Spatial and circadian regulation of cry in Drosophila

Molecular Characterization and Expression Profiles of Cryptochrome Genes in a Long-Distance Migrant, Agrotis segetum (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Cryptochromes act as photoreceptors or integral components of the circadian clock that involved in the regulation of circadian clock and regulation of migratory activity in many animals, and they may also act as magnetoreceptors that sensed the direction of the Earth's magnetic field for the purpose of navigation during animals' migration. Light is a major environmental signal for insect circadian rhythms, and it is also necessary for magnetic orientation. We identified the full-length cDNA encoding As-CRY1 and As-CRY2 in Agrotis segetum Denis and Schiffermaller (turnip moth (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)). The DNA photolyase domain and flavin adenine dinucleotide-binding domain were found in both cry genes, and multiple alignments showed that those domains that are important for the circadian clock and magnetosensing were highly conserved among different animals. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that cry genes were expressed in all examined body parts, with higher expression in adults during the developmental stages of the moths. Under a 14:10 (L:D) h cycle, the expression of cry genes showed a daily biological rhythm, and light can affect the expression levels of As-cry genes. The expression levels of cry genes were higher in the migratory population than in the reared population and higher in the emigration population than in the immigration population. These findings suggest that the two cryptochrome genes characterized in the turnip moth might be associated with the circadian clock and magnetosensing. Their functions deserve further study, especially for potential control of the turnip moth.

CLOCK stabilizes CYCLE to initiate clock function in Drosophila

The Drosophila circadian clock keeps time via transcriptional feedback loops. These feedback loops are initiated by CLOCK-CYCLE (CLK-CYC) heterodimers, which activate transcription of genes encoding the feedback repressors PERIOD and TIMELESS. Circadian clocks normally operate in ∼150 brain pacemaker neurons and in many peripheral tissues in the head and body, but can also be induced by expressing CLK in nonclock cells. These ectopic clocks also require cyc, yet CYC expression is restricted to canonical clock cells despite evidence that cyc mRNA is widely expressed. Here we show that CLK binds to and stabilizes CYC in cell culture and in nonclock cells in vivo. Ectopic clocks also require the blue light photoreceptor CRYPTOCHROME (CRY), which is required for both light entrainment and clock function in peripheral tissues. These experiments define the genetic architecture required to initiate circadian clock function in Drosophila, reveal mechanisms governing circadian activator stability that are conserved in perhaps all eukaryotes, and suggest that Clk, cyc, and cry expression is sufficient to drive clock expression in naive cells.

Circadian rhythms in insect disease vectors

Organisms from bacteria to humans have evolved under predictable daily environmental cycles owing to the Earth’s rotation. This strong selection pressure has generated endogenous circadian clocks that regulate many aspects of behaviour, physiology and metabolism, anticipating and synchronising internal time-keeping to changes in the cyclical environment. In haematophagous insect vectors the circadian clock coordinates feeding activity, which is important for the dynamics of pathogen transmission. We have recently witnessed a substantial advance in molecular studies of circadian clocks in insect vector species that has consolidated behavioural data collected over many years, which provided insights into the regulation of the clock in the wild. Next generation sequencing technologies will facilitate the study of vector genomes/transcriptomes both among and within species and illuminate some of the species-specific patterns of adaptive circadian phenotypes that are observed in the field and in the laboratory. In this review we will explore these recent findings and attempt to identify potential areas for further investigation.

Or47b receptor neurons mediate sociosexual interactions in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster

In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, social interactions especially among heterosexual couples have been shown to have significant impact on the circadian timing system. Olfaction plays a major role in such interactions; however, we do not know yet specifically which receptor(s) are involved. Further, the role of circadian clock neurons in the rhythmic regulation of such sociosexual interactions (SSIs) is not fully understood. Here, we report the results of our study in which we assayed the locomotor activity and sleep-wake behaviors of male-male (MM), female-female (FF), and male-female (MF) couples from several wild-type and mutant strains of Drosophila with an aim to identify specific olfactory receptor(s) and circadian clock neurons involved in the rhythmic regulation of SSI. The results indicate that Or47b receptor neurons are necessary for SSI, as ablation or silencing of these neurons has a severe impact on SSI. Further, the neuropeptide pigment dispersing factor (PDF) and PDF-positive ventral lateral (LN(v)) clock neurons appear to be dispensable for the regulation of SSI; however, dorsal neurons may be involved.

