Circadian regulation of the < i > Drosophila < /i > astrocyte transcriptome

by Samantha You, Alder M. Yu, Mary A. Roberts, Ivanna J. Joseph, F. Rob Jackson Recent studies have demonstrated that astrocytes cooperate with neurons of the brain to mediate circadian control of many rhythmic processes including locomotor activity and sleep. Transcriptional profiling studies have described the overall rhythmic landscape of the brain, but few have employed a pproaches that reveal heterogeneous, cell-type specific rhythms of the brain. Using cell-specific isolation of ribosome-bound RNAs inDrosophila, we constructed the first circadian “translatome” for astrocytes. This analysis identified 293 “cycling genes” in astrocytes, most with mammalian orthologs. A subsequent behavioral genetic screen identified a number of genes whose expression is required in astrocytes for normal sleep behavior. In particular, we show that certa in genes known to regulate fly innate immune responses are also required for normal sleep patterns.
Source: PLoS Genetics - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Source Type: research