RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Mechanosensory Stimulation via <em>Nanchung</em> Expressing Neurons Can Induce Daytime Sleep in <em>Drosophila</em>
JF The Journal of Neuroscience
JO J. Neurosci.
FD Society for Neuroscience
SP 9403
OP 9418
DO 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0400-21.2021
VO 41
IS 45
A1 Lone, Shahnaz Rahman
A1 Potdar, Sheetal
A1 Venkataraman, Archana
A1 Sharma, Nisha
A1 Kulkarni, Rutvij
A1 Rao, Sushma
A1 Mishra, Sukriti
A1 Sheeba, Vasu
A1 Sharma, Vijay Kumar
YR 2021
UL http://www.jneurosci.org/content/41/45/9403.abstract
AB The neuronal and genetic bases of sleep, a phenomenon considered crucial for well-being of organisms, has been under investigation using the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. Although sleep is a state where sensory threshold for arousal is greater, it is known that certain kinds of repetitive sensory stimuli, such as rocking, can indeed promote sleep in humans. Here we report that orbital motion-aided mechanosensory stimulation promotes sleep of male and female Drosophila, independent of the circadian clock, but controlled by the homeostatic system. Mechanosensory receptor nanchung (Nan)-expressing neurons in the chordotonal organs mediate this sleep induction: flies in which these neurons are either silenced or ablated display significantly reduced sleep induction on mechanosensory stimulation. Transient activation of the Nan-expressing neurons also enhances sleep levels, confirming the role of these neurons in sleep induction. We also reveal that certain regions of the antennal mechanosensory and motor center in the brain are involved in conveying information from the mechanosensory structures to the sleep centers. Thus, we show, for the first time, that a circadian clock-independent pathway originating from peripherally distributed mechanosensors can promote daytime sleep of flies Drosophila melanogaster.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Our tendency to fall asleep in moving vehicles or the practice of rocking infants to sleep suggests that slow rhythmic movement can induce sleep, although we do not understand the mechanistic basis of this phenomenon. We find that gentle orbital motion can induce behavioral quiescence even in flies, a highly genetically tractable system for sleep studies. We demonstrate that this is indeed true sleep based on its rapid reversibility by sensory stimulation, enhanced arousal threshold, and homeostatic control. Furthermore, we demonstrate that mechanosensory neurons expressing a TRPV channel nanchung, located in the antennae and chordotonal organs, mediate orbital motion-induced sleep by communicating with antennal mechanosensory motor centers, which in turn may project to sleep centers in the brain.