Chronobiology
Author: Micaela Rodríguez | Email: mmicarodrigueez@gmail.com
Micaela Rodríguez-Caron1°, Juan Ignacio Ispizua1°, Francisco Joaquín Tassara1°, Ivana Leda Bussi1°, María Fernanda Ceriani1°
1° Laboratorio Genética del Comportamiento – Fundación Instituto Leloir – Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires
Animal physiology follows daily rhythms that are typically regulated by central pacemakers in the brain, involving a dozen of clock genes. In Drosophila melanogaster, these clock genes are expressed in 240 neurons, which are grouped into functional clusters based on their anatomical location and gene expression profiles. Under constant conditions, the small lateral ventral neurons (sLNvs) play a crucial role in maintaining circadian rhythmicity. We have previously shown that these neurons undergo daily changes in their axonal projections, with more complex branching in the subjective morning and less branching in the early subjective night. Fluorescent reporters have shown that the levels of the synaptic protein BRP and the strength of connectivity between the sLNvs and other clock neurons also change as the structure remodels. However, little is known about the functional correlates of this form of adult plasticity. To explore the circadian regulation of neuropeptide and neurotransmitter release we employed new fluorescent reporters based on GFP reconstitution in the pre-synapse (GRIP). Interestingly, vesicle fusion accompanies other features of structural plasticity, reaching a maximum at the beginning of the day and a minimum in the early night, highlighting another level of clock-mediated regulation of neuronal communication.