PDF cells respond to GABA and help promote wakefulness in the fruit fly sleep system

Drosophila sleep is regulated by GABAergic neurons and PDF-expressing ventral lateral neurons, influencing sleep onset and total sleep.

• GABA acts on specific cells containing the Rdl GABAA receptor to regulate sleep in Drosophila.
• PDF-expressing small and large ventral lateral neurons (LNvs) are identified as key components of the sleep circuit.
• Activity of both large and small LNvs influences the total amount of sleep and the speed of sleep onset.
• Flies lacking the pdf gene or its receptor exhibit increased sleepiness, indicating a role for PDF in sleep regulation.
• The findings suggest that sleep circuit structures and mechanisms for transitioning between sleep and wakefulness may be similar in mammals and insects.

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