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Yamamoto A, Huang W, Anholt RR, Mackay TF. The genetic basis of variation in Drosophila melanogaster mating behavior. iScience 2024; 27:109837. [PMID: 38766354 PMCID: PMC11099327 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Mating behavior is an essential fitness trait. We used the inbred, sequenced lines of the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) to gain insights into the evolution of mating success and to evaluate the overlap in genetic architecture of mating behavior between the sexes. We found significant genetic variation for mating success when DGRP males and females from the same line were mated together, and when DGRP males and females were mated to an unrelated strain of the opposite sex. The mating success of DGRP males and females was not correlated when they were paired with the unrelated strain, suggesting independent genetic architecture of mating success in males and females that was confirmed by genome-wide association analyses. However, the mating success between pairs of the same or different DGRP lines was predicted accurately by the respective female and male mating success with the unrelated line.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiko Yamamoto
- Program in Genetics, W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology and Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7614, USA
| | - Wen Huang
- Program in Genetics, W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology and Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7614, USA
| | - Robert R.H. Anholt
- Program in Genetics, W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology and Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7614, USA
| | - Trudy F.C. Mackay
- Program in Genetics, W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology and Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7614, USA
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2
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Oliveira MT, Anhezini L, Araujo HM, Oliveira MF, Couto-Lima CA. Boosting life sciences research in Brazil: building a case for a local Drosophila stock center. Genet Mol Biol 2024; 47:e20230202. [PMID: 38446983 PMCID: PMC10917079 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2023-0202] [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: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster is undoubtedly one of the most useful model organisms in biology. Initially used in solidifying the principles of heredity, and establishing the basic concepts of population genetics and of the synthetic theory of evolution, it can currently offer scientists much more: the possibility of investigating a plethora of cellular and biological mechanisms, from development and function of the immune system to animal neurogenesis, tumorigenesis and beyond. Extensive resources are available for the community of Drosophila researchers worldwide, including an ever-growing number of mutant, transgenic and genomically-edited lines currently carried by stock centers in North America, Europe and Asia. Here, we provide evidence for the importance of stock centers in sustaining the substantial increase in the output of Drosophila research worldwide in recent decades. We also discuss the challenges that Brazilian Drosophila scientists face to keep their research projects internationally competitive, and argue that difficulties in importing fly lines from international stock centers have significantly stalled the progression of all Drosophila research areas in the country. Establishing a local stock center might be the first step towards building a strong local Drosophila community that will likely contribute to all areas of life sciences research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos T. Oliveira
- Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias de Jaboticabal, Departamento de Biotecnologia, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Lucas Anhezini
- Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Departamento de Histologia e Embriologia, Maceió, AL, Brazil
| | - Helena M. Araujo
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Programa de Graduação em Biologia Celular e do Desenvolvimento, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Marcus F. Oliveira
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Carlos A. Couto-Lima
- Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias de Jaboticabal, Departamento de Biotecnologia, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
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3
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Fanara JJ, Sassi PL, Goenaga J, Hasson E. Genetic basis and repeatability for desiccation resistance in Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae). Genetica 2024; 152:1-9. [PMID: 38102503 DOI: 10.1007/s10709-023-00201-0] [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: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Dehydration is a stress factor for organisms inhabiting natural habitats where water is scarce. Thus, it may be expected that species facing arid environments will develop mechanisms that maximize resistance to desiccation. Insects are excellent models for studying the effects of dehydration as well as the mechanisms and processes that prevent water loss since the effect of desiccation is greater due to the higher area/volume ratio than larger animals. Even though physiological and behavioral mechanisms to cope with desiccation are being understood, the genetic basis underlying the mechanisms related to variation in desiccation resistance and the context-dependent effect remain unsolved. Here we analyze the genetic bases of desiccation resistance in Drosophila melanogaster and identify candidate genes that underlie trait variation. Our quantitative genetic analysis of desiccation resistance revealed sexual dimorphism and extensive genetic variation. The phenotype-genotype association analyses (GWAS) identified 71 candidate genes responsible for total phenotypic variation in desiccation resistance. Half of these candidate genes were sex-specific suggesting that the genetic architecture underlying this adaptive trait differs between males and females. Moreover, the public availability of desiccation data analyzed on the same lines but in a different lab allows us to investigate the reliability and repeatability of results obtained in independent screens. Our survey indicates a pervasive micro-environment lab-dependent effect since we did not detect overlap in the sets of genes affecting desiccation resistance identified between labs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Jose Fanara
- Laboratorio de Evolución, Departamento de Ecología Genética y Evolución, Instituto de Ecología Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA), CONICET-UBA, FCEN, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Paola Lorena Sassi
- Grupo de Ecología Integrativa de Fauna Silvestre, Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de Zonas Áridas, CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Julieta Goenaga
- Quality Control & NIR Scientist, Biomar Group, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Esteban Hasson
- Laboratorio de Evolución, Departamento de Ecología Genética y Evolución, Instituto de Ecología Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA), CONICET-UBA, FCEN, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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4
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Wilson KA, Bar S, Dammer EB, Carrera EM, Hodge BA, Hilsabeck TAU, Bons J, Brownridge GW, Beck JN, Rose J, Granath-Panelo M, Nelson CS, Qi G, Gerencser AA, Lan J, Afenjar A, Chawla G, Brem RB, Campeau PM, Bellen HJ, Schilling B, Seyfried NT, Ellerby LM, Kapahi P. OXR1 maintains the retromer to delay brain aging under dietary restriction. Nat Commun 2024; 15:467. [PMID: 38212606 PMCID: PMC10784588 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44343-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Dietary restriction (DR) delays aging, but the mechanism remains unclear. We identified polymorphisms in mtd, the fly homolog of OXR1, which influenced lifespan and mtd expression in response to DR. Knockdown in adulthood inhibited DR-mediated lifespan extension in female flies. We found that mtd/OXR1 expression declines with age and it interacts with the retromer, which regulates trafficking of proteins and lipids. Loss of mtd/OXR1 destabilized the retromer, causing improper protein trafficking and endolysosomal defects. Overexpression of retromer genes or pharmacological restabilization with R55 rescued lifespan and neurodegeneration in mtd-deficient flies and endolysosomal defects in fibroblasts from patients with lethal loss-of-function of OXR1 variants. Multi-omic analyses in flies and humans showed that decreased Mtd/OXR1 is associated with aging and neurological diseases. mtd/OXR1 overexpression rescued age-related visual decline and tauopathy in a fly model. Hence, OXR1 plays a conserved role in preserving retromer function and is critical for neuronal health and longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth A Wilson
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, 94945, USA
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Sudipta Bar
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, 94945, USA
| | - Eric B Dammer
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | | | - Brian A Hodge
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, 94945, USA
| | - Tyler A U Hilsabeck
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, 94945, USA
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Joanna Bons
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, 94945, USA
| | | | - Jennifer N Beck
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, 94945, USA
| | - Jacob Rose
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, 94945, USA
| | | | | | - Grace Qi
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, 94945, USA
| | | | - Jianfeng Lan
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, 94945, USA
- Guanxi Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine in Liver Injury and Repair, The Afilliated Hospital of Guilin Medican University, Guilin, 541001, Guanxi, China
| | - Alexandra Afenjar
- Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris, Unité de Génétique Clinique, Hôpital Armand Trousseau, Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire, Paris, 75012, France
- Département de Génétique et Embryologie Médicale, CRMR des Malformations et Maladies Congénitales du Cervelet, GRC ConCer-LD, Sorbonne Universités, Hôpital Trousseau, Paris, 75012, France
| | - Geetanjali Chawla
- RNA Biology Laboratory, Department of Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar Institute of Eminence, NH91, Tehsil Dadri, G. B. Nagar, 201314, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Rachel B Brem
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, 94945, USA
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, 111 Koshland Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Philippe M Campeau
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Saint-Justine Research Center, CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, QC, H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Hugo J Bellen
- Departments of Molecular and Human Genetics and Neuroscience, Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | | | - Nicholas T Seyfried
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Lisa M Ellerby
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, 94945, USA.
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
| | - Pankaj Kapahi
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, 94945, USA.
