1
|
Tziortzouda P, Steyaert J, Scheveneels W, Sicart A, Stoklund Dittlau K, Barbosa Correia AM, Burg T, Pal A, Hermann A, Van Damme P, Moens TG, Van Den Bosch L. PP2A and GSK3 act as modifiers of FUS-ALS by modulating mitochondrial transport. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:41. [PMID: 38363426 PMCID: PMC10873455 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02689-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease which currently lacks effective treatments. Mutations in the RNA-binding protein FUS are a common cause of familial ALS, accounting for around 4% of the cases. Understanding the mechanisms by which mutant FUS becomes toxic to neurons can provide insight into the pathogenesis of both familial and sporadic ALS. We have previously observed that overexpression of wild-type or ALS-mutant FUS in Drosophila motor neurons is toxic, which allowed us to screen for novel genetic modifiers of the disease. Using a genome-wide screening approach, we identified Protein Phosphatase 2A (PP2A) and Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 (GSK3) as novel modifiers of FUS-ALS. Loss of function or pharmacological inhibition of either protein rescued FUS-associated lethality in Drosophila. Consistent with a conserved role in disease pathogenesis, pharmacological inhibition of both proteins rescued disease-relevant phenotypes, including mitochondrial trafficking defects and neuromuscular junction failure, in patient iPSC-derived spinal motor neurons (iPSC-sMNs). In FUS-ALS flies, mice, and human iPSC-sMNs, we observed reduced GSK3 inhibitory phosphorylation, suggesting that FUS dysfunction results in GSK3 hyperactivity. Furthermore, we found that PP2A acts upstream of GSK3, affecting its inhibitory phosphorylation. GSK3 has previously been linked to kinesin-1 hyperphosphorylation. We observed this in both flies and iPSC-sMNs, and we rescued this hyperphosphorylation by inhibiting GSK3 or PP2A. Moreover, increasing the level of kinesin-1 expression in our Drosophila model strongly rescued toxicity, confirming the relevance of kinesin-1 hyperphosphorylation. Our data provide in vivo evidence that PP2A and GSK3 are disease modifiers, and reveal an unexplored mechanistic link between PP2A, GSK3, and kinesin-1, that may be central to the pathogenesis of FUS-ALS and sporadic forms of the disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paraskevi Tziortzouda
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jolien Steyaert
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wendy Scheveneels
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Adria Sicart
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Katarina Stoklund Dittlau
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Adriana Margarida Barbosa Correia
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Instituto Superior Técnico-Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Thibaut Burg
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Arun Pal
- Dresden High Magnetic Field Laboratory (HLD-EMFL), Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Division of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andreas Hermann
- Division of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307, Dresden, Germany
- Translational Neurodegeneration Section "Albrecht Kossel", Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Rostock, University of Rostock, 18147, Rostock, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Fur Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE) Rostock/Greifswald, 18147, Rostock, Germany
- Center for Transdisciplinary Neurosciences Rostock (CTNR), University Medical Center Rostock, University of Rostock, 18147, Rostock, Germany
| | - Philip Van Damme
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Thomas G Moens
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N5, Herestraat 49, PB 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Nelson JC, Shoenhard H, Granato M. Integration of cooperative and opposing molecular programs drives learning-associated behavioral plasticity. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010650. [PMID: 36972301 PMCID: PMC10079226 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Habituation is a foundational learning process critical for animals to adapt their behavior to changes in their sensory environment. Although habituation is considered a simple form of learning, the identification of a multitude of molecular pathways including several neurotransmitter systems that regulate this process suggests an unexpected level of complexity. How the vertebrate brain integrates these various pathways to accomplish habituation learning, whether they act independently or intersect with one another, and whether they act via divergent or overlapping neural circuits has remained unclear. To address these questions, we combined pharmacogenetic pathway analysis with unbiased whole-brain activity mapping using the larval zebrafish. Based on our findings, we propose five distinct molecular modules for the regulation of habituation learning and identify a set of molecularly defined brain regions associated with four of the five modules. Moreover, we find that in module 1 the palmitoyltransferase Hip14 cooperates with dopamine and NMDA signaling to drive habituation, while in module 3 the adaptor protein complex subunit Ap2s1 drives habituation by antagonizing dopamine signaling, revealing two distinct and opposing roles for dopaminergic neuromodulation in the regulation of behavioral plasticity. Combined, our results define a core set of distinct modules that we propose act in concert to regulate habituation-associated plasticity, and provide compelling evidence that even seemingly simple learning behaviors in a compact vertebrate brain are regulated by a complex and overlapping set of molecular mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica C. Nelson
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology; University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology; University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Hannah Shoenhard
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology; University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Michael Granato
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology; University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Cabana-Domínguez J, Antón-Galindo E, Fernàndez-Castillo N, Singgih EL, O'Leary A, Norton WH, Strekalova T, Schenck A, Reif A, Lesch KP, Slattery D, Cormand B. The translational genetics of ADHD and related phenotypes in model organisms. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 144:104949. [PMID: 36368527 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104949] [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: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a highly prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder resulting from the interaction between genetic and environmental risk factors. It is well known that ADHD co-occurs frequently with other psychiatric disorders due, in part, to shared genetics factors. Although many studies have contributed to delineate the genetic landscape of psychiatric disorders, their specific molecular underpinnings are still not fully understood. The use of animal models can help us to understand the role of specific genes and environmental stimuli-induced epigenetic modifications in the pathogenesis of ADHD and its comorbidities. The aim of this review is to provide an overview on the functional work performed in rodents, zebrafish and fruit fly and highlight the generated insights into the biology of ADHD, with a special focus on genetics and epigenetics. We also describe the behavioral tests that are available to study ADHD-relevant phenotypes and comorbid traits in these models. Furthermore, we have searched for new models to study ADHD and its comorbidities, which can be useful to test potential pharmacological treatments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Judit Cabana-Domínguez
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IR-SJD), Esplugues de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Ester Antón-Galindo
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IR-SJD), Esplugues de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Noèlia Fernàndez-Castillo
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IR-SJD), Esplugues de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Euginia L Singgih
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Aet O'Leary
