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Pandi-Perumal SR, Saravanan KM, Paul S, Namasivayam GP, Chidambaram SB. Waking Up the Sleep Field: An Overview on the Implications of Genetics and Bioinformatics of Sleep. Mol Biotechnol 2024; 66:919-931. [PMID: 38198051 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-023-01009-1] [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: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Sleep genetics is an intriguing, as yet less understood, understudied, emerging area of biological and medical discipline. A generalist may not be aware of the current status of the field given the variety of journals that have published studies on the genetics of sleep and the circadian clock over the years. For researchers venturing into this fascinating area, this review thus includes fundamental features of circadian rhythm and genetic variables impacting sleep-wake cycles. Sleep/wake pathway medication exposure and susceptibility are influenced by genetic variations, and the responsiveness of sleep-related medicines is influenced by several functional polymorphisms. This review highlights the features of the circadian timing system and then a genetic perspective on wakefulness and sleep, as well as the relationship between sleep genetics and sleep disorders. Neurotransmission genes, as well as circadian and sleep/wake receptors, exhibit functional variability. Experiments on animals and humans have shown that these genetic variants impact clock systems, signaling pathways, nature, amount, duration, type, intensity, quality, and quantity of sleep. In this regard, the overview covers research on sleep genetics, the genomic properties of several popular model species used in sleep studies, homologs of mammalian genes, sleep disorders, and related genes. In addition, the study includes a brief discussion of sleep, narcolepsy, and restless legs syndrome from the viewpoint of a model organism. It is suggested that the understanding of genetic clues on sleep function and sleep disorders may, in future, result in an evidence-based, personalized treatment of sleep disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seithikurippu R Pandi-Perumal
- Centre for Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Central Animal Facility, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysuru, Karnataka, 570015, India
- Saveetha Medical College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 602105, India
- Division of Research and Development, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, 144411, India
| | - Konda Mani Saravanan
- Department of Biotechnology, Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600073, India
| | - Sayan Paul
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Ganesh Pandian Namasivayam
- Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (WPI-iCeMS), A210, Kyoto University Institute for Advanced Study, Yoshida Ushinomiya-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Saravana Babu Chidambaram
- Centre for Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Central Animal Facility, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysuru, Karnataka, 570015, India.
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysuru, Karnataka, 570015, India.
- Special Interest Group - Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Neurosciences, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru, Karnataka, 570015, India.
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Ji H, Chen D, Fang-Yen C. Automated multimodal imaging of Caenorhabditis elegans behavior in multi-well plates. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.09.579675. [PMID: 38405855 PMCID: PMC10888940 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.09.579675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Large-scale assays of behavior in model organisms play an important role in genetic screens, drug testing, and the elucidation of gene-behavior relationships. We have developed an automated, high-throughput imaging and analysis method for assaying behaviors of the nematode C. elegans . We use high-resolution optical imaging to longitudinally record the behaviors of 96 animals at a time in multi-well plates, and computer vision software to quantify the animals' locomotor activity, behavioral states, and egg laying events. To demonstrate the capabilities of our system we used it to examine the role of serotonin in C. elegans behavior. We found that egg-laying events are preceded by a period of reduced locomotion, and that this decline in movement requires serotonin signaling. In addition, we identified novel roles of serotonin receptors SER-1 and SER-7 in regulating the effects of serotonin on egg laying across roaming, dwelling, and quiescent locomotor states. Our system will be useful for performing genetic or chemical screens for modulators of behavior.
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Aviles S, Subramanian S, Nelson MD. New alleles of nlp-2 , nlp-22 , and nlp-23 demonstrate that they are dispensable for stress-induced sleep in C. elegans. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2024; 2024:10.17912/micropub.biology.001109. [PMID: 38371321 PMCID: PMC10870154 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.001109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Sleep is ancient and genetically conserved across phylogeny. Neuropeptide signaling plays a fundamental role in the regulation of sleep for mammals, fish, and invertebrates like Caenorhabditis elegans . Developmentally timed-sleep and stress-induced sleep of C. elegans are controlled by distinct and overlapping neuropeptide pathways. The RPamide neuropeptides nlp-2 , nlp-22 , and nlp-23 , play antagonistic roles during the regulation of developmentally-timed sleep, however, their role in stress-induced sleep has not been explored. These genes are linked on the X chromosome, which has made genetic analyses challenging. Here we used CRISPR to generate new alleles of nlp-22 and nlp-23 , nlp-22 ; nlp-23 double mutants, and nlp-2 ; nlp-22 ; nlp-23 triple mutants. Confirming previous studies, we find that nlp-22 is required for developmentally-timed sleep, and show that nlp-23 is also required. However, all three genes are dispensable for stress-induced sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sage Aviles
- Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Sanjita Subramanian
- Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Matthew D Nelson
- Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
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Ji H, Chen D, Fang-Yen C. Segmentation-free measurement of locomotor frequency in Caenorhabditis elegans using image invariants. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.16.575892. [PMID: 38293059 PMCID: PMC10827210 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.16.575892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
An animal's locomotor rate is an important indicator of its motility. In studies of the nematode C. elegans , assays of the frequency of body bending waves have often been used to discern the effects of mutations, drugs, or aging. Traditional manual methods for measuring locomotor frequency are low in throughput and subject to human error. Most current automated methods depend on image segmentation, which requires high image quality and is prone to errors. Here, we describe an algorithm for automated estimation of C. elegans locomotor frequency using image invariants, i.e., shape-based parameters that are independent of object translation, rotation, and scaling. For each video frame, the method calculates a combination of 8 Hu's moment invariants and a set of Maximally Stable Extremal Regions (MSER) invariants. The algorithm then calculates the locomotor frequency by computing the autocorrelation of the time sequence of the invariant ensemble. Results of our method show excellent agreement with manual or segmentation-based results over a wide range of frequencies. We show that compared to the segmentation method that analyzes a worm's shape, our method is more robust to low image quality. We demonstrate the system's capabilities by testing the effects of serotonin and serotonin pathway mutants on locomotor frequency.
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Alves-Pimenta S, Colaço B, Oliveira PA, Venâncio C. Development Features on the Selection of Animal Models for Teratogenic Testing. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2753:67-104. [PMID: 38285334 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3625-1_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Today, the use of animal models from different species continues to represent a fundamental step in teratogenic testing, despite the increase in alternative solutions that provide an important screening to the enormous quantity of new substances that aim to enter the market every year. The maintenance of these models is due to the sharing of similar development processes with humans, and in this way they represent an important contribution to the safety in the use of the compounds tested. Furthermore, the application of advances in embryology to teratology, although hampered by the complexity of reproductive processes, continues to prove the importance of sensitivity during embryonic and fetal development to detect potential toxicity, inducing mortality/abortion and malformations.In this chapter, essential periods of development in different models are outlined, highlighting the similarities and differences between species, the advantages and disadvantages of each group, and specific sensitivities for teratogenic testing. Models can be divided into invertebrate species such as earthworms of the species Eisenia fetida/Eisenia andrei, Caenorhabditis elegans, and Drosophila melanogaster, allowing for rapid results and minor ethical concerns. Vertebrate nonmammalian species Xenopus laevis and Danio rerio are important models to assess teratogenic potential later in development with fewer ethical requirements. Finally, the mammalian species Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus, and Oryctolagus cuniculus, phylogenetically closer to humans, are essential for the assessment of complex specialized processes, occurring later in development.Regulations for the development of toxicology tests require the use of mammalian species. Although ethical concerns and costs limit their use in large-scale screening. On the other hand, invertebrate and vertebrate nonmammalian species are increasing as alternative animal models, as these organisms combine low cost, less ethical requirements, and culture conditions compatible with large-scale screening. Their main advantage is to allow high-throughput screening in a whole-animal context, in contrast to the in vitro techniques, not dependent on the prior identification of a target. Better knowledge of the development pathways of animal models will allow to maximize human translation and reduce the number of animals used, leading to a selection of compounds with an improved safety profile and reduced time to market for new drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Alves-Pimenta
- Department of Animal Science, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Bruno Colaço
- Department of Animal Science, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Paula A Oliveira
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
- Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-food Production (Inov4Agro), University of Trás-os Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Carlos Venâncio
- Department of Animal Science, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal.
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal.
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal.
- Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-food Production (Inov4Agro), University of Trás-os Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal.