The clock input to the first optic neuropil of Drosophila melanogaster expressing neuronal circadian plasticity

In the first optic neuropil (lamina) of the fly's visual system, two interneurons, L1 and L2 monopolar cells, and epithelial glial cells show circadian rhythms in morphological plasticity. These rhythms depend on clock gene period (per) and cryptochrome (cry) expression. In the present study, we found that rhythms in the lamina of Drosophila melanogaster may be regulated by circadian clock neurons in the brain since the lamina is invaded by one neurite extending from ventral lateral neurons; the so-called pacemaker neurons. These neurons and the projection to the lamina were visualized by green fluorescent protein (GFP). GFP reporter gene expression was driven by the cry promotor in cry-GAL4/UAS-GFP transgenic lines. We observed that the neuron projecting to the lamina forms arborizations of varicose fibers in the distal lamina. These varicose fibers do not form synaptic contacts with the lamina cells and are immunoreactive to the antisera raised against a specific region of Schistocerca gregaria ion transport peptide (ITP). ITP released in a paracrine way in the lamina cortex, may regulate the swelling and shrinking rhythms of the lamina monopolar cells and the glia by controlling the transport of ions and fluids across cell membranes at particular times of the day.

DN1(p) circadian neurons coordinate acute light and PDF inputs to produce robust daily behavior in Drosophila

BACKGROUND

Daily behaviors in animals are determined by the interplay between internal timing signals from circadian clocks and environmental stimuli such as light. How these signals are integrated to produce timely and adaptive behavior is unclear. The fruit fly Drosophila exhibits clock-driven activity increases that anticipate dawn and dusk and free-running rhythms under constant conditions. Flies also respond to the onset of light and dark with acute increases in activity.

RESULTS

Mutants of a novel ion channel, narrow abdomen (na), lack a robust increase in activity in response to light and show reduced anticipatory behavior and free-running rhythms, providing a genetic link between photic responses and circadian clock function. We used tissue-specific rescue of na to demonstrate a role for approximately 16-20 circadian pacemaker neurons, a subset of the posterior dorsal neurons 1 (DN1(p)s), in mediating the acute response to the onset of light as well as morning anticipatory behavior. Circadian pacemaker neurons expressing the neuropeptide PIGMENT-DISPERSING FACTOR (PDF) are especially important for morning anticipation and free-running rhythms and send projections to the DN1(p)s. We also demonstrate that DN1(p)Pdfr expression is sufficient to rescue, at least partially, Pdfr morning anticipation defects as well as defects in free-running rhythms, including those in DN1 molecular clocks. Additionally, these DN1 clocks in wild-type flies are more strongly reset to timing changes in PDF clocks than other pacemaker neurons, suggesting that they are direct targets.

CONCLUSIONS

Taking these results together, we demonstrate that the DN1(p)s lie at the nexus of PDF and photic signaling to produce appropriate daily behavior.

Circadian expression of clock genes in two mosquito disease vectors: cry2 is different

Different mosquito species show a full range of activity patterns, including diurnal, crepuscular, and nocturnal behaviors. Although activity and blood-feeding rhythms are controlled by the circadian clock, it is not yet known whether such species-specific differences in behavior are controlled directly by core clock genes or instead reflect differences in how the information of the central clock is translated into output signals. The authors have analyzed the circadian expression of clock genes in two important mosquito vectors of tropical diseases, Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus . Although these two species show very different locomotor activity patterns and are estimated to have diverged more than 22 million years ago, they show conserved circadian expression patterns for all major cycling clock genes except mammalian-like cryptochrome2 (cry2). The results indicate that different mechanisms for cry2 regulation may exist for the two species. The authors speculate that the correlation between the differences in behavior between Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus and their corresponding cry2 mRNA profiles suggests a potential role for this clock gene in controlling species-specific rhythmic behavior. However, further work is needed to establish that this is the case as the different cry2 expression patterns might reflect differences between the Aedes and Culex lineages that are not directly related to changes in behavior.

