title: Changes in Female Drosophila Sleep following Mating Are Mediated by SPSN-SAG Neurons.
abstract: Female Drosophila melanogaster, like many other organisms, exhibit different behavioral repertoires after mating with a male. These postmating responses (PMRs) include increased egg production and laying, increased rejection behavior (avoiding further male advances), decreased longevity, altered gustation and decreased sleep. Sex Peptide (SP), a protein transferred from the male during copulation, is largely responsible for many of these behavioral responses, and acts through a specific circuit to induce rejection behavior and alter dietary preference. However, less is known about the mechanisms and neurons that influence sleep in mated females. In this study, we investigated postmating changes in female sleep across strains and ages and on different media, and report that these changes are robust and relatively consistent under a variety of conditions. We find that female sleep is reduced by male-derived SP acting through the canonical sex peptide receptor (SPR) within the same neurons responsible for altering other PMRs. This circuit includes the SPSN-SAG neurons, whose silencing by DREADD induces postmating behaviors including sleep. Our data are consistent with the idea that mating status is communicated to the central brain through a common circuit that diverges in higher brain centers to modify a collection of postmating sensorimotor processes.
authors.affiliation: Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Garbe
authors.affiliation: Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Abigail S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Vigderman
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Emilia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Moscato
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Abigail E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Dove
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.|Neuroscience Program, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, New York.
authors.forename: Christopher G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Vecsey
authors.affiliation: Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.|Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Matthew S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kayser
authors.affiliation: Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.|Howard Hughes Medical Institute/Department of Neuroscience.
authors.forename: Amita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sehgal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D017952:Ganglia, Invertebrate / Q000166:cytology; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008297:Male; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D018000:Receptors, Peptide / Q000378:metabolism; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D018000:Receptors, Peptide; C056736:SP protein, Drosophila; C526291:sex peptide receptor, Drosophila
keywords: DREADD; Drosophila; Gender; Sleep; sex peptide; sex peptide receptor