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Abstract
Foraging animals optimize feeding decisions by adjusting both common and rare behavioral patterns. Here, we characterize the relationship between an animal's arousal state and a rare decision to leave a patch of bacterial food. Using long-term tracking and behavioral state classification, we find that food leaving decisions in Caenorhabditis elegans are coupled to arousal states across multiple timescales. Leaving emerges probabilistically over minutes from the high arousal roaming state, but is suppressed during the low arousal dwelling state. Immediately before leaving, animals have a brief acceleration in speed that appears as a characteristic signature of this behavioral motif. Neuromodulatory mutants and optogenetic manipulations that increase roaming have a coupled increase in leaving rates, and similarly acute manipulations that inhibit feeding induce both roaming and leaving. By contrast, inactivating a set of chemosensory neurons that depend on the cGMP-gated transduction channel TAX-4 uncouples roaming and leaving dynamics. In addition, tax-4-expressing sensory neurons promote lawn-leaving behaviors that are elicited by feeding inhibition. Our results indicate that sensory neurons responsive to both internal and external cues play an integrative role in arousal and foraging decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias Scheer
- Lulu and Anthony Wang Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Cornelia I Bargmann
- Lulu and Anthony Wang Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
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Keles MF, Sapci A, Brody C, Palmer I, Le C, Tastan O, Keles S, Wu MN. Deep Phenotyping of Sleep in Drosophila. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.30.564733. [PMID: 37961473 PMCID: PMC10635029 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.30.564733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Sleep is an evolutionarily conserved behavior, whose function is unknown. Here, we present a method for deep phenotyping of sleep in Drosophila, consisting of a high-resolution video imaging system, coupled with closed-loop laser perturbation to measure arousal threshold. To quantify sleep-associated microbehaviors, we trained a deep-learning network to annotate body parts in freely moving flies and developed a semi-supervised computational pipeline to classify behaviors. Quiescent flies exhibit a rich repertoire of microbehaviors, including proboscis pumping (PP) and haltere switches, which vary dynamically across the night. Using this system, we characterized the effects of optogenetically activating two putative sleep circuits. These data reveal that activating dFB neurons produces micromovements, inconsistent with sleep, while activating R5 neurons triggers PP followed by behavioral quiescence. Our findings suggest that sleep in Drosophila is polyphasic with different stages and set the stage for a rigorous analysis of sleep and other behaviors in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet F. Keles
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Ali Sapci
- Department of Computer Science, Sabanci University, Tuzla, Istanbul, 34956, Turkey
| | - Casey Brody
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Isabelle Palmer
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Christin Le
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Oznur Tastan
- Department of Computer Science, Sabanci University, Tuzla, Istanbul, 34956, Turkey
| | - Sunduz Keles
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Mark N. Wu
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
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Anthoney N, Tainton-Heap L, Luong H, Notaras E, Kewin AB, Zhao Q, Perry T, Batterham P, Shaw PJ, van Swinderen B. Experimentally induced active and quiet sleep engage non-overlapping transcriptional programs in Drosophila. eLife 2023; 12:RP88198. [PMID: 37910019 PMCID: PMC10619980 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Sleep in mammals can be broadly classified into two different physiological categories: rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and slow-wave sleep (SWS), and accordingly REM and SWS are thought to achieve a different set of functions. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is increasingly being used as a model to understand sleep functions, although it remains unclear if the fly brain also engages in different kinds of sleep as well. Here, we compare two commonly used approaches for studying sleep experimentally in Drosophila: optogenetic activation of sleep-promoting neurons and provision of a sleep-promoting drug, gaboxadol. We find that these different sleep-induction methods have similar effects on increasing sleep duration, but divergent effects on brain activity. Transcriptomic analysis reveals that drug-induced deep sleep ('quiet' sleep) mostly downregulates metabolism genes, whereas optogenetic 'active' sleep upregulates a wide range of genes relevant to normal waking functions. This suggests that optogenetics and pharmacological induction of sleep in Drosophila promote different features of sleep, which engage different sets of genes to achieve their respective functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niki Anthoney
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of QueenslandBrisbaneAustralia
| | - Lucy Tainton-Heap
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of QueenslandBrisbaneAustralia
| | - Hang Luong
- School of BioSciences, The University of MelbourneMelbourneAustralia
| | - Eleni Notaras
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of QueenslandBrisbaneAustralia
| | - Amber B Kewin
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of QueenslandBrisbaneAustralia
| | - Qiongyi Zhao
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of QueenslandBrisbaneAustralia
| | - Trent Perry
- School of BioSciences, The University of MelbourneMelbourneAustralia
| | - Philip Batterham
- School of BioSciences, The University of MelbourneMelbourneAustralia
| | - Paul J Shaw
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Washington University in St. LouisSt LouisUnited States
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Anthoney N, Tainton-Heap LA, Luong H, Notaras E, Kewin AB, Zhao Q, Perry T, Batterham P, Shaw PJ, van Swinderen B. Experimentally induced active and quiet sleep engage non-overlapping transcriptional programs in Drosophila. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.03.535331. [PMID: 37066182 PMCID: PMC10103959 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.03.535331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Sleep in mammals can be broadly classified into two different physiological categories: rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and slow wave sleep (SWS), and accordingly REM and SWS are thought to achieve a different set of functions. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is increasingly being used as a model to understand sleep functions, although it remains unclear if the fly brain also engages in different kinds of sleep as well. Here, we compare two commonly used approaches for studying sleep experimentally in Drosophila: optogenetic activation of sleep-promoting neurons and provision of a sleep-promoting drug, Gaboxadol. We find that these different sleep-induction methods have similar effects on increasing sleep duration, but divergent effects on brain activity. Transcriptomic analysis reveals that drug-induced deep sleep ('quiet' sleep) mostly downregulates metabolism genes, whereas optogenetic 'active' sleep upregulates a wide range of genes relevant to normal waking functions. This suggests that optogenetics and pharmacological induction of sleep in Drosophila promote different features of sleep, which engage different sets of genes to achieve their respective functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niki Anthoney
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
| | | | - Hang Luong
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052 Australia
| | - Eleni Notaras
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Amber B. Kewin
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Qiongyi Zhao
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Trent Perry
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052 Australia
| | - Philip Batterham
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052 Australia
| | - Paul J. Shaw
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO USA
| | - Bruno van Swinderen
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
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Tee LF, Young JJ, Maruyama K, Kimura S, Suzuki R, Endo Y, Kimura KD. Electric shock causes a fleeing-like persistent behavioral response in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2023; 225:iyad148. [PMID: 37595066 PMCID: PMC10550322 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Behavioral persistency reflects internal brain states, which are the foundations of multiple brain functions. However, experimental paradigms enabling genetic analyses of behavioral persistency and its associated brain functions have been limited. Here, we report novel persistent behavioral responses caused by electric stimuli in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. When the animals on bacterial food are stimulated by alternating current, their movement speed suddenly increases 2- to 3-fold, persisting for more than 1 minute even after a 5-second stimulation. Genetic analyses reveal that voltage-gated channels in the neurons are required for the response, possibly as the sensors, and neuropeptide signaling regulates the duration of the persistent response. Additional behavioral analyses implicate that the animal's response to electric shock is scalable and has a negative valence. These properties, along with persistence, have been recently regarded as essential features of emotion, suggesting that C. elegans response to electric shock may reflect a form of emotion, akin to fear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Fei Tee
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8501, Japan
| | - Jared J Young
- Mills College at Northeastern University, Oakland, CA 94613, USA
| | - Keisuke Maruyama
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8501, Japan
| | - Sota Kimura
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8501, Japan
| | - Ryoga Suzuki
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8501, Japan
| | - Yuto Endo
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8501, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Koutarou D Kimura
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8501, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
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Koutsoumparis A, Busack I, Chen CK, Hayashi Y, Braeckman BP, Meierhofer D, Bringmann H. Reverse genetic screening during L1 arrest reveals a role of the diacylglycerol kinase 1 gene dgk-1 and sphingolipid metabolism genes in sleep regulation. Genetics 2023; 225:iyad124. [PMID: 37682641 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Sleep is a fundamental state of behavioral quiescence and physiological restoration. Sleep is controlled by environmental conditions, indicating a complex regulation of sleep by multiple processes. Our knowledge of the genes and mechanisms that control sleep during various conditions is, however, still incomplete. In Caenorhabditis elegans, sleep is increased when development is arrested upon starvation. Here, we performed a reverse genetic sleep screen in arrested L1 larvae for genes that are associated with metabolism. We found over 100 genes that are associated with a reduced sleep phenotype. Enrichment analysis revealed sphingolipid metabolism as a key pathway that controls sleep. A strong sleep loss was caused by the loss of function of the diacylglycerol kinase 1 gene, dgk-1, a negative regulator of synaptic transmission. Rescue experiments indicated that dgk-1 is required for sleep in cholinergic and tyraminergic neurons. The Ring Interneuron S (RIS) neuron is crucial for sleep in C. elegans and activates to induce sleep. RIS activation transients were abolished in dgk-1 mutant animals. Calcium transients were partially rescued by a reduction-of-function mutation of unc-13, suggesting that dgk-1 might be required for RIS activation by limiting synaptic vesicle release. dgk-1 mutant animals had impaired L1 arrest survival and dampened expression of the protective heat shock factor gene hsp-12.6. These data suggest that dgk-1 impairment causes broad physiological deficits. Microcalorimetry and metabolomic analyses of larvae with impaired RIS showed that RIS is broadly required for energy conservation and metabolic control, including for the presence of sphingolipids. Our data support the notion that metabolism broadly influences sleep and that sleep is associated with profound metabolic changes. We thus provide novel insights into the interplay of lipids and sleep and provide a rich resource of mutants and metabolic pathways for future sleep studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasios Koutsoumparis
- Chair of Cellular Circuits and Systems, Biotechnology Center (BIOTEC), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Am Tatzberg 47/49, Dresden, Saxony 01307, Germany
| | - Inka Busack
- Chair of Cellular Circuits and Systems, Biotechnology Center (BIOTEC), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Am Tatzberg 47/49, Dresden, Saxony 01307, Germany
| | - Chung-Kuan Chen
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | - Yu Hayashi
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | - Bart P Braeckman
- Laboratory of Aging Physiology and Molecular Evolution, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - David Meierhofer
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Henrik Bringmann
- Chair of Cellular Circuits and Systems, Biotechnology Center (BIOTEC), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Am Tatzberg 47/49, Dresden, Saxony 01307, Germany
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12
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Chen CK, Kawano T, Yanagisawa M, Hayashi Y. Forward genetic screen of Caenorhabditis elegans mutants with impaired sleep reveals a crucial role of neuronal diacylglycerol kinase DGK-1 in regulating sleep. Genetics 2023; 225:iyad140. [PMID: 37682636 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad140] [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: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The sleep state is widely observed in animals. The molecular mechanisms underlying sleep regulation, however, remain largely unclear. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, developmentally timed sleep (DTS) and stress-induced sleep (SIS) are 2 types of quiescent behaviors that fulfill the definition of sleep and share conserved sleep-regulating molecules with mammals. To identify novel sleep-regulating molecules, we conducted an unbiased forward genetic screen based on DTS phenotypes. We isolated 2 mutants, rem8 and rem10, that exhibited significantly disrupted DTS and SIS. The causal gene of the abnormal sleep phenotypes in both mutants was mapped to dgk-1, which encodes diacylglycerol kinase. Perhaps due to the diminished SIS, dgk-1 mutant worms exhibited decreased survival following exposure to a noxious stimulus. Pan-neuronal and/or cholinergic expression of dgk-1 partly rescued the dgk-1 mutant defects in DTS, SIS, and post-stress survival. Moreover, we revealed that pkc-1/nPKC participates in sleep regulation and counteracts the effect of dgk-1; the reduced DTS, SIS, and post-stress survival rate were partly suppressed in the pkc-1; dgk-1 double mutant compared with the dgk-1 single mutant. Excessive sleep observed in the pkc-1 mutant was also suppressed in the pkc-1; dgk-1 double mutant, implying that dgk-1 has a complicated mode of action. Our findings indicate that neuronal DGK-1 is essential for normal sleep and that the counterbalance between DGK-1 and PKC-1 is crucial for regulating sleep and mitigating post-stress damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chung-Kuan Chen
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
- Doctoral Program in Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | - Taizo Kawano
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | - Masashi Yanagisawa
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
- Life Science Center for Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Yu Hayashi
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- Department of Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
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13
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Bechtel W, Bich L. Using neurons to maintain autonomy: Learning from C. elegans. Biosystems 2023; 232:105017. [PMID: 37666409 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2023.105017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how biological organisms are autonomous-maintain themselves far from equilibrium through their own activities-requires understanding how they regulate those activities. In multicellular animals, such control can be exercised either via endocrine signaling through the vasculature or via neurons. In C. elegans this control is exercised by a well-delineated relatively small but distributed nervous system that relies on both chemical and electric transmission of signals. This system provides resources to integrate information from multiple sources as needed to maintain the organism. Especially important for the exercise of neural control are neuromodulators, which we present as setting agendas for control through more traditional electrical signaling. To illustrate how the C. elegans nervous system integrates multiple sources of information in controlling activities important for autonomy, we focus on feeding behavior and responses to adverse conditions. We conclude by considering how a distributed nervous system without a centralized controller is nonetheless adequate for autonomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Bechtel
- Department of Philosophy; University of California, San Diego; La Jolla, CA 92093-0119, USA.
