p55PIK deficiency and its NH2-terminal derivative inhibit inflammation and emphysema in COPD mouse model.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is composed of chronic airway inflammation and emphysema. Recent studies show that Class IA phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3Ks) play an important role in the regulation of inflammation and emphysema. However, there are few studies on their regulatory subunits. p55PIK is a regulatory subunit of Class IA PI3Ks, and its unique NH2-terminal gives it special functions. p55PIK expression in the lungs of nonsmokers, smokers, and patients with COPD was examined. We established a fusion protein TAT-N15 from the NH2-terminal effector sequence of p55PIK and TAT (the transduction domain of HIV transactivator protein) and investigated the effects of silencing p55PIK or adding TAT-N15 on cigarette smoke exposure at the cellular and animal level. p55PIK expression was increased in patients with COPD. p55PIK deficiency and TAT-N15 significantly inhibited the cigarette smoke extract-induced IL-6, IL-8, and activation of the Akt and the NF-κB pathway in BEAS-2B. p55PIK deficiency and TAT-N15 intranasal administration prevented emphysema and the lung function decline in mice exposed to smoke for 6 mo. p55PIK deficiency and TAT-N15 significantly inhibited lung inflammatory infiltration, reduced levels of IL-6 and KC in mice lung homogenate, and inhibited activation of the Akt and the NF-κB signaling in COPD mice lungs. Our studies indicate that p55PIK is involved in the pathogenesis of COPD, and its NH2-terminal derivative TAT-N15 could be an effective drug in the treatment of COPD by inhibiting the activation of the Akt and the NF-κB pathway.

Experimental evolution of response to anoxia in Drosophilamelanogaster: recovery of locomotion following CO2 or N2 exposure.

Many insects enter coma upon exposure to anoxia, a feature routinely exploited by experimentalists to handle them. But the genetic and physiological bases of anoxic coma induction and recovery are only partially understood, as are the long-term consequences for the animal's performance. We examined three populations of Drosophila melanogaster (designated B) that have been inadvertently under selection for rapid recovery from CO2 exposure for nearly 40 years (around 1000 generations) resulting from routine maintenance practices. We contrasted CO2 and N2 (presumed a less reactive gas) knockdown and recovery times of these B flies with six populations of common ancestry (A and C populations) that were not exposed to CO2 over the same period. We found that B populations showed faster and more consistent locomotor recovery than A or C populations after CO2 knockdown, a result also observed with N2 knockdown. A and C populations showed much higher variance in recovery time after CO2 exposure than after N2 exposure, suggesting gas-specific effects on pathways associated with locomotor recovery. Although these selection treatments result in considerable variation in life history attributes and body size, with the characteristic intermediacy of B populations, their superiority in resistance to gas exposure and locomotor recovery suggests that this is a direct consequence of prior repeated exposure to anoxia, broadly, and CO2, specifically. Hence we describe a powerful new evolutionary model for the genetic and physiological investigation of anoxic coma in insects.

Persistent One-Way Walking in a Circular Arena in Drosophila melanogaster Canton-S Strain.

We describe persistent one-way walking of Drosophila melanogaster in a circular arena. Wild-type Canton-S adult flies walked in one direction, counter-clockwise or clockwise, for minutes, whereas white-eyed mutant [Formula: see text] changed directions frequently. Locomotion in the circular arena could be classified into four components: counter-clockwise walking, clockwise walking, nondirectional walking and pausing. Genetic analysis revealed that while wild-type genetic background was associated with reduced directional change and reduced numbers of one-way (including counter-clockwise and clockwise) and nondirectional walks, the white ([Formula: see text]) locus promoted persistent one-way walking by increasing the maximal duration of one-way episodes. The promoting effect of [Formula: see text] was further supported by the observations that (1) [Formula: see text] duplicated to the Y chromosome, (2) four genomic copies of mini-white inserted on the autosomes, and (3) pan-neuronal overexpression of the White protein increased the maximal duration of one-way episodes, and that RNAi knockdown of [Formula: see text] in the neurons decreased the maximal duration of one-way episodes. These results suggested a pleiotropic function of [Formula: see text] in promoting persistent one-way walking in the circular arena.

Different age-dependent performance in Drosophila wild-type Canton-S and the white mutant w1118 flies.

Aging has significant effects on the locomotor performance of insects including Drosophila. Using a protocol for the high-throughput analysis of fly locomotion in a circular arena, we examined age-dependent behavioral characteristics in adult flies. There are widely used wild-type and genetically engineered background lines including the Canton-S strain and the w1118 strain, which has a null mutation of the white gene. Under standard rearing conditions, we found similar survival and median lifespans in Canton-S (50days) and w1118 (54days) strains, however, w1118 flies maintained stable body mass for up to 43days, whereas Canton-S flies gained body mass at young age, followed by a gradual decline. We also tested the behavioral performance of young and old flies. Compared with young w1118 flies (5-10days), old w1118 flies (40-45days) had an increased boundary preference during locomotion in small circular arenas, and increased speed of locomotor recovery from anoxia. Old Canton-S files, however, exhibited unchanged boundary preference and reduced recovery speed from anoxia relative to young flies. In addition, old w1118 flies showed decreased path length per minute and reduced 0.2s path increment compared with young flies, whereas old Canton-S flies displayed the same path length per minute and the same 0.2s path increment compared with young flies. We conclude that age-dependent behavioral and physiological changes differ between Canton-S and w1118 flies. These results illustrate that phenotypic differences between strains can change qualitatively, as well as quantitatively, as the animals age.

AMP-activated protein kinase protects against anoxia in Drosophila melanogaster.

During anoxia, proper energy maintenance is essential in order to maintain neural operation. Starvation activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), an evolutionarily conserved indicator of cellular energy status, in a cascade which modulates ATP production and consumption. We investigated the role of energetic status on anoxia tolerance in Drosophila and discovered that starvation or AMPK activation increases the speed of locomotor recovery from an anoxic coma. Using temporal and spatial genetic targeting we found that AMPK in the fat body contributes to starvation-induced fast locomotor recovery, whereas, under fed conditions, disrupting AMPK in oenocytes prolongs recovery. By evaluating spreading depolarization in the fly brain during anoxia we show that AMPK activation reduces the severity of ionic disruption and prolongs recovery of electrical activity. Further genetic targeting indicates that glial, but not neuronal, AMPK affects locomotor recovery. Together, these findings support a model in which AMPK is neuroprotective in Drosophila.

Functional characterisation of the chromatically antagonistic photosensitive mechanism of erythrophores in the tilapia Oreochromis niloticus.

Non-visual photoreceptors with diverse photopigments allow organisms to adapt to changing light conditions. Whereas visual photoreceptors are involved in image formation, non-visual photoreceptors mainly undertake various non-image-forming tasks. They form specialised photosensory systems that measure the quality and quantity of light and enable appropriate behavioural and physiological responses. Chromatophores are dermal non-visual photoreceptors directly exposed to light and they not only receive ambient photic input but also respond to it. These specialised photosensitive pigment cells enable animals to adjust body coloration to fit environments, and play an important role in mate choice, camouflage and ultraviolet (UV) protection. However, the signalling pathway underlying chromatophore photoresponses and the physiological importance of chromatophore colour change remain under-investigated. Here, we characterised the intrinsic photosensitive system of red chromatophores (erythrophores) in tilapia. Like some non-visual photoreceptors, tilapia erythrophores showed wavelength-dependent photoresponses in two spectral regions: aggregations of inner pigment granules under UV and short-wavelengths and dispersions under middle- and long-wavelengths. The action spectra curve suggested that two primary photopigments exert opposite effects on these light-driven processes: SWS1 (short-wavelength sensitive 1) for aggregations and RH2b (rhodopsin-like) for dispersions. Both western blot and immunohistochemistry showed SWS1 expression in integumentary tissues and erythrophores. The membrane potential of erythrophores depolarised under UV illumination, suggesting that changes in membrane potential are required for photoresponses. These results suggest that SWS1 and RH2b play key roles in mediating intrinsic erythrophore photoresponses in different spectral ranges and this chromatically dependent antagonistic photosensitive mechanism may provide an advantage to detect subtle environmental photic change.

Genetic Programs Between Steroid-Sensitive and Steroid-Insensitive Interstitial Lung Disease.

