Crosstalk between calcineurin and dopaminergic signaling in Drosophila sleep regulation

2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24700413
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Fusional basic brain science
• Research Institution: Kumamoto University
• Principal Investigator: TOMITA Jun 熊本大学, 生命科学研究部, 研究員 (40432231)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2014-03-31
• Keywords: ショウジョウバエ / 睡眠 / 覚醒 / カルシニューリン / NMDA型グルタミン酸受容体 / シナプス恒常性仮説 / 断眠 / ミトコンドリア

Research Abstract

We have previously reported that calcineurin (Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase) regulates sleep in Drosophila. Pan-neuronal calcineurin knockdown significantly decreases sleep. However, we could not identify a specific brain region important for reducing sleep by calcineurin knockdown, suggesting that ubiquitous calcineurin activity in the brain is involved in sleep regulation. We found that the amount of rebound sleep was significantly increased in calcineurin RNAi flies compared to control flies. Thus, we hypothesize that calcineurin plays a role in the synaptic homeostasis hypothesis of sleep regulation. To understand calcineurin function in the synaptic homeostasis hypothesis, we examined the relationship between mitochondrial dynamics in neurons and sleep. Although pan-neuronal impairment of mitochondrial transport significantly increased sleep, mitochondrial distribution in circadian clock neurons was not affected by calcineurin knockout.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Temporal organization of rest defined by actigraphy data in healthy and childhood chronic fatigue syndrome children (2013)
  • Author(s): Kawabata, M., Ueno, T., Tomita, J., Kawatani, J., Tomoda, A., Kume, S. and Kume, K.
  • Journal Title: BMC Psychiatry Volume: 13 Pages: 281
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Identification of a dopamine pathway that regulates sleep and arousal in Drosophila (2012)
  • Author(s): Ueno, T., Tomita, J., Tanimoto, H., Endo, K., Ito, K., Kume, S. and Kume, K.
  • Journal Title: Nat. Neurosci. Volume: 15 Pages: 1516-1523
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] Male-male interaction-induced sleep in a fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster (2013)
  • Author(s): Tomita, J, et al.
  • Organizer: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Meeting Neurobiology of Drosophila
  • Place of Presentation: New York, United States
  • Year and Date: 20131001-05
• [Presentation] NMDA receptor-calcineurin signaling function in promoting sleep in Drosophila (2013)
  • Author(s): Tomita, J, et al.
  • Organizer: Neurofly
  • Place of Presentation: Padua, Italy
  • Year and Date: 20130903-07
• [Presentation] Male-male interaction-induced sleep in a fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster (2013)
  • Author(s): 冨田淳, 他
  • Organizer: Neuro2013
  • Place of Presentation: 国立京都国際会館
  • Year and Date: 20130620-23
• [Presentation] 個体間相互作用によるショウジョウバエの睡眠制御 (2012)
  • Author(s): 冨田淳, 他
  • Organizer: 日本時間生物学会学術大会
  • Place of Presentation: 北海道大学学術交流会館
  • Year and Date: 20120915-16
• [Presentation] カルシニューリンによるショウジョウバエの睡眠-覚醒制御 (2012)
  • Author(s): 冨田淳, 他
  • Organizer: 日本睡眠学会定期学術集会
  • Place of Presentation: パシフィコ横浜
  • Year and Date: 20120628-30