| | - Leonardo Bich
- IAS-Research Centre for Life, Mind and Society; Department of Philosophy; University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU); Avenida de Tolosa 70; Donostia-San Sebastian, 20018; Spain.
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14
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Atanas AA, Kim J, Wang Z, Bueno E, Becker M, Kang D, Park J, Kramer TS, Wan FK, Baskoylu S, Dag U, Kalogeropoulou E, Gomes MA, Estrem C, Cohen N, Mansinghka VK, Flavell SW. Brain-wide representations of behavior spanning multiple timescales and states in C. elegans. Cell 2023; 186:4134-4151.e31. [PMID: 37607537 PMCID: PMC10836760 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.07.035] [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: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Changes in an animal's behavior and internal state are accompanied by widespread changes in activity across its brain. However, how neurons across the brain encode behavior and how this is impacted by state is poorly understood. We recorded brain-wide activity and the diverse motor programs of freely moving C. elegans and built probabilistic models that explain how each neuron encodes quantitative behavioral features. By determining the identities of the recorded neurons, we created an atlas of how the defined neuron classes in the C. elegans connectome encode behavior. Many neuron classes have conjunctive representations of multiple behaviors. Moreover, although many neurons encode current motor actions, others integrate recent actions. Changes in behavioral state are accompanied by widespread changes in how neurons encode behavior, and we identify these flexible nodes in the connectome. Our results provide a global map of how the cell types across an animal's brain encode its behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam A Atanas
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Computational and Systems Biology Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jungsoo Kim
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ziyu Wang
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Eric Bueno
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - McCoy Becker
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Di Kang
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jungyeon Park
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Talya S Kramer
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; MIT Biology Graduate Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Flossie K Wan
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Saba Baskoylu
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ugur Dag
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Elpiniki Kalogeropoulou
- School of Computing, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK; School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Matthew A Gomes
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Cassi Estrem
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Netta Cohen
- School of Computing, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Vikash K Mansinghka
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Steven W Flavell
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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15
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Kumar S, Sharma AK, Tran A, Liu M, Leifer AM. Inhibitory feedback from the motor circuit gates mechanosensory processing in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002280. [PMID: 37733772 PMCID: PMC10617738 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals must integrate sensory cues with their current behavioral context to generate a suitable response. How this integration occurs is poorly understood. Previously, we developed high-throughput methods to probe neural activity in populations of Caenorhabditis elegans and discovered that the animal's mechanosensory processing is rapidly modulated by the animal's locomotion. Specifically, we found that when the worm turns it suppresses its mechanosensory-evoked reversal response. Here, we report that C. elegans use inhibitory feedback from turning-associated neurons to provide this rapid modulation of mechanosensory processing. By performing high-throughput optogenetic perturbations triggered on behavior, we show that turning-associated neurons SAA, RIV, and/or SMB suppress mechanosensory-evoked reversals during turns. We find that activation of the gentle-touch mechanosensory neurons or of any of the interneurons AIZ, RIM, AIB, and AVE during a turn is less likely to evoke a reversal than activation during forward movement. Inhibiting neurons SAA, RIV, and SMB during a turn restores the likelihood with which mechanosensory activation evokes reversals. Separately, activation of premotor interneuron AVA evokes reversals regardless of whether the animal is turning or moving forward. We therefore propose that inhibitory signals from SAA, RIV, and/or SMB gate mechanosensory signals upstream of neuron AVA. We conclude that C. elegans rely on inhibitory feedback from the motor circuit to modulate its response to sensory stimuli on fast timescales. This need for motor signals in sensory processing may explain the ubiquity in many organisms of motor-related neural activity patterns seen across the brain, including in sensory processing areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Kumar
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Anuj K. Sharma
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Andrew Tran
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Mochi Liu
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Andrew M. Leifer
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
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16
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Faerberg DF, Aprison EZ, Ruvinsky I. Periods of environmental sensitivity couple larval behavior and development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.04.552015. [PMID: 37609125 PMCID: PMC10441318 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.04.552015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
The typical life cycle in most animal phyla includes a larval period that bridges embryogenesis and adulthood1. Despite the great diversity of larval forms, all larvae grow, acquire adult morphology and function, while navigating their habitats to obtain resources necessary for development. How larval development is coordinated with behavior remains substantially unclear. Here, we describe features of the iterative organization of larval stages that serve to assess the environment and procure resources prior to costly developmental commitments. We found that male-excreted pheromones accelerate2-4 the onset of adulthood in C. elegans hermaphrodites by coordinately advancing multiple developmental events and growth during the last larval stage. The larvae are sensitive to the accelerating male pheromones only at the end of the penultimate larval stage, just before the acceleration begins. Other larval stages also contain windows of sensitivity to environmental inputs. Importantly, behaviors associated with search and consumption of food are distinct between early and late portions of larval stages. We infer that each larval stage in C. elegans is subdivided into two epochs: A) global assessment of the environment to identify the most suitable patch and B) consumption of sufficient food and acquisition of salient information for developmental events in the next stage. We predict that in larvae of other species behavior is also divided into distinct epochs optimized either for assessing the habitat or obtaining the resources. Thus, a major role of larval behavior is to coordinate the orderly progression of development in variable environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis F. Faerberg
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Erin Z. Aprison
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Ilya Ruvinsky
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
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17
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Le E, McCarthy T, Honer M, Curtin CE, Fingerut J, Nelson MD. The neuropeptide receptor npr-38 regulates avoidance and stress-induced sleep in Caenorhabditis elegans. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3155-3168.e9. [PMID: 37419114 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.06.042] [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: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Although essential and conserved, sleep is not without its challenges that must be overcome; most notably, it renders animals vulnerable to threats in the environment. Infection and injury increase sleep demand, which dampens sensory responsiveness to stimuli, including those responsible for the initial insult. Stress-induced sleep in Caenorhabditis elegans occurs in response to cellular damage following noxious exposures the animals attempted to avoid. Here, we describe a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) encoded by npr-38, which is required for stress-related responses including avoidance, sleep, and arousal. Overexpression of npr-38 shortens the avoidance phase and causes animals to initiate movement quiescence and arouse early. npr-38 functions in the ADL sensory neurons, which express neuropeptides encoded by nlp-50, also required for movement quiescence. npr-38 regulates arousal by acting on the DVA and RIS interneurons. Our work demonstrates that this single GPCR regulates multiple aspects of the stress response by functioning in sensory and sleep interneurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Le
- Department of Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA
| | - Teagan McCarthy
- Department of Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA
| | - Madison Honer
- Department of Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA
| | - Caroline E Curtin
- Department of Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA
| | - Jonathan Fingerut
- Department of Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA
| | - Matthew D Nelson
- Department of Biology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA.
