scholarly journals Short and long-lasting behavioral consequences of agonistic encounters between male Drosophila melanogaster

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (17) ◽  
pp. 4818-4823 ◽  
Author(s):  
Séverine Trannoy ◽  
Jill Penn ◽  
Kenia Lucey ◽  
David Popovic ◽  
Edward A. Kravitz
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Behavioral Consequences ◽  
Behavioral Interactions ◽  
Varying Environments ◽  
De Novo Protein Synthesis ◽  
Agonistic Encounters

In many animal species, learning and memory have been found to play important roles in regulating intra- and interspecific behavioral interactions in varying environments. In such contexts, aggression is commonly used to obtain desired resources. Previous defeats or victories during aggressive interactions have been shown to influence the outcome of later contests, revealing loser and winner effects. In this study, we asked whether short- and/or long-term behavioral consequences accompany victories and defeats in dyadic pairings between male Drosophila melanogaster and how long those effects remain. The results demonstrated that single fights induced important behavioral changes in both combatants and resulted in the formation of short-term loser and winner effects. These decayed over several hours, with the duration depending on the level of familiarity of the opponents. Repeated defeats induced a long-lasting loser effect that was dependent on de novo protein synthesis, whereas repeated victories had no long-term behavioral consequences. This suggests that separate mechanisms govern the formation of loser and winner effects. These studies aim to lay a foundation for future investigations exploring the molecular mechanisms and circuitry underlying the nervous system changes induced by winning and losing bouts during agonistic encounters.

scholarly journals Sex dependent effect of maternal e-nicotine on F1 Drosophila development and airways

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia El-Merhie ◽  
Arne Krüger ◽  
Karin Uliczka ◽  
Stephanie Papenmeier ◽  
Thomas Roeder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Tobacco Smoking ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Virgin Female ◽  
Dependent Effect ◽  
Smoking During Pregnancy ◽  
Long Term Consequences ◽  
Offspring Health ◽  
F1 Generation

AbstractE-cigarettes are heavily advertised as healthier alternative to common tobacco cigarettes, leading more and more women to switch from regular cigarettes to ENDS (electronic nicotine delivery system) during pregnancy. While the noxious consequences of tobacco smoking during pregnancy on the offspring health are well-described, information on the long-term consequences due to maternal use of e-cigarettes do not exist so far. Therefore, we aimed to investigate how maternal e-nicotine influences offspring development from earliest life until adulthood. To this end, virgin femaleDrosophila melanogasterflies were exposed to nicotine vapor (8 µg nicotine) once per hour for a total of eight times. Following the last exposure, e-nicotine or sham exposed females were mated with non-exposed males. The F1-generation was then analyzed for viability, growth and airway structure. We demonstrate that maternal exposure to e-nicotine not only leads to reduced maternal fertility, but also negatively affects size and weight, as well as tracheal development of the F1-generation, lasting from embryonic stage until adulthood. These results not only underline the need for studies investigating the effects of maternal vaping on offspring health, but also propose our established model for analyzing molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways mediating these intergenerational changes.

scholarly journals De novo protein synthesis in distinct centrolateral amygdala interneurons is required for associative emotional memories

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prerana Shrestha ◽  
Zhe Shan ◽  
Maggie Marmarcz ◽  
Karen San Agustin Ruiz ◽  
Adam Taye Zerihoun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Synthesis ◽  
Basolateral Amygdala ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Brain Area ◽  
Dynamic Environment ◽  
Initiation Factor ◽  
Eukaryotic Initiation Factor ◽  
Defensive Responses ◽  
De Novo Protein Synthesis

To survive in a dynamic environment, animals need to identify and appropriately respond to stimuli that signal danger1,2. At the same time, animal survival also depends on suppressing the threat response during a stimulus that predicts absence of threat, i.e. safety3-5. Understanding the biological substrates of differential threat memories in which animals learn to flexibly switch between expressing and suppressing defensive responses to a threat-predictive cue and a safety cue, respectively, is critical for developing treatments for memory disorders such as PTSD6. A key brain area for processing and storing threat memories is the centrolateral amygdala (CeL), which receives convergent sensory inputs from the parabrachial nucleus and the basolateral amygdala and connects directly to the output nucleus of amygdala, the centromedial nucleus, to mediate defensive responses7-9. Despite a plethora of studies on the importance of neuronal activity in specific CeL neuronal populations during memory acquisition and retrieval10-12, little is known about regulation of their protein synthesis machinery. Consolidation of long-term, but not short-term, threat memories requires de novo protein synthesis, which suggests that the translation machinery in CeL interneurons is tightly regulated in order to stabilize associative memories. Herein, we have applied intersectional chemogenetic strategies in CeL interneurons to block cell type-specific translation initiation programs that are sensitive to depletion of eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) and phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (p-eIF2α), respectively. We show that in a differential threat conditioning paradigm, de novo translation in somatostatin-expressing (SOM) interneurons in the CeL is necessary for long-term storage of conditioned threat response whereas de novo translation in protein kinase Cδ-expressing (PKCδ) interneurons in the CeL is essential for storing conditioned response inhibition to a safety cue. Further, we show that oxytocinergic neuromodulation of PKCδ interneurons during differential threat learning is important for long-lasting cued threat discrimination. Our results indicate that the molecular elements of a differential threat memory trace are compartmentalized in distinct CeL interneuron populations and provide new mechanistic insight into the role of de novo protein synthesis in consolidation of long-term memories.