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany; Division of Neuropsychopharmacology, Department of Psychology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - William Hg Norton
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Tatyana Strekalova
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany, and Department of Neuropsychology and Psychiatry, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Annette Schenck
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Klaus-Peter Lesch
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany, and Department of Neuropsychology and Psychiatry, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - David Slattery
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Bru Cormand
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IR-SJD), Esplugues de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Blok LER, Boon M, van Reijmersdal B, Höffler KD, Fenckova M, Schenck A. Genetics, molecular control and clinical relevance of habituation learning. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 143:104883. [PMID: 36152842 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104883] [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: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Habituation is the most fundamental form of learning. As a firewall that protects our brain from sensory overload, it is indispensable for cognitive processes. Studies in humans and animal models provide increasing evidence that habituation is affected in autism and related monogenic neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). An integrated application of habituation assessment in NDDs and their animal models has unexploited potential for neuroscience and medical care. With the aim to gain mechanistic insights, we systematically retrieved genes that have been demonstrated in the literature to underlie habituation. We identified 258 evolutionarily conserved genes across species, describe the biological processes they converge on, and highlight regulatory pathways and drugs that may alleviate habituation deficits. We also summarize current habituation paradigms and extract the most decisive arguments that support the crucial role of habituation for cognition in health and disease. We conclude that habituation is a conserved, quantitative, cognition- and disease-relevant process that can connect preclinical and clinical work, and hence is a powerful tool to advance research, diagnostics, and treatment of NDDs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Elisabeth Rosalie Blok
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Marina Boon
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Boyd van Reijmersdal
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Kira Daniela Höffler
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Michaela Fenckova
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Branisovska 31, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Annette Schenck
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Welch C, Johnson E, Tupikova A, Anderson J, Tinsley B, Newman J, Widman E, Alfareh A, Davis A, Rodriguez L, Visger C, Miller-Schulze JP, Lee W, Mulligan K. Bisphenol A affects neurodevelopmental gene expression, cognitive function, and neuromuscular synaptic morphology in Drosophila melanogaster. Neurotoxicology 2022; 89:67-78. [PMID: 35041872 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2022.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) is an environmentally prevalent endocrine disrupting chemical that can impact human health and may be an environmental risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders. BPA has been associated with behavioral impairment in children and a variety of neurodevelopmental phenotypes in model organisms. We used Drosophila melanogaster to explore the consequences of developmental BPA exposure on gene expression, cognitive function, and synapse development. Our transcriptome analysis indicated neurodevelopmentally relevant genes were predominantly downregulated by BPA. Among the misregulated genes were those with roles in learning, memory, and synapse development, as well as orthologs of human genes associated with neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. To examine how gene expression data corresponded to behavioral and cellular phenotypes, we first used a predator-response behavioral paradigm and found that BPA disrupts visual perception. Further analysis using conditioned courtship suppression showed that BPA impairs associative learning. Finally, we examined synapse morphology within the larval neuromuscular junction and found that BPA significantly increased the number of axonal branches. Given that our findings align with studies of BPA in mammalian model organisms, this data indicates that BPA impairs neurodevelopmental pathways that are functionally conserved from invertebrates to mammals. Further, because Drosophila do not possess classic estrogen receptors or estrogen, this research suggests that BPA can impact neurodevelopment by molecular mechanisms distinct from its role as an estrogen mimic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chloe Welch
- Department of Computer Science, San José State University, 1 Washington Sq, San Jose, CA, 95192, USA; Department of Chemistry, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA
| | - Eden Johnson
- Department of Computer Science, San José State University, 1 Washington Sq, San Jose, CA, 95192, USA; Department of Chemistry, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA
| | - Angelina Tupikova
- Department of Computer Science, San José State University, 1 Washington Sq, San Jose, CA, 95192, USA; Department of Chemistry, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA
| | - Judith Anderson
- Department of Computer Science, San José State University, 1 Washington Sq, San Jose, CA, 95192, USA; Department of Chemistry, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA
| | - Brendan Tinsley
- Department of Computer Science, San José State University, 1 Washington Sq, San Jose, CA, 95192, USA; Department of Chemistry, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA
| | - Johnathan Newman
- Department of Computer Science, San José State University, 1 Washington Sq, San Jose, CA, 95192, USA; Department of Chemistry, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA
| | - Erin Widman
- Department of Computer Science, San José State University, 1 Washington Sq, San Jose, CA, 95192, USA; Department of Chemistry, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA
| | - Adam Alfareh
- Department of Computer Science, San José State University, 1 Washington Sq, San Jose, CA, 95192, USA; Department of Chemistry, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA
| | - Alexandra Davis
- Department of Computer Science, San José State University, 1 Washington Sq, San Jose, CA, 95192, USA; Department of Chemistry, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA
| | - Lucero Rodriguez
- Department of Computer Science, San José State University, 1 Washington Sq, San Jose, CA, 95192, USA; Department of Chemistry, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA
| | - Clayton Visger
- Department of Computer Science, San José State University, 1 Washington Sq, San Jose, CA, 95192, USA; Department of Chemistry, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA
| | - Justin P Miller-Schulze
- Department of Computer Science, San José State University, 1 Washington Sq, San Jose, CA, 95192, USA; Department of Chemistry, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA
| | - Wendy Lee
- Department of Computer Science, San José State University, 1 Washington Sq, San Jose, CA, 95192, USA; Department of Chemistry, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA
| | - Kimberly Mulligan
