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First in Fly: Drosophila melanogaster as a Model Organism in...
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First in Fly: Drosophila melanogaster as a Model Organism in Behavioral Research

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Behavioural Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2023) | Viewed by 11322

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Gabriella M. Mazzotta

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biology, University of Padova, Viale Giuseppe Colombo, 35131 Padova, Italy
Interests: circadian clock; Drosophila melanogaster; cryptochrome; neurodegenerative disorders
Dr. Milena Damulewicz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Cell Biology and Imaging, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology and Earth Sciences, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
Interests: circadian clock; neuronal plasticity; neurodegenerative disease; cryptochrome

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Behavioral studies have become a trend in various branches of biology: understanding the aspects of behavior which are controlled by specific genes or brain circuits is, indeed, one of the most fundamental aspects of neuroscience research.

In recent years, the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has been established as a model for behavioral studies for several reasons. First of all, it is an incredibly versatile organism, performing a variety of activities, from simple innate activities to complex social interactions. Second, it is one of the most powerful and versatile animal models currently available. It combines a wide array of genetic tools and approaches with the state-of-the art technology for behavioral research. Third, notwithstanding the conspicuous differences between Drosophila and vertebrates, the genes and neural circuits that control essential behaviors have been functionally conserved during evolution. This makes Drosophila an ideal model to dissect genetic and circuitry fundamentals of normal behavior and establish disease models that can recapitulate the pathological hallmarks and behavioral changes in humans.

The goal of this Special Issue is to provide a thorough overview on the growing potential for Drosophila as model organism for behavioral research. This article collection will inspire and inform, and will provide direction and guidance for researchers in the field.

Dr. Gabriella M. Mazzotta
Dr. Milena Damulewicz
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Drosophila melanogaster
  • model organism
  • genetics
  • behavior

