Reduced branched-chain aminotransferase activity alleviates metabolic vulnerability caused by dim light exposure at night in Drosophila

Exposure to dim light at night (10 lux) alters sleep-wake behavior and metabolism in male wild-type flies.

• Dim light exposure disrupted the 24-hour sleep-wake cycle and circadian rhythm gene expression.
• Flies became more vulnerable to metabolic stress, such as starvation, following dim light exposure.
• Analysis showed decreased levels of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), including isoleucine and valine, in exposed flies.
• Increased expression of enzymes that regulate BCAA metabolism was observed in flies exposed to dim light.
• A heterozygous mutation protected flies from starvation stress, maintaining their BCAA levels despite dim light exposure.
• Feeding BCAAs to wild-type flies reversed their metabolic vulnerability caused by dim light.

AI simplified