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
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5
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Eiman MN, Kumar S, Serrano Negron YL, Tansey TR, Harbison ST. Genome-wide association in Drosophila identifies a role for Piezo and Proc-R in sleep latency. Sci Rep 2024; 14:260. [PMID: 38168575 PMCID: PMC10761942 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50552-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Sleep latency, the amount of time that it takes an individual to fall asleep, is a key indicator of sleep need. Sleep latency varies considerably both among and within species and is heritable, but lacks a comprehensive description of its underlying genetic network. Here we conduct a genome-wide association study of sleep latency. Using previously collected sleep and activity data on a wild-derived population of flies, we calculate sleep latency, confirming significant, heritable genetic variation for this complex trait. We identify 520 polymorphisms in 248 genes contributing to variability in sleep latency. Tests of mutations in 23 candidate genes and additional putative pan-neuronal knockdown of 9 of them implicated CG44153, Piezo, Proc-R and Rbp6 in sleep latency. Two large-effect mutations in the genes Proc-R and Piezo were further confirmed via genetic rescue. This work greatly enhances our understanding of the genetic factors that influence variation in sleep latency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew N Eiman
- Laboratory of Systems Genetics, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shailesh Kumar
- Laboratory of Systems Genetics, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Division of Neuroscience and Behavior, National Institute On Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yazmin L Serrano Negron
- Laboratory of Systems Genetics, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Terry R Tansey
- Laboratory of Systems Genetics, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Susan T Harbison
- Laboratory of Systems Genetics, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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6
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Rand MD, Tennessen JM, Mackay TFC, Anholt RRH. Perspectives on the Drosophila melanogaster Model for Advances in Toxicological Science. Curr Protoc 2023; 3:e870. [PMID: 37639638 PMCID: PMC10463236 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
The use of Drosophila melanogaster for studies of toxicology has grown considerably in the last decade. The Drosophila model has long been appreciated as a versatile and powerful model for developmental biology and genetics because of its ease of handling, short life cycle, low cost of maintenance, molecular genetic accessibility, and availability of a wide range of publicly available strains and data resources. These features, together with recent unique developments in genomics and metabolomics, make the fly model especially relevant and timely for the development of new approach methodologies and movements toward precision toxicology. Here, we offer a perspective on how flies can be leveraged to identify risk factors relevant to environmental exposures and human health. First, we review and discuss fundamental toxicologic principles for experimental design with Drosophila. Next, we describe quantitative and systems genetics approaches to resolve the genetic architecture and candidate pathways controlling susceptibility to toxicants. Finally, we summarize the current state and future promise of the emerging field of Drosophila metabolomics for elaborating toxic mechanisms. © 2023 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D. Rand
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | | | - Trudy F. C. Mackay
- Center for Human Genetics and Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, 114 Gregor Mendel Circle, Greenwood, South Carolina 29646, USA
| | - Robert R. H. Anholt
- Center for Human Genetics and Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, 114 Gregor Mendel Circle, Greenwood, South Carolina 29646, USA
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7
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Fanara JJ, Beti MIL, Gandini L, Hasson E. Oviposition behaviour in Drosophila melanogaster: Genetic and behavioural decoupling between oviposition acceptance and preference for natural fruits. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:251-263. [PMID: 36357966 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
In phytophagous insects, oviposition behaviour is an important component of habitat selection and, given the multiplicity of genetic and environmental factors affecting its expression, is defined as a complex character resulting from the sum of interdependent traits. Here, we study two components of egg-laying behaviour: oviposition acceptance (OA) and oviposition preference (OP) in Drosophila melanogaster using three natural fruits as resources (grape, tomato and orange) by means of no-choice and two-choice experiments, respectively. This experimental design allowed us to show that the results obtained in two-choice assays (OP) cannot be accounted for by those resulting from no-choice assays (OA). Since the genomes of all lines used are completely sequenced, we perform a genome-wide association study to identify and characterize the genetic underpinnings of these oviposition behaviour traits. The analyses revealed different candidate genes affecting natural genetic variation of both OA and OP traits. Moreover, our results suggest behavioural and genetic decoupling between OA and OP and that egg-laying behaviour is plastic and context-dependent. Such independence in the genetic architectures of OA and OP variation may influence different aspects of oviposition behaviour, including plasticity, canalization, host shift and maintenance of genetic variability, which contributes to the adoption of adaptive strategies during habitat selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J Fanara
- Laboratorio de Evolución, Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, FCEN, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón II, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Laboratorio de Evolución, Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA), CONICET-UBA, FCEN, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón II, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Maria I L Beti
- Laboratorio de Evolución, Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA), CONICET-UBA, FCEN, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón II, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Luciano Gandini
- Laboratorio de Evolución, Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, FCEN, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón II, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Esteban Hasson
- Laboratorio de Evolución, Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, FCEN, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón II, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Laboratorio de Evolución, Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA), CONICET-UBA, FCEN, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón II, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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8
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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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González-González A, Yañez O, Ballesteros GI, Palma-Millanao R, Figueroa CC, Niemeyer HM, Ramírez CC. A mutation increases the specificity to plant compounds in an insect chemosensory protein. J Mol Graph Model 2022; 114:108191. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2022.108191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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10
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Tao L, Bhandawat V. Mechanisms of Variability Underlying Odor-Guided Locomotion. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:871884. [PMID: 35600988 PMCID: PMC9115574 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.871884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in locomotion mediated by odors (odor-guided locomotion) are an important mechanism by which animals discover resources important to their survival. Odor-guided locomotion, like most other behaviors, is highly variable. Variability in behavior can arise at many nodes along the circuit that performs sensorimotor transformation. We review these sources of variability in the context of the Drosophila olfactory system. While these sources of variability are important, using a model for locomotion, we show that another important contributor to behavioral variability is the stochastic nature of decision-making during locomotion as well as the persistence of these decisions: Flies choose the speed and curvature stochastically from a distribution and locomote with the same speed and curvature for extended periods. This stochasticity in locomotion will result in variability in behavior even if there is no noise in sensorimotor transformation. Overall, the noise in sensorimotor transformation is amplified by mechanisms of locomotion making odor-guided locomotion in flies highly variable.
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11
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Pavković-Lučić S, Trajković J, Miličić D, Anđelković B, Lučić L, Savić T, Vujisić L. "Scent of a fruit fly": Cuticular chemoprofiles after mating in differently fed Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae) strains. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 109:e21866. [PMID: 35020218 DOI: 10.1002/arch.21866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In the world of complex smells in natural environment, feeding and mating represent two important olfactory-guided behaviors in Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae). Diet affects the chemoprofile composition of the individuals, which, indirectly, may significantly affect their mating success. In this study, chemoprofiles of recently mated flies belonging to four D. melanogaster strains, which were fed for many generations on different substrates (standard cornmeal-S strain; banana-B strain; carrot-C strain; tomato-T strain) were identified and quantified. In total, 67 chemical compounds were identified: 48 compounds were extracted from males maintained on banana and carrot, and 47 compounds from males maintained on cornmeal and tomato substrates, while total of 60 compounds were identified in females from all strains. The strains and the sexes significantly differed in qualitative nature of their chemoprofiles after mating. Significant differences in the relative amount of three major male pheromones (cis-vaccenyl acetate-cVA, (Z)-7-pentacosene, and (Z)-7-tricosene) and in female pheromone (Z,Z)-7,11-nonacosadiene among strains were also recorded. Furthermore, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) pointed to significant differences between virgin and mated individuals of all strains and within both sexes. Differences in some of the well known sex pheromones were also identified when comparing their relative amount before and after mating. The presence of typical male pheromones in females, and vice versa may indicate their bidirectional transfer during copulation. Our results confirm significant effect of mating status on cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) phenotypes in differently fed D. melanogaster flies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dragana Miličić
- Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | | | - Luka Lučić
- Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Tatjana Savić
- Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
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12
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Watanabe LP, Riddle NC. Exercise-induced changes in climbing performance. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:211275. [PMID: 34804578 PMCID: PMC8580468 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Exercise is recommended to promote health and prevent a range of diseases. However, how exercise precipitates these benefits is unclear, nor do we understand why exercise responses differ so widely between individuals. We investigate how climbing ability in Drosophila melanogaster changes in response to an exercise treatment. We find extensive variation in baseline climbing ability and exercise-induced changes ranging from -13% to +20% in climbing ability. Climbing ability, and its exercise-induced change, is sex- and genotype-dependent. GWASs implicate 'cell-cell signalling' genes in the control of climbing ability. We also find that animal activity does not predict climbing ability and that the exercise-induced climbing ability change cannot be predicted from the activity level induced by the exercise treatment. These results provide promising new avenues for further research into the molecular pathways controlling climbing activity and illustrate the complexities involved in trying to predict individual responses to exercise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis P. Watanabe
- Department of Biology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, CH464, 1720 2nd Ave South, Birmingham, AL 35294, US
| | - Nicole C. Riddle
- Department of Biology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, CH464, 1720 2nd Ave South, Birmingham, AL 35294, US
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13
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Khan MAM, Deshpande NP, Shuttleworth LA, Osborne T, Collins D, Wilkins MR, Gurr GM, Reynolds OL. Raspberry ketone diet supplement reduces attraction of sterile male Queensland fruit fly to cuelure by altering expression of chemoreceptor genes. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17632. [PMID: 34480052 PMCID: PMC8417256 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96778-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Sterile male Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt), fed as immature adults on the plant compound raspberry ketone (RK), show a reduced attraction to cuelure, a synthetic analogue of RK used as an attractant in Male Annihilation Technique. We hypothesized the reduced attraction of RK-fed adult males to cuelure may be a consequence of altered expression of chemoreception genes. A Y-tube olfactometer assay with RK-fed and RK-unfed sterile B. tryoni males tested the subsequent behavioural response to cuelure. Behavioral assays confirmed a significant decrease in attraction of RK-fed sterile males to cuelure. RK-fed, non-responders (to cue-lure) and RK-unfed, responders (to cue-lure) males were sampled and gene expression compared by de novo RNA-seq analysis. A total of 269 genes in fly heads were differentially expressed between replicated groups of RK-fed, cuelure non-responders and RK-unfed, cuelure responders. Among them, 218 genes including 4 chemoreceptor genes were up regulated and 51 genes were down regulated in RK-fed, cuelure non-responders. De novo assembly generated many genes with unknown functions and no significant BLAST hits to homologues in other species. The enriched and suppressed genes reported here, shed light on the transcriptional changes that affect the dynamics of insect responses to chemical stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Abul Monjur Khan
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Private Bag 4008, Narellan, NSW, 2567, Australia.
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, 2202, Bangladesh.
| | - Nandan P Deshpande
- Systems Biology Initiative, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Lucas A Shuttleworth
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Private Bag 4008, Narellan, NSW, 2567, Australia
| | - Terry Osborne
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Private Bag 4008, Narellan, NSW, 2567, Australia
| | - Damian Collins
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Private Bag 4008, Narellan, NSW, 2567, Australia
| | - Marc R Wilkins
- Systems Biology Initiative, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Ramaciotti Centre for Genomics, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Geoff M Gurr
- Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, Charles Sturt University, PO Box 883, Orange, NSW, 2800, Australia
| | - Olivia L Reynolds
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Private Bag 4008, Narellan, NSW, 2567, Australia.
- Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, Charles Sturt University, PO Box 883, Orange, NSW, 2800, Australia.
- Susentom, Heidelberg Heights, Melbourne, VIC, 3081, Australia.
