title: Selective elimination/RNAi silencing of FMRF-related peptides and their receptors decreases the locomotor activity in Drosophila melanogaster.
abstract: Five neuropeptide genes are classified in the FMRF-related (FaRP) group: the Fmrf, dromyosuppressin (Dms), drosulfakinin (Dsk), neuropeptide F (npf) and short neuropeptide F (sNPF) genes coding for 8, 1, 2, 1 and 4 peptides, respectively. In order to compare their effects on the locomotor activity of Drosophila adults, we made RNAi knockdown of the peptides and their specific receptor genes. In addition, we constructed Gal4 drivers with three distinct parts of the Fmrf gene's 5' regulatory sequence (RS8-Gal4, RS11-Gal4, RS17-Gal4), and used them to ablate FMRF-positive neurons inducing apoptosis by expressing the reaper (rpr) gene. We examined the locomotor activity of flies by measuring the mean velocity of movement (MVM) following repeated air-puffs. Locomotor activity was decreased by RNAi knockdown induced in the CNS by the elav-Gal4 driver. According to the MVM curve profiles, RNAi knockdown most effectively decreased the velocity when the DmsR-1 and DmsR-2 genes were silenced together (DmsR-1-RNAi/elav-Gal4; DmsR-2-RNAi/+). Similar effect was observed in Dsk-RNAi/ elav-Gal4; DskR-2-RNAi/+, while moderate effects were found in three other combinations (Fmrf-RNAi/elav-Gal4; FR-RNAi/+, Dms-RNAi/ elav-Gal4;DmsR-2-RNAi/+, CCKLR-17D1-RNAi/elav-Gal4; CCKLR-17D3-RNAi/+), and weak effect in DmsR-2-RNAi/elav-Gal4; DmsR-1-RNAi/+. Male and female flies were not different in this respect. In the cell ablation experiment, the MVM profiles of the female flies were different from the controls when the UAS-rpr transgene was driven by RS8-Gal4 or RS17-Gal4. The RS11-Gal4 and Fmrf-Gal4 drivers were ineffective. In the males only the RS17-Gal4 showed a weak effect. RNAi silencing of the FaRP and FaRP-receptor genes effectively decreased the startle-induced locomotor activity of flies. Ablation of FMRF-positive neurons by the RS8-Gal4 and/or RS17-Gal4 drivers also decreased the flies' activity.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Genetics, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Temesvári krt. 62, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: Brigitta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kiss
authors.forename: Tamás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Szlanka
authors.forename: Ágnes
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Zvara
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Žurovec
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sery
authors.forename: Štefan
authors.initials: Š
authors.lastname: Kakaš
authors.forename: Beáta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ramasz
authors.forename: Zoltán
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hegedűs
authors.forename: Tamás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lukacsovich
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Puskás
authors.forename: Adrien
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fónagy
authors.forename: István
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kiss
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D019835:FMRFamide / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D007301:Insect Hormones / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism; D034622:RNA Interference
chemical_list: D007301:Insect Hormones; D009479:Neuropeptides; C076101:neuropeptide F; C077905:neomyosuppressin; D019835:FMRFamide
keywords: Drosophila melanogaster; FMRF-related peptides; G protein-coupled receptors; Locomotor activity; RNAi-silencing; UAS-reaper ablation