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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18 pages, 6218 KiB  
Article
Inbreeding-Driven Innate Behavioral Changes in Drosophila melanogaster
by Anusha Amanullah, Shabana Arzoo, Ayesha Aslam, Iffat Waqar Qureshi and Mushtaq Hussain
Biology 2023, 12(7), 926; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12070926 - 28 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2280
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster has long been used to demonstrate the effect of inbreeding, particularly in relation to reproductive fitness and stress tolerance. In comparison, less attention has been given to exploring the influence of inbreeding on the innate behavior of D. melanogaster. In [...] Read more.
Drosophila melanogaster has long been used to demonstrate the effect of inbreeding, particularly in relation to reproductive fitness and stress tolerance. In comparison, less attention has been given to exploring the influence of inbreeding on the innate behavior of D. melanogaster. In this study, multiple replicates of six different types of crosses were set in pair conformation of the laboratory-maintained wild-type D. melanogaster. This resulted in progeny with six different levels of inbreeding coefficients. Larvae and adult flies of varied inbreeding coefficients were subjected to different behavioral assays. In addition to the expected inbreeding depression in the-egg to-adult viability, noticeable aberrations were observed in the crawling and phototaxis behaviors of larvae. Negative geotactic behavior as well as positive phototactic behavior of the flies were also found to be adversely affected with increasing levels of inbreeding. Interestingly, positively phototactic inbred flies demonstrated improved learning compared to outbred flies, potentially the consequence of purging. Flies with higher levels of inbreeding exhibited a delay in the manifestation of aggression and courtship. In summary, our findings demonstrate that inbreeding influences the innate behaviors in D. melanogaster, which in turn may affect the overall biological fitness of the flies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue First in Fly: Drosophila melanogaster as a Model Organism in Behavioral Research)
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13 pages, 1623 KiB  
Article
Unveiling Subtle Geographical Clines: Phenotypic Effects and Dynamics of Circadian Clock Gene Polymorphisms
by Loren Khatib, Bengisu Sezen Subasi, Bettina Fishman, Martin Kapun and Eran Tauber
Biology 2023, 12(6), 858; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12060858 - 14 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2278
Abstract
Our understanding of the gene regulatory network that constitutes the circadian clock has greatly increased in recent decades, notably due to the use of Drosophila as a model system. In contrast, the analysis of natural genetic variation that enables the robust function of [...] Read more.
Our understanding of the gene regulatory network that constitutes the circadian clock has greatly increased in recent decades, notably due to the use of Drosophila as a model system. In contrast, the analysis of natural genetic variation that enables the robust function of the clock under a broad range of environments has developed more slowly. In the current study, we analyzed comprehensive genome sequencing data from wild European populations of Drosophila, which were densely sampled through time and space. We identified hundreds of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in nine genes associated with the clock, 276 of which exhibited a latitudinal cline in their allele frequencies. While the effect sizes of these clinal patterns were small, indicating subtle adaptations driven by natural selection, they provided important insights into the genetic dynamics of circadian rhythms in natural populations. We selected nine SNPs in different genes and assessed their impact on circadian and seasonal phenotypes by reconstructing outbred populations fixed for either of the SNP alleles, from inbred DGRP strains. The circadian free-running period of the locomotor activity rhythm was affected by an SNP in doubletime (dbt) and eyes absent (Eya). The SNPs in Clock (Clk), Shaggy (Sgg), period (per), and timeless (tim) affected the acrophase. The alleles of the SNP in Eya conferred different levels of diapause and the chill coma recovery response. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue First in Fly: Drosophila melanogaster as a Model Organism in Behavioral Research)
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15 pages, 1938 KiB  
Article
Evidence for Prepulse Inhibition of Visually Evoked Motor Response in Drosophila melanogaster
by Helgi B. Schiöth, Laura Donzelli, Nicklas Arvidsson, Michael J. Williams and Thiago C. Moulin
Biology 2023, 12(4), 635; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12040635 - 21 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2299
Abstract
Prepulse inhibition (PPI) is a widely investigated behavior to study the mechanisms of disorders such as anxiety, schizophrenia, and bipolar mania. PPI has been observed across various vertebrate and invertebrate species; however, it has not yet been reported in adult Drosophila melanogaster. [...] Read more.
Prepulse inhibition (PPI) is a widely investigated behavior to study the mechanisms of disorders such as anxiety, schizophrenia, and bipolar mania. PPI has been observed across various vertebrate and invertebrate species; however, it has not yet been reported in adult Drosophila melanogaster. In this study, we describe the first detection of PPI of visually evoked locomotor arousal in flies. To validate our findings, we demonstrate that PPI in Drosophila can be partially reverted by the N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist MK-801, known for inducing sensorimotor gating deficits in rodent models. Additionally, we show that the visually evoked response can be inhibited by multiple stimuli presentation, which can also be affected by MK-801. Given the versatility of Drosophila as a model organism for genetic screening and analysis, our results suggest that high-throughput behavioral screenings of adult flies can become a valuable tool for investigating the mechanisms behind PPI. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue First in Fly: Drosophila melanogaster as a Model Organism in Behavioral Research)
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11 pages, 2629 KiB  
Article
Caffeine Delays Ethanol-Induced Sedation in Drosophila
by Sonia Tremblay, Yanqiqi Zeng, Aixin Yue, Kiana Chabot, Abigail Mynahan, Stephanie Desrochers, Sarra Bridges and S. Tariq Ahmad
Biology 2023, 12(1), 63; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12010063 - 30 Dec 2022
Viewed by 2948
Abstract
Caffeine and ethanol are among the most widely available and commonly consumed psychoactive substances. Both interact with adenosine receptor-mediated signaling which regulates numerous neurological processes including sleep and waking behaviors. In mammals, caffeine is an adenosine receptor antagonist and thus acts as a [...] Read more.
Caffeine and ethanol are among the most widely available and commonly consumed psychoactive substances. Both interact with adenosine receptor-mediated signaling which regulates numerous neurological processes including sleep and waking behaviors. In mammals, caffeine is an adenosine receptor antagonist and thus acts as a stimulant. Conversely, ethanol is a sedative because it promotes GABAergic neurotransmission, inhibits glutamatergic neurotransmission, and increases the amount of adenosine in the brain. Despite seemingly overlapping interactions, not much is known about the effect of caffeine on ethanol-induced sedation in Drosophila. In this study, using Drosophila melanogaster as a model, we show that caffeine supplementation in food delays the onset of ethanol-induced sedation in males and females of different strains. The resistance to sedation reverses upon caffeine withdrawal. Heterozygous adenosine receptor mutant flies are resistant to sedation. These findings suggest that caffeine and adenosine receptors modulate the sedative effects of ethanol in Drosophila. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue First in Fly: Drosophila melanogaster as a Model Organism in Behavioral Research)
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