The effectiveness of corticosteroids (GCs) varies greatly in interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). In this study, we aimed to compare the gene expression profiles of patients with cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) and identify the molecules and pathways responsible for GCs sensitivity in ILDs. Three datasets (GSE21411, GSE47460, and GSE32537) were selected. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) among COP, IPF, NSIP, and healthy control (CTRL) groups were identified. Functional enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction network analysis were performed to examine the potential functions of DEGs. There were 128 DEGs when COP versus CTRL, 257 DEGs when IPF versus CTRL, 205 DEGs when NSIP versus CTRL, and 270 DEGs when COP versus IPF. The DEGs in different ILDs groups were mainly enriched in the inflammatory response. Further pathway analysis showed that "interleukin (IL)-17 signaling pathway" (hsa04657) and "tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling pathway" were associated with different types of ILDs. A total of 10 genes associated with inflammatory response were identified as hub genes and their expression levels in the IPF group were higher than those in the COP group. Finally, we identified two GCs' response-related differently expressed genes (FOSL1 and DDIT4). Our bioinformatics analysis demonstrated that the inflammatory response played a pathogenic role in the progression of ILDs. We also illustrated that the inflammatory reaction was more severe in the IPF group compared to the COP group and identified two GCs' response-related differently expressed genes (FOSL1 and DDIT4) in ILDs.

Knockdown of a Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Ion Channel Impairs Locomotor Activity and Recovery From Hypoxia in Adult Drosophila melanogaster.

Cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) modulates the speed of recovery from anoxia in adult Drosophila and mediates hypoxia-related behaviors in larvae. Cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (CNG) and cGMP-activated protein kinase (PKG) are two cGMP downstream targets. PKG is involved in behavioral tolerance to hypoxia and anoxia in adults, however little is known about a role for CNG channels. We used a CNGL (CNG-like) mutant with reduced CNGL transcripts to investigate the contribution of CNGL to the hypoxia response. CNGL mutants had reduced locomotor activity under normoxia. A shorter distance travelled in a standard locomotor assay was due to a slower walking speed and more frequent stops. In control flies, hypoxia immediately reduced path length per minute. Flies took 30-40 min in normoxia for >90% recovery of path length per minute from 15 min hypoxia. CNGL mutants had impaired recovery from hypoxia; 40 min for ∼10% recovery of walking speed. The effects of CNGL mutation on locomotor activity and recovery from hypoxia were recapitulated by pan-neuronal CNGL knockdown. Genetic manipulation to increase cGMP in the CNGL mutants increased locomotor activity under normoxia and eliminated the impairment of recovery from hypoxia. We conclude that CNGL channels and cGMP signaling are involved in the control of locomotor activity and the hypoxic response of adult Drosophila.

MTMR14 Alleviates Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease as a Regulator in Inflammation and Emphysema.

Extensive inflammation and apoptosis in structural cells of the lung are responsible for the progression and pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Myotubularin-related protein 14 (MTMR14) has been shown to participate in various biological processes, including apoptosis, inflammation, and autophagy. Nonetheless, the role of MTMR14 in COPD remains elusive. In the present study, we explored the expression of MTMR14 in human lung tissues and investigated the effects of overexpressed MTMR14 on in vitro and in vivo COPD models. Moreover, one of the possible mechanisms of MTMR14 alleviating COPD was explored based on mitochondrial function and mitophagy homeostasis. The results showed that MTMR14 expression was reduced in COPD patients' lungs in comparison to control subjects. MTMR14 overexpression inhibited cigarette smoke extract-induced inflammation and apoptosis and improved mitochondrial function and mitophagy in vitro. Further verification was carried out in COPD model mice. MTMR14 overexpression inhibited lung inflammation and reduced levels of IL-6 and KC in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, as well as prevented emphysema and a decline in lung function. Furthermore, MTMR14 overexpression improved mitochondrial function and mitophagy to a certain extent. Collectively, our data support the hypothesis that MTMR14 participates in the pathogenesis of COPD. Improving mitochondrial function and mitophagy homeostasis may be one of the mechanisms by which MTMR14 alleviates COPD and may potentially be a novel therapeutic target for COPD.

Frequency-specific modification of locomotor components by the white gene in Drosophila melanogaster adult flies.

The classic eye-color gene white (w) in Drosophila melanogaster (fruitfly) has unexpected behavioral consequences. How w affects locomotion of adult flies is largely unknown. Here, we show that a mutant allele (w1118 ) selectively increases locomotor components at relatively high frequencies (> 0.1 Hz). The w1118 flies had reduced transcripts of w+ from the 5' end of the gene. Male flies of w1118 walked continuously in circular arenas while the wildtype Canton-S walked intermittently. Through careful control of genetic and cytoplasmic backgrounds, we found that the w1118 locus was associated with continuous walking. w1118 -carrying male flies showed increased median values of path length per second (PPS) and 5-min path length compared with w+ -carrying males. Additionally, flies carrying 2-4 genomic copies of mini-white+ (mw+ ) in the w1118 background showed suppressed median PPSs and decreased 5-min path length compared with controls, and the suppression was dependent on the copy number of mw+ . Analysis of the time-series (i.e., PPSs over time) by Fourier transform indicated that w1118 was associated with increased locomotor components at relatively high frequencies (> 0.1 Hz). The addition of multiple genomic copies of mw+ (2-4 copies) suppressed the high-frequency components. Lastly, the downregulation of w+ in neurons but not glial cells resulted in increased high-frequency components. We concluded that mutation of w modified the locomotion in adult flies by selectively increasing high-frequency locomotor components.

Mating experience modifies locomotor performance and promotes episodic motor activity in Drosophila melanogaster.

Sexual behavior is a routine among animal species. Sexual experience has several behavioral consequences in insects, but its physiological basis is less well-understood. The episodic motor activity with a periodicity around 19 s was unintentionally observed in the wildtype Canton-S flies and was greatly reduced in the white-eyed mutant w1118 flies. Episodic motor activity co-exists with several consistent locomotor performances in Canton-S flies whereas reduced episodic motor activity is accompanied by neural or behavioral abnormalities in w1118 flies. The improvements of both episodic motor activity and locomotor performance are co-inducible by a pulsed light illumination in w1118. Here we show that mating experience of w1118 males promoted fast and consistent locomotor activities and increased the power of episodic motor activities. Compared with virgin males, mated ones showed significant increases of boundary preference, travel distance over 60 s, and increased path increments per 0.2 s. In contrast, mated males of Canton-S showed decreased boundary preference, increased travel distance over 60 s, and increased path increments per 0.2 s. Additionally, mated males of w1118 displayed increased power amplitude of periodic motor activities at 0.03-0.1 Hz. These data indicated that mating experience promoted fast and consistent locomotion and improved episodic motor activities in w1118 male flies.

Reduced heat shock protein 70 in airway smooth muscle in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Studies demonstrated that pathophysiological abnormalities of airway smooth muscle (ASM) contribute significantly to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) pathogenesis, the aim of this study is to investigate heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) in ASM in COPD. ASM from 8 COPD patients and 6 controls were isolated for detection of Hsp70 using Western blot. Male adult Wister rats were exposed to mixture of cigarette smoke/air or room air for an indicated period. The lung tissues were obtained for pathological analysis, and ASM were dissected for Hsp70 detection. Normalized Hsp70 in ASM from COPD patients was significantly lower than that from controls (P <.001), and it was a significant positive correlation of Hsp70 and lung function. One-month exposure of rats to cigarette smoke/air mixture led to increased expression of Hsp70 and heat shock transcription factor (Hsf1) in ASM as compared to controls, whereas 3-month exposure caused dramatically reduced Hsp70 and Hsf1 than control animals. In addition, 3-month exposure to cigarette smoke/air mixture resulted in significantly lower Hsp70 and Hsf1 in rats ASM than 1-month exposure (P <.001), and it was a positive correlation of Hsf1 and Hsp70. Long-term cigarette smoking results in reduced expression of Hsp70 in ASM. This finding provides additional insight in understanding molecular changes in ASM during COPD pathogenesis.

Downregulation of EDTP in glial cells suppresses polyglutamine protein aggregates and extends lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster.

Drosophila egg-derived tyrosine phosphatase (EDTP) is a lipid phosphatase essential for oogenesis and muscle function. Loss-of-EDTP is lethal at early developmental stages. Hypomorphic mutation of EDTP causes impaired muscle performance and shortened lifespan. Mutation of MTMR14, a mammalian homolog to EDTP, is associated with muscle fatigue in rodents and a rare genetic disease called centronuclear myopathy in humans. Despite the deleterious consequences, downregulation of MTMR14 promotes autophagy. It is proposed that selective downregulation of EDTP/MTMR14 in non-muscle tissues improves the survivorship to cellular wastes and extends lifespan. Here, we show that downregulation of EDTP in glial cells suppressed the expression of polyglutamine (polyQ) protein aggregates and improved survival. Downregulation of EDTP in glial cells also extended lifespan. These effects were not observed by targeting pan-neurons in the nervous system, suggesting the significance of tissue-specificity. Additionally, flies carrying an EDTP mutant had increased survival to prolonged anoxia and altered dynamics of polyQ expression. These data supported the proposal that selective downregulation of EDTP in non-muscle tissues improved survivorship to cellular protein aggregates and extended lifespan. Our findings suggest that EDTP/MTMR14 could be a novel molecular target for the treatment of neurodegeneration.

