Analysis of sleep-arousal regulation in Drosophila melanogaster

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25290007
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Neurophysiology / General neuroscience
• Research Institution: Nagoya City University
• Principal Investigator: KUME KAZUHIKO 名古屋市立大学, 薬学研究科(研究院), 教授 (30251218)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 睡眠 / 覚醒 / ショウジョウバエ / ドーパミン / グルタミン酸受容体 / 学習記憶 / 概日周期 / 生物時計

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We analyzed the sleep-arousal mechanism of a fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, which has been noted as a model for sleep study. First, we identified NMDA glutamate receptor as a novel sleep regulating gene. This provides a clue to the relationship between sleep and memory. Next we found that artificial sweeteners, but not non-sweet nutritive saccharides, induced sleep in fasting flies. Activation of sweet-receptor expressing neurons also induced sleep. Arousal threshold, however, was not reversed in artificial sweetener-fed flies. These results suggests that sweetness facilitates the transition from arousal to sleep, while the nutritional state, i.e. satiety inhibits that from sleep to arousal. In addition, we found glycine induces sleep in flies similarly in mammals, re-confirming that fruit fly can serve as a good model animal for sleep study.

Free Research Field

神経科学