Context-dependent arousal via wake-promoting pontine neurons in the Drosophila melanogaster fan-shaped body.

ABSTRACT: Neurons projecting into the Drosophila dorsal fan-shaped body (dFB) respond electrically during rising sleep pressure to implement sleep. While the molecular and circuit mechanisms that track sleep pressure have been an area of intense focus, less attention has been placed on the downstream neurons targeted by dFB cells to change behavioral state. To identify relevant circuitry, we first used an anterograde transsynaptic labeling tool, trans-Tango, to identify postsynaptic partners of dFB. We found that neurons downstream of dFB resemble hΔF cells and through thermogenetic stimulation identify their activity to be wake promoting. We validated these results using independent genetic lines, including highly specific split-Gal4 drivers. Next, we found that hΔF neurons express the glutamate tr

SUBMITTER: Aleman A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC13472897 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature