AI Article Synopsis
- Social isolation has a significant impact on behavior in various animal species, and this study focused on how it affects fruit flies.
- RNA-seq analysis revealed that certain genes, particularly the one for the neuropeptide Drosulfakinin (Dsk), are significantly influenced by social conditions, with isolation reducing Dsk expression.
- Further experiments showed that manipulating Dsk and related neuronal activity can either increase or decrease aggression in socially isolated flies, indicating a U-shaped relationship between social isolation and aggression influenced by neuromodulatory signaling.
Article Abstract
Social isolation strongly modulates behavior across the animal kingdom. We utilized the fruit fly to study social isolation-driven changes in animal behavior and gene expression in the brain. RNA-seq identified several head-expressed genes strongly responding to social isolation or enrichment. Of particular interest, social isolation downregulated expression of the gene encoding the neuropeptide Drosulfakinin (Dsk), the homologue of vertebrate cholecystokinin (CCK), which is critical for many mammalian social behaviors. knockdown significantly increased social isolation-induced aggression. Genetic activation or silencing of neurons each similarly increased isolation-driven aggression. Our results suggest a U-shaped dependence of social isolation-induced aggressive behavior on signaling, similar to the actions of many neuromodulators in other contexts.
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Source |
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| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7033730 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.207407 | DOI Listing |
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