Current biology : CB

Light and temperature influence how certain brain cells affect fruit fly daily rhythms

Circadian Biology Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated

Abstract

The brain of Drosophila melanogaster contains approximately 150 circadian neurons that regulate daily activity patterns.

  • The brain's circadian neurons are divided into morning and evening cells that control activity peaks at dawn and dusk.
  • PDF-positive small ventral lateral neurons (sLN(v)s) promote morning behavior, while PDF-negative sLN(v) and dorsal lateral neurons (LN(d)s) generate evening activity.
  • Clk4.1M-GAL4-positive DN1 neurons specifically promote morning activity under high light intensity conditions.
  • Under temperature cycles in constant darkness, DN1 neurons produce a strong evening peak of activity.
  • Light intensity and temperature both influence DN1 behavioral outputs, with high light suppressing evening activity and low temperature enhancing evening activity under certain conditions.
  • This reveals a novel mechanism by which DN1 neurons integrate light and temperature signals to regulate locomotor rhythms.

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