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14
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Patel SP, Talbert ME. Identification of genetic modifiers of lifespan on a high sugar diet in the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel. Heliyon 2021; 7:e07153. [PMID: 34141921 PMCID: PMC8187823 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have become beneficial in identifying genetic variants underlying susceptibility to various complex diseases and conditions, including obesity. Utilizing the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP), we performed a GWAS of lifespan of 193 genetically distinct lines on a high sugar diet (HSD). The DGRP analysis pipeline determined the most significant lifespan associated polymorphisms were within loci of genes involved in: neural processes, behavior, development, and apoptosis, among other functions. Next, based on the relevance to obesity pathology, and the availability of transgenic RNAi lines targeting the genes we identified, whole-body in vivo knockdown of several candidate genes was performed. We utilized the GAL4-UAS binary expression system to independently validate the impacts of these loci on Drosophila lifespan during HSD. These loci were largely confirmed to affect lifespan in that HSD setting, as well as a normal diet setting. However, we also detected unexpected dietary effects of the HSD, including inconsistent diet effects on lifespan relative to a normal diet and a strong downregulation of feeding quantity.
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15
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Spierer AN, Mossman JA, Smith SP, Crawford L, Ramachandran S, Rand DM. Natural variation in the regulation of neurodevelopmental genes modifies flight performance in Drosophila. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1008887. [PMID: 33735180 PMCID: PMC7971549 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The winged insects of the order Diptera are colloquially named for their most recognizable phenotype: flight. These insects rely on flight for a number of important life history traits, such as dispersal, foraging, and courtship. Despite the importance of flight, relatively little is known about the genetic architecture of flight performance. Accordingly, we sought to uncover the genetic modifiers of flight using a measure of flies’ reaction and response to an abrupt drop in a vertical flight column. We conducted a genome wide association study (GWAS) using 197 of the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) lines, and identified a combination of additive and marginal variants, epistatic interactions, whole genes, and enrichment across interaction networks. Egfr, a highly pleiotropic developmental gene, was among the most significant additive variants identified. We functionally validated 13 of the additive candidate genes’ (Adgf-A/Adgf-A2/CG32181, bru1, CadN, flapper (CG11073), CG15236, flippy (CG9766), CREG, Dscam4, form3, fry, Lasp/CG9692, Pde6, Snoo), and introduce a novel approach to whole gene significance screens: PEGASUS_flies. Additionally, we identified ppk23, an Acid Sensing Ion Channel (ASIC) homolog, as an important hub for epistatic interactions. We propose a model that suggests genetic modifiers of wing and muscle morphology, nervous system development and function, BMP signaling, sexually dimorphic neural wiring, and gene regulation are all important for the observed differences flight performance in a natural population. Additionally, these results represent a snapshot of the genetic modifiers affecting drop-response flight performance in Drosophila, with implications for other insects. Insect flight is a widely recognizable phenotype of many winged insects, hence the name: flies. While fruit flies, or Drosophila melanogaster, are a genetically tractable model, flight performance is a highly integrative phenotype, and therefore challenging to identify comprehensively which genetic modifiers contribute to its genetic architecture. Accordingly, we screened 197 Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel lines for their ability to react and respond to an abrupt drop. Using several computational approaches, we identified additive, marginal, and epistatic variants, as well as whole genes and altered sub-networks of gene-gene and protein-protein interaction networks that contribute to variation in flight performance. More generally, we demonstrate the benefits of employing multiple methodologies to elucidate the genetic architecture of complex traits. Many variants and genes mapped to regions of the genome that affect neurodevelopment, wing and muscle development, and regulation of gene expression. We also introduce PEGASUS_flies, a Drosophila-adapted version of the PEGASUS platform first used in human studies, to infer gene-level significance of association based on the gene’s distribution of individual variant P-values. Our results contribute to the debate over the relative importance of individual, additive factors and epistatic, or higher order, interactions, in the mapping of genotype to phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam N Spierer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Jim A Mossman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Samuel Pattillo Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Lorin Crawford
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
- Microsoft Research New England, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sohini Ramachandran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - David M Rand
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
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16
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GWAS reveal a role for the central nervous system in regulating weight and weight change in response to exercise. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5144. [PMID: 33664357 PMCID: PMC7933348 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84534-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Body size and weight show considerable variation both within and between species. This variation is controlled in part by genetics, but also strongly influenced by environmental factors including diet and the level of activity experienced by the individual. Due to the increasing obesity epidemic in much of the world, there is considerable interest in the genetic factors that control body weight and how weight changes in response to exercise treatments. Here, we address this question in the Drosophila model system, utilizing 38 strains of the Drosophila Genetics Reference Panel. We use GWAS to identify the molecular pathways that control weight and weight changes in response to exercise. We find that there is a complex set of molecular pathways controlling weight, with many genes linked to the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS also plays a role in the weight change with exercise, in particular, signaling from the CNS. Additional analyses revealed that weight in Drosophila is driven by two factors, animal size, and body composition, as the amount of fat mass versus lean mass impacts the density. Thus, while the CNS appears to be important for weight and exercise-induced weight change, signaling pathways are particularly important for determining how exercise impacts weight.
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17
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Everman ER, Cloud-Richardson KM, Macdonald SJ. Characterizing the genetic basis of copper toxicity in Drosophila reveals a complex pattern of allelic, regulatory, and behavioral variation. Genetics 2021; 217:1-20. [PMID: 33683361 PMCID: PMC8045719 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyaa020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A range of heavy metals are required for normal cell function and homeostasis. However, the anthropogenic release of metal compounds into soil and water sources presents a pervasive health threat. Copper is one of many heavy metals that negatively impacts diverse organisms at a global scale. Using a combination of quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping and RNA sequencing in the Drosophila Synthetic Population Resource, we demonstrate that resistance to the toxic effects of ingested copper in D. melanogaster is genetically complex and influenced by allelic and expression variation at multiple loci. QTL mapping identified several QTL that account for a substantial fraction of heritability. Additionally, we find that copper resistance is impacted by variation in behavioral avoidance of copper and may be subject to life-stage specific regulation. Gene expression analysis further demonstrated that resistant and sensitive strains are characterized by unique expression patterns. Several of the candidate genes identified via QTL mapping and RNAseq have known copper-specific functions (e.g., Ccs, Sod3, CG11825), and others are involved in the regulation of other heavy metals (e.g., Catsup, whd). We validated several of these candidate genes with RNAi suggesting they contribute to variation in adult copper resistance. Our study illuminates the interconnected roles that allelic and expression variation, organism life stage, and behavior play in copper resistance, allowing a deeper understanding of the diverse mechanisms through which metal pollution can negatively impact organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth R Everman
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | | | - Stuart J Macdonald
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
- Center for Computational Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047, USA
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18
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RNA-binding protein syncrip regulates starvation-induced hyperactivity in adult Drosophila. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009396. [PMID: 33617535 PMCID: PMC7932510 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
How to respond to starvation determines fitness. One prominent behavioral response is increased locomotor activities upon starvation, also known as Starvation-Induced Hyperactivity (SIH). SIH is paradoxical as it promotes food seeking but also increases energy expenditure. Despite its importance in fitness, the genetic contributions to SIH as a behavioral trait remains unexplored. Here, we examined SIH in the Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) and performed genome-wide association studies. We identified 23 significant loci, corresponding to 14 genes, significantly associated with SIH in adult Drosophila. Gene enrichment analyses indicated that genes encoding ion channels and mRNA binding proteins (RBPs) were most enriched in SIH. We are especially interested in RBPs because they provide a potential mechanism to quickly change protein expression in response to environmental challenges. Using RNA interference, we validated the role of syp in regulating SIH. syp encodes Syncrip (Syp), an RBP. While ubiquitous knockdown of syp led to semi-lethality in adult flies, adult flies with neuron-specific syp knockdown were viable and exhibited decreased SIH. Using the Temporal and Regional Gene Expression Targeting (TARGET) system, we further confirmed the role of Syp in adult neurons in regulating SIH. To determine how syp is regulated by starvation, we performed RNA-seq using the heads of flies maintained under either food or starvation conditions. RNA-seq analyses revealed that syp was alternatively spliced under starvation while its expression level was unchanged. We further generated an alternatively-spliced-exon-specific knockout (KO) line and found that KO flies showed reduced SIH. Together, this study demonstrates a significant genetic contribution to SIH as a behavioral trait, identifies syp as a SIH gene, and highlights the significance of RBPs and post-transcriptional processes in the brain in regulating behavioral responses to starvation. Animals living in the wild often face periods of starvation. How to physiologically and behaviorally respond to starvation is essential for survival. One behavioral response is Starvation-Induced Hyperactivity (SIH). We used the Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel, derived from a wild population, to study the genetic basis of SIH. Our results show that there is a significant genetic contribution to SIH in this population, and that genes encoding RNA binding proteins (RBPs) are especially important. Using RNA interference and the TARGET system, we confirmed the role of an RBP Syp in adult neurons in SIH. Using RNA-seq and Western blotting, we found that syp was alternatively spliced under starvation while its expression level was unchanged. Further studies from syp exon-specific knockout flies showed that alternative splicing involving two exons in syp was important for SIH. Together, this study identifies syp as a SIH gene and highlights an essential role of post-transcriptional modification in regulating this behavior.
