The Drosophila Gr28bD product is a non-specific cation channel that can be used as a novel thermogenetic tool

Extrinsic control of single neurons and neuronal populations is a powerful approach for understanding how neural circuits function. Adding new thermogenetic tools to existing optogenetic and other forms of intervention will increase the complexity of questions that can be addressed. A good candidate...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2018-01, Vol.8 (1), p.901-10, Article 901
Main Authors: Mishra, Aditi, Salari, Autoosa, Berigan, Benton R., Miguel, Kayla C., Amirshenava, Marzie, Robinson, Abbey, Zars, Benjamin C., Lin, Jenna L., Milescu, Lorin S., Milescu, Mirela, Zars, Troy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
14
14/10
631/378/2626
631/378/3920
9/10
96
Avoidance behavior
Calcium imaging
Drosophila
Firing pattern
High temperature
Humanities and Social Sciences
Insects
Motor neurons
multidisciplinary
Neural networks
Neurons
Oocytes
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Taste receptors
Temperature effects
Xenopus
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Extrinsic control of single neurons and neuronal populations is a powerful approach for understanding how neural circuits function. Adding new thermogenetic tools to existing optogenetic and other forms of intervention will increase the complexity of questions that can be addressed. A good candidate for developing new thermogenetic tools is the Drosophila gustatory receptor family, which has been implicated in high-temperature avoidance behavior. We examined the five members of the Gr28b gene cluster for temperature-dependent properties via three approaches: biophysical characterization in Xenopus oocytes, functional calcium imaging in Drosophila motor neurons, and behavioral assays in adult Drosophila . Our results show that Gr28bD expression in Xenopus oocytes produces a non-specific cationic current that is activated by elevated temperatures. This current is non-inactivating and non-voltage dependent. When expressed in Drosophila motor neurons, Gr28bD can be used to change the firing pattern of individual cells in a temperature-dependent fashion. Finally, we show that pan-neuronal or motor neuron expression of Gr28bD can be used to alter fruit fly behavior with elevated temperatures. Together, these results validate the potential of the Gr28bD gene as a founding member of a new class of thermogenetic tools.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-017-19065-4