VRILLE Controls PDF Neuropeptide Accumulation and Arborization Rhythms in Small Ventrolateral Neurons to Drive Rhythmic Behavior in Drosophila

Inactivation of the vri gene abolishes activity rhythms in Drosophila despite maintaining circadian clock function.

• The circadian clock in Drosophila involves transcriptional feedback loops that regulate daily physiological and behavioral rhythms.
• The core loop is driven by CLOCK-CYCLE activators and PERIOD-TIMELESS repressors, with transcription peaking at dusk.
• An interlocked feedback loop utilizes PAR DOMAIN PROTEIN 1ε and VRILLE to regulate transcription peaking at dawn.
• Inactivation of vri disrupts multiple pathways important for activity rhythms, affecting PDF accumulation and neuron arborization.
• The findings indicate that vri is essential for maintaining activity rhythms, highlighting its role in clock output regulation.

AI simplified