MicroRNA-encoded behavior in Drosophila
- 13 November 2015
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 350 (6262), 815-820
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aad0217
Abstract
The relationship between microRNA (miRNA) regulation and the specification of behavior is only beginning to be explored. We found that mutation of a single miRNA locus (miR-iab4/iab8) in Drosophila larvae affects the animal’s capacity to correct its orientation if turned upside down (self-righting). One of the miRNA targets involved in this behavior is the Hox gene Ultrabithorax, whose derepression in two metameric neurons leads to self-righting defects. In vivo neural activity analysis reveals that these neurons, the self-righting node (SRN), have different activity patterns in wild type and miRNA mutants, whereas thermogenetic manipulation of SRN activity results in changes in self-righting behavior. Our work thus reveals a miRNA-encoded behavior and suggests that other miRNAs might also be involved in behavioral control in Drosophila and other species.This publication has 53 references indexed in Scilit:
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