Transcriptomic profiling of central nervous system regions in three species of honey bee during dance communication behavior

Background

We conducted a large-scale transcriptomic profiling of selected regions of the central nervous system (CNS) across three species of honey bees, in foragers that were performing dance behavior to communicate to their nestmates the location, direction and profitability of an attractive floral resource. We used microarrays to measure gene expression in bees from Apis mellifera, dorsata and florea, species that share major traits unique to the genus and also show striking differences in biology and dance communication. The goals of this study were to determine the extent of regional specialization in gene expression and to explore the molecular basis of dance communication.

Principal Findings

This “snapshot” of the honey bee CNS during dance behavior provides strong evidence for both species-consistent and species-specific differences in gene expression. Gene expression profiles in the mushroom bodies consistently showed the biggest differences relative to the other CNS regions. There were strong similarities in gene expression between the central brain and the second thoracic ganglion across all three species; many of the genes were related to metabolism and energy production. We also obtained gene expression differences between CNS regions that varied by species: A. mellifera differed the most, while dorsata and florea tended to be more similar.

Significance

Species differences in gene expression perhaps mirror known differences in nesting habit, ecology and dance behavior between mellifera, florea and dorsata. Species-specific differences in gene expression in selected CNS regions that relate to synaptic activity and motor control provide particularly attractive candidate genes to explain the differences in dance behavior exhibited by these three honey bee species. Similarities between central brain and thoracic ganglion provide a unique perspective on the potential coupling of these two motor-related regions during dance behavior and perhaps provide a snapshot of the energy intensive process of dance output generation. Mushroom body results reflect known roles for this region in the regulation of learning, memory and rhythmic behavior.

Circadian regulation of olfactory receptor neurons in the cockroach antenna

In the cockroach, olfactory sensitivity as measured by the amplitude of the electroantennogram (EAG) is regulated by the circadian system. We wished to determine how this rhythm in antennal response was reflected in the activity of individual olfactory receptor neurons. The amplitude of the EAG and the activity of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) in single olfactory sensilla were recorded simultaneously for 3 to 5 days in constant darkness from an antenna of the cockroach Leucophaea maderae. Both EAG amplitude and the spike frequency of the ORNs exhibited circadian rhythms with peak amplitude/activity occurring in the subjective day. The phases of the rhythms were dependent on the phase of the prior light cycle and thus were entrainable by light. Ablation of the optic lobes abolished the rhythm in EAG amplitude as has been previously reported. In contrast, the rhythm in ORN response persisted following surgery. These results indicated that a circadian clock outside the optic lobes can regulate the responses of olfactory receptor neurons and further that this modulation of the ORN response is not dependent on the circadian rhythm in EAG amplitude.

The blue-light photoreceptor CRYPTOCHROME is expressed in a subset of circadian oscillator neurons in the Drosophila CNS

In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, CRYPTOCHROME (CRY) functions as a photoreceptor to entrain circadian oscillators to light-dark cycles and as a transcription factor to maintain circadian oscillator function in certain peripheral tissues. Given the importance of CRY to circadian clock function, we expected this protein to be expressed in all oscillator cells, yet CRY cellular distribution and subcellular localization has not been firmly established. Here we investigate CRY spatial expression in the brain using a newly developed CRY antibody and a novel set of cry deletion mutants. We find that CRY is expressed in s-LNvs, l-LNvs, and a subset of LNds and DN1s, but not DN2s and DN3s. CRY is present in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm of these neurons, and its subcellular localization does not change over the circadian cycle. Although CRY is absent in DN2s and DN3s, cry promoter activity and/or cry mRNA accumulation can be detected in these neurons, suggesting that CRY levels are regulated posttranscriptionally. Oscillators in DN2s and DN3s entrain to environmental light-dark cycles, which implies that they are entrained indirectly by retinal photoreceptors, extraretinal photoreceptors, or other CRY-expressing cells.