- Department of Computer Science, San José State University, 1 Washington Sq, San Jose, CA, 95192, USA; Department of Chemistry, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819-6077, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Philyaw TJ, Rothenfluh A, Titos I. The Use of Drosophila to Understand Psychostimulant Responses. Biomedicines 2022; 10:119. [PMID: 35052798 PMCID: PMC8773124 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10010119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The addictive properties of psychostimulants such as cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, and methylphenidate are based on their ability to increase dopaminergic neurotransmission in the reward system. While cocaine and methamphetamine are predominately used recreationally, amphetamine and methylphenidate also work as effective therapeutics to treat symptoms of disorders including attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although both the addictive properties of psychostimulant drugs and their therapeutic efficacy are influenced by genetic variation, very few genes that regulate these processes in humans have been identified. This is largely due to population heterogeneity which entails a requirement for large samples. Drosophila melanogaster exhibits similar psychostimulant responses to humans, a high degree of gene conservation, and allow performance of behavioral assays in a large population. Additionally, amphetamine and methylphenidate reduce impairments in fly models of ADHD-like behavior. Therefore, Drosophila represents an ideal translational model organism to tackle the genetic components underlying the effects of psychostimulants. Here, we break down the many assays that reliably quantify the effects of cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, and methylphenidate in Drosophila. We also discuss how Drosophila is an efficient and cost-effective model organism for identifying novel candidate genes and molecular mechanisms involved in the behavioral responses to psychostimulant drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Travis James Philyaw
- Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA;
| | - Adrian Rothenfluh
- Department of Psychiatry, Huntsman Mental Health Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA
- Molecular Medicine Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Iris Titos
- Molecular Medicine Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Bogaerts‐Márquez M, Guirao‐Rico S, Gautier M, González J. Temperature, rainfall and wind variables underlie environmental adaptation in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:938-954. [PMID: 33350518 PMCID: PMC7986194 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
While several studies in a diverse set of species have shed light on the genes underlying adaptation, our knowledge on the selective pressures that explain the observed patterns lags behind. Drosophila melanogaster is a valuable organism to study environmental adaptation because this species originated in Southern Africa and has recently expanded worldwide, and also because it has a functionally well-annotated genome. In this study, we aimed to decipher which environmental variables are relevant for adaptation of D. melanogaster natural populations in Europe and North America. We analysed 36 whole-genome pool-seq samples of D. melanogaster natural populations collected in 20 European and 11 North American locations. We used the BayPass software to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and transposable elements (TEs) showing signature of adaptive differentiation across populations, as well as significant associations with 59 environmental variables related to temperature, rainfall, evaporation, solar radiation, wind, daylight hours, and soil type. We found that in addition to temperature and rainfall, wind related variables are also relevant for D. melanogaster environmental adaptation. Interestingly, 23%-51% of the genes that showed significant associations with environmental variables were not found overly differentiated across populations. In addition to SNPs, we also identified 10 reference transposable element insertions associated with environmental variables. Our results showed that genome-environment association analysis can identify adaptive genetic variants that are undetected by population differentiation analysis while also allowing the identification of candidate environmental drivers of adaptation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- María Bogaerts‐Márquez
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC‐Universitat Pompeu Fabra)BarcelonaSpain
- The European Drosophila Population Genomics Consortium (DrosEU)Université de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Sara Guirao‐Rico
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC‐Universitat Pompeu Fabra)BarcelonaSpain
- The European Drosophila Population Genomics Consortium (DrosEU)Université de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Mathieu Gautier
- CBGP, INRA, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgroUniversité de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Josefa González
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC‐Universitat Pompeu Fabra)BarcelonaSpain
- The European Drosophila Population Genomics Consortium (DrosEU)Université de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Nelson JC, Witze E, Ma Z, Ciocco F, Frerotte A, Randlett O, Foskett JK, Granato M. Acute Regulation of Habituation Learning via Posttranslational Palmitoylation. Curr Biol 2020; 30:2729-2738.e4. [PMID: 32502414 PMCID: PMC8446937 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Habituation is an adaptive learning process that enables animals to adjust innate behaviors to changes in their environment. Despite its well-documented implications for a wide diversity of behaviors, the molecular and cellular basis of habituation learning is not well understood. Using whole-genome sequencing of zebrafish mutants isolated in an unbiased genetic screen, we identified the palmitoyltransferase Huntingtin interacting protein 14 (Hip14) as a critical regulator of habituation learning. We demonstrate that Hip14 regulates depression of sensory inputs onto an identified hindbrain neuron and provide evidence that Hip14 palmitoylates the Shaker-like K+ voltage-gated channel subunit (Kv1.1), thereby regulating Kv1.1 subcellular localization. Furthermore, we show that, like for Hip14, loss of Kv1.1 leads to habituation deficits and that Hip14 is dispensable in development and instead acts acutely to promote habituation. Combined, these results uncover a previously unappreciated role for acute posttranslational palmitoylation at defined circuit components to regulate learning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica C Nelson
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 421 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Eric Witze
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 421 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Zhongming Ma
- Department of Physiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 415 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Francesca Ciocco
- Department of Biology, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA 19041, USA
| | - Abigaile Frerotte
- Department of Biology, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA 19041, USA
| | - Owen Randlett
- Institut NeuroMyoGène, Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5310, INSERM U1217, Lyon 69008, France
| | - J Kevin Foskett
- Department of Physiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 415 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Michael Granato
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 421 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Kumar S, Smith KR, Serrano Negron YL, Harbison ST. Short-Term Memory Deficits in the SLEEP Inbred Panel. Clocks Sleep 2019; 1:471-488. [PMID: 32596662 PMCID: PMC7318870 DOI: 10.3390/clockssleep1040036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Although sleep is heritable and conserved across species, sleep duration varies from individual to individual. A shared genetic architecture between sleep duration and other evolutionarily important traits could explain this variability. Learning and memory are critical traits sharing a genetic architecture with sleep. We wanted to know whether learning and memory would be altered in extreme long or short sleepers. We therefore assessed the short-term learning and memory ability of flies from the Sleep Inbred Panel (SIP), a collection of 39 extreme long- and short-sleeping inbred lines of Drosophila. Neither long nor short sleepers had appreciable learning, in contrast to a moderate-sleeping control. We also examined the response of long and short sleepers to enriched social conditions, a paradigm previously shown to induce morphological changes in the brain. While moderate-sleeping control flies had increased daytime sleep and quantifiable increases in brain structures under enriched social conditions, flies of the Sleep Inbred Panel did not display these changes. The SIP thus emerges as an important model for the relationship between sleep and learning and memory.