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19
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Maeda T, Nisimura T, Habe S, Uebi T, Ozaki M. Visualization of antennal lobe glomeruli activated by nonappetitive D-limonene and appetitive 1-octen-3-ol odors via two types of olfactory organs in the blowfly Phormia regina. ZOOLOGICAL LETTERS 2020; 6:16. [PMID: 33292700 PMCID: PMC7694429 DOI: 10.1186/s40851-020-00167-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Appetite or feeding motivation relies significantly on food odors. In the blowfly Phormia regina, feeding motivation for sucrose is decreased by the odor of D-limonene but increased by the odor of 1-octen-3-ol odor. These flies have antennal lobes (ALs) consisting of several tens of glomerular pairs as a primary olfactory center in the brain. Odor information from different olfactory organs-specifically, the antennae and maxillary palps-goes to the corresponding glomeruli. To investigate how odors differently affect feeding motivation, we identified the olfactory organs and glomeruli that are activated by nonappetitive and appetitive odors. We first constructed a glomerular map of the antennal lobe in P. regina. Anterograde fluorescence labeling of antennal and maxillary afferent nerves, both of which project into the contralateral and ipsilateral ALs, revealed differential staining in glomerular regions. Some of the axonal fiber bundles from the antennae and maxillary palps projected to the subesophageal ganglion (SOG). We visualized the activation of the glomeruli in response to odor stimuli by immunostaining phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (pERK). We observed different glomerulus activation under different odor stimulations. Referring to our glomerular map, we determined that antennal exposure to D-limonene odor activated the DA13 glomeruli, while exposure of the maxillary palps to 1-octen-3-ol activated the MxB1 glomeruli. Our results indicated that a nonappetitive odor input from the antennae and an appetitive odor input from the maxillary palps activate different glomeruli in the different regions of ALs in the blowfly P. regina. Collectively, our findings suggest that compartmentalization of glomeruli in AL is essential for proper transmission of odor information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toru Maeda
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Nada, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan.
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387, Krakow, Poland.
| | - Tomoyosi Nisimura
- College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, 102-8275, Japan
| | - Shunnya Habe
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Nada, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Uebi
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Nada, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan
| | - Mamiko Ozaki
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Nada, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan
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20
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Riddle NC. Variation in the response to exercise stimulation in Drosophila: marathon runner versus sprinter genotypes. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb229997. [PMID: 32737212 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.229997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Animals' behaviors vary in response to their environment, both biotic and abiotic. These behavioral responses have significant impacts on animal survival and fitness, and thus, many behavioral responses are at least partially under genetic control. In Drosophila, for example, genes impacting aggression, courtship behavior, circadian rhythms and sleep have been identified. Animal activity also is influenced strongly by genetics. My lab previously has used the Drosophila melanogaster Genetics Reference Panel (DGRP) to investigate activity levels and identified over 100 genes linked to activity. Here, I re-examined these data to determine whether Drosophila strains differ in their response to rotational exercise stimulation, not simply in the amount of activity, but in activity patterns and timing of activity. Specifically, I asked whether there are fly strains exhibiting either a 'marathoner' pattern of activity, i.e. remaining active throughout the 2 h exercise period, or a 'sprinter' pattern, i.e. carrying out most of the activity early in the exercise period. The DGRP strains examined differ significantly in how much activity is carried out at the beginning of the exercise period, and this pattern is influenced by both sex and genotype. Interestingly, there was no clear link between the activity response pattern and lifespan of the animals. Using genome-wide association studies (GWAS), I identified 10 high confidence candidate genes that control the degree to which Drosophila exercise behaviors fit a marathoner or sprinter activity pattern. This finding suggests that, similar to other aspects of locomotor behavior, the timing of activity patterns in response to exercise stimulation is under genetic control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole C Riddle
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
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21
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Behavioral and Transcriptional Response to Selection for Olfactory Behavior in Drosophila. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2020; 10:1283-1296. [PMID: 32024668 PMCID: PMC7144070 DOI: 10.1534/g3.120.401117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The detection, discrimination, and behavioral responses to chemical cues in the environment can have marked effects on organismal survival and reproduction, eliciting attractive or aversive behavior. To gain insight into mechanisms mediating this hedonic valence, we applied thirty generations of divergent artificial selection for Drosophila melanogaster olfactory behavior. We independently selected for positive and negative behavioral responses to two ecologically relevant chemical compounds: 2,3-butanedione and cyclohexanone. We also tested the correlated responses to selection by testing behavioral responses to other odorants and life history traits. Measurements of behavioral responses of the selected lines and unselected controls to additional odorants showed that the mechanisms underlying responses to these odorants are, in some cases, differentially affected by selection regime and generalization of the response to other odorants was only detected in the 2,3-butanedione selection lines. Food consumption and lifespan varied with selection regime and, at times, sex. An analysis of gene expression of both selection regimes identified multiple differentially expressed genes. New genes and genes previously identified in mediating olfactory behavior were identified. In particular, we found functional enrichment of several gene ontology terms, including cell-cell adhesion and sulfur compound metabolic process, the latter including genes belonging to the glutathione S-transferase family. These findings highlight a potential role for glutathione S-transferases in the evolution of hedonic valence to ecologically relevant volatile compounds and set the stage for a detailed investigation into mechanisms by which these genes mediate attraction and aversion.
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22
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Serway CN, Dunkelberger BS, Del Padre D, Nolan NWC, Georges S, Freer S, Andres AJ, de Belle JS. Importin-α2 mediates brain development, learning and memory consolidation in Drosophila. J Neurogenet 2020; 34:69-82. [PMID: 31965871 DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2019.1709184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Neuronal development and memory consolidation are conserved processes that rely on nuclear-cytoplasmic transport of signaling molecules to regulate gene activity and initiate cascades of downstream cellular events. Surprisingly, few reports address and validate this widely accepted perspective. Here we show that Importin-α2 (Imp-α2), a soluble nuclear transporter that shuttles cargoes between the cytoplasm and nucleus, is vital for brain development, learning and persistent memory in Drosophila melanogaster. Mutations in importin-α2 (imp-α2, known as Pendulin or Pen and homologous with human KPNA2) are alleles of mushroom body miniature B (mbmB), a gene known to regulate aspects of brain development and influence adult behavior in flies. Mushroom bodies (MBs), paired associative centers in the brain, are smaller than normal due to defective proliferation of specific intrinsic Kenyon cell (KC) neurons in mbmB mutants. Extant KCs projecting to the MB β-lobe terminate abnormally on the contralateral side of the brain. mbmB adults have impaired olfactory learning but normal memory decay in most respects, except that protein synthesis-dependent long-term memory (LTM) is abolished. This observation supports an alternative mechanism of persistent memory in which mutually exclusive protein-synthesis-dependent and -independent forms rely on opposing cellular mechanisms or circuits. We propose a testable model of Imp-α2 and nuclear transport roles in brain development and conditioned behavior. Based on our molecular characterization, we suggest that mbmB is hereafter referred to as imp-α2mbmB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine N Serway
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA.,Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Brian S Dunkelberger
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA.,Las Vegas High School, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Denise Del Padre
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Nicole W C Nolan
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA.,Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Stephanie Georges
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA.,Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Stephanie Freer
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA.,Research Square Inc, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Andrew J Andres
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - J Steven de Belle
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA.,Department of Psychological Sciences, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
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23
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Anholt RRH, O'Grady P, Wolfner MF, Harbison ST. Evolution of Reproductive Behavior. Genetics 2020; 214:49-73. [PMID: 31907301 PMCID: PMC6944409 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Behaviors associated with reproduction are major contributors to the evolutionary success of organisms and are subject to many evolutionary forces, including natural and sexual selection, and sexual conflict. Successful reproduction involves a range of behaviors, from finding an appropriate mate, courting, and copulation, to the successful production and (in oviparous animals) deposition of eggs following mating. As a consequence, behaviors and genes associated with reproduction are often under strong selection and evolve rapidly. Courtship rituals in flies follow a multimodal pattern, mediated through visual, chemical, tactile, and auditory signals. Premating behaviors allow males and females to assess the species identity, reproductive state, and condition of their partners. Conflicts between the "interests" of individual males, and/or between the reproductive strategies of males and females, often drive the evolution of reproductive behaviors. For example, seminal proteins transmitted by males often show evidence of rapid evolution, mediated by positive selection. Postmating behaviors, including the selection of oviposition sites, are highly variable and Drosophila species span the spectrum from generalists to obligate specialists. Chemical recognition features prominently in adaptation to host plants for feeding and oviposition. Selection acting on variation in pre-, peri-, and postmating behaviors can lead to reproductive isolation and incipient speciation. Response to selection at the genetic level can include the expansion of gene families, such as those for detecting pheromonal cues for mating, or changes in the expression of genes leading to visual cues such as wing spots that are assessed during mating. Here, we consider the evolution of reproductive behavior in Drosophila at two distinct, yet complementary, scales. Some studies take a microevolutionary approach, identifying genes and networks involved in reproduction, and then dissecting the genetics underlying complex behaviors in D. melanogaster Other studies take a macroevolutionary approach, comparing reproductive behaviors across the genus Drosophila and how these might correlate with environmental cues. A full synthesis of this field will require unification across these levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert R H Anholt
- Center for Human Genetics, Clemson University, Greenwood, South Carolina 29646
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Greenwood, South Carolina 29646
| | - Patrick O'Grady
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
| | - Mariana F Wolfner
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
| | - Susan T Harbison
- Laboratory of Systems Genetics, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
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24
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Identification and Expression Profiling of Peripheral Olfactory Genes in the Parasitoid Wasp Aphidius ervi (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) Reared on Different Aphid Hosts. INSECTS 2019; 10:insects10110397. [PMID: 31717299 PMCID: PMC6920860 DOI: 10.3390/insects10110397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Generalist parasitoids of aphids, such as the wasp Aphidius ervi, display significant differences in terms of host preference and host acceptance, depending on the host on which they developed (natal host), which is preferred over a non-natal host, a trait known as host fidelity. This trait allows females to quickly find hosts in heterogeneous environments, a process mediated by chemosensory/olfactory mechanisms, as parasitoids rely on olfaction and chemical cues during host selection. Thus, it is expected that proteins participating in chemosensory recognition, such as odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) and odorant receptors (ORs) would play a key role in host preference. In this study, we addressed the effect of parasitoid reciprocal host switching between two aphid hosts (Sitobion avenae and Acyrthosiphon pisum) on the expression patterns of chemosensory genes in the wasp A. ervi. First, by using a transcriptomic approach based on RNAseq of A. ervi females reared on S. avenae and A. pisum, we were able to annotate a total of 91 transcripts related to chemoperception. We also performed an in-silico expression analysis and found three OBPs and five ORs displaying different expression levels. Then, by using qRT-PCR amplification, we found significant differences in the expression levels of these eight genes when the parasitoids were reciprocally transplanted from S. avenae onto A. pisum and vice versa. This suggests that the expression levels of genes coding for odorant receptors and odorant-binding proteins would be regulated by the specific plant–aphid host complex where the parasitoids develop (maternal previous experience) and that chemosensory genes coding for olfactory mechanisms would play a crucial role on host preference and host acceptance, ultimately leading to the establishment of host fidelity in A. ervi parasitoids.
