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Physiological homology between Drosophila melanogaster and vertebrate cardiovascular systems.

ABSTRACT: The physiology of the Drosophila melanogaster cardiovascular system remains poorly characterized compared with its vertebrate counterparts. Basic measures of physiological performance remain unknown. It also is unclear whether subtle physiological defects observed in the human cardiovascular system can be reproduced in D. melanogaster. Here we characterize the cardiovascular physiology of D. melanogaster in its pre-pupal stage by using high-speed dye angiography and optical coherence tomography. The heart has vigorous pulsatile contractions that drive intracardiac, aortic and extracellular-extravascular hemolymph flow. Several physiological measures, including weight-adjusted cardiac output, body-length-adjusted aortic velocities and intracardiac shear forces, are similar to those in the closed vertebrate cardiovascular systems, including that of humans. Extracellular-extravascular flow in the pre-pupal D. melanogaster circulation drives convection-limited fluid transport. To demonstrate homology in heart dysfunction, we showed that, at the pre-pupal stage, a troponin I mutant, held-up2 (hdp2), has impaired systolic and diastolic heart wall velocities. Impaired heart wall velocities occur in the context of a non-dilated phenotype with a mildly depressed fractional shortening. We additionally derive receiver operating characteristic curves showing that heart wall velocity is a potentially powerful discriminator of systolic heart dysfunction. Our results demonstrate physiological homology and support the use of D. melanogaster as an animal model of complex cardiovascular disease.

SUBMITTER: Choma MA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3097462 | biostudies-literature | 2011 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Physiological homology between Drosophila melanogaster and vertebrate cardiovascular systems.

Choma Michael A MA Suter Melissa J MJ Vakoc Benjamin J BJ Bouma Brett E BE Tearney Guillermo J GJ

Disease models & mechanisms 20101223 3

The physiology of the Drosophila melanogaster cardiovascular system remains poorly characterized compared with its vertebrate counterparts. Basic measures of physiