, Hu B, Shea-Brown E, Mihalas S. Single Circuit in V1 Capable of Switching Contexts during Movement Using an Inhibitory Population as a Switch. Neural Comput 2022; 34:541-594. [PMID: 35016220 DOI: 10.1162/neco_a_01472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
As animals adapt to their environments, their brains are tasked with processing stimuli in different sensory contexts. Whether these computations are context dependent or independent, they are all implemented in the same neural tissue. A crucial question is what neural architectures can respond flexibly to a range of stimulus conditions and switch between them. This is a particular case of flexible architecture that permits multiple related computations within a single circuit. Here, we address this question in the specific case of the visual system circuitry, focusing on context integration, defined as the integration of feedforward and surround information across visual space. We show that a biologically inspired microcircuit with multiple inhibitory cell types can switch between visual processing of the static context and the moving context. In our model, the VIP population acts as the switch and modulates the visual circuit through a disinhibitory motif. Moreover, the VIP population is efficient, requiring only a relatively small number of neurons to switch contexts. This circuit eliminates noise in videos by using appropriate lateral connections for contextual spatiotemporal surround modulation, having superior denoising performance compared to circuits where only one context is learned. Our findings shed light on a minimally complex architecture that is capable of switching between two naturalistic contexts using few switching units.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doris Voina
- Applied Mathematics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 U.S.A.
| | - Stefano Recanatesi
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, U.S.A.
| | - Brian Hu
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109 U.S.A
| | - Eric Shea-Brown
- Applied Mathematics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, U.S.A., and Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, U.S.A.
| | - Stefan Mihalas
- Applied Mathematics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, U.S.A., and Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, U.S.A.
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Traniello IM, Robinson GE. Neural and Molecular Mechanisms of Biological Embedding of Social Interactions. Annu Rev Neurosci 2021; 44:109-128. [PMID: 34236891 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-092820-012959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Animals operate in complex environments, and salient social information is encoded in the nervous system and then processed to initiate adaptive behavior. This encoding involves biological embedding, the process by which social experience affects the brain to influence future behavior. Biological embedding is an important conceptual framework for understanding social decision-making in the brain, as it encompasses multiple levels of organization that regulate how information is encoded and used to modify behavior. The framework we emphasize here is that social stimuli provoke short-term changes in neural activity that lead to changes in gene expression on longer timescales. This process, simplified-neurons are for today and genes are for tomorrow-enables the assessment of the valence of a social interaction, an appropriate and rapid response, and subsequent modification of neural circuitry to change future behavioral inclinations in anticipation of environmental changes. We review recent research on the neural and molecular basis of biological embedding in the context of social interactions, with a special focus on the honeybee.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian M Traniello
- Neuroscience Program and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA;
| | - Gene E Robinson
- Neuroscience Program and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA; .,Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
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Transcriptome Analyses Provide Insights into the Aggressive Behavior toward Conspecific and Heterospecific in Thitarodes xiaojinensis (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae). INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12070577. [PMID: 34201917 PMCID: PMC8306418 DOI: 10.3390/insects12070577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Aggression is an evolutionarily conserved, complex behavior, essential for survival, reproduction, and the organization of social hierarchies. It is well studied in adult insects, such as flies, ants, honey bees, and crickets. However, the study of aggressive behavior in the larval stage is still lacking. T. xiaojinensis is a common species found in mountainous regions of the Tibetan Plateau, the larvae of which are highly aggressive toward conspecifics. High-throughput RNA-seq with a reference genome provides opportunities for in-depth analysis when T. xiaojinensis is aggressive toward conspecifics and heterospecifics. This study provided a set of important pathways and DEGs associated with aggressive behavior. We also constructed the weighted gene co-expression network for traits, and the central and hub genes involved in aggressive behavior were obtained. The results revealed the molecular responses when T. xiaojinensis showed aggressiveness toward conspecifics and heterospecifics. These data are important for better understanding the aggressive behavior of Lepidopteran larvae at the transcriptional level and provide a theoretical basis for the further analysis of the genetic mechanism of the insect’s aggression. Abstract Aggressive behavior in animals is important for survival and reproduction. It is well studied in adult insects, such as flies, ants, honey bees, and crickets. However, the larvae of Lepidopteran insects are also aggressive, studies of which are still lacking. Here, RNA-seq was used to generate a high-quality database for the aggressive behavior of Thitarodes xiaojinensis toward conspecifics and heterospecifics. Although there was similar aggressive behavior between the conspecific group and heterospecific group, significant differences were identified at the transcriptional level. When there was aggressive behavior toward conspecifics, T. xiaojinensis trended toward higher expression at the respiratory chain, while cuticle development and metabolism may have interfered. On the other hand, when there was aggressive behavior toward H. armigera, genes related to neuron and cuticle development, cellular processes, and its regulated signaling pathways were significantly upregulated, while the genes associated with oxidation-reduction and metabolism were downregulated. Weighted gene co-expression networks analysis (WGCNA) was performed, and two modules with properties correlating to the aggressive behavior of T. xiaojinensis were identified. Several hub genes were predicted and confirmed by qRT-PCR, such as CLTC, MYH, IGF2BP1, and EMC. This study provides a global view and potential key genes for the aggressive behavior of T. xiaojinensis toward conspecifics and heterospecifics. Further investigation of the hub genes would help us to better understand the aggressive behavior of insects.
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Zhou H, Whitworth C, Pozmanter C, Neville MC, Van Doren M. Doublesex regulates fruitless expression to promote sexual dimorphism of the gonad stem cell niche. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009468. [PMID: 33788836 PMCID: PMC8041189 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Doublesex (Dsx) and Fruitless (Fru) are the two downstream transcription factors that actuate Drosophila sex determination. While Dsx assists Fru to regulate sex-specific behavior, whether Fru collaborates with Dsx in regulating other aspects of sexual dimorphism remains unknown. One important aspect of sexual dimorphism is found in the gonad stem cell (GSC) niches, where male and female GSCs are regulated to create large numbers of sperm and eggs. Here we report that Fru is expressed male-specifically in the GSC niche and plays important roles in the development and maintenance of these cells. Unlike previously-studied aspects of sex-specific Fru expression, which are regulated by Transformer (Tra)-mediated alternative splicing, we show that male-specific expression of fru in the gonad is regulated downstream of dsx, and is independent of tra. fru genetically interacts with dsx to support maintenance of the niche throughout development. Ectopic expression of fru inhibited female niche formation and partially masculinized the ovary. fru is also required autonomously for cyst stem cell maintenance and cyst cell survival. Finally, we identified a conserved Dsx binding site upstream of fru promoter P4 that regulates fru expression in the niche, indicating that fru is likely a direct target for transcriptional regulation by Dsx. These findings demonstrate that fru acts outside the nervous system to influence sexual dimorphism and reveal a new mechanism for regulating sex-specific expression of fru that is regulated at the transcriptional level by Dsx, rather than by alternative splicing by Tra.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Zhou
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Cale Whitworth
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Caitlin Pozmanter
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Megan C. Neville
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Tinsley Building, Mansfield Road, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Van Doren
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
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Brovkina MV, Duffié R, Burtis AEC, Clowney EJ. Fruitless decommissions regulatory elements to implement cell-type-specific neuronal masculinization. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009338. [PMID: 33600447 PMCID: PMC7924761 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, male-specific splicing and translation of the Fruitless transcription factor (FruM) alters the presence, anatomy, and/or connectivity of >60 types of central brain neurons that interconnect to generate male-typical behaviors. While the indispensable function of FruM in sex-specific behavior has been understood for decades, the molecular mechanisms underlying its activity remain unknown. Here, we take a genome-wide, brain-wide approach to identifying regulatory elements whose activity depends on the presence of FruM. We identify 436 high-confidence genomic regions differentially accessible in male fruitless neurons, validate candidate regions as bona fide, differentially regulated enhancers, and describe the particular cell types in which these enhancers are active. We find that individual enhancers are not activated universally but are dedicated to specific fru+ cell types. Aside from fru itself, genes are not dedicated to or common across the fru circuit; rather, FruM appears to masculinize each cell type differently, by tweaking expression of the same effector genes used in other circuits. Finally, we find FruM motifs enriched among regulatory elements that are open in the female but closed in the male. Together, these results suggest that FruM acts cell-type-specifically to decommission regulatory elements in male fruitless neurons. Courtship behavior in male Drosophila melanogaster is controlled by a well-defined neural circuit that is labeled by the male-specific transcription factor Fruitless (FruM). While FruM is known to change the number, anatomy and connectivity of neurons which comprise the circuit and has been suggested to repress the expression of a few gene targets, the mechanism of how FruM regulates genes across many different kinds of neurons is unknown. Using an approach to identify gene regulatory elements based on their chromatin accessibility states (ATAC-seq), we identified a large set of chromatin accessibility changes downstream of Fruitless. By examining the activity of these regulatory elements in vivo, we found that their activity was 1) sexually dimorphic and 2) specific to a single class of FruM neurons, suggesting that FruM acts on different chromatin targets in different neuron classes comprising the courtship circuit. Further, we found a known FruM-regulated enhancer of the FruM-repressed gene Lgr3 to have closed chromatin specifically in FruM neurons. Combined with an enrichment of FruM motifs in regions which are closed in FruM neurons, we present a mechanism where FruM directs the decommissioning of sex-shared regulatory elements to masculinize neurons in a cell-type specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita V. Brovkina
- Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Rachel Duffié
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Abbigayl E. C. Burtis
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - E. Josephine Clowney
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Nakata M, Kikuchi Y, Iwami M, Takayanagi-Kiya S, Kiya T. Identification and characterization of sexually dimorphic neurons that express the sex-determining gene doublesex in the brain of silkmoth Bombyx mori. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 129:103518. [PMID: 33421546 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2021.103518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Sexual differences in behavior are generated by sexually dimorphic neural circuits in animals. In insects, a highly conserved sex-determining gene doublesex (dsx) plays essential roles in the development of sexual dimorphisms. In the present study, to elucidate the neural basis of sexual differences in behaviors of silkmoth Bombyx mori, we investigated Bombyx mori dsx (Bmdsx) expression in the brains through development. In the brain, Bmdsx was differentially expressed in sex- and developmental stage-dependent manners. BmDSX protein-expressing cells were located in the dorsomedial region of the pupal and adult brains, and constituted two and one neural clusters in males and females, respectively. The number of BmDSX-positive cells was developmentally regulated and peaked at the early to middle pupal stages, suggesting that the sexually dimorphic neural circuits are established during this period. The detection of a neural activity marker protein BmHR38 suggested that the BmDSX-positive cells are not active during sexual behavior in both male and female moths, even though the cells in the vicinity of the BmDSX-positive cell clusters are active. These results imply that Bmdsx plays roles in the development of sexually dimorphic neural circuits, but the neural circuits are not related to sexual behavior in silkmoths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masami Nakata
- Division of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Japan
| | - Yusuke Kikuchi
- Division of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Japan
| | - Masafumi Iwami
- Division of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Japan
| | - Seika Takayanagi-Kiya
- Division of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Japan
| | - Taketoshi Kiya
- Division of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Japan.
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Chiu H, Hoopfer ED, Coughlan ML, Pavlou HJ, Goodwin SF, Anderson DJ. A circuit logic for sexually shared and dimorphic aggressive behaviors in Drosophila. Cell 2021; 184:507-520.e16. [PMID: 33382967 PMCID: PMC7856078 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.11.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Aggression involves both sexually monomorphic and dimorphic actions. How the brain implements these two types of actions is poorly understood. We have identified three cell types that regulate aggression in Drosophila: one type is sexually shared, and the other two are sex specific. Shared common aggression-promoting (CAP) neurons mediate aggressive approach in both sexes, whereas functionally downstream dimorphic but homologous cell types, called male-specific aggression-promoting (MAP) neurons in males and fpC1 in females, control dimorphic attack. These symmetric circuits underlie the divergence of male and female aggressive behaviors, from their monomorphic appetitive/motivational to their dimorphic consummatory phases. The strength of the monomorphic → dimorphic functional connection is increased by social isolation in both sexes, suggesting that it may be a locus for isolation-dependent enhancement of aggression. Together, these findings reveal a circuit logic for the neural control of behaviors that include both sexually monomorphic and dimorphic actions, which may generalize to other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Chiu
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
| | - Eric D Hoopfer
- Carleton College, 1 N. College St., Northfield, MN 55057, USA
| | - Maeve L Coughlan
- Mount Holyoke College, 50 College St., South Hadley, MA 01075, USA
| | - Hania J Pavlou
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | - Stephen F Goodwin
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | - David J Anderson
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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The Divider Assay is a high-throughput pipeline for aggression analysis in Drosophila. Commun Biol 2021; 4:85. [PMID: 33469118 PMCID: PMC7815768 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01617-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Aggression is a complex social behavior that remains poorly understood. Drosophila has become a powerful model system to study the underlying biology of aggression but lack of high throughput screening and analysis continues to be a barrier for comprehensive mutant and circuit discovery. Here we developed the Divider Assay, a simplified experimental procedure to make aggression analysis in Drosophila fast and accurate. In contrast to existing methods, we can analyze aggression over long time intervals and in complete darkness. While aggression is reduced in the dark, flies are capable of intense fighting without seeing their opponent. Twenty-four-hour behavioral analysis showed a peak in fighting during the middle of the day, a drastic drop at night, followed by re-engagement with a further increase in aggression in anticipation of the next day. Our pipeline is easy to implement and will facilitate high throughput screening for mechanistic dissection of aggression.