Collapse
|
10
|
Semelidou O, Acevedo SF, Skoulakis EMC. Accessing Olfactory Habituation in Drosophila melanogaster with a T-maze Paradigm. Bio Protoc 2019; 9:e3259. [PMID: 33654781 PMCID: PMC7854066 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.3259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Habituation is the process whereby perceptual changes alter the value of environmental stimuli, enabling salience filtering. This behavioral response decrement is a form of non-associative learning, where the subject learns about the stimulus and does not involve sensory adaptation, sensory or motor fatigue. The range of behavioral responses in D. melanogaster led to the development of a number of habituation paradigms addressing various sensory modalities. Habituation of osmotactic responses has previously been measured with the Y-maze test and required 30 min of odor exposure. Here, we describe an olfactory habituation assay utilizing the widely used in associative learning paradigms T-maze. Continuous or repetitive odor exposure for 4 min is adequate to attenuate osmotactic responses both to attractive and aversive odors. Importantly, the decreased response conforms to habitation parameters, presenting dishabituation and spontaneous recovery. This assay allows the study of habituation after brief odor exposure, but also discriminates between the two distinct phases of the response, an initial habituation latency period followed by habituation. In addition, the characterization of the neuronal circuits implicated in each phase facilitates further study of the molecular components underlying this process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ourania Semelidou
- Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Basic Biomedical Research, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre "Alexander Fleming", Vari, Greece.,School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Summer F Acevedo
- Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Basic Biomedical Research, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre "Alexander Fleming", Vari, Greece
| | - Efthimios M C Skoulakis
- Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Basic Biomedical Research, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre "Alexander Fleming", Vari, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Disordered Expression of shaggy, the Drosophila Gene Encoding a Serine-Threonine Protein Kinase GSK3, Affects the Lifespan in a Transcript-, Stage-, and Tissue-Specific Manner. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20092200. [PMID: 31060255 PMCID: PMC6540023 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20092200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
GSK3 (glycogen synthase kinase 3) is a conserved protein kinase governing numerous regulatory pathways. In Drosophila melanogaster, GSK3 is encoded by shaggy (sgg), which forms 17 annotated transcripts corresponding to 10 protein isoforms. Our goal was to demonstrate how differential sgg transcription affects lifespan, which GSK3 isoforms are important for the nervous system, and which changes in the nervous system accompany accelerated aging. Overexpression of three sgg transcripts affected the lifespan in a stage- and tissue-specific way: sgg-RA and sgg-RO affected the lifespan only when overexpressed in muscles and in embryos, respectively; the essential sgg-RB transcript affected lifespan when overexpressed in all tissues tested. In the nervous system, only sgg-RB overexpression affected lifespan, causing accelerated aging in a neuron-specific way, with the strongest effects in dopaminergic neurons and the weakest effects in GABAergic neurons. Pan-neuronal sgg-RB overexpression violated the properties of the nervous system, including the integrity of neuron bodies; the number, distribution, and structure of mitochondria; cytoskeletal characteristics; and synaptic activity. Such changes observed in young individuals indicated premature aging of their nervous system, which paralleled a decline in survival. Our findings demonstrated the key role of GSK3 in ensuring the link between the pathology of neurons and lifespan.
Collapse
|
12
|
Gibson WT, Gonzalez CR, Fernandez C, Ramasamy L, Tabachnik T, Du RR, Felsen PD, Maire MR, Perona P, Anderson DJ. Behavioral responses to a repetitive visual threat stimulus express a persistent state of defensive arousal in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2015; 25:1401-15. [PMID: 25981791 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.03.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2014] [Revised: 03/03/2015] [Accepted: 03/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The neural circuit mechanisms underlying emotion states remain poorly understood. Drosophila offers powerful genetic approaches for dissecting neural circuit function, but whether flies exhibit emotion-like behaviors has not been clear. We recently proposed that model organisms may express internal states displaying "emotion primitives," which are general characteristics common to different emotions, rather than specific anthropomorphic emotions such as "fear" or "anxiety." These emotion primitives include scalability, persistence, valence, and generalization to multiple contexts. Here, we have applied this approach to determine whether flies' defensive responses to moving overhead translational stimuli ("shadows") are purely reflexive or may express underlying emotion states. We describe a new behavioral assay in which flies confined in an enclosed arena are repeatedly exposed to an overhead translational stimulus. Repetitive stimuli promoted graded (scalable) and persistent increases in locomotor velocity and hopping, and occasional freezing. The stimulus also dispersed feeding flies from a food resource, suggesting both negative valence and context generalization. Strikingly, there was a significant delay before the flies returned to the food following stimulus-induced dispersal, suggestive of a slowly decaying internal defensive state. The length of this delay was increased when more stimuli were delivered for initial dispersal. These responses can be mathematically modeled by assuming an internal state that behaves as a leaky integrator of stimulus exposure. Our results suggest that flies' responses to repetitive visual threat stimuli express an internal state exhibiting canonical emotion primitives, possibly analogous to fear in mammals. The mechanistic basis of this state can now be investigated in a genetically tractable insect species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William T Gibson
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Division of Biology & Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Division of Engineering & Applied Sciences 136-93, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
| | - Carlos R Gonzalez
- Division of Engineering & Applied Sciences 136-93, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Conchi Fernandez
- Division of Engineering & Applied Sciences 136-93, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Lakshminarayanan Ramasamy
- Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Tanya Tabachnik
- Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Rebecca R Du
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Panna D Felsen
- Division of Engineering & Applied Sciences 136-93, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Michael R Maire
- Division of Engineering & Applied Sciences 136-93, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Pietro Perona
- Division of Engineering & Applied Sciences 136-93, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - David J Anderson
