Energetic Demands Regulate Sleep-Wake Rhythm Circuit Development

Nutritional status significantly influences the development of sleep-wake rhythms in larvae.

• In the second instar larval period (L2), sleep and feeding behaviors are not yet organized into daily patterns.
• By the third instar larval stage (L3), these behaviors become structured into a clear daily rhythm.
• Forcing L3 larvae to use immature L2 feeding strategies disrupts their sleep-wake rhythms and impairs long-term memory.
• The formation of the clock-arousal circuit is affected by the nutritional environment during larval development.
• Arousal neurons in larvae utilize glucose metabolic genes to initiate daily sleep-wake rhythms.

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