scholarly journals Long-term evolution of the roo transposable element copy number in mutation accumulation lines of Drosophila melanogaster

2011 ◽  
Vol 93 (3) ◽  
pp. 181-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
JULIA DÍAZ-GONZÁLEZ ◽  
J. FERNANDO VÁZQUEZ ◽  
JESÚS ALBORNOZ ◽  
ANA DOMÍNGUEZ
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Accumulation Rate ◽  
Mutation Accumulation ◽  
Fundamental Parameter ◽  
Highly Active ◽  
Transposition Rate ◽  
Transposable Element Copy

SummaryThe rate of insertion of transposable elements (TEs) is a fundamental parameter to understand both their dynamics and role in the evolution of the eukaryotic genome. Nonetheless, direct estimates of insertion rates are scarce because transposition is in general a rare phenomenon. A great deal of our previous work on transposition was based on a set of long-term mutation accumulation (MA) lines of Drosophila melanogaster started in 1987 (Oviedo lines), where roo was found highly active, with a rate of insertion of 7×10−4 insertions per element and generation, as compared with other 15 TE families that presented transposition rates around 10−5. Here, we study the evolution of the roo transposition rate, by in situ hybridization, after 60–75 additional generations of MA in two subsets of the Oviedo lines, O and O′, which had achieved average numbers of roo insertions of 77 and 84, respectively. In the O lines, insertions accumulated at a rate that remained constant (7×10−4 insertions per element and generation); however, the subset of lines O′ showed a lower accumulation rate of 4×10−4 insertions per element per generation, suggesting a regulation of transposition that depends on the number of elements. However, one of the O′ lines reached a number of 103 insertions, departing from the group mean by 4·6 sd, and showing that it escapes regulation. Hence, ‘de novo’ mutations affecting the regulation of transposition are relatively common. These results are discussed in relation to the possible mechanisms of containment of TEs.

scholarly journals G-protein αq gene expression plays a role in alcohol tolerance in Drosophila melanogaster

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 239821281988308
Author(s):  
Benjamin Aleyakpo ◽  
Oghenetega Umukoro ◽  
Ryan Kavlie ◽  
Daniel C. Ranson ◽  
Andrew Thompsett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Messenger Rna ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Ethanol Exposure ◽  
Protein Subunit ◽  
Repetitive Exposure ◽  
Subunit Expression ◽  
Short And Long Term

Ethanol is a psychoactive substance causing both short- and long-term behavioural changes in humans and animal models. We have used the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster to investigate the effect of ethanol exposure on the expression of the Gαq protein subunit. Repetitive exposure to ethanol causes a reduction in sensitivity (tolerance) to ethanol, which we have measured as the time for 50% of a set of flies to become sedated after exposure to ethanol (ST50). We demonstrate that the same treatment that induces an increase in ST50 over consecutive days (tolerance) also causes a decrease in Gαq protein subunit expression at both the messenger RNA and protein level. To identify whether there may be a causal relationship between these two outcomes, we have developed strains of flies in which Gαq messenger RNA expression is suppressed in a time- and tissue-specific manner. In these flies, the sensitivity to ethanol and the development of tolerance are altered. This work further supports the value of Drosophila as a model to dissect the molecular mechanisms of the behavioural response to alcohol and identifies G proteins as potentially important regulatory targets for alcohol use disorders.

scholarly journals Intermittent hypoxia and neurorehabilitation

2015 ◽  
Vol 119 (12) ◽  
pp. 1455-1465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisa J. Gonzalez-Rothi ◽  
Kun-Ze Lee ◽  
Erica A. Dale ◽  
Paul J. Reier ◽  
Gordon S. Mitchell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intermittent Hypoxia ◽  
Serotonin Receptor ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Spinal Injury ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Receptor Activation ◽  
Long Term Facilitation ◽  
Traditional Activity ◽  
De Novo Protein Synthesis

In recent years, it has become clear that brief, repeated presentations of hypoxia [i.e., acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH)] can boost the efficacy of more traditional therapeutic strategies in certain cases of neurologic dysfunction. This hypothesis derives from a series of studies in animal models and human subjects performed over the past 35 yr. In 1980, Millhorn et al. (Millhorn DE, Eldridge FL, Waldrop TG. Respir Physiol 41: 87-103, 1980) showed that electrical stimulation of carotid chemoafferent neurons produced a persistent, serotonin-dependent increase in phrenic motor output that outlasts the stimulus for more than 90 min (i.e., a “respiratory memory”). AIH elicits similar phrenic “long-term facilitation” (LTF) by a mechanism that requires cervical spinal serotonin receptor activation and de novo protein synthesis. From 2003 to present, a series of studies demonstrated that AIH can induce neuroplasticity in the injured spinal cord, causing functional recovery of breathing capacity after cervical spinal injury. Subsequently, it was demonstrated that repeated AIH (rAIH) can induce recovery of limb function, and the functional benefits of rAIH are greatest when paired with task-specific training. Since uncontrolled and/or prolonged intermittent hypoxia can elicit pathophysiology, a challenge of intermittent hypoxia research is to ensure that therapeutic protocols are well below the threshold for pathogenesis. This is possible since many low dose rAIH protocols have induced functional benefits without evidence of pathology. We propose that carefully controlled rAIH is a safe and noninvasive modality that can be paired with other neurorehabilitative strategies including traditional activity-based physical therapy or cell-based therapies such as intraspinal transplantation of neural progenitors.