Assessment of microalgae as a new feeding additive for fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster.

Animal food wastes are a concern due to the large amounts of commercial food required for model animals during the biological and biomedical research. Searching for sustainable food alternatives with negligible physiological effects on animals is critical to solve or reduce this challenge. Microalgae have been demonstrated to be suitable for both human consumption and animal feed. In this study, the possibility of using Chlorella vulgaris and Senedesmus obliquus as a feed replacement to Drosophila melanogaster, one of the fly models commonly used in biomedical studies, was investigated. Characteristics including the fly locomotor activity, motor pattern, feeding behavior, lifespan and body weight were assessed. Results showed that compared to control, the flies fed on 80% microalga (80-flies) in the total weight (w/w) had the double increased apparent step size, while both 60-flies and 80-flies exhibited longer travel distances (60%: 27.77 ±â€¯1.99 cm; 80%: 31.50 ±â€¯3.70 cm) most likely due to the starvation and varied serotonin levels in flies fed on high percentages microalgae. Subsequently, 40-flies exhibited less optimal growth performance with decreased body weights (0.51 ±â€¯0.006 mg vs 0.60 ±â€¯0.005 mg for control) and shorter mean lifespan (36 days vs 55.8 days for control. However, 20-flies showed no statistical differences in all parameters tested with respect to control flies, indicating that 20% microalgae treatment did not greatly change the primary food component such as carbohydrate which might play a critical role in fly performance. Therefore, the inclusion of 20% microalgae could be an alternative to fly standard food without compromising fly physiological performance.

EDTP/MTMR14: A novel target for improved survivorship to prolonged anoxia and cellular protein aggregates.

Drosophila egg-derived tyrosine phosphatase (EDTP), a lipid phosphatase that removes 3-position phosphate at the inositol ring, has dual functions in oogenesis and muscle performance in adults. A mammalian homologous gene MTMR14, which encodes the myotubularin-related protein 14, negatively regulates autophagy. Mutation of EDTP/MTMR14, however, causes at least three deleterious consequences: (1) the lethality in early embryogenesis in Drosophila; (2) a "jumpy" phenotype with apparently impaired motor functions; and (3) an association with a rare genetic disorder called centronuclear myopathy. The potential benefit of EDTP/MTMR14 downregulation is likely masked by the lethality or severe muscle defects due to ubiquitous loss of this gene. Here we show that flies carrying a heterozygous EDTP mutation had increased survivorship to prolonged anoxia; tissue-specific downregulation of EDTP in non-muscle tissues, particularly motoneurons, extended lifespan and improved survivorship to beta-amyloid peptides (Aß42) and polyglutamine protein aggregates. These data highlight the significance of selective downregulation of EDTP in non-muscles for beneficial consequences. MTMR14 expression was evident in the hippocampus and cortex in C57BL/6 J and APP/PS1 mice. Compared with C57BL/6 J mice, APP/PS1 mice had reduced MTMR14 in the cortex. Hippocampal expression of MTMR14 was increased and plateaued at 9-17 months compared with 2-6 months in C57BL/6 J mice. Additionally, MTMR14 was inducible by Aß42 in the rat primarily hippocampal neurons and mouse Neuro2a neuroblasts. We demonstrate a novel approach of tissue-specific downregulation of the disease-associated gene EDTP/MTMR14 for extended lifespan and improved survivorship to cellular protein aggregates. This approach could be extended from insects to mammals.

Expression of Heat Shock Protein 70 Is Insufficient To Extend Drosophila melanogaster Longevity.

It has been known for over 20 years that Drosophila melanogaster flies with twelve additional copies of the hsp70 gene encoding the 70 kD heat shock protein lives longer after a non-lethal heat treatment. Since the heat treatment also induces the expression of additional heat shock proteins, the biological effect can be due either to HSP70 acting alone or in combination. This study used the UAS/GAL4 system to determine whether hsp70 is sufficient to affect the longevity and the resistance to thermal, oxidative or desiccation stresses of the whole organism. We observed that HSP70 expression in the nervous system or muscles has no effect on longevity or stress resistance but ubiquitous expression reduces the life span of males. We also observed that the down-regulation of hsp70 using RNAi did not affect longevity.

Walking behavior in a circular arena modified by pulsed light stimulation in Drosophila melanogaster w1118 line.