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Division of Biology & Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Wolman MA, Jain RA, Marsden KC, Bell H, Skinner J, Hayer KE, Hogenesch JB, Granato M. A genome-wide screen identifies PAPP-AA-mediated IGFR signaling as a novel regulator of habituation learning. Neuron 2015; 85:1200-11. [PMID: 25754827 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2014] [Revised: 01/06/2015] [Accepted: 02/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Habituation represents a fundamental form of learning, yet the underlying molecular genetic mechanisms are not well defined. Here we report on a genome-wide genetic screen, coupled with whole-genome sequencing, that identified 14 zebrafish startle habituation mutants including mutants of the vertebrate-specific gene pregnancy-associated plasma protein-aa (pappaa). PAPP-AA encodes an extracellular metalloprotease known to increase IGF bioavailability, thereby enhancing IGF receptor signaling. We find that pappaa is expressed by startle circuit neurons, and expression of wild-type but not a metalloprotease-inactive version of pappaa restores habituation in pappaa mutants. Furthermore, acutely inhibiting IGF1R function in wild-type reduces habituation, while activation of IGF1R downstream effectors in pappaa mutants restores habituation, demonstrating that pappaa promotes learning by acutely and locally increasing IGF bioavailability. In sum, our results define the first functional gene set for habituation learning in a vertebrate and identify PAPPAA-regulated IGF signaling as a novel mechanism regulating habituation learning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marc A Wolman
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 1157 BRB II/III, 421 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin; 213 Zoology Research Building, 1117 West Johnson Street, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Roshan A Jain
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 1157 BRB II/III, 421 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kurt C Marsden
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 1157 BRB II/III, 421 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Hannah Bell
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 1157 BRB II/III, 421 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Julianne Skinner
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 1157 BRB II/III, 421 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Katharina E Hayer
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 829 BRB II/III, 421 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - John B Hogenesch
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 829 BRB II/III, 421 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Michael Granato
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 1157 BRB II/III, 421 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Twick I, Lee JA, Ramaswami M. Olfactory habituation in Drosophila-odor encoding and its plasticity in the antennal lobe. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2014; 208:3-38. [PMID: 24767477 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63350-7.00001-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
A ubiquitous feature of an animal's response to an odorant is that it declines when the odorant is frequently or continuously encountered. This decline in olfactory response, termed olfactory habituation, can have temporally or mechanistically different forms. The neural circuitry of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster's olfactory system is well defined in terms of component cells, which are readily accessible to functional studies and genetic manipulation. This makes it a particularly useful preparation for the investigation of olfactory habituation. In addition, the insect olfactory system shares many architectural and functional similarities with mammalian olfactory systems, suggesting that olfactory mechanisms in insects may be broadly relevant. In this chapter, we discuss the likely mechanisms of olfactory habituation in context of the participating cell types, their connectivity, and their roles in sensory processing. We overview the structure and function of key cell types, the mechanisms that stimulate them, and how they transduce and process odor signals. We then consider how each stage of olfactory processing could potentially contribute to behavioral habituation. After this, we overview a variety of recent mechanistic studies that point to an important role for potentiation of inhibitory synapses in the primary olfactory processing center, the antennal lobe, in driving the reduced response to familiar odorants. Following the discussion of mechanisms for short- and long-term olfactory habituation, we end by considering how these mechanisms may be regulated by neuromodulators, which likely play key roles in the induction, gating, or suppression of habituated behavior, and speculate on the relevance of these processes for other forms of learning and memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isabell Twick
- School of Genetics and Microbiology and School of Natural Sciences, Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
| | - John Anthony Lee
- School of Genetics and Microbiology and School of Natural Sciences, Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Mani Ramaswami
- School of Genetics and Microbiology and School of Natural Sciences, Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; National Centre for Biological Science, Bangalore, India
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Brown EB, Layne JE, Zhu C, Jegga AG, Rollmann SM. Genome-wide association mapping of natural variation in odour-guided behaviour inDrosophila. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2013; 12:503-15. [DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2013] [Revised: 05/01/2013] [Accepted: 05/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
16
|
Xu Z, Wang L, Chen G, Rao X, Xu F. Roles of GSK3β in odor habituation and spontaneous neural activity of the mouse olfactory bulb. PLoS One 2013; 8:e63598. [PMID: 23658842 PMCID: PMC3643914 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2013] [Accepted: 04/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β), a multifaceted kinase, is abundantly expressed in the brain, including the olfactory bulb (OB). In resting cells, GSK3β is constitutively active, and its over-activation is presumably involved in numerous brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease. However, the functions of the constitutively active GSK3β in the adult brain under physiological conditions are not well understood. Here, we studied the possible functions of GSK3β activity in the OB. Odor stimulation, or blockade of peripheral olfactory inputs caused by either transgenic knock-out or ZnSO4 irrigation to the olfactory epithelium, all affected the expression level of GSK3β in the OB. When GSK3β activity was reduced by a selective inhibitor, the spontaneous oscillatory activity was significantly decreased in the granule cell layer of the OB. Furthermore, local inhibition of GSK3β activity in the OB significantly impaired the odor habituation ability. These results suggest that GSK3β plays important roles in both spontaneous neural activity and odor information processing in the OB, deepening our understanding of the potential functions of the constitutively active GSK3β in the brain under physiological conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhixiang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Li Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guo Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoping Rao
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fuqiang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Wuhan, China