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46
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Sato K, Yamamoto D. Contact-Chemosensory Evolution Underlying Reproductive Isolation in Drosophila Species. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:597428. [PMID: 33343311 PMCID: PMC7746553 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.597428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The main theme of the review is how changes in pheromone biochemistry and the sensory circuits underlying pheromone detection contribute to mate choice and reproductive isolation. The review focuses primarily on gustatory and non-volatile signals in Drosophila. Premating isolation is prevalent among closely related species. In Drosophila, preference for conspecifics against other species in mate choice underlies premating isolation, and such preference relies on contact chemosensory communications between a female and male along with other biological factors. For example, although D. simulans and D. melanogaster are sibling species that yield hybrids, their premating isolation is maintained primarily by the contrasting effects of 7,11-heptacosadiene (7,11-HD), a predominant female pheromone in D. melanogaster, on males of the two species: it attracts D. melanogaster males and repels D. simulans males. The contrasting preference for 7,11-HD in males of these two species is mainly ascribed to opposite effects of 7,11-HD on neural activities in the courtship decision-making neurons in the male brain: 7,11-HD provokes both excitatory and inhibitory inputs in these neurons and differences in the balance between the two counteracting inputs result in the contrasting preference for 7,11-HD, i.e., attraction in D. melanogaster and repulsion in D. simulans. Introduction of two double bonds is a key step in 7,11-HD biosynthesis and is mediated by the desaturase desatF, which is active in D. melanogaster females but transcriptionally inactivated in D. simulans females. Thus, 7,11-HD biosynthesis diversified in females and 7,11-HD perception diversified in males, yet it remains elusive how concordance of the changes in the two sexes was attained in evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daisuke Yamamoto
- Neuro-Network Evolution Project, Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe, Japan
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47
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Deutsch D, Pacheco D, Encarnacion-Rivera L, Pereira T, Fathy R, Clemens J, Girardin C, Calhoun A, Ireland E, Burke A, Dorkenwald S, McKellar C, Macrina T, Lu R, Lee K, Kemnitz N, Ih D, Castro M, Halageri A, Jordan C, Silversmith W, Wu J, Seung HS, Murthy M. The neural basis for a persistent internal state in Drosophila females. eLife 2020; 9:e59502. [PMID: 33225998 PMCID: PMC7787663 DOI: 10.7554/elife.59502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sustained changes in mood or action require persistent changes in neural activity, but it has been difficult to identify the neural circuit mechanisms that underlie persistent activity and contribute to long-lasting changes in behavior. Here, we show that a subset of Doublesex+ pC1 neurons in the Drosophila female brain, called pC1d/e, can drive minutes-long changes in female behavior in the presence of males. Using automated reconstruction of a volume electron microscopic (EM) image of the female brain, we map all inputs and outputs to both pC1d and pC1e. This reveals strong recurrent connectivity between, in particular, pC1d/e neurons and a specific subset of Fruitless+ neurons called aIPg. We additionally find that pC1d/e activation drives long-lasting persistent neural activity in brain areas and cells overlapping with the pC1d/e neural network, including both Doublesex+ and Fruitless+ neurons. Our work thus links minutes-long persistent changes in behavior with persistent neural activity and recurrent circuit architecture in the female brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Deutsch
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Diego Pacheco
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | | | - Talmo Pereira
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Ramie Fathy
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Jan Clemens
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Cyrille Girardin
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Adam Calhoun
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Elise Ireland
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Austin Burke
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Sven Dorkenwald
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
- Department of Computer Science, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Claire McKellar
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Thomas Macrina
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
- Department of Computer Science, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Ran Lu
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Kisuk Lee
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
- Brain & Cognitive Science Department, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Nico Kemnitz
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Dodam Ih
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Manuel Castro
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Akhilesh Halageri
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Chris Jordan
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - William Silversmith
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Jingpeng Wu
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - H Sebastian Seung
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
- Department of Computer Science, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Mala Murthy
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
