V-045 | Modulation of iron transporters in glia impact on behavoir.

Cognition, Behavior, and Memory
Author: Azul Denise Galo | Email: azu.galo@gmail.com

Azul Denise Galo^1°, Victoria Noceti^1°,Vinicius Bongiovanni^1°, Pablo Bochicchio^2°, Diego Hernán Bodín^2°, Jorge Daniel Correale^3°, Juana Maria Pasquini^4°, Maximiliano Katz^1°, Maria Silvina Marcora^4°

^1° CONICET – Universidad de Buenos Aires. Insti de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay (IFIBIO Houssay). Buenos Aires, Argentina.tuto
^2° Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Laboratorio de Neuroetología de Insectos. Buenos Aires, Argentina
^3° Instituto de Investigaciones Neurológicas Dr. Raúl Carrea, FLENI. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
^4° Departamento de Química Biológica and Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológica (IQUIFIB)-, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. UBA- CONICET. Buenos Aires Argentina.

Iron is essential for many cellular processes, and maintaining iron homeostasis is fundamental to prevent various health issues. Both iron deficiency and iron overload have been associated with detrimental effects for the cells.
In Drosophila melanogaster several genes are involved iron trafficking. Malvolio, an ortholog of DMT1 in mammals, is involved in iron uptake by the cell. Once inside the cell, iron can reach the endoplasmic reticulum through the ZIP13 transporter, where it is incorporated into ferritin. Ferritin, the primary iron storage complex, is composed of 24 subunits of two ferritin types, Fer1HCH and Fer2LCH. In addition, Mitoferrin (Fer3HCH), located in the inner mitochondrial membrane, facilitates the transport of iron into the mitochondrion.
To investigate the impact of iron metabolism in the Drosophila central nervous system, particularly in glial cells, we conducted an RNA interference (RNAi) screen targeting iron transport genes. Subsequently, we tracked the flies, and several behavioral parameters were determined. Results on behavioral parameters will be presented.
Our findings underscore the critical role of iron homeostasis in glial cell function and its necessity for normal behavior. Additionally, this screen offers valuable insights into the interactions between iron and various genes and pathways, potentially aiding in the identification of compounds capable of correcting cellular iron imbalances.