scholarly journals ELAV proteins bind and stabilize C/EBP mRNA in the induction of long-term memory in Aplysia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anastasios A. Mirisis ◽  
Ashley M. Kopec ◽  
Thomas J. Carew
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Rna Binding Proteins ◽  
Early Gene ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
New Findings

AbstractLong-term memory (LTM) formation is a critical survival process by which an animal retains information about prior experiences in order to guide future behavior. In the experimentally advantageous marine mollusk Aplysia, LTM for sensitization can be induced by the presentation of two aversive shocks to the animal’s tail. Each of these training trials recruits distinct growth factor signaling systems that promote LTM formation. Specifically, whereas intact TrkB signaling during Trial 1 promotes an initial and transient increase of the immediate early gene apc/ebp mRNA, a prolonged increase in apc/ebp gene expression required for LTM formation requires the addition of TGFβ signaling during Trial 2. Here we explored the molecular mechanisms by which Trial 2 achieves the essential prolonged gene expression of apc/ebp. We find that this prolonged gene expression is not dependent on de novo transcription, but that apc/ebp mRNA synthesized by Trial 1 is post-transcriptionally stabilized by interacting with the RNA-binding protein ApELAV. This interaction is promoted by p38 MAPK activation initiated by TGFβ. We further demonstrate that blocking the interaction of ApELAV with its target mRNA during Trial 2 blocks both the prolonged increase in apc/ebp gene expression and the behavioral induction of LTM. Collectively, our findings elucidate both when and how ELAV proteins are recruited for the stabilization of mRNA in LTM formation.Significance StatementIn the present paper we significantly extend the general field of molecular processing in LTM by describing a novel form of pre-translational processing required for LTM which relies on the stabilization of a newly synthesized mRNA by a unique class of RNA binding proteins (ELAVs). In the broad field of molecular mechanisms of transcription-dependent LTM, there are now compelling data showing that important processing can occur after transcription of a gene, but before translation of the message into protein. Although the potential importance of ELAV proteins in LTM formation has previously been reported, to date there has been no mechanistic insight into the specific actions of ELAV proteins in stabilization of mRNAs known to be critical for LTM. Our new findings thus complement and extend this literature by demonstrating when and how this post-transcriptional gene regulation is mediated in the induction of LTM.

Melanophilin, a novel aldosterone-induced gene in mouse cortical collecting duct cells

2007 ◽  
Vol 293 (3) ◽  
pp. F904-F913 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica A. Martel ◽  
Donna Michael ◽  
Géza Fejes-Tóth ◽  
Anikó Náray-Fejes-Tóth
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Collecting Duct ◽  
Specific Class ◽  
Cortical Collecting Duct ◽  
Class V ◽  
Functional Consequences ◽  
Collecting Duct Cells ◽  
Regulated Trafficking ◽  
De Novo Protein Synthesis

The molecular mechanisms of aldosterone-regulated Na+ transport are not entirely clear. The goal of this study was to identify aldosterone-induced genes potentially involved in the trafficking of the epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC). We report that the transcript levels of melanophilin (MLPH), a protein involved in vesicular trafficking in melanocytes, are rapidly increased by aldosterone in cortical collecting duct (CCD) cells. This effect was near maximal at physiological aldosterone concentrations, indicating that it is mediated by the mineralocorticoid receptor. De novo protein synthesis is not required for the induction of MLPH mRNA by aldosterone. To determine whether this induction has functional consequences on transepithelial Na+ current, we generated clonal CCD cell lines that express a tetracycline-inducible MLPH. Induction of MLPH in these cells led to a relatively modest, but statistically significant, increase in amiloride-sensitive Na+ current, suggesting the MLPH may be involved in ENaC trafficking. MyosinVc, the epithelial-specific class V myosin that is highly homologous to MyosinVa, another component of the melanosome trafficking complex, has putative consensus sites for serum and glucocorticoid-induced kinase 1 (SGK1), an early aldosterone-induced kinase that mediates some of aldosterone's effects on Na+ transport. Our results indicate that MyosinVc is phosphorylated by endogenous SGK1, suggesting that this complex may be involved in the aldosterone-regulated trafficking of ENaC in the CCD. These results suggest potential mechanisms by which aldosterone may regulate Na+ transport both directly, by increasing the abundance of MLPH, and indirectly by increasing the transcription of SGK1, which in turn regulates the activity of MyosinVc.

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