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18
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Li Z, Fouad AD, Bowlin PD, Fan Y, He S, Chang MC, Du A, Teng C, Kassouni A, Ji H, Raizen DM, Fang-Yen C. A robotic system for automated genetic manipulation and analysis of Caenorhabditis elegans. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad197. [PMID: 37416871 PMCID: PMC10321491 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is one of the most widely studied organisms in biology due to its small size, rapid life cycle, and manipulable genetics. Research with C. elegans depends on labor-intensive and time-consuming manual procedures, imposing a major bottleneck for many studies, especially for those involving large numbers of animals. Here, we describe a general-purpose tool, WormPicker, a robotic system capable of performing complex genetic manipulations and other tasks by imaging, phenotyping, and transferring C. elegans on standard agar media. Our system uses a motorized stage to move an imaging system and a robotic arm over an array of agar plates. Machine vision tools identify animals and assay developmental stage, morphology, sex, expression of fluorescent reporters, and other phenotypes. Based on the results of these assays, the robotic arm selectively transfers individual animals using an electrically self-sterilized wire loop, with the aid of machine vision and electrical capacitance sensing. Automated C. elegans manipulation shows reliability and throughput comparable with standard manual methods. We developed software to enable the system to autonomously carry out complex protocols. To validate the effectiveness and versatility of our methods, we used the system to perform a collection of common C. elegans procedures, including genetic crossing, genetic mapping, and genomic integration of a transgene. Our robotic system will accelerate C. elegans research and open possibilities for performing genetic and pharmacological screens that would be impractical using manual methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihao Li
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Anthony D Fouad
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Peter D Bowlin
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yuying Fan
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Siming He
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Meng-Chuan Chang
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Angelica Du
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Christopher Teng
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Alexander Kassouni
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Hongfei Ji
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - David M Raizen
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Christopher Fang-Yen
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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19
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Chen Y, Xu L, Lan Y, Liang C, Liu X, Li J, Liu F, Miao J, Chen Y, Cao Y, Liu G. Four novel sleep-promoting peptides screened and identified from bovine casein hydrolysates using a patch-clamp model in vitro and Caenorhabditis elegans in vivo. Food Funct 2023. [PMID: 37334648 DOI: 10.1039/d3fo01246h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Bovine casein hydrolysates (CHs) have demonstrated sleep-promoting activities. However, only few peptides were identified from CHs with sleep-promoting effects. In this work, an in vitro model based on the electrophysiology of brain neurons was established for the evaluation of sleep-promoting effects. Based on this model, four novel peptides were systematically separated from CH. Compared with the control group, the action potential (AP) inhibitory rate of four peptides increased by 38.63%, 340.93%, 233.28%, and 900%, respectively, and the membrane potential (MP) change rate of four peptides increased by 319.78%, 503.09%, 381.22%, and 547.10%, respectively. These results suggested that four peptides have sleep-promoting activities. Furthermore, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) sleep behavior results indicated that all the four peptides could significantly increase the total sleep duration, the motionless sleep duration of C. elegans, implying that these four peptides can significantly improve sleep. The LC-MS/MS results showed that the primary structures of these novel peptides were HQGLPQEVLNENLLR (αs1-CN, f8-22), YKVPQLEIVPNSAEER (αs1-CN, f104-119), HPIKHQGLPQEVLNENLLR (αs1-CN, f4-22), and VPQLEIVPNSAEER (αs1-CN, f106-119). Overall, this study revealed that the four novel sleep-promoting peptides identified were strong candidates as potential functional ingredients in the development of sleep-promoting products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Lu Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Yaqi Lan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Caowen Liang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Xingyu Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Jun Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Fei Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Jianyin Miao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Yunjiao Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Yong Cao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Guo Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
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20
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Thapliyal S, Beets I, Glauser DA. Multisite regulation integrates multimodal context in sensory circuits to control persistent behavioral states in C. elegans. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3052. [PMID: 37236963 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38685-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Maintaining or shifting between behavioral states according to context is essential for animals to implement fitness-promoting strategies. How the integration of internal state, past experience and sensory inputs orchestrates persistent multidimensional behavioral changes remains poorly understood. Here, we show that C. elegans integrates environmental temperature and food availability over different timescales to engage in persistent dwelling, scanning, global or glocal search strategies matching thermoregulatory and feeding needs. Transition between states, in each case, involves regulating multiple processes including AFD or FLP tonic sensory neurons activity, neuropeptide expression and downstream circuit responsiveness. State-specific FLP-6 or FLP-5 neuropeptide signaling acts on a distributed set of inhibitory GPCR(s) to promote scanning or glocal search, respectively, bypassing dopamine and glutamate-dependent behavioral state control. Integration of multimodal context via multisite regulation in sensory circuits might represent a conserved regulatory logic for a flexible prioritization on the valence of multiple inputs when operating persistent behavioral state transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saurabh Thapliyal
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland.
| | - Isabel Beets
- Neural Signaling and Circuit Plasticity Group, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
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21
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Hou X, Hayashi R, Itoh M, Tonoki A. Small-molecule screening in aged Drosophila identifies mGluR as a regulator of age-related sleep impairment. Sleep 2023; 46:zsad018. [PMID: 36721967 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsad018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
As a normal physiological phenomenon, aging has a significant impact on sleep. Aging leads to sleep impairment, including sleep loss, fragmented sleep, and a lower arousal threshold, leading to various diseases. Because sleep regulates memory consolidation, age-dependent sleep impairment also affects memory. However, the mechanisms underlying age-related sleep dysregulation and its impact on memory remain unclear. Using male and female Drosophila as a model, which possesses sleep characteristics similar to those of mammals and exhibits age-dependent sleep impairment, we performed small-molecule screening to identify novel regulators of age-dependent decline in sleep. The screening identified 3,3'-difluorobenzaldazine (DFB), a positive allosteric modulator of the metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) 5, as a novel sleep-promoting compound in aged flies. We found that mutant flies of mGluR, a single mGluR gene in Drosophila, and decreased mGluR expression had significant impairment in sleep and memory due to olfactory conditioning. The decreased sleep phenotype in the mGluR mutants was not promoted by DFB, suggesting that the effects of DFB on age-dependent sleep impairment are dependent on mGluR. Although aging decreases the expression of mGluR and the binding scaffold proteins Homer and Shank, the transient overexpression of mGluR in neurons improves sleep in both young and aged flies. Overall, these findings indicate that age-dependent decreased expression or function of mGluR impairs sleep and memory in flies, which could lead to age-related sleep and memory impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Hou
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8675, Japan
| | - Reina Hayashi
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8675, Japan
| | - Motoyuki Itoh
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8675, Japan
| | - Ayako Tonoki
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8675, Japan
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22
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Pandey P, Wall PK, Lopez SR, Dubuisson OS, Zunica ERM, Dantas WS, Kirwan JP, Axelrod CL, Johnson AE. A familial natural short sleep mutation promotes healthy aging and extends lifespan in Drosophila. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.25.538137. [PMID: 37163058 PMCID: PMC10168263 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.25.538137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Sleep loss typically imposes negative effects on animal health. However, humans with a rare genetic mutation in the dec2 gene ( dec2 P384R ) present an exception; these individuals sleep less without the usual effects associated with sleep deprivation. Thus, it has been suggested that the dec2 P384R mutation activates compensatory mechanisms that allows these individuals to thrive with less sleep. To test this directly, we used a Drosophila model to study the effects of the dec2 P384R mutation on animal health. Expression of human dec2 P384R in fly sleep neurons was sufficient to mimic the short sleep phenotype and, remarkably, dec2 P384R mutants lived significantly longer with improved health despite sleeping less. The improved physiological effects were enabled, in part, by enhanced mitochondrial fitness and upregulation of multiple stress response pathways. Moreover, we provide evidence that upregulation of pro-health pathways also contributes to the short sleep phenotype, and this phenomenon may extend to other pro-longevity models.
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23
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Migliori ML, Goya ME, Lamberti ML, Silva F, Rota R, Bénard C, Golombek DA. Caenorhabditis elegans as a Promising Model Organism in Chronobiology. J Biol Rhythms 2023; 38:131-147. [PMID: 36680418 DOI: 10.1177/07487304221143483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Circadian rhythms represent an adaptive feature, ubiquitously found in nature, which grants living beings the ability to anticipate daily variations in their environment. They have been found in a multitude of organisms, ranging from bacteria to fungi, plants, and animals. Circadian rhythms are generated by endogenous clocks that can be entrained daily by environmental cycles such as light and temperature. The molecular machinery of circadian clocks includes a transcriptional-translational feedback loop that takes approximately 24 h to complete. Drosophila melanogaster has been a model organism of choice to understand the molecular basis of circadian clocks. However, alternative animal models are also being adopted, each offering their respective experimental advantages. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans provides an excellent model for genetics and neuro-behavioral studies, which thanks to its ease of use and manipulation, as well as availability of genetic data and mutant strains, is currently used as a novel model for circadian research. Here, we aim to evaluate C. elegans as a model for chronobiological studies, focusing on its strengths and weaknesses while reviewing the available literature. Possible zeitgebers (including light and temperature) are also discussed. Determining the molecular bases and the neural circuitry involved in the central pacemaker of the C. elegans' clock will contribute to the understanding of its circadian system, becoming a novel model organism for the study of diseases due to alterations of the circadian cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Laura Migliori
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Bernal, Argentina
| | - María Eugenia Goya
- European Institute for the Biology of Aging, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Francisco Silva
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Bernal, Argentina
| | - Rosana Rota
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Bernal, Argentina
| | - Claire Bénard
- Department of Biological Sciences, CERMO-FC Research Center, Universite du Québec à Montréal, Montreál, QC, Canada
| | - Diego Andrés Golombek
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Bernal, Argentina
- Universidad de San Andrés, Victoria, Argentina
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Kawano T, Kashiwagi M, Kanuka M, Chen CK, Yasugaki S, Hatori S, Miyazaki S, Tanaka K, Fujita H, Nakajima T, Yanagisawa M, Nakagawa Y, Hayashi Y. ER proteostasis regulators cell-non-autonomously control sleep. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112267. [PMID: 36924492 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112267] [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: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Sleep is regulated by peripheral tissues under fatigue. The molecular pathways in peripheral cells that trigger systemic sleep-related signals, however, are unclear. Here, a forward genetic screen in C. elegans identifies 3 genes that strongly affect sleep amount: sel-1, sel-11, and mars-1. sel-1 and sel-11 encode endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation components, whereas mars-1 encodes methionyl-tRNA synthetase. We find that these machineries function in non-neuronal tissues and that the ER unfolded protein response components inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1)/XBP1 and protein kinase R-like ER kinase (PERK)/eukaryotic initiation factor-2α (eIF2α)/activating transcription factor-4 (ATF4) participate in non-neuronal sleep regulation, partly by reducing global translation. Neuronal epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling is also required. Mouse studies suggest that this mechanism is conserved in mammals. Considering that prolonged wakefulness increases ER proteostasis stress in peripheral tissues, our results suggest that peripheral ER proteostasis factors control sleep homeostasis. Moreover, based on our results, peripheral tissues likely cope with ER stress not only by the well-established cell-autonomous mechanisms but also by promoting the individual's sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taizo Kawano
