title: Cytokine signaling through the JAK/STAT pathway is required for long-term memory in Drosophila.
abstract: Cytokine signaling through the JAK/STAT pathway regulates multiple cellular responses, including cell survival, differentiation, and motility. Although significant attention has been focused on the role of cytokines during inflammation and immunity, it has become clear that they are also implicated in normal brain function. However, because of the large number of different genes encoding cytokines and their receptors in mammals, the precise role of cytokines in brain physiology has been difficult to decipher. Here, we took advantage of Drosophila's being a genetically simpler model system to address the function of cytokines in memory formation. Expression analysis showed that the cytokine Upd is enriched in the Drosophila memory center, the mushroom bodies. Using tissue- and adult-specific expression of RNAi and dominant-negative proteins, we show that not only is Upd specifically required in the mushroom bodies for olfactory aversive long-term memory but the Upd receptor Dome, as well as the Drosophila JAK and STAT homologs Hop and Stat92E, are also required, while being dispensable for less stable memory forms.
authors.affiliation: Genes and Dynamics of Memory Systems, Neurobiology Unit, École Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Tijana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Copf
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Goguel
authors.forename: Aurélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lampin-Saint-Amaux
authors.forename: Niki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Scaplehorn
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Preat
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001483:Base Sequence; D016207:Cytokines / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D017344:Genes, Insect; D053612:Janus Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D057567:Memory, Long-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D024521:Mushroom Bodies / Q000502:physiology; D034622:RNA Interference; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D050791:STAT Transcription Factors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D017931:DNA Primers; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin; D050791:STAT Transcription Factors; C105675:Stat92E protein, Drosophila; D014157:Transcription Factors; C444499:dome protein, Drosophila; C115570:upd1 protein, Drosophila; D053612:Janus Kinases; C085845:hop protein, Drosophila