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Molecular Profiling of the Drosophila Antenna Reveals Conserved Genes Underlying Olfaction in Insects. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2019; 9:3753-3771. [PMID: 31527046 PMCID: PMC6829134 DOI: 10.1534/g3.119.400669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Repellent odors are widely used to prevent insect-borne diseases, making it imperative to identify the conserved molecular underpinnings of their olfactory systems. Currently, little is known about the molecules supporting odor signaling beyond the odor receptors themselves. Most known molecules function in one of two classes of olfactory sensilla, single-walled or double-walled, which have differing morphology and odor response profiles. Here, we took two approaches to discover novel genes that contribute to insect olfaction in the periphery. We transcriptionally profiled Drosophila melanogasteramos mutants that lack trichoid and basiconic sensilla, the single-walled sensilla in this species. This revealed 187 genes whose expression is enriched in these sensilla, including pickpocket ion channels and neuromodulator GPCRs that could mediate signaling pathways unique to single-walled sensilla. For our second approach, we computationally identified 141 antennal-enriched (AE) genes that are more than ten times as abundant in D. melanogaster antennae as in other tissues or whole-body extracts, and are thus likely to play a role in olfaction. We identified unambiguous orthologs of AE genes in the genomes of four distantly related insect species, and most identified orthologs were expressed in the antenna of these species. Further analysis revealed that nearly half of the 141 AE genes are localized specifically to either single or double-walled sensilla. Functional annotation suggests the AE genes include signaling molecules and enzymes that could be involved in odorant degradation. Together, these two resources provide a foundation for future studies investigating conserved mechanisms of odor signaling.
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Abstract
The Drosophila melanogaster foraging (for) gene is a well-established example of a gene with major effects on behavior and natural variation. This gene is best known for underlying the behavioral strategies of rover and sitter foraging larvae, having been mapped and named for this phenotype. Nevertheless, in the last three decades an extensive array of studies describing for's role as a modifier of behavior in a wide range of phenotypes, in both Drosophila and other organisms, has emerged. Furthermore, recent work reveals new insights into the genetic and molecular underpinnings of how for affects these phenotypes. In this article, we discuss the history of the for gene and its role in natural variation in behavior, plasticity, and behavioral pleiotropy, with special attention to recent findings on the molecular structure and transcriptional regulation of this gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ina Anreiter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B2, Canada;
| | - Marla B Sokolowski
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B2, Canada;
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Engel GL, Taber K, Vinton E, Crocker AJ. Studying alcohol use disorder using Drosophila melanogaster in the era of 'Big Data'. BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN FUNCTIONS : BBF 2019; 15:7. [PMID: 30992041 PMCID: PMC6469124 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-019-0159-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Our understanding of the networks of genes and protein functions involved in Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) remains incomplete, as do the mechanisms by which these networks lead to AUD phenotypes. The fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) is an efficient model for functional and mechanistic characterization of the genes involved in alcohol behavior. The fly offers many advantages as a model organism for investigating the molecular and cellular mechanisms of alcohol-related behaviors, and for understanding the underlying neural circuitry driving behaviors, such as locomotor stimulation, sedation, tolerance, and appetitive (reward) learning and memory. Fly researchers are able to use an extensive variety of tools for functional characterization of gene products. To understand how the fly can guide our understanding of AUD in the era of Big Data we will explore these tools, and review some of the gene networks identified in the fly through their use, including chromatin-remodeling, glial, cellular stress, and innate immunity genes. These networks hold great potential as translational drug targets, making it prudent to conduct further research into how these gene mechanisms are involved in alcohol behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory L. Engel
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Castleton University, Castleton, VT 05735 USA
| | - Kreager Taber
- Program in Neuroscience, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 05753 USA
| | - Elizabeth Vinton
- Program in Neuroscience, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 05753 USA
| | - Amanda J. Crocker
- Program in Neuroscience, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 05753 USA
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Li Z, Gao N, Martini JWR, Simianer H. Integrating Gene Expression Data Into Genomic Prediction. Front Genet 2019; 10:126. [PMID: 30858865 PMCID: PMC6397893 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene expression profiles potentially hold valuable information for the prediction of breeding values and phenotypes. In this study, the utility of transcriptome data for phenotype prediction was tested with 185 inbred lines of Drosophila melanogaster for nine traits in two sexes. We incorporated the transcriptome data into genomic prediction via two methods: GTBLUP and GRBLUP, both combining single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and transcriptome data. The genotypic data was used to construct the common additive genomic relationship, which was used in genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) or jointly in a linear mixed model with a transcriptome-based linear kernel (GTBLUP), or with a transcriptome-based Gaussian kernel (GRBLUP). We studied the predictive ability of the models and discuss a concept of "omics-augmented broad sense heritability" for the multi-omics era. For most traits, GRBLUP and GBLUP provided similar predictive abilities, but GRBLUP explained more of the phenotypic variance. There was only one trait (olfactory perception to Ethyl Butyrate in females) in which the predictive ability of GRBLUP (0.23) was significantly higher than the predictive ability of GBLUP (0.21). Our results suggest that accounting for transcriptome data has the potential to improve genomic predictions if transcriptome data can be included on a larger scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengcao Li
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Center for Integrated Breeding Research, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ning Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, School of Life Science, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | | | - Henner Simianer
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Center for Integrated Breeding Research, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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Brown EB, Rayens E, Rollmann SM. The Gene CG6767 Affects Olfactory Behavior in Drosophila melanogaster. Behav Genet 2019; 49:317-326. [PMID: 30710192 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-019-09949-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Chemosensory systems mediate some of the most vital animal behaviors. However, our knowledge of the genetic mechanisms that underlie behavioral responses to olfactory cues remains fragmented. Genome-wide association mapping has greatly advanced our ability to identify candidate loci associated with variation in olfactory behavior, but functional validation of these candidates remain a necessary next step in understanding the mechanisms by which these genes influence chemoreception. In previous genome-wide association analyses, a genomic region that spans multiple polymorphic loci on the left arm of the third chromosome was found to be significantly associated with variation in olfactory behavioral responses to the odorant 2,3-butanedione, a volatile compound present in fermenting fruit. In this study, behavioral analysis of flies possessing either the major or minor haplotype for this region confirmed the association between polymorphisms in the region and variation in olfactory behavior. Moreover, functional dissection of the genes within this region using P-element insertional mutagenesis together with targeted RNAi experiments revealed that the gene CG6767, a gene of previously unknown function but predicted to encode an enzyme responsible for the synthesis and metabolism of nucleic acids, affects olfactory behavioral responses to 2,3-butanedione. Specifically, RNAi mediated knockdown of CG6767 expression in different neuroanatomical populations of the olfactory system suggests that this gene functions in local interneurons of the antennal lobe. These results reveal a new role for CG6767 and its importance in olfactory behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth B Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221-0006, USA
| | - Emily Rayens
- Department of Biology, Wittenberg University, Springfield, OH, 45501, USA
| | - Stephanie M Rollmann
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221-0006, USA.
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Robin C, Battlay P, Fournier-Level A. What can genetic association panels tell us about evolutionary processes in insects? CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 31:99-105. [PMID: 31109681 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Revised: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
If we are to fully comprehend the evolution of insect diversity at a genomic level we need to understand how natural selection can alter genetically encoded characters within populations. Genetic association panels have the potential to be standard bearers in this endeavour. They enable the mapping of phenotypes to genotypes at unprecedented resolution while simultaneously providing population genomic samples that can be interrogated for the tell-tale signs of selection. Analyses of these panels promise to elucidate the entanglement of gene ontologies, pathways, developmental processes and evolutionary constraints, and inform how these are shaped by adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Robin
- The School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia.
| | - Paul Battlay
- The School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia
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31
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Harbison ST, Kumar S, Huang W, McCoy LJ, Smith KR, Mackay TFC. Genome-Wide Association Study of Circadian Behavior in Drosophila melanogaster. Behav Genet 2018; 49:60-82. [PMID: 30341464 PMCID: PMC6326971 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-018-9932-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Circadian rhythms influence physiological processes from sleep–wake cycles to body temperature and are controlled by highly conserved cycling molecules. Although the mechanistic basis of the circadian clock has been known for decades, the extent to which circadian rhythms vary in nature and the underlying genetic basis for that variation is not well understood. We measured circadian period (Ʈ) and rhythmicity index in the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) and observed extensive genetic variation in both. Seven DGRP lines had sexually dimorphic arrhythmicity and one line had an exceptionally long Ʈ. Genome-wide analyses identified 584 polymorphisms in 268 genes. We observed differences among transcripts for nine genes predicted to interact among themselves and canonical clock genes in the long period line and a control. Mutations/RNAi knockdown targeting these genes also affected circadian behavior. Our observations reveal that complex genetic interactions influence high levels of variation in circadian phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan T Harbison
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA. .,Laboratory of Systems Genetics, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. .,Laboratory of Systems Genetics, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Building 10, Room 7D13, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1640, USA.
| | - Shailesh Kumar
- Laboratory of Systems Genetics, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Wen Huang
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.,Genetics Program and W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.,Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Lenovia J McCoy
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Kirklin R Smith
- Laboratory of Systems Genetics, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Trudy F C Mackay
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.,Genetics Program and W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.,Center for Human Genetics and Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, 114 Gregor Mendel Circle, Greenwood, SC, 29646, USA
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32
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The Sleep Inbred Panel, a Collection of Inbred Drosophila melanogaster with Extreme Long and Short Sleep Duration. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2018; 8:2865-2873. [PMID: 29991508 PMCID: PMC6118319 DOI: 10.1534/g3.118.200503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how genomic variation causes differences in observable phenotypes remains a major challenge in biology. It is difficult to trace the sequence of events originating from genomic variants to changes in transcriptional responses or protein modifications. Ideally, one would conduct experiments with individuals that are at either extreme of the trait of interest, but such resources are often not available. Further, advances in genome editing will enable testing of candidate polymorphisms individually and in combination. Here we have created a resource for the study of sleep with 39 inbred lines of Drosophila-the Sleep Inbred Panel (SIP). SIP lines have stable long- and short-sleeping phenotypes developed from naturally occurring polymorphisms. These lines are fully sequenced, enabling more accurate targeting for genome editing and transgenic constructs. This panel facilitates the study of intermediate transcriptional and proteomic correlates of sleep, and supports genome editing studies to verify polymorphisms associated with sleep duration.
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The Drosophila homologue of MEGF8 is essential for early development. Sci Rep 2018; 8:8790. [PMID: 29884872 PMCID: PMC5993795 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27076-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations of the gene MEGF8 cause Carpenter syndrome in humans, and the mouse orthologue has been functionally associated with Nodal and Bmp4 signalling. Here, we have investigated the phenotype associated with loss-of-function of CG7466, a gene that encodes the Drosophila homologue of MEGF8. We generated three different frame-shift null mutations in CG7466 using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. Heterozygous flies appeared normal, but homozygous animals had disorganised denticle belts and died as 2nd or 3rd instar larvae. Larvae were delayed in transition to 3rd instars and showed arrested growth, which was associated with abnormal feeding behaviour and prolonged survival when yeast food was supplemented with sucrose. RNAi-mediated knockdown using the Gal4-UAS system resulted in lethality with ubiquitous and tissue-specific Gal4 drivers, and growth defects including abnormal bristle number and orientation in a subset of escapers. We conclude that CG7466 is essential for larval development and that diminished function perturbs denticle and bristle formation.
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34
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Abstract
Recent years have seen an increase in studies that associate genomic loci with behavioral variation both within and across animal species. Ryan York compiles and analyzes over 1,000 of these loci, finding that the genetic... Although most animal behaviors are associated with some form of heritable genetic variation, we do not yet understand how genes sculpt behavior across evolution, either directly or indirectly. To address this, I here compile a data set comprised of over 1000 genomic loci representing a spectrum of behavioral variation across animal taxa. Comparative analyses reveal that courtship and feeding behaviors are associated with genomic regions of significantly greater effect than other traits, on average threefold greater than other behaviors. Investigations of whole-genome sequencing and phenotypic data for 87 behavioral traits from the Drosophila Genetics Reference Panel indicate that courtship and feeding behaviors have significantly greater genetic contributions and that, in general, behavioral traits overlap little in individual base pairs but increasingly interact at the levels of genes and traits. These results provide evidence that different types of behavior are associated with variable genetic bases and suggest that, across animal evolution, the genetic landscape of behavior is more rugged, yet predictable, than previously thought.
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35
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Wu KJ, Kumar S, Serrano Negron YL, Harbison ST. Genotype Influences Day-to-Day Variability in Sleep in Drosophila melanogaster. Sleep 2018; 41:zsx205. [PMID: 29228366 PMCID: PMC6018780 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsx205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Patterns of sleep often vary among individuals. But sleep and activity may also vary within an individual, fluctuating in pattern across time. One possibility is that these daily fluctuations in sleep are caused by the underlying genotype of the individual. However, differences attributable to genetic causes are difficult to distinguish from environmental factors in outbred populations such as humans. We therefore employed Drosophila as a model of intra-individual variability in sleep using previously collected sleep and activity data from the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel, a collection of wild-derived inbred lines. Individual flies had significant daily fluctuations in their sleep patterns, and these fluctuations were heritable. Using the standard deviation of sleep parameters as a metric, we conducted a genome-wide association study. We found 663 polymorphisms in 104 genes associated with daily fluctuations in sleep. We confirmed the effects of 12 candidate genes on the standard deviation of sleep parameters. Our results suggest that daily fluctuations in sleep patterns are due in part to gene activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine J Wu
- Laboratory of Systems Genetics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Shailesh Kumar
- Laboratory of Systems Genetics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Yazmin L Serrano Negron
- Laboratory of Systems Genetics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Susan T Harbison
- Laboratory of Systems Genetics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
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36
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Chen D, Dale RK, Lei EP. Shep regulates Drosophila neuronal remodeling by controlling transcription of its chromatin targets. Development 2018; 145:dev.154047. [PMID: 29158441 DOI: 10.1242/dev.154047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Neuronal remodeling is crucial for formation of the mature nervous system and disruption of this process can lead to neuropsychiatric diseases. Global gene expression changes in neurons during remodeling as well as the factors that regulate these changes remain poorly defined. To elucidate this process, we performed RNA-seq on isolated Drosophila larval and pupal neurons and found upregulated synaptic signaling and downregulated gene expression regulators as a result of normal neuronal metamorphosis. We further tested the role of alan shepard (shep), which encodes an evolutionarily conserved RNA-binding protein required for proper neuronal remodeling. Depletion of shep in neurons prevents the execution of metamorphic gene expression patterns, and shep-regulated genes correspond to Shep chromatin and/or RNA-binding targets. Reduced expression of a Shep-inhibited target gene that we identified, brat, is sufficient to rescue neuronal remodeling defects of shep knockdown flies. Our results reveal direct regulation of transcriptional programs by Shep to regulate neuronal remodeling during metamorphosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dahong Chen
- Nuclear Organization and Gene Expression Section, Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ryan K Dale
- Nuclear Organization and Gene Expression Section, Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Elissa P Lei
- Nuclear Organization and Gene Expression Section, Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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37
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Lee YCG, Yang Q, Chi W, Turkson SA, Du WA, Kemkemer C, Zeng ZB, Long M, Zhuang X. Genetic Architecture of Natural Variation Underlying Adult Foraging Behavior That Is Essential for Survival of Drosophila melanogaster. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 9:1357-1369. [PMID: 28472322 PMCID: PMC5452641 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evx089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Foraging behavior is critical for the fitness of individuals. However, the genetic basis of variation in foraging behavior and the evolutionary forces underlying such natural variation have rarely been investigated. We developed a systematic approach to assay the variation in survival rate in a foraging environment for adult flies derived from a wild Drosophila melanogaster population. Despite being such an essential trait, there is substantial variation of foraging behavior among D. melanogaster strains. Importantly, we provided the first evaluation of the potential caveats of using inbred Drosophila strains to perform genome-wide association studies on life-history traits, and concluded that inbreeding depression is unlikely a major contributor for the observed large variation in adult foraging behavior. We found that adult foraging behavior has a strong genetic component and, unlike larval foraging behavior, depends on multiple loci. Identified candidate genes are enriched in those with high expression in adult heads and, demonstrated by expression knock down assay, are involved in maintaining normal functions of the nervous system. Our study not only identified candidate genes for foraging behavior that is relevant to individual fitness, but also shed light on the initial stage underlying the evolution of the behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuh Chwen G Lee
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.,Present address: Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Department of Molecular Biology and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley
| | - Qian Yang
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Wanhao Chi
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.,Present address: Committee on Genetics, Genomics & Systems Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Susie A Turkson
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Wei A Du
- Department of Biology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
| | - Claus Kemkemer
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Zhao-Bang Zeng
- Department of Statistical Genetics and Bioinformatics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Manyuan Long
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Xiaoxi Zhuang
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
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38
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Hursh DA, Stultz BG. Odd-Paired: The Drosophila Zic Gene. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2018; 1046:41-58. [PMID: 29442316 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-10-7311-3_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Zinc finger in the cerebellum (Zic) proteins are a family of transcription factors with multiple roles during development, particularly in neural tissues. The founding member of the Zic family is the Drosophila odd-paired (opa) gene. The Opa protein has a DNA binding domain containing five Cys2His2-type zinc fingers and has been shown to act as a sequence-specific DNA binding protein. Opa has significant homology to mammalian Zic1, Zic2, and Zic3 within the zinc finger domain and in two other conserved regions outside that domain. opa was initially identified as a pair-rule gene, part of the hierarchy of genes that establish the segmental body plan of the early Drosophila embryo. However, its wide expression pattern during embryogenesis indicates it plays additional roles. Embryos deficient in opa die before hatching with aberrant segmentation but also with defects in larval midgut formation. Post-embryonically, opa plays important roles in adult head development and circadian rhythm. Based on extensive neural expression, opa is predicted to be involved in many aspects of neural development and behavior, like other proteins of the Zic family. Consensus DNA binding sites have been identified for Opa and have been shown to activate transcription in vivo. However, there is evidence Opa may serve as a transcriptional regulator in the absence of direct DNA binding, as has been seen for other Zic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah A Hursh
- Division of Cell and Gene Therapy, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
| | - Brian G Stultz
- Division of Cell and Gene Therapy, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
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39
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Mackay TFC, Huang W. Charting the genotype-phenotype map: lessons from the Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2018; 7:10.1002/wdev.289. [PMID: 28834395 PMCID: PMC5746472 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.289+10.1002/wdev.289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Revised: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the genetic architecture (causal molecular variants, their effects, and frequencies) of quantitative traits is important for precision agriculture and medicine and predicting adaptive evolution, but is challenging in most species. The Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) is a collection of 205 inbred strains with whole genome sequences derived from a single wild population in Raleigh, NC, USA. The large amount of quantitative genetic variation, lack of population structure, and rapid local decay of linkage disequilibrium in the DGRP and outbred populations derived from DGRP lines present a favorable scenario for performing genome-wide association (GWA) mapping analyses to identify candidate causal genes, polymorphisms, and pathways affecting quantitative traits. The many GWA studies utilizing the DGRP have revealed substantial natural genetic variation for all reported traits, little evidence for variants with large effects but enrichment for variants with low P-values, and a tendency for lower frequency variants to have larger effects than more common variants. The variants detected in the GWA analyses rarely overlap those discovered using mutagenesis, and often are the first functional annotations of computationally predicted genes. Variants implicated in GWA analyses typically have sex-specific and genetic background-specific (epistatic) effects, as well as pleiotropic effects on other quantitative traits. Studies in the DGRP reveal substantial genetic control of environmental variation. Taking account of genetic architecture can greatly improve genomic prediction in the DGRP. These features of the genetic architecture of quantitative traits are likely to apply to other species, including humans. WIREs Dev Biol 2018, 7:e289. doi: 10.1002/wdev.289 This article is categorized under: Invertebrate Organogenesis > Flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trudy F C Mackay
- Program in Genetics, W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology and Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Wen Huang
- Program in Genetics, W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology and Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
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40
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Mackay TFC, Huang W. Charting the genotype-phenotype map: lessons from the Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2018; 7:10.1002/wdev.289. [PMID: 28834395 PMCID: PMC5746472 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.289 10.1002/wdev.289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Revised: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the genetic architecture (causal molecular variants, their effects, and frequencies) of quantitative traits is important for precision agriculture and medicine and predicting adaptive evolution, but is challenging in most species. The Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) is a collection of 205 inbred strains with whole genome sequences derived from a single wild population in Raleigh, NC, USA. The large amount of quantitative genetic variation, lack of population structure, and rapid local decay of linkage disequilibrium in the DGRP and outbred populations derived from DGRP lines present a favorable scenario for performing genome-wide association (GWA) mapping analyses to identify candidate causal genes, polymorphisms, and pathways affecting quantitative traits. The many GWA studies utilizing the DGRP have revealed substantial natural genetic variation for all reported traits, little evidence for variants with large effects but enrichment for variants with low P-values, and a tendency for lower frequency variants to have larger effects than more common variants. The variants detected in the GWA analyses rarely overlap those discovered using mutagenesis, and often are the first functional annotations of computationally predicted genes. Variants implicated in GWA analyses typically have sex-specific and genetic background-specific (epistatic) effects, as well as pleiotropic effects on other quantitative traits. Studies in the DGRP reveal substantial genetic control of environmental variation. Taking account of genetic architecture can greatly improve genomic prediction in the DGRP. These features of the genetic architecture of quantitative traits are likely to apply to other species, including humans. WIREs Dev Biol 2018, 7:e289. doi: 10.1002/wdev.289 This article is categorized under: Invertebrate Organogenesis > Flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trudy F C Mackay
- Program in Genetics, W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology and Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Wen Huang
- Program in Genetics, W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology and Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
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41
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Fuller ZL, Haynes GD, Richards S, Schaeffer SW. Genomics of natural populations: Evolutionary forces that establish and maintain gene arrangements inDrosophila pseudoobscura. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:6539-6562. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Revised: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 10/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zachary L. Fuller
- Department of Biology; 208 Erwin W. Mueller Laboratory; The Pennsylvania State University; University Park PA USA
| | - Gwilym D. Haynes
- Department of Biology; 208 Erwin W. Mueller Laboratory; The Pennsylvania State University; University Park PA USA
| | - Stephen Richards
- Human Genome Sequencing Center; Baylor College of Medicine; Houston TX USA
| | - Stephen W. Schaeffer
- Department of Biology; 208 Erwin W. Mueller Laboratory; The Pennsylvania State University; University Park PA USA
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42
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Brown EB, Patterson C, Pancoast R, Rollmann SM. Artificial selection for odor-guided behavior in Drosophila reveals changes in food consumption. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:867. [PMID: 29132294 PMCID: PMC5683340 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-4233-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The olfactory system enables organisms to detect chemical cues in the environment and can signal the availability of food or the presence of a predator. Appropriate behavioral responses to these chemical cues are therefore important for organismal survival and can influence traits such as organismal life span and food consumption. However, understanding the genetic mechanisms underlying odor-guided behavior, correlated responses in other traits, and how these constrain or promote their evolution, remain an important challenge. Here, we performed artificial selection for attractive and aversive behavioral responses to four chemical compounds, two aromatics (4-ethylguaiacol and 4-methylphenol) and two esters (methyl hexanoate and ethyl acetate), for thirty generations. Results Artificial selection for odor-guided behavior revealed symmetrical responses to selection for each of the four chemical compounds. We then investigated whether selection for odor-guided behavior resulted in correlated responses in life history traits and/or food consumption. We found changes in food consumption upon selection for behavioral responses to aromatics. In many cases, lines selected for increased attraction to aromatics showed an increase in food consumption. We then performed RNA sequencing of lines selected for responses to 4-ethylguaiacol to identify candidate genes associated with odor-guided behavior and its impact on food consumption. We identified 91 genes that were differentially expressed among lines, many of which were associated with metabolic processes. RNAi-mediated knockdown of select candidate genes further supports their role in odor-guided behavior and/or food consumption. Conclusions This study identifies novel genes underlying variation in odor-guided behavior and further elucidates the genetic mechanisms underlying the interrelationship between olfaction and feeding. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-017-4233-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth B Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221-0006, USA
| | - Cody Patterson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221-0006, USA
| | - Rayanne Pancoast
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221-0006, USA.,Department of Biology, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH, 45207, USA
| | - Stephanie M Rollmann
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221-0006, USA.
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43
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The road less traveled: from genotype to phenotype in flies and humans. Mamm Genome 2017; 29:5-23. [DOI: 10.1007/s00335-017-9722-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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44
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Incorporating Gene Annotation into Genomic Prediction of Complex Phenotypes. Genetics 2017; 207:489-501. [PMID: 28839043 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.117.300198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Today, genomic prediction (GP) is an established technology in plant and animal breeding programs. Current standard methods are purely based on statistical considerations but do not make use of the abundant biological knowledge, which is easily available from public databases. Major questions that have to be answered before biological prior information can be used routinely in GP approaches are which types of information can be used, and at which points they can be incorporated into prediction methods. In this study, we propose a novel strategy to incorporate gene annotation into GP of complex phenotypes by defining haploblocks according to gene positions. Haplotype effects are then modeled as categorical or as numerical allele dosage variables. The underlying concept of this approach is to build the statistical model on variables representing the biologically functional units. We evaluate the new methods with data from a heterogeneous stock mouse population, the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP), and a rice breeding population from the Rice Diversity Panel. Our results show that using gene annotation to define haploblocks often leads to a comparable, but for some traits to a higher, predictive ability compared to SNP-based models or to haplotype models that do not use gene annotation information. Modeling gene interaction effects can further improve predictive ability. We also illustrate that the additional use of markers that have not been mapped to any gene in a second separate relatedness matrix does in many cases not lead to a relevant additional increase in predictive ability when the first matrix is based on haploblocks defined with gene annotation data, suggesting that intergenic markers only provide redundant information on the considered data sets. Therefore, gene annotation information seems to be appropriate to perceive the importance of DNA segments. Finally, we discuss the effects of gene annotation quality, marker density, and linkage disequilibrium on the performance of the new methods. To our knowledge, this is the first work that incorporates epistatic interaction or gene annotation into haplotype-based prediction approaches.