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Eddison M, Belay AT, Sokolowski MB, Heberlein U. A genetic screen for olfactory habituation mutations in Drosophila: analysis of novel foraging alleles and an underlying neural circuit. PLoS One 2012; 7:e51684. [PMID: 23284741 PMCID: PMC3524188 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0051684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2012] [Accepted: 11/05/2012] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Habituation is a form of non-associative learning that enables animals to reduce their reaction to repeated harmless stimuli. When exposed to ethanol vapor, Drosophila show an olfactory-mediated startle response characterized by a transient increase in locomotor activity. Upon repeated exposures, this olfactory startle attenuates with the characteristics of habituation. Here we describe the results of a genetic screen to identify olfactory startle habituation (OSH) mutants. One mutation is a transcript specific allele of foraging (for) encoding a cGMP-dependent kinase. We show this allele of for reduces expression of a for-T1 isoform expressed in the head and functions normally to inhibit OSH. We localize for-T1 function to a limited set of neurons that include olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) and the mushroom body (MB). Overexpression of for-T1 in ORNs inhibits OSH, an effect also seen upon synaptic silencing of the ORNs; for-T1 may therefore function in ORNs to decrease synaptic release upon repeated exposure to ethanol vapor. Overall, this work contributes to our understanding of the genes and neurons underlying olfactory habituation in Drosophila.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark Eddison
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Paranjpe P, Rodrigues V, VijayRaghavan K, Ramaswami M. Gustatory habituation in Drosophila relies on rutabaga (adenylate cyclase)-dependent plasticity of GABAergic inhibitory neurons. Learn Mem 2012; 19:627-35. [DOI: 10.1101/lm.026641.112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
19
|
Campbell JL, Gu Q, Guo D, Nash HA. Genetic effects in Drosophila on the potency of diverse general anesthetics: a distinctive pattern of altered sensitivity. J Neurogenet 2012; 23:412-21. [PMID: 19863272 DOI: 10.3109/01677060903177800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Mutations that influence the sensitivity of an organism to a volatile general anesthetic can be divided into two classes. In one, sensitivity to all other volatile agents is affected to a similar degree. Although this class may contain mutations of interest for understanding anesthesia, it is also likely to contain mutations that merely alter general health. In the second class, mutations confer non-uniform effects on potency (NEP), i.e., larger effects for some volatile anesthetics than for others. Members of this class are of special interest for studies of arousal and its pharmacological suppression because they not only avoid the pitfall of effects on global health, but also imply the existence of drug targets that are preferentially affected by particular agents. In this work, we provide the first systematic investigation of the relative frequency and diversity of NEP mutations in Drosophila. As a first step, we isolated and characterized a set of P element insertion mutations that confer altered sensitivity of the fruit fly to the clinical anesthetic halothane. Then we tested the members of this collection for their effect on the sensitivity of flies to five other volatile agents. Not only do we find that most of the mutations show non-uniform effects, they also share a characteristic arrangement of altered potencies (halothane > >desflurane >or= enflurane approximately isoflurane approximately methoxyflurane > sevoflurane). From this result, although we do not know how direct or indirect are the effects of the mutations, we infer the existence of a biologically relevant target for anesthetic action that has a distinct preference for halothane over other agents. Intriguingly, P element insertions that co-map with several NEP loci have been shown to alter the fly's response to cocaine and ethanol, suggesting that common genetic elements are involved in the response to all three drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph L Campbell
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-3736, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Devineni AV, McClure KD, Guarnieri DJ, Corl AB, Wolf FW, Eddison M, Heberlein U. The genetic relationships between ethanol preference, acute ethanol sensitivity, and ethanol tolerance in Drosophila melanogaster. Fly (Austin) 2011; 5:191-9. [PMID: 21750412 DOI: 10.4161/fly.5.3.16987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between alcohol consumption, sensitivity, and tolerance is an important question that has been addressed in humans and rodent models. Studies have shown that alcohol consumption and risk of abuse may correlate with (1) increased sensitivity to the stimulant effects of alcohol, (2) decreased sensitivity to the depressant effects of alcohol, and (3) increased alcohol tolerance. However, many conflicting results have been observed. To complement these studies, we utilized a different organism and approach to analyze the relationship between ethanol consumption and other ethanol responses. Using a set of 20 Drosophila melanogaster mutants that were isolated for altered ethanol sensitivity, we measured ethanol-induced hyperactivity, ethanol sedation, sedation tolerance, and ethanol consumption preference. Ethanol preference showed a strong positive correlation with ethanol tolerance, consistent with some rodent and human studies, but not with ethanol hyperactivity or sedation. No pairwise correlations were observed between ethanol hyperactivity, sedation, and tolerance. The evolutionary conservation of the relationship between tolerance and ethanol consumption in flies, rodents, and humans indicates that there are fundamental biological mechanisms linking specific ethanol responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anita V Devineni
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Larkin A, Karak S, Priya R, Das A, Ayyub C, Ito K, Rodrigues V, Ramaswami M. Central synaptic mechanisms underlie short-term olfactory habituation in Drosophila larvae. Learn Mem 2010; 17:645-53. [PMID: 21106688 DOI: 10.1101/lm.1839010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Naive Drosophila larvae show vigorous chemotaxis toward many odorants including ethyl acetate (EA). Chemotaxis toward EA is substantially reduced after a 5-min pre-exposure to the odorant and recovers with a half-time of ∼20 min. An analogous behavioral decrement can be induced without odorant-receptor activation through channelrhodopsin-based, direct photoexcitation of odorant sensory neurons (OSNs). The neural mechanism of short-term habituation (STH) requires the (1) rutabaga adenylate cyclase; (2) transmitter release from predominantly GABAergic local interneurons (LNs); (3) GABA-A receptor function in projection neurons (PNs) that receive excitatory inputs from OSNs; and (4) NMDA-receptor function in PNs. These features of STH cannot be explained by simple sensory adaptation and, instead, point to plasticity of olfactory synapses in the antennal lobe as the underlying mechanism. Our observations suggest a model in which NMDAR-dependent depression of the OSN-PN synapse and/or NMDAR-dependent facilitation of inhibitory transmission from LNs to PNs contributes substantially to short-term habituation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aoife Larkin
- School of Genetics and Microbiology, Smurfit Institute of Genetics and Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Kapfhamer D, Berger KH, Hopf FW, Seif T, Kharazia V, Bonci A, Heberlein U. Protein Phosphatase 2a and glycogen synthase kinase 3 signaling modulate prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response by altering cortical M-Type potassium channel activity. J Neurosci 2010; 30:8830-40. [PMID: 20592205 PMCID: PMC3842471 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1292-10.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2010] [Revised: 04/21/2010] [Accepted: 05/11/2010] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