The Drosophila melanogaster white-eyed w1118 line serves as a parental stock, allowing genetic recombination of any gene of interest along with a readily recognizable marker. w1118 flies display behavioral susceptibility to environmental stimulation such as light. It is of great importance to characterize the behavioral performance of w1118 flies because this would provide a baseline from which the effect of the gene of interest could be differentiated. Little work has been performed to characterize the walking behavior in adult w1118 flies. Here we show that pulsed light stimulation increased the regularity of walking trajectories of w1118 flies in circular arenas. We statistically modeled the distribution of distances to center and extracted the walking structures of w1118 flies. Pulsed light stimulation redistributed the time proportions for individual walking structures. Specifically, pulsed light stimulation reduced the episodes of crossing over the central region of the arena. An addition of four genomic copies of mini-white, a common marker gene for eye color, mimicked the effect of pulsed light stimulation in reducing crossing in a circular arena. The reducing effect of mini-white was copy-number-dependent. These findings highlight the rhythmic light stimulation-evoked modifications of walking behavior in w1118 flies and an unexpected behavioral consequence of mini-white in transgenic flies carrying w1118 isogenic background.

White - cGMP Interaction Promotes Fast Locomotor Recovery from Anoxia in Adult Drosophila.

Increasing evidence indicates that the white (w) gene in Drosophila possesses extra-retinal functions in addition to its classical role in eye pigmentation. We have previously shown that w+ promotes fast and consistent locomotor recovery from anoxia, but how w+ modulates locomotor recovery is largely unknown. Here we show that in the absence of w+, several PDE mutants, especially cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-specific PDE mutants, display wildtype-like fast locomotor recovery from anoxia, and that during the night time, locomotor recovery was light-sensitive in white-eyed mutant w1118, and light-insensitive in PDE mutants under w1118 background. Data indicate the involvement of cGMP in the modulation of recovery timing and presumably, light-evoked cGMP fluctuation is associated with light sensitivity of locomotor recovery. This was further supported by the observations that w-RNAi-induced delay of locomotor recovery was completely eliminated by upregulation of cGMP through multiple approaches, including PDE mutation, simultaneous overexpression of an atypical soluble guanylyl cyclase Gyc88E, or sildenafil feeding. Lastly, prolonged sildenafil feeding promoted fast locomotor recovery from anoxia in w1118. Taken together, these data suggest that a White-cGMP interaction modulates the timing of locomotor recovery from anoxia.

The white gene controls copulation success in Drosophila melanogaster.

Characteristics of male courtship behavior in Drosophila melanogaster have been well-described, but the genetic basis of male-female copulation is largely unknown. Here we show that the white (w) gene, a classical gene for eye color, is associated with copulation success. 82.5% of wild-type Canton-S flies copulated within 60 minutes in circular arenas, whereas few white-eyed mutants mated successfully. The w + allele exchanged to the X chromosome or duplicated to the Y chromosome in the white-eyed genetic background rescued the defect of copulation success. The w +-associated copulation success was independent of eye color phenotype. Addition of the mini-white (mw +) gene to the white-eyed mutant rescued the defect of copulation success in a manner that was mw + copy number-dependent. Lastly, male-female sexual experience mimicked the effects of w +/mw + in improving successful copulation. These data suggest that the w + gene controls copulation success in Drosophila melanogaster.

Timing of Locomotor Recovery from Anoxia Modulated by the white Gene in Drosophila.

Locomotor recovery from anoxia follows the restoration of disordered ion distributions and neuronal excitability. The time taken for locomotor recovery after 30 sec anoxia (around 10 min) is longer than the time for the propagation of action potentials to be restored (<1 min) in Drosophila wild type. We report here that the white (w) gene modulates the timing of locomotor recovery. Wild-type flies displayed fast and consistent recovery of locomotion from anoxia, whereas mutants of w showed significantly delayed and more variable recovery. Genetic analysis including serial backcrossing revealed a strong association between the w locus and the timing of locomotor recovery, and haplo-insufficient function of w(+) in promoting fast recovery. The locomotor recovery phenotype was independent of classic eye pigmentation, although both are associated with the w gene. Introducing up to four copies of mini-white (mw(+)) into w1118 was insufficient to promote fast and consistent locomotor recovery. However, flies carrying w(+) duplicated to the Y chromosome showed wild-type-like fast locomotor recovery. Furthermore, Knockdown of w by RNA interference (RNAi) in neurons but not glia delayed locomotor recovery, and specifically, knockdown of w in subsets of serotonin neurons was sufficient to delay the locomotor recovery. These data reveal an additional role for w in modulating the timing of locomotor recovery from anoxia.