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45
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Mackay TFC, Huang W. Charting the genotype-phenotype map: lessons from the Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2017; 7. [PMID: 28834395 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Revised: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the genetic architecture (causal molecular variants, their effects, and frequencies) of quantitative traits is important for precision agriculture and medicine and predicting adaptive evolution, but is challenging in most species. The Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) is a collection of 205 inbred strains with whole genome sequences derived from a single wild population in Raleigh, NC, USA. The large amount of quantitative genetic variation, lack of population structure, and rapid local decay of linkage disequilibrium in the DGRP and outbred populations derived from DGRP lines present a favorable scenario for performing genome-wide association (GWA) mapping analyses to identify candidate causal genes, polymorphisms, and pathways affecting quantitative traits. The many GWA studies utilizing the DGRP have revealed substantial natural genetic variation for all reported traits, little evidence for variants with large effects but enrichment for variants with low P-values, and a tendency for lower frequency variants to have larger effects than more common variants. The variants detected in the GWA analyses rarely overlap those discovered using mutagenesis, and often are the first functional annotations of computationally predicted genes. Variants implicated in GWA analyses typically have sex-specific and genetic background-specific (epistatic) effects, as well as pleiotropic effects on other quantitative traits. Studies in the DGRP reveal substantial genetic control of environmental variation. Taking account of genetic architecture can greatly improve genomic prediction in the DGRP. These features of the genetic architecture of quantitative traits are likely to apply to other species, including humans. WIREs Dev Biol 2018, 7:e289. doi: 10.1002/wdev.289 This article is categorized under: Invertebrate Organogenesis > Flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trudy F C Mackay
- Program in Genetics, W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology and Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Wen Huang
- Program in Genetics, W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology and Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
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46
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Ballesteros GI, Gadau J, Legeai F, Gonzalez-Gonzalez A, Lavandero B, Simon JC, Figueroa CC. Expression differences in Aphidius ervi (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) females reared on different aphid host species. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3640. [PMID: 28852588 PMCID: PMC5572533 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms that allow generalist parasitoids to exploit many, often very distinct hosts are practically unknown. The wasp Aphidius ervi, a generalist koinobiont parasitoid of aphids, was introduced from Europe into Chile in the late 1970s to control agriculturally important aphid species. A recent study showed significant differences in host preference and host acceptance (infectivity) depending on the host A. ervi were reared on. In contrast, no genetic differentiation between A. ervi populations parasitizing different aphid species and aphids of the same species reared on different host plants was found in Chile. Additionally, the same study did not find any fitness effects in A. ervi if offspring were reared on a different host as their mothers. Here, we determined the effect of aphid host species (Sitobion avenae versus Acyrthosiphon pisum reared on two different host plants alfalfa and pea) on the transcriptome of adult A. ervi females. We found a large number of differentially expressed genes (between host species: head: 2,765; body: 1,216; within the same aphid host species reared on different host plants: alfalfa versus pea: head 593; body 222). As expected, the transcriptomes from parasitoids reared on the same host species (pea aphid) but originating from different host plants (pea versus alfalfa) were more similar to each other than the transcriptomes of parasitoids reared on a different aphid host and host plant (head: 648 and 1,524 transcripts; body: 566 and 428 transcripts). We found several differentially expressed odorant binding proteins and olfactory receptor proteins in particular, when we compared parasitoids from different host species. Additionally, we found differentially expressed genes involved in neuronal growth and development as well as signaling pathways. These results point towards a significant rewiring of the transcriptome of A. ervi depending on aphid-plant complex where parasitoids develop, even if different biotypes of a certain aphid host species (A. pisum) are reared on the same host plant. This difference seems to persist even after the different wasp populations were reared on the same aphid host in the laboratory for more than 50 generations. This indicates that either the imprinting process is very persistent or there is enough genetic/allelic variation between A. ervi populations. The role of distinct molecular mechanisms is discussed in terms of the formation of host fidelity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel I Ballesteros
- Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile.,Millennium Nucleus Centre in Molecular Ecology and Evolutionary Applications in the Agroecosystems, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile
| | - Jürgen Gadau
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America.,Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Fabrice Legeai
- GenScale, INRIA Centre Rennes, Rennes, France.,Institute of Genetics, Environment and Plant Protection, INRA, Le Rheu, France
| | - Angelica Gonzalez-Gonzalez
- Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile.,Millennium Nucleus Centre in Molecular Ecology and Evolutionary Applications in the Agroecosystems, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile
| | - Blas Lavandero
- Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile
| | | | - Christian C Figueroa
- Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile.,Millennium Nucleus Centre in Molecular Ecology and Evolutionary Applications in the Agroecosystems, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile
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47
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Zhou S, Luoma SE, St. Armour GE, Thakkar E, Mackay TFC, Anholt RRH. A Drosophila model for toxicogenomics: Genetic variation in susceptibility to heavy metal exposure. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1006907. [PMID: 28732062 PMCID: PMC5544243 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Revised: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The genetic factors that give rise to variation in susceptibility to environmental toxins remain largely unexplored. Studies on genetic variation in susceptibility to environmental toxins are challenging in human populations, due to the variety of clinical symptoms and difficulty in determining which symptoms causally result from toxic exposure; uncontrolled environments, often with exposure to multiple toxicants; and difficulty in relating phenotypic effect size to toxic dose, especially when symptoms become manifest with a substantial time lag. Drosophila melanogaster is a powerful model that enables genome-wide studies for the identification of allelic variants that contribute to variation in susceptibility to environmental toxins, since the genetic background, environmental rearing conditions and toxic exposure can be precisely controlled. Here, we used extreme QTL mapping in an outbred population derived from the D. melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel to identify alleles associated with resistance to lead and/or cadmium, two ubiquitous environmental toxins that present serious health risks. We identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with variation in resistance to both heavy metals as well as SNPs associated with resistance specific to each of them. The effects of these SNPs were largely sex-specific. We applied mutational and RNAi analyses to 33 candidate genes and functionally validated 28 of them. We constructed networks of candidate genes as blueprints for orthologous networks of human genes. The latter not only provided functional contexts for known human targets of heavy metal toxicity, but also implicated novel candidate susceptibility genes. These studies validate Drosophila as a translational toxicogenomics gene discovery system. Although physiological effects of environmental toxins are well documented, we know little about the genetic factors that determine individual variation in susceptibility to toxins. Such information is difficult to obtain in human populations due to heterogeneity in genetic background and environmental exposure, and the diversity of symptoms and time lag with which they appear after toxic exposure. Here, we show that the fruit fly, Drosophila, can serve as a powerful genetic model system to elucidate the genetic underpinnings that contribute to individual variation in resistance to toxicity, using lead and cadmium exposure as an experimental paradigm. We identified genes that harbor genetic variants that contribute to individual variation in resistance to heavy metal exposure. Furthermore, we constructed genetic networks on which we could superimpose human counterparts of Drosophila genes. We were able to place human genes previously implicated in heavy metal toxicity in biological context and identify novel targets for heavy metal toxicity. Thus, we demonstrate that based on evolutionary conservation of fundamental biological processes, we can use Drosophila as a powerful translational model for toxicogenomics studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Zhou
- Program in Genetics, W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, and Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Sarah E. Luoma
- Program in Genetics, W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, and Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Genevieve E. St. Armour
- Program in Genetics, W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, and Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Esha Thakkar
- Enloe Magnet High School, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Trudy F. C. Mackay
- Program in Genetics, W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, and Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Robert R. H. Anholt
- Program in Genetics, W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, and Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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48
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Lobell AS, Kaspari RR, Serrano Negron YL, Harbison ST. The Genetic Architecture of Ovariole Number in Drosophila melanogaster: Genes with Major, Quantitative, and Pleiotropic Effects. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2017; 7:2391-2403. [PMID: 28550012 PMCID: PMC5499145 DOI: 10.1534/g3.117.042390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2017] [Accepted: 05/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Ovariole number has a direct role in the number of eggs produced by an insect, suggesting that it is a key morphological fitness trait. Many studies have documented the variability of ovariole number and its relationship to other fitness and life-history traits in natural populations of Drosophila However, the genes contributing to this variability are largely unknown. Here, we conducted a genome-wide association study of ovariole number in a natural population of flies. Using mutations and RNAi-mediated knockdown, we confirmed the effects of 24 candidate genes on ovariole number, including a novel gene, anneboleyn (formerly CG32000), that impacts both ovariole morphology and numbers of offspring produced. We also identified pleiotropic genes between ovariole number traits and sleep and activity behavior. While few polymorphisms overlapped between sleep parameters and ovariole number, 39 candidate genes were nevertheless in common. We verified the effects of seven genes on both ovariole number and sleep: bin3, blot, CG42389, kirre, slim, VAChT, and zfh1 Linkage disequilibrium among the polymorphisms in these common genes was low, suggesting that these polymorphisms may evolve independently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda S Lobell
- Laboratory of Systems Genetics, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Rachel R Kaspari
- Laboratory of Systems Genetics, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Yazmin L Serrano Negron
- Laboratory of Systems Genetics, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Susan T Harbison
- Laboratory of Systems Genetics, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
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49
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Loci Contributing to Boric Acid Toxicity in Two Reference Populations of Drosophila melanogaster. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2017; 7:1631-1641. [PMID: 28592646 PMCID: PMC5473745 DOI: 10.1534/g3.117.041418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Populations maintain considerable segregating variation in the response to toxic, xenobiotic compounds. To identify variants associated with resistance to boric acid, a commonly-used household insecticide with a poorly understood mechanism of action, we assayed thousands of individuals from hundreds of strains. Using the Drosophila Synthetic Population Resource (DSPR), a multi-parental population (MPP) of inbred genotypes, we mapped six QTL to short genomic regions containing few protein-coding genes (3–188), allowing us to identify plausible candidate genes underlying resistance to boric acid toxicity. One interval contains multiple genes from the cytochrome P450 family, and we show that ubiquitous RNAi of one of these genes, Cyp9b2, markedly reduces resistance to the toxin. Resistance to boric acid is positively correlated with caffeine resistance. The two phenotypes additionally share a pair of QTL, potentially suggesting a degree of pleiotropy in the genetic control of resistance to these two distinct xenobiotics. Finally, we screened the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) in an attempt to identify sequence variants within mapped QTL that are associated with boric acid resistance. The approach was largely unsuccessful, with only one QTL showing any associations at QTL-specific 20% False Discovery Rate (FDR) thresholds. Nonetheless, these associations point to a potential candidate gene that can be targeted in future validation efforts. Although the mapping data resulting from the two reference populations do not clearly overlap, our work provides a starting point for further genetic dissection of the processes underlying boric acid toxicity in insects.
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50
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Wang JB, Lu HL, St. Leger RJ. The genetic basis for variation in resistance to infection in the Drosophila melanogaster genetic reference panel. PLoS Pathog 2017; 13:e1006260. [PMID: 28257468 PMCID: PMC5352145 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Revised: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals vary extensively in the way they respond to disease but the genetic basis of this variation is not fully understood. We found substantial individual variation in resistance and tolerance to the fungal pathogen Metarhizium anisopliae Ma549 using the Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP). In addition, we found that host defense to Ma549 was correlated with defense to the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pa14, and several previously published DGRP phenotypes including oxidative stress sensitivity, starvation stress resistance, hemolymph glucose levels, and sleep indices. We identified polymorphisms associated with differences between lines in both their mean survival times and microenvironmental plasticity, suggesting that lines differ in their ability to adapt to variable pathogen exposures. The majority of polymorphisms increasing resistance to Ma549 were sex biased, located in non-coding regions, had moderately large effect and were rare, suggesting that there is a general cost to defense. Nevertheless, host defense was not negatively correlated with overall longevity and fecundity. In contrast to Ma549, minor alleles were concentrated in the most Pa14-susceptible as well as the most Pa14-resistant lines. A pathway based analysis revealed a network of Pa14 and Ma549-resistance genes that are functionally connected through processes that encompass phagocytosis and engulfment, cell mobility, intermediary metabolism, protein phosphorylation, axon guidance, response to DNA damage, and drug metabolism. Functional testing with insertional mutagenesis lines indicates that 12/13 candidate genes tested influence susceptibility to Ma549. Many candidate genes have homologs identified in studies of human disease, suggesting that genes affecting variation in susceptibility are conserved across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan B. Wang
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland College Park, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Hsiao-Ling Lu
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland College Park, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Raymond J. St. Leger
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland College Park, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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