Quantification of sleep needs using a luciferase reporter of intracellular Ca2+ in sleep-regulating neurons in Drosophila

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K06744
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 44050:Animal physiological chemistry, physiology and behavioral biology-related
• Research Institution: Nagoya City University
• Principal Investigator: Tomita Jun 名古屋市立大学, 医薬学総合研究院(薬学), 講師 (40432231)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 睡眠 / 覚醒 / ショウジョウバエ / 中心複合体 / ドーパミン / NMDA受容体 / 睡眠要求 / 生物発光

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The idea of this study is to quantitatively assess sleep needs by measuring changes in intracellular Ca2+ concentration in sleep-regulating neurons in Drosophila. We focused on two groups of neurons: the sleep-promoting PB interneurons and circadian clock neurons LNd and found driver lines labeling these neurons specifically.
We expressed a Ca2+-dependent luciferase reporter (Gao et al., 2015) in a group of neurons involved in sleep regulation (Kunst et al., 2014) and measured bioluminescence from free-moving individuals. Luminescence intensity tended to be increased during the subjective daytime when locomotor activity was increased and reduced during the subjective night when sleep was increased.

Free Research Field

神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

LNdや睡眠を促進するPB介在ニューロン群に着目し、さらに研究を進めることで、自由行動下の個体からNMDA受容体シグナルに基づいた睡眠要求を定量的に測定することが可能になると考えられる。また、この測定系を利用した睡眠要求に関わる遺伝子の探索によって、睡眠要求の分子機構の解明にもつながると期待される。