There is considerable interest in the regulation of sensorimotor gating, since deficits in this process could play a critical role in the symptoms of schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders. Sensorimotor gating is often studied in humans and rodents using the prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response (PPI) model, in which an acoustic prepulse suppresses behavioral output to a startle-inducing stimulus. However, the molecular and neural mechanisms underlying PPI are poorly understood. Here, we show that a regulatory pathway involving protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3beta), and their downstream target, the M-type potassium channel, regulates PPI. Mice (Mus musculus) carrying a hypomorphic allele of Ppp2r5delta, encoding a regulatory subunit of PP2A, show attenuated PPI. This PPP2R5delta reduction increases the phosphorylation of GSK3beta at serine 9, which inactivates GSK3beta, indicating that PPP2R5delta positively regulates GSK3beta activity in the brain. Consistently, genetic and pharmacological manipulations that reduce GSK3beta function attenuate PPI. The M-type potassium channel subunit, KCNQ2, is a putative GSK3beta substrate. Genetic reduction of Kcnq2 also reduces PPI, as does systemic inhibition of M-channels with linopirdine. Importantly, both the GSK3 inhibitor 3-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-(1-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione (SB216763) and linopirdine reduce PPI when directly infused into the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Whole-cell electrophysiological recordings of mPFC neurons show that SB216763 and linopirdine have similar effects on firing, and GSK3 inhibition occludes the effects of M-channel inhibition. These data support a previously uncharacterized mechanism by which PP2A/GSK3beta signaling regulates M-type potassium channel activity in the mPFC to modulate sensorimotor gating.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Kapfhamer
- Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center, Emeryville, California 94608, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Fernández-Ayala DJM, Chen S, Kemppainen E, O'Dell KMC, Jacobs HT. Gene expression in a Drosophila model of mitochondrial disease. PLoS One 2010; 5:e8549. [PMID: 20066047 PMCID: PMC2798955 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0008549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2009] [Accepted: 11/28/2009] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background A point mutation in the Drosophila gene technical knockout (tko), encoding mitoribosomal protein S12, was previously shown to cause a phenotype of respiratory chain deficiency, developmental delay, and neurological abnormalities similar to those presented in many human mitochondrial disorders, as well as defective courtship behavior. Methodology/Principal Findings Here, we describe a transcriptome-wide analysis of gene expression in tko25t mutant flies that revealed systematic and compensatory changes in the expression of genes connected with metabolism, including up-regulation of lactate dehydrogenase and of many genes involved in the catabolism of fats and proteins, and various anaplerotic pathways. Gut-specific enzymes involved in the primary mobilization of dietary fats and proteins, as well as a number of transport functions, were also strongly up-regulated, consistent with the idea that oxidative phosphorylation OXPHOS dysfunction is perceived physiologically as a starvation for particular biomolecules. In addition, many stress-response genes were induced. Other changes may reflect a signature of developmental delay, notably a down-regulation of genes connected with reproduction, including gametogenesis, as well as courtship behavior in males; logically this represents a programmed response to a mitochondrially generated starvation signal. The underlying signalling pathway, if conserved, could influence many physiological processes in response to nutritional stress, although any such pathway involved remains unidentified. Conclusions/Significance These studies indicate that general and organ-specific metabolism is transformed in response to mitochondrial dysfunction, including digestive and absorptive functions, and give important clues as to how novel therapeutic strategies for mitochondrial disorders might be developed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Shanjun Chen
- Institute of Medical Technology and Tampere University Hospital, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
| | - Esko Kemppainen
- Institute of Medical Technology and Tampere University Hospital, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
| | - Kevin M. C. O'Dell
- Faculty of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Howard T. Jacobs
- Institute of Medical Technology and Tampere University Hospital, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
- Faculty of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Groh C, Meinertzhagen IA. Brain plasticity in Diptera and Hymenoptera. Front Biosci (Schol Ed) 2010; 2:268-88. [PMID: 20036946 DOI: 10.2741/s63] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
To mediate different types of behaviour, nervous systems need to coordinate the proper operation of their neural circuits as well as short- and long-term alterations that occur within those circuits. The latter ultimately devolve upon specific changes in neuronal structures, membrane properties and synaptic connections that are all examples of plasticity. This reorganization of the adult nervous system is shaped by internal and external influences both during development and adult maturation. In adults, behavioural experience is a major driving force of neuronal plasticity studied particularly in sensory systems. The range of adaptation depends on features that are important to a particular species, and is therefore specific, so that learning is essential for foraging in honeybees, while regenerative capacities are important in hemimetabolous insects with long appendages. Experience is usually effective during a critical period in early adult life, when neural function becomes tuned to future conditions in an insect's life. Tuning occur at all levels, in synaptic circuits, neuropile volumes, and behaviour. There are many examples, and this review incorporates only a select few, mainly those from Diptera and Hymenoptera.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Groh
- Life Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 4J1
| | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Glycogen synthase kinase-3/Shaggy mediates ethanol-induced excitotoxic cell death of Drosophila olfactory neurons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2009; 106:20924-9. [PMID: 19923438 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0910813106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
It has long been known that heavy alcohol consumption leads to neuropathology and neuronal death. While the response of neurons to an ethanol insult is strongly influenced by genetic background, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we show that even a single intoxicating exposure to ethanol causes non-cell-autonomous apoptotic death specifically of Drosophila olfactory neurons, which is accompanied by a loss of a behavioral response to the smell of ethanol and a blackening of the third antennal segment. The Drosophila homolog of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3)beta, Shaggy, is required for ethanol-induced apoptosis. Consistent with this requirement, the GSK-3beta inhibitor lithium protects against the neurotoxic effects of ethanol, indicating the possibility for pharmacological intervention in cases of alcohol-induced neurodegeneration. Ethanol-induced death of olfactory neurons requires both their neural activity and functional NMDA receptors. This system will allow the investigation of the genetic and molecular basis of ethanol-induced apoptosis in general and provide an understanding of the molecular role of GSK-3beta in programmed cell death.
