title: SIFamide and SIFamide receptor defines a novel neuropeptide signaling to promote sleep in Drosophila.
abstract: SIFamide receptor (SIFR) is a Drosophila G protein-coupled receptor for the neuropeptide SIFamide (SIFa). Although the sequence and spatial expression of SIFa are evolutionarily conserved among insect species, the physiological function of SIFa/SIFR signaling remains elusive. Here, we provide genetic evidence that SIFa and SIFR promote sleep in Drosophila. Either genetic ablation of SIFa-expressing neurons in the pars intercerebralis (PI) or pan-neuronal depletion of SIFa expression shortened baseline sleep and reduced sleep-bout length, suggesting that it caused sleep fragmentation. Consistently, RNA interference- mediated knockdown of SIFR expression caused short sleep phenotypes as observed in SIFa-ablated or depleted flies. Using a panel of neuron-specific Gal4 drivers, we further mapped SIFR effects to subsets of PI neurons. Taken together, these results reveal a novel physiological role of the neuropeptide SIFa/SIFR pathway to regulate sleep through sleep-promoting neural circuits in the PI of adult fly brains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, College of Life Science and Bioengineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 305-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Sangjin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jun Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Sonn
authors.forename: Yangkyun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan 689-798, Korea.
authors.forename: Chunghun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Joonho
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Choe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D004330:Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D052716:Pituitary Gland, Intermediate / Q000473:pathology*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D012890:Sleep / Q000235:genetics; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C557617:GAL4 protein, Drosophila; D009479:Neuropeptides; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide; C508563:SIFamide receptor, Drosophila; C000596942:SIFamide, Drosophila; D014157:Transcription Factors