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Cheong HS, Siwanowicz I, Card GM. Multi-regional circuits underlying visually guided decision-making in Drosophila. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2020; 65:77-87. [PMID: 33217639 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2020.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Visually guided decision-making requires integration of information from distributed brain areas, necessitating a brain-wide approach to examine its neural mechanisms. New tools in Drosophila melanogaster enable circuits spanning the brain to be charted with single cell-type resolution. Here, we highlight recent advances uncovering the computations and circuits that transform and integrate visual information across the brain to make behavioral choices. Visual information flows from the optic lobes to three primary central brain regions: a sensorimotor mapping area and two 'higher' centers for memory or spatial orientation. Rapid decision-making during predator evasion emerges from the spike timing dynamics in parallel sensorimotor cascades. Goal-directed decisions may occur through memory, navigation and valence processing in the central complex and mushroom bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Sj Cheong
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, United States
| | - Igor Siwanowicz
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, United States
| | - Gwyneth M Card
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, United States.
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Bentzur A, Ben-Shaanan S, Benichou JIC, Costi E, Levi M, Ilany A, Shohat-Ophir G. Early Life Experience Shapes Male Behavior and Social Networks in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2020; 31:486-501.e3. [PMID: 33186552 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.10.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Living in a group creates a complex and dynamic environment in which behavior of individuals is influenced by and affects the behavior of others. Although social interaction and group living are fundamental adaptations exhibited by many organisms, little is known about how prior social experience, internal states, and group composition shape behavior in groups. Here, we present an analytical framework for studying the interplay between social experience and group interaction in Drosophila melanogaster. We simplified the complexity of interactions in a group using a series of experiments in which we controlled the social experience and motivational states of individuals to compare behavioral patterns and social networks of groups under different conditions. We show that social enrichment promotes the formation of distinct group structure that is characterized by high network modularity, high inter-individual and inter-group variance, high inter-individual coordination, and stable social clusters. Using environmental and genetic manipulations, we show that visual cues and cVA-sensing neurons are necessary for the expression of social interaction and network structure in groups. Finally, we explored the formation of group behavior and structure in heterogenous groups composed of flies with distinct internal states and documented emergent structures that are beyond the sum of the individuals that constitute it. Our results demonstrate that fruit flies exhibit complex and dynamic social structures that are modulated by the experience and composition of different individuals within the group. This paves the path for using simple model organisms to dissect the neurobiology of behavior in complex social environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assa Bentzur
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Shir Ben-Shaanan
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Jennifer I C Benichou
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Eliezer Costi
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Mali Levi
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Amiyaal Ilany
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel.
| | - Galit Shohat-Ophir
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel; The Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel.
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50
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Bidaye SS, Laturney M, Chang AK, Liu Y, Bockemühl T, Büschges A, Scott K. Two Brain Pathways Initiate Distinct Forward Walking Programs in Drosophila. Neuron 2020; 108:469-485.e8. [PMID: 32822613 PMCID: PMC9435592 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
An animal at rest or engaged in stationary behaviors can instantaneously initiate goal-directed walking. How descending brain inputs trigger rapid transitions from a non-walking state to an appropriate walking state is unclear. Here, we identify two neuronal types, P9 and BPN, in the Drosophila brain that, upon activation, initiate and maintain two distinct coordinated walking patterns. P9 drives forward walking with ipsilateral turning, receives inputs from central courtship-promoting neurons and visual projection neurons, and is necessary for a male to pursue a female during courtship. In contrast, BPN drives straight, forward walking and is not required during courtship. BPN is instead recruited during and required for fast, straight, forward walking bouts. Thus, this study reveals separate brain pathways for object-directed walking and fast, straight, forward walking, providing insight into how the brain initiates context-appropriate walking programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salil S Bidaye
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| | - Meghan Laturney
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Amy K Chang
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Yuejiang Liu
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Till Bockemühl
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Ansgar Büschges
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Kristin Scott
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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