The rhythmic pattern of biological processes controlled by light over 24h is termed the circadian rhythm. Disturbance of circadian rhythm due to exposure to light at night (LAN) disrupts the sleep- wake cycle and can promote cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and metabolic disorders in humans. We studied how dim LAN affects the circadian rhythm and metabolism using male Drosophila. Wild-type flies exposed to the dim light of 10lux at night displayed altered 24h sleep-wake behavior an...

The MOZ/MORF histone acetyltransferase complex is highly conserved in eukaryotes and controls transcription, development, and tumorigenesis. However, little is known about how its chromatin localization is regulated. Inhibitor of growth 5 (ING5) tumor suppressor is a subunit of the MOZ/MORF complex. Nevertheless, the in vivo func- tion of ING5 remains unclear. Here, we report an antagonistic interaction between Drosophila Translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) (Tctp) and ING5 (Ing5) ...

Vitamins are essential micronutrients, but the mechanisms of vita- min chemoreception in animals are poorly understood. Here, we provide evidence that vitamin C doubles starvation resistance and induces egg laying in Drosophila melanogaster. Our behavioral ana- lyses of genetically engineered and anatomically ablated flies show that fruit flies sense vitamin C via sweet-sensing gustatory recep- tor neurons (GRNs) in the labellum. Using a behavioral screen and in vivo electrophysiological anal...

PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are small RNAs that play a conserved role in genome defense. The piRNA processing pathway is dependent on the sequestration of RNA precursors and protein factors in specific subcellular compartments. Therefore, a highly resolved spatial proteomics approach can help identify the local interactions and elucidate the unknown aspects of piRNA biogenesis. Herein, we performed TurboID proximity labeling to investigate the interactome of Zucchini (Zuc), a key factor of...

Circadian rhythms and sleep homeostasis constitute the two-process model for daily sleep regulation. However, evidence for circadian control of sleep-wake cycles has been relatively short since clock-less animals often show sleep behaviors quantitatively comparable to wild-type. Here we examine Drosophila sleep behaviors under different light-dark regimes and demonstrate that circadian clocks gate light-induced arousal. Genetic excitation of tyrosine decarboxylase 2 (TDC2)-expressing neurons ...

In Drosophila larvae, nociceptive mdIV sensory neurons detect diverse noxious stimuli and prompta nociceptive rolling response. Intriguingly, the same neurons also regulate stereotyped larval movement. The channels responsible for transducing these stimuli into electric signals are not yet fully identified. Here we undertook genetic and electrophysiological analysis of Ppk19, a member of the Deg/ENaC family of cationic channels. ppk19 mutants exhibited an impaired nociceptive rolling response...

Off-track receptor tyrosine kinase (OTK) has been shown to play an important role in the Drosophila motor axon pathfinding. The results of biochemical and genetic interactions previously suggested that OTK acts as a component of Semaphorin-1a/Plexin A (Sema-1a/PlexA) signaling during embryonic motor axon guidance and further showed that OTK binds to Wnt family members Wnt2 and Wnt4 and their common receptor Frizzled (Fz). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the motor axon guidance fu...