Collapse
|
26
|
Automated measurement of Drosophila jump reflex habituation and its use for mutant screening. J Neurosci Methods 2009; 182:43-8. [PMID: 19520114 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2009.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2007] [Revised: 05/07/2009] [Accepted: 05/27/2009] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In habituation the probability of a behavioral response decreases with repeated presentations of a stimulus. This is a simple kind of learning since it involves an adaptive change in behavior due to experience. The present study describes a high-throughput semi-automated system to track movement of individual flies and score their jump response to repeated presentations of an odor. We find a decreased response on repeated presentations of odor, which a number of criteria suggest to be habituation. Tracking of up to sixteen flies simultaneously allows analysis of large numbers of flies for mutant screens. We demonstrate the use of the Autojump system for large-scale screens by conducting a pilot-scale screen of 150 P insert lines for habituation mutants.
Collapse
|
27
|
Abstract
Endogenous biological clocks are widespread regulators of behavior and physiology, allowing for a more efficient allocation of efforts and resources over the course of a day. The extent that different processes are regulated by circadian oscillators, however, is not fully understood. We investigated the role of the circadian clock on short-term associative memory formation using a negatively reinforced olfactory-learning paradigm in Drosophila melanogaster. We found that memory formation was regulated in a circadian manner. The peak performance in short-term memory (STM) occurred during the early subjective night with a twofold performance amplitude after a single pairing of conditioned and unconditioned stimuli. This rhythm in memory is eliminated in both timeless and period mutants and is absent during constant light conditions. Circadian gating of sensory perception does not appear to underlie the rhythm in short-term memory as evidenced by the nonrhythmic shock avoidance and olfactory avoidance behaviors. Moreover, central brain oscillators appear to be responsible for the modulation as cryptochrome mutants, in which the antennal circadian oscillators are nonfunctional, demonstrate robust circadian rhythms in short-term memory. Together these data suggest that central, rather than peripheral, circadian oscillators modulate the formation of short-term associative memory and not the perception of the stimuli.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa C Lyons
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
28
|
Engel JE, Wu CF. Neurogenetic approaches to habituation and dishabituation in Drosophila. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2008; 92:166-75. [PMID: 18765288 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2008.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2008] [Revised: 08/03/2008] [Accepted: 08/10/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
We review work in the major model systems for habituation in Drosophila melanogaster, encompassing several sensory modalities and behavioral contexts: visual (giant fiber escape response, landing response); chemical (proboscis extension reflex, olfactory jump response, locomotory startle response, odor-induced leg response, experience-dependent courtship modification); electric (shock avoidance); and mechanical (leg resistance reflex, cleaning reflex). Each model system shows several of Thompson and Spencer's [Thompson, R. F., & Spencer, W. A. (1966). Habituation: A model phenomenon for the study of neuronal substrates of behavior. Psychological Review, 73, 16-43] parametric criteria for habituation: spontaneous recovery and dishabituation have been described in almost all of them and dependence of habituation upon stimulus frequency and stimulus intensity in the majority. Stimulus generalization (and conversely, the delineation of stimulus specificity) has given insights into the localization of habituation or the neural architecture underlying sensory processing. The strength of Drosophila for studying habituation is the range of genetic approaches available. Mutations have been used to modify specific neuroanatomical structures, ion channels, elements of synaptic transmission, and second-messenger pathways. rutabaga and dunce, genes of the cAMP signal pathway that have been studied most often in the reviewed experiments, have also been implicated in synaptic plasticity and associative conditioning in Drosophila and other species including mammals. The use of the Gal4/UAS system for targeting gene expression has enabled genetic perturbation of defined sets of neurons. One clear lesson is that a gene may affect habituation differently in different behaviors, depending on the expression, processing, and localization of the gene product in specific circuits. Mutations of specific genes not only provide links between physiology and behavior in the same circuit, but also reveal common mechanisms in different paradigms of behavioral plasticity. The rich repertoire of models for habituation in the fly is an asset for combining a genetic approach with behavioral, anatomical and physiological methods with the promise of a more complete understanding.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeff E Engel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University, 1 University Circle, Macomb, IL 61455, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Overexpression screen in Drosophila identifies neuronal roles of GSK-3 beta/shaggy as a regulator of AP-1-dependent developmental plasticity. Genetics 2008; 180:2057-71. [PMID: 18832361 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.107.085555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
AP-1, an immediate-early transcription factor comprising heterodimers of the Fos and Jun proteins, has been shown in several animal models, including Drosophila, to control neuronal development and plasticity. In spite of this important role, very little is known about additional proteins that regulate, cooperate with, or are downstream targets of AP-1 in neurons. Here, we outline results from an overexpression/misexpression screen in Drosophila to identify potential regulators of AP-1 function at third instar larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ) synapses. First, we utilize >4000 enhancer and promoter (EP) and EPgy2 lines to screen a large subset of Drosophila genes for their ability to modify an AP-1-dependent eye-growth phenotype. Of 303 initially identified genes, we use a set of selection criteria to arrive at 25 prioritized genes from the resulting collection of putative interactors. Of these, perturbations in 13 genes result in synaptic phenotypes. Finally, we show that one candidate, the GSK-3beta-kinase homolog, shaggy, negatively influences AP-1-dependent synaptic growth, by modulating the Jun-N-terminal kinase pathway, and also regulates presynaptic neurotransmitter release at the larval neuromuscular junction. Other candidates identified in this screen provide a useful starting point to investigate genes that interact with AP-1 in vivo to regulate neuronal development and plasticity.
Collapse
|