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan
| | - Mitsuaki Kashiwagi
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan; Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Mika Kanuka
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan
| | - Chung-Kuan Chen
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan; Doctoral Program in Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | - Shinnosuke Yasugaki
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan; Doctoral Program in Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | - Sena Hatori
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan; PhD Program in Humanics, School of Integrative and Global Majors, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | - Shinichi Miyazaki
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan; PhD Program in Humanics, School of Integrative and Global Majors, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | - Kaeko Tanaka
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan
| | - Hidetoshi Fujita
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Osaka Institute of Technology, Osaka 535-8585, Japan
| | - Toshiro Nakajima
- Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo Medical University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8402, Japan
| | - Masashi Yanagisawa
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan; Life Science Center, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Yoshimi Nakagawa
- Department of Complex Biosystem Research, Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Yu Hayashi
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan; Department of Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
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25
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Busack I, Bringmann H. A sleep-active neuron can promote survival while sleep behavior is disturbed. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010665. [PMID: 36917595 PMCID: PMC10038310 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Sleep is controlled by neurons that induce behavioral quiescence and physiological restoration. It is not known, however, how sleep neurons link sleep behavior and survival. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the sleep-active RIS neuron induces sleep behavior and is required for survival of starvation and wounding. Sleep-active neurons such as RIS might hypothetically promote survival primarily by causing sleep behavior and associated conservation of energy. Alternatively, RIS might provide a survival benefit that does not depend on behavioral sleep. To probe these hypotheses, we tested how activity of the sleep-active RIS neuron in Caenorhabditis elegans controls sleep behavior and survival during larval starvation. To manipulate the activity of RIS, we expressed constitutively active potassium channel (twk-18gf and egl-23gf) or sodium channel (unc-58gf) mutant alleles in this neuron. Low levels of unc-58gf expression in RIS increased RIS calcium transients and sleep. High levels of unc-58gf expression in RIS elevated baseline calcium activity and inhibited calcium activation transients, thus locking RIS activity at a high but constant level. This manipulation caused a nearly complete loss of sleep behavior but increased survival. Long-term optogenetic activation also caused constantly elevated RIS activity and a small trend towards increased survival. Disturbing sleep by lethal blue-light stimulation also overactivated RIS, which again increased survival. FLP-11 neuropeptides were important for both, induction of sleep behavior and starvation survival, suggesting that FLP-11 might have divergent roles downstream of RIS. These results indicate that promotion of sleep behavior and survival are separable functions of RIS. These two functions may normally be coupled but can be uncoupled during conditions of strong RIS activation or when sleep behavior is impaired. Through this uncoupling, RIS can provide survival benefits under conditions when behavioral sleep is disturbed. Promoting survival in the face of impaired sleep might be a general function of sleep neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inka Busack
- BIOTEC, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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26
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Rattenborg NC, Ungurean G. The evolution and diversification of sleep. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:156-170. [PMID: 36411158 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The evolutionary origins of sleep and its sub-states, rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM (NREM) sleep, found in mammals and birds, remain a mystery. Although the discovery of a single type of sleep in jellyfish suggests that sleep evolved much earlier than previously thought, it is unclear when and why sleep diversified into multiple types of sleep. Intriguingly, multiple types of sleep have recently been found in animals ranging from non-avian reptiles to arthropods to cephalopods. Although there are similarities between these states and those found in mammals and birds, notable differences also exist. The diversity in the way sleep is expressed confounds attempts to trace the evolution of sleep states, but also serves as a rich resource for exploring the functions of sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niels C Rattenborg
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence (in foundation), Seewiesen, Germany.
| | - Gianina Ungurean
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence (in foundation), Seewiesen, Germany
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27
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Wang YL, Grooms NW, Jaklitsch EL, Schulting LG, Chung SH. High-throughput submicron-resolution microscopy of Caenorhabditis elegans populations under strong immobilization by cooling cultivation plates. iScience 2023; 26:105999. [PMID: 36794150 PMCID: PMC9923163 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.105999] [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: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite its profound impact on biology, high-resolution in vivo microscopy largely remains low throughput because current immobilization techniques require substantial manual effort. We implement a simple cooling approach to immobilize entire populations of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans directly on their cultivation plates. Counterintuitively, warmer temperatures immobilize animals much more effectively than the colder temperatures of prior studies and enable clear submicron-resolution fluorescence imaging, which is challenging under most immobilization techniques. We demonstrate 64× z-stack and time-lapse imaging of neurons in adults and embryos without motion blur. Compared to standard azide immobilization, cooling immobilization reduces the animal preparation and recovery time by >98%, significantly increasing experimental speed. High-throughput imaging of a fluorescent proxy in cooled animals and direct laser axotomy indicate that the transcription factor CREB underlies lesion conditioning. By obviating individual animal manipulation, our approach could empower automated imaging of large populations within standard experimental setups and workflows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao L. Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Noa W.F. Grooms
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Erik L. Jaklitsch
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Samuel H. Chung
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Corresponding author
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28
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Davis K, Mitchell C, Weissenfels O, Bai J, Raizen DM, Ailion M, Topalidou I. G protein-coupled receptor kinase-2 (GRK-2) controls exploration through neuropeptide signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010613. [PMID: 36652499 PMCID: PMC9886303 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals alter their behavior in manners that depend on environmental conditions as well as their developmental and metabolic states. For example, C. elegans is quiescent during larval molts or during conditions of satiety. By contrast, worms enter an exploration state when removed from food. Sensory perception influences movement quiescence (defined as a lack of body movement), as well as the expression of additional locomotor states in C. elegans that are associated with increased or reduced locomotion activity, such as roaming (exploration behavior) and dwelling (local search). Here we find that movement quiescence is enhanced, and exploration behavior is reduced in G protein-coupled receptor kinase grk-2 mutant animals. grk-2 was previously shown to act in chemosensation, locomotion, and egg-laying behaviors. Using neuron-specific rescuing experiments, we show that GRK-2 acts in multiple ciliated chemosensory neurons to control exploration behavior. grk-2 acts in opposite ways from the cGMP-dependent protein kinase gene egl-4 to control movement quiescence and exploration behavior. Analysis of mutants with defects in ciliated sensory neurons indicates that grk-2 and the cilium-structure mutants act in the same pathway to control exploration behavior. We find that GRK-2 controls exploration behavior in an opposite manner from the neuropeptide receptor NPR-1 and the neuropeptides FLP-1 and FLP-18. Finally, we show that secretion of the FLP-1 neuropeptide is negatively regulated by GRK-2 and that overexpression of FLP-1 reduces exploration behavior. These results define neurons and molecular pathways that modulate movement quiescence and exploration behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Davis
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Center for Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Christo Mitchell
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Olivia Weissenfels
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Jihong Bai
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - David M. Raizen
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Michael Ailion
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Irini Topalidou
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
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29
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Wang Y, Minami Y, Ode KL, Ueda HR. The role of calcium and CaMKII in sleep. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:1059421. [PMID: 36618010 PMCID: PMC9815122 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.1059421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep is an evolutionarily conserved phenotype shared by most of the animals on the planet. Prolonged wakefulness will result in increased sleep need or sleep pressure. However, its mechanisms remain elusive. Recent findings indicate that Ca2+ signaling, known to control diverse physiological functions, also regulates sleep. This review intends to summarize research advances in Ca2+ and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) in sleep regulation. Significant changes in sleep phenotype have been observed through calcium-related channels, receptors, and pumps. Mathematical modeling for neuronal firing patterns during NREM sleep suggests that these molecules compose a Ca2+-dependent hyperpolarization mechanism. The intracellular Ca2+ may then trigger sleep induction and maintenance through the activation of CaMKII, one of the sleep-promoting kinases. CaMKII and its multisite phosphorylation status may provide a link between transient calcium dynamics typically observed in neurons and sleep-wake dynamics observed on the long-time scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyang Wang
- Department of Systems Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoichi Minami
- Department of Systems Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koji L. Ode
- Department of Systems Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroki R. Ueda
- Department of Systems Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan,Laboratory for Synthetic Biology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Suita, Japan,*Correspondence: Hiroki R. Ueda,
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30
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Kinase signalling in excitatory neurons regulates sleep quantity and depth. Nature 2022; 612:512-518. [PMID: 36477539 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05450-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Progress has been made in the elucidation of sleep and wakefulness regulation at the neurocircuit level1,2. However, the intracellular signalling pathways that regulate sleep and the neuron groups in which these intracellular mechanisms work remain largely unknown. Here, using a forward genetics approach in mice, we identify histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) as a sleep-regulating molecule. Haploinsufficiency of Hdac4, a substrate of salt-inducible kinase 3 (SIK3)3, increased sleep. By contrast, mice that lacked SIK3 or its upstream kinase LKB1 in neurons or with a Hdac4S245A mutation that confers resistance to phosphorylation by SIK3 showed decreased sleep. These findings indicate that LKB1-SIK3-HDAC4 constitute a signalling cascade that regulates sleep and wakefulness. We also performed targeted manipulation of SIK3 and HDAC4 in specific neurons and brain regions. This showed that SIK3 signalling in excitatory neurons located in the cerebral cortex and the hypothalamus positively regulates EEG delta power during non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREMS) and NREMS amount, respectively. A subset of transcripts biased towards synaptic functions was commonly regulated in cortical glutamatergic neurons through the expression of a gain-of-function allele of Sik3 and through sleep deprivation. These findings suggest that NREMS quantity and depth are regulated by distinct groups of excitatory neurons through common intracellular signals. This study provides a basis for linking intracellular events and circuit-level mechanisms that control NREMS.
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31
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Xu H, Yu Y, Gao Y, Hassan A, Jia B, Huang Q. The cGMP-dependent protein kinase gene can regulate trail-following behaviour and locomotion in the termite Reticulitermes chinensis Snyder. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 31:585-592. [PMID: 35506165 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Social behaviours in termites are closely related to the chemical communication between individuals. It is well known that foraging worker termites can use trail pheromones to orient and locomote along trails so as to take food resources back to the nest. However, it is still unclear how termites recognize trail pheromones. Here, we cloned and sequenced the cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) gene from the termite Reticulitermes chinensis Snyder, and then examined the response of termites to trail pheromones after silencing PKG through RNA interference. We found that PKG knockdown impaired termite ability to follow trail pheromones accurately and exhibited irregular behavioural trajectories in response to the trail pheromone in the termite R. chinensis. Our locomotion assays further showed that PKG knockdown significantly increased the turn angle and angular velocity in the termite R. chinensis. These findings help us better understanding the molecular regulatory mechanism of foraging communications in termites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Xu
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yichun Yu
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yongyong Gao
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ali Hassan
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Bao Jia
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Nanning Institute of Termite Control, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Qiuying Huang
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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32
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Patel R, Galagali H, Kim JK, Frand AR. Feedback between a retinoid-related nuclear receptor and the let-7 microRNAs controls the pace and number of molting cycles in C. elegans. eLife 2022; 11:e80010. [PMID: 35968765 PMCID: PMC9377799 DOI: 10.7554/elife.80010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal development requires coordination among cyclic processes, sequential cell fate specifications, and once-a-lifetime morphogenic events, but the underlying timing mechanisms are not well understood. Caenorhabditis elegans undergoes four molts at regular 8 to 10 hour intervals. The pace of the cycle is governed by PERIOD/lin-42 and other as-yet unknown factors. Cessation of the cycle in young adults is controlled by the let-7 family of microRNAs and downstream transcription factors in the heterochronic pathway. Here, we characterize a negative feedback loop between NHR-23, the worm homolog of mammalian retinoid-related orphan receptors (RORs), and the let-7 family of microRNAs that regulates both the frequency and finite number of molts. The molting cycle is decelerated in nhr-23 knockdowns and accelerated in let-7(-) mutants, but timed similarly in let-7(-) nhr-23(-) double mutants and wild-type animals. NHR-23 binds response elements (ROREs) in the let-7 promoter and activates transcription. In turn, let-7 dampens nhr-23 expression across development via a complementary let-7-binding site (LCS) in the nhr-23 3' UTR. The molecular interactions between NHR-23 and let-7 hold true for other let-7 family microRNAs. Either derepression of nhr-23 transcripts by LCS deletion or high gene dosage of nhr-23 leads to protracted behavioral quiescence and extra molts in adults. NHR-23 and let-7 also coregulate scores of genes required for execution of the molts, including lin-42. In addition, ROREs and LCSs isolated from mammalian ROR and let-7 genes function in C. elegans, suggesting conservation of this feedback mechanism. We propose that this feedback loop unites the molting timer and the heterochronic gene regulatory network, possibly by functioning as a cycle counter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruhi Patel
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Himani Galagali
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreUnited States
| | - John K Kim
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Alison R Frand
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
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Ardiel EL, Lauziere A, Xu S, Harvey BJ, Christensen RP, Nurrish S, Kaplan JM, Shroff H. Stereotyped behavioral maturation and rhythmic quiescence in C.elegans embryos. eLife 2022; 11:76836. [PMID: 35929725 PMCID: PMC9448323 DOI: 10.7554/elife.76836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Systematic analysis of rich behavioral recordings is being used to uncover how circuits encode complex behaviors. Here, we apply this approach to embryos. What are the first embryonic behaviors and how do they evolve as early neurodevelopment ensues? To address these questions, we present a systematic description of behavioral maturation for Caenorhabditis elegans embryos. Posture libraries were built using a genetically encoded motion capture suit imaged with light-sheet microscopy and annotated using custom tracking software. Analysis of cell trajectories, postures, and behavioral motifs revealed a stereotyped developmental progression. Early movement is dominated by flipping between dorsal and ventral coiling, which gradually slows into a period of reduced motility. Late-stage embryos exhibit sinusoidal waves of dorsoventral bends, prolonged bouts of directed motion, and a rhythmic pattern of pausing, which we designate slow wave twitch (SWT). Synaptic transmission is required for late-stage motion but not for early flipping nor the intervening inactive phase. A high-throughput behavioral assay and calcium imaging revealed that SWT is elicited by the rhythmic activity of a quiescence-promoting neuron (RIS). Similar periodic quiescent states are seen prenatally in diverse animals and may play an important role in promoting normal developmental outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan L Ardiel
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - Andrew Lauziere
- National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Bethesda, United States
| | - Stephen Xu
- National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Bethesda, United States
| | - Brandon J Harvey
- National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Bethesda, United States
| | | | - Stephen Nurrish
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - Joshua M Kaplan
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - Hari Shroff
- National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Bethesda, United States
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Brown EB, Klok J, Keene AC. Measuring metabolic rate in single flies during sleep and waking states via indirect calorimetry. J Neurosci Methods 2022; 376:109606. [PMID: 35483506 PMCID: PMC9310448 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2022.109606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Drosophila melanogaster is a leading genetic model for studying the neural regulation of sleep. Sleep is associated with changes in behavior and physiological state that are largely conserved across species. The investigation of sleep in flies has predominantly focused on behavioral readouts of sleep because physiological measurements, including changes in brain activity and metabolic rate, are less accessible. We have previously used stop-flow indirect calorimetry to measure whole body metabolic rate in single flies and have shown that in flies, like mammals, metabolic rate is reduced during sleep. NEW METHOD Here, we describe a modified version of this system that allows for efficient and highly sensitive acquisition of CO2 output from single flies. RESULTS In this modified system, we show that sleep-dependent changes in metabolic rate are diminished in aging flies, supporting the notion that sleep quality is reduced as flies age. We also describe a modification that allows for simultaneous acquisition of CO2 and O2 levels, providing a respiratory quotient that quantifies how metabolic stores are utilized. We find that the respiratory quotient identified in flies on an all-sugar diet is suggestive of lipogenesis, where the dietary sugar provided to the flies is being converted to fat. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS AND CONCLUSIONS Taken together, the measurement of metabolic rate via indirect calorimetry not only provides a physiological readout of sleep depth, but also provides insight the metabolic regulation of nutrient utilization, with broad applications to genetic studies in flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth B Brown
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Jaco Klok
- Sable Systems International, Las Vegas, NV 89032, USA
| | - Alex C Keene
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
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35
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Wirak GS, Florman J, Alkema MJ, Connor CW, Gabel CV. Age-associated changes to neuronal dynamics involve a disruption of excitatory/inhibitory balance in C. elegans. eLife 2022; 11:72135. [PMID: 35703498 PMCID: PMC9273219 DOI: 10.7554/elife.72135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the aging brain, many of the alterations underlying cognitive and behavioral decline remain opaque. C. elegans offers a powerful model for aging research, with a simple, well-studied nervous system to further our understanding of the cellular modifications and functional alterations accompanying senescence. We perform multi-neuronal functional imaging across the aged C. elegans nervous system, measuring an age-associated breakdown in system-wide functional organization. At single-cell resolution, we detect shifts in activity dynamics toward higher frequencies. In addition, we measure a specific loss of inhibitory signaling that occurs early in the aging process and alters the systems critical excitatory/inhibitory balance. These effects are recapitulated with mutation of the calcium channel subunit UNC-2/CaV2a. We find that manipulation of inhibitory GABA signaling can partially ameliorate or accelerate the effects of aging. The effects of aging are also partially mitigated by disruption of the insulin signaling pathway, known to increase longevity, or by a reduction of caspase activation. Data from mammals are consistent with our findings, suggesting a conserved shift in the balance of excitatory/inhibitory signaling with age that leads to breakdown in global neuronal dynamics and functional decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory S Wirak
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University, Boston, United States
| | - Jeremy Florman
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, United States
| | - Mark J Alkema
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, United States
| | - Christopher W Connor
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - Christopher V Gabel
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University, Boston, United States
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Miyazaki S, Kawano T, Yanagisawa M, Hayashi Y. Intracellular Ca2+ dynamics in the ALA neuron reflect sleep pressure and regulate sleep in Caenorhabditis elegans. iScience 2022; 25:104452. [PMID: 35707721 PMCID: PMC9189131 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying sleep homeostasis are poorly understood. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans exhibits 2 types of sleep: lethargus, or developmentally timed, and stress-induced sleep. Lethargus is characterized by alternating cycles of sleep and motion bouts. Sleep bouts are homeostatically regulated, i.e., prolonged active bouts lead to prolonged sleep bouts. Here we reveal that the interneuron ALA is crucial for homeostatic regulation during lethargus. Intracellular Ca2+ in ALA gradually increased during active bouts and rapidly decayed upon transitions to sleep bouts. Longer active bouts were accompanied by higher intracellular Ca2+ peaks. Optogenetic activation of ALA during active bouts caused transitions to sleep bouts. Dysfunction of CEH-17, which is an LIM homeodomain transcription factor selectively expressed in ALA, impaired the characteristic patterns of ALA intracellular Ca2+ and abolished the homeostatic regulation of sleep bouts. These findings indicate that ALA encodes sleep pressure and contributes to sleep homeostasis. ALA gradually increases its activity during motion bouts during lethargus in C. elegans Dysfunction or artificial activation of ALA perturbs the sleep structure ALA plays a crucial role in homeostatic sleep regulation
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinichi Miyazaki
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
- PhD Program in Humanics, School of Integrative and Global Majors, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | - Taizo Kawano
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | - Masashi Yanagisawa
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics (TARA), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
- R&D Center for Frontiers of Mirai in Policy and Technology (F-MIRAI), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | - Yu Hayashi
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
- Department of Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 603-8363, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- Corresponding author
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Omond SET, Hale MW, Lesku JA. Neurotransmitters of sleep and wakefulness in flatworms. Sleep 2022; 45:zsac053. [PMID: 35554581 PMCID: PMC9216492 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsac053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES Sleep is a prominent behavioral and biochemical state observed in all animals studied, including platyhelminth flatworms. Investigations into the biochemical mechanisms associated with sleep-and wakefulness-are important for understanding how these states are regulated and how that regulation changed with the evolution of new types of animals. Unfortunately, beyond a handful of vertebrates, such studies on invertebrates are rare. METHODS We investigated the effect of seven neurotransmitters, and one pharmacological compound, that modulate either sleep or wakefulness in mammals, on flatworms (Girardia tigrina). Flatworms were exposed via ingestion and diffusion to four neurotransmitters that promote wakefulness in vertebrates (acetylcholine, dopamine, glutamate, histamine), and three that induce sleep (adenosine, GABA, serotonin) along with the H1 histamine receptor antagonist pyrilamine. Compounds were administered over concentrations spanning three to five orders of magnitude. Flatworms were then transferred to fresh water and video recorded for analysis. RESULTS Dopamine and histamine decreased the time spent inactive and increased distance traveled, consistent with their wake-promoting effect in vertebrates and fruit flies; pyrilamine increased restfulness and GABA showed a nonsignificant trend towards promoting restfulness in a dose-dependent manner, in agreement with their sleep-inducing effect in vertebrates, fruit flies, and Hydra. Similar to Hydra, acetylcholine, glutamate, and serotonin, but also adenosine, had no apparent effect on flatworm behavior. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate the potential of neurotransmitters to regulate sleep and wakefulness in flatworms and highlight the conserved action of some neurotransmitters across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shauni E T Omond
- School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Matthew W Hale
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - John A Lesku
- School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
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Ajayi OM, Marlman JM, Gleitz LA, Smith ES, Piller BD, Krupa JA, Vinauger C, Benoit JB. Behavioral and postural analyses establish sleep-like states for mosquitoes that can impact host landing and blood feeding. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:275280. [PMID: 35502753 PMCID: PMC9234499 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Sleep is an evolutionarily conserved process that has been described in different animal systems. For insects, sleep characterization has been primarily achieved using behavioral and electrophysiological correlates in a few systems. Sleep in mosquitoes, which are important vectors of disease-causing pathogens, has not been directly examined. This is surprising as circadian rhythms, which have been well studied in mosquitoes, influence sleep in other systems. In this study, we characterized sleep in mosquitoes using body posture analysis and behavioral correlates and quantified the effect of sleep deprivation on sleep rebound, host landing and blood-feeding propensity. Body and appendage position metrics revealed a clear distinction between the posture of mosquitoes in their putative sleep and awake states for multiple species, which correlate with a reduction in responsiveness to host cues. Sleep assessment informed by these posture analyses indicated significantly more sleep during periods of low activity. Nighttime and daytime sleep deprivation resulting from the delivery of vibration stimuli induced sleep rebound in the subsequent phase in day and night active mosquitoes, respectively. Lastly, sleep deprivation suppressed host landing in both laboratory and field settings, and impaired blood feeding of a human host when mosquitoes would normally be active. These results suggest that quantifiable sleep states occur in mosquitoes and highlight the potential epidemiological importance of mosquito sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluwaseun M Ajayi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Justin M Marlman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Lucas A Gleitz
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Evan S Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Benjamin D Piller
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Justyna A Krupa
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Clément Vinauger
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Joshua B Benoit
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
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Scuto M, Modafferi S, Rampulla F, Zimbone V, Tomasello M, Spano’ S, Ontario M, Palmeri A, Trovato Salinaro A, Siracusa R, Di Paola R, Cuzzocrea S, Calabrese E, Wenzel U, Calabrese V. Redox modulation of stress resilience by Crocus Sativus L. for potential neuroprotective and anti-neuroinflammatory applications in brain disorders: From molecular basis to therapy. Mech Ageing Dev 2022; 205:111686. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2022.111686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Deviations from temporal scaling support a stage-specific regulation for C. elegans postembryonic development. BMC Biol 2022; 20:94. [PMID: 35477393 PMCID: PMC9047341 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01295-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background After embryonic development, Caenorhabditis elegans progress through for larval stages, each of them finishing with molting. The repetitive nature of C. elegans postembryonic development is considered an oscillatory process, a concept that has gained traction from regulation by a circadian clock gene homologue. Nevertheless, each larval stage has a defined duration and entails specific events. Since the overall duration of development is controlled by numerous factors, we have asked whether different rate-limiting interventions impact all stages equally. Results We have measured the duration of each stage of development for over 2500 larvae, under varied environmental conditions known to alter overall developmental rate. We applied changes in temperature and in the quantity and quality of nutrition and analysed the effect of genetically reduced insulin signalling. Our results show that the distinct developmental stages respond differently to these perturbations. The changes in the duration of specific larval stages seem to depend on stage-specific events. Furthermore, our high-resolution measurement of the effect of temperature on the stage-specific duration of development has unveiled novel features of temperature dependence in C. elegans postembryonic development. Conclusions Altogether, our results show that multiple factors fine tune developmental timing, impacting larval stages independently. Further understanding of the regulation of this process will allow modelling the mechanisms that control developmental timing. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-022-01295-2.
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Tran S, Prober DA. Validation of Candidate Sleep Disorder Risk Genes Using Zebrafish. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:873520. [PMID: 35465097 PMCID: PMC9021570 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.873520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep disorders and chronic sleep disturbances are common and are associated with cardio-metabolic diseases and neuropsychiatric disorders. Several genetic pathways and neuronal mechanisms that regulate sleep have been described in animal models, but the genes underlying human sleep variation and sleep disorders are largely unknown. Identifying these genes is essential in order to develop effective therapies for sleep disorders and their associated comorbidities. To address this unmet health problem, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous genetic variants associated with human sleep traits and sleep disorders. However, in most cases, it is unclear which gene is responsible for a sleep phenotype that is associated with a genetic variant. As a result, it is necessary to experimentally validate candidate genes identified by GWAS using an animal model. Rodents are ill-suited for this endeavor due to their poor amenability to high-throughput sleep assays and the high costs associated with generating, maintaining, and testing large numbers of mutant lines. Zebrafish (Danio rerio), an alternative vertebrate model for studying sleep, allows for the rapid and cost-effective generation of mutant lines using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Numerous zebrafish mutant lines can then be tested in parallel using high-throughput behavioral assays to identify genes whose loss affects sleep. This process identifies a gene associated with each GWAS hit that is likely responsible for the human sleep phenotype. This strategy is a powerful complement to GWAS approaches and holds great promise to identify the genetic basis for common human sleep disorders.
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Flavell SW, Gordus A. Dynamic functional connectivity in the static connectome of Caenorhabditis elegans. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 73:102515. [PMID: 35183877 PMCID: PMC9621599 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
A hallmark of adaptive behavior is the ability to flexibly respond to sensory cues. To understand how neural circuits implement this flexibility, it is critical to resolve how a static anatomical connectome can be modulated such that functional connectivity in the network can be dynamically regulated. Here, we review recent work in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans on this topic. EM studies have mapped anatomical connectomes of many C. elegans animals, highlighting the level of stereotypy in the anatomical network. Brain-wide calcium imaging and studies of specified neural circuits have uncovered striking flexibility in the functional coupling of neurons. The coupling between neurons is controlled by neuromodulators that act over long timescales. This gives rise to persistent behavioral states that animals switch between, allowing them to generate adaptive behavioral responses across environmental conditions. Thus, the dynamic coupling of neurons enables multiple behavioral states to be encoded in a physically stereotyped connectome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven W Flavell
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Andrew Gordus
- Department of Biology, Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Juanez K, Ghose P. Repurposing the Killing Machine: Non-canonical Roles of the Cell Death Apparatus in Caenorhabditis elegans Neurons. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:825124. [PMID: 35237604 PMCID: PMC8882910 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.825124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we highlight the increasingly divergent functions of the Caenorhabditis elegans cell elimination genes in the nervous system, beyond their well-documented roles in cell dismantling and removal. We describe relevant background on the C. elegans nervous system together with the apoptotic cell death and engulfment pathways, highlighting pioneering work in C. elegans. We discuss in detail the unexpected, atypical roles of cell elimination genes in various aspects of neuronal development, response and function. This includes the regulation of cell division, pruning, axon regeneration, and behavioral outputs. We share our outlook on expanding our thinking as to what cell elimination genes can do and noting their versatility. We speculate on the existence of novel genes downstream and upstream of the canonical cell death pathways relevant to neuronal biology. We also propose future directions emphasizing the exploration of the roles of cell death genes in pruning and guidance during embryonic development.
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Weiss JT, Donlea JM. Roles for Sleep in Neural and Behavioral Plasticity: Reviewing Variation in the Consequences of Sleep Loss. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 15:777799. [PMID: 35126067 PMCID: PMC8810646 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.777799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep is a vital physiological state that has been broadly conserved across the evolution of animal species. While the precise functions of sleep remain poorly understood, a large body of research has examined the negative consequences of sleep loss on neural and behavioral plasticity. While sleep disruption generally results in degraded neural plasticity and cognitive function, the impact of sleep loss can vary widely with age, between individuals, and across physiological contexts. Additionally, several recent studies indicate that sleep loss differentially impacts distinct neuronal populations within memory-encoding circuitry. These findings indicate that the negative consequences of sleep loss are not universally shared, and that identifying conditions that influence the resilience of an organism (or neuron type) to sleep loss might open future opportunities to examine sleep's core functions in the brain. Here, we discuss the functional roles for sleep in adaptive plasticity and review factors that can contribute to individual variations in sleep behavior and responses to sleep loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline T. Weiss
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Jeffrey M. Donlea
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Jeffrey M. Donlea
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45
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Tanida K, Shimada M, Khor SS, Toyoda H, Kato K, Kotorii N, Kotorii T, Ariyoshi Y, Kato T, Hiejima H, Ozone M, Uchimura N, Ikegami A, Kume K, Kanbayashi T, Imanishi A, Kamei Y, Hida A, Wada Y, Kuroda K, Miyamoto M, Hirata K, Takami M, Yamada N, Okawa M, Omata N, Kondo H, Kodama T, Inoue Y, Mishima K, Honda M, Tokunaga K, Miyagawa T. Genome-wide association study of idiopathic hypersomnia in a Japanese population. Sleep Biol Rhythms 2022; 20:137-148. [PMID: 38469065 PMCID: PMC10899960 DOI: 10.1007/s41105-021-00349-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Idiopathic hypersomnia (IH) is a rare sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, great difficulty upon awakening, and prolonged sleep time. In contrast to narcolepsy type 1, which is a well-recognized hypersomnia, the etiology of IH remains poorly understood. No susceptibility loci for IH have been identified, although familial aggregations have been observed among patients with IH. Narcolepsy type 1 is strongly associated with human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DQB1*06:02; however, no significant associations between IH and HLA alleles have been reported. To identify genetic variants that affect susceptibility to IH, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and two replication studies involving a total of 414 Japanese patients with IH and 6587 healthy Japanese individuals. A meta-analysis of the three studies found no single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that reached the genome-wide significance level. However, we identified several candidate SNPs for IH. For instance, a common genetic variant (rs2250870) within an intron of PDE9A was suggestively associated with IH. rs2250870 was significantly associated with expression levels of PDE9A in not only whole blood but also brain tissues. The leading SNP in the PDE9A region was the same in associations with both IH and PDE9A expression. PDE9A is a potential target in the treatment of several brain diseases, such as depression, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's disease. It will be necessary to examine whether PDE9A inhibitors that have demonstrated effects on neurophysiologic and cognitive function can contribute to the development of new treatments for IH, as higher expression levels of PDE9A were observed with regard to the risk allele of rs2250870. The present study constitutes the first GWAS of genetic variants associated with IH. A larger replication study will be required to confirm these associations. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41105-021-00349-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kotomi Tanida
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mihoko Shimada
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Sleep Disorders Project, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 156-8506 Japan
- Genome Medical Science Project (Toyama), National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Seik-Soon Khor
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Genome Medical Science Project (Toyama), National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiromi Toyoda
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kayoko Kato
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nozomu Kotorii
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan
- Kotorii Isahaya Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan
| | | | | | - Takao Kato
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Hiejima
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Motohiro Ozone
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Naohisa Uchimura
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan
| | | | - Kazuhiko Kume
- Sleep Center, Kuwamizu Hospital, Kumamoto, Japan
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Molecular Genetics and Embryology, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
- Department of Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Aichi, Japan
| | - Takashi Kanbayashi
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
- Ibaraki Prefectural Medical Center of Psychiatry, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Aya Imanishi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan
| | - Yuichi Kamei
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Center Hospital, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
- Kamisuwa Hospital, Nagano, Japan
| | - Akiko Hida
- Department of Sleep-Wake Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yamato Wada
- Department of Psychiatry, Hannan Hospital, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kenji Kuroda
- Department of Psychiatry, Hannan Hospital, Osaka, Japan
| | | | - Koichi Hirata
- Department of Neurology, Dokkyo Medical University, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Masanori Takami
- Department of Psychiatry, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga, Japan
| | - Naoto Yamada
- Department of Psychiatry, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga, Japan
| | - Masako Okawa
- Department of Sleep Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga, Japan
- Japan Foundation for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Somnology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naoto Omata
- Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Science, Fukui Health Science University, Fukui, Japan
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
| | - Hideaki Kondo
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Tohru Kodama
- Sleep Disorders Project, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 156-8506 Japan
| | - Yuichi Inoue
- Department of Somnology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
- Yoyogi Sleep Disorder Center, Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuo Mishima
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan
- Department of Sleep-Wake Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Makoto Honda
- Sleep Disorders Project, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 156-8506 Japan
- Seiwa Hospital, Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Katsushi Tokunaga
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Genome Medical Science Project (Toyama), National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Taku Miyagawa
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Sleep Disorders Project, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 156-8506 Japan
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46
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Lee D, Oikonomou G, Prober D. Large-scale Analysis of Sleep in Zebrafish. Bio Protoc 2022; 12:e4313. [DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.4313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
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47
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Li Q, Jang H, Lim KY, Lessing A, Stavropoulos N. insomniac links the development and function of a sleep-regulatory circuit. eLife 2021; 10:65437. [PMID: 34908527 PMCID: PMC8758140 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Although many genes are known to influence sleep, when and how they impact sleep-regulatory circuits remain ill-defined. Here, we show that insomniac (inc), a conserved adaptor for the autism-associated Cul3 ubiquitin ligase, acts in a restricted period of neuronal development to impact sleep in adult Drosophila. The loss of inc causes structural and functional alterations within the mushroom body (MB), a center for sensory integration, associative learning, and sleep regulation. In inc mutants, MB neurons are produced in excess, develop anatomical defects that impede circuit assembly, and are unable to promote sleep when activated in adulthood. Our findings link neurogenesis and postmitotic development of sleep-regulatory neurons to their adult function and suggest that developmental perturbations of circuits that couple sensory inputs and sleep may underlie sleep dysfunction in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuling Li
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Hyunsoo Jang
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Kayla Y Lim
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Alexie Lessing
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Nicholas Stavropoulos
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
- Waksman Institute, Rutgers UniversityPiscatawayUnited States
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48
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Bhat US, Shahi N, Surendran S, Babu K. Neuropeptides and Behaviors: How Small Peptides Regulate Nervous System Function and Behavioral Outputs. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:786471. [PMID: 34924955 PMCID: PMC8674661 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.786471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the reasons that most multicellular animals survive and thrive is because of the adaptable and plastic nature of their nervous systems. For an organism to survive, it is essential for the animal to respond and adapt to environmental changes. This is achieved by sensing external cues and translating them into behaviors through changes in synaptic activity. The nervous system plays a crucial role in constantly evaluating environmental cues and allowing for behavioral plasticity in the organism. Multiple neurotransmitters and neuropeptides have been implicated as key players for integrating sensory information to produce the desired output. Because of its simple nervous system and well-established neuronal connectome, C. elegans acts as an excellent model to understand the mechanisms underlying behavioral plasticity. Here, we critically review how neuropeptides modulate a wide range of behaviors by allowing for changes in neuronal and synaptic signaling. This review will have a specific focus on feeding, mating, sleep, addiction, learning and locomotory behaviors in C. elegans. With a view to understand evolutionary relationships, we explore the functions and associated pathophysiology of C. elegans neuropeptides that are conserved across different phyla. Further, we discuss the mechanisms of neuropeptidergic signaling and how these signals are regulated in different behaviors. Finally, we attempt to provide insight into developing potential therapeutics for neuropeptide-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Umer Saleem Bhat
- Centre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali, India
| | - Navneet Shahi
- Centre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Siju Surendran
- Centre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Kavita Babu
- Centre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
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Jaggard JB, Wang GX, Mourrain P. Non-REM and REM/paradoxical sleep dynamics across phylogeny. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 71:44-51. [PMID: 34583217 PMCID: PMC8719594 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
All animals carefully studied sleep, suggesting that sleep as a behavioral state exists in all animal life. Such evolutionary maintenance of an otherwise vulnerable period of environmental detachment suggests that sleep must be integral in fundamental biological needs. Despite over a century of research, the knowledge of what sleep does at the tissue, cellular or molecular levels remain cursory. Currently, sleep is defined based on behavioral criteria and physiological measures rather than at the cellular or molecular level. Physiologically, sleep has been described as two main states, non-rapid eye moment (NREM) and REM/paradoxical sleep (PS), which are defined in the neocortex by synchronous oscillations and paradoxical wake-like activity, respectively. For decades, these two sleep states were believed to be defining characteristics of only mammalian and avian sleep. Recent work has revealed slow oscillation, silencing, and paradoxical/REM-like activities in reptiles, fish, flies, worms, and cephalopods suggesting that these sleep dynamics and associated physiological states may have emerged early in animal evolution. Here, we discuss these recent developments supporting the conservation of neural dynamics (silencing, oscillation, paradoxical activity) of sleep states across phylogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- James B Jaggard
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Gordon X Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Wu Tsai Neuroscience Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Philippe Mourrain
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; INSERM 1024, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France.
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Metabolomic and pharmacologic analyses of brain substances associated with sleep pressure in mice. Neurosci Res 2021; 177:16-24. [PMID: 34856199 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2021.11.008] [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: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Sleep pressure, the driving force of the homeostatic sleep regulation, is accumulated during wakefulness and dissipated during sleep. Sleep deprivation (SD) has been used as a method to acutely increase animal's sleep pressure for investigating the molecular changes under high sleep pressure. However, SD induces changes not only reflecting increased sleep pressure but also inevitable stresses and prolonged wake state itself. The Sik3Sleepy mutant mice (Sleepy) exhibit constitutively high sleep pressure despite sleeping longer, and have been useful as a model of increased sleep pressure. Here we conducted a cross-comparison of brain metabolomic profiles between SD versus ad lib slept mice, as well as Sleepy mutant versus littermate wild-type mice. Targeted metabolome analyses of whole brains quantified 203 metabolites in total, of which 43 metabolites showed significant changes in SD, whereas three did in Sleepy mutant mice. The large difference in the number of differential metabolites highlighted limitations of SD as methodology. The cross-comparison revealed that a decrease in betaine and an increase in imidazole dipeptides are associated with high sleep pressure in both models. These metabolites may be novel markers of sleep pressure at the whole-brain level. Furthermore, we found that intracerebroventricular injection of imidazole dipeptides increased subsequent NREM sleep time, suggesting the possibility that imidazole dipeptides may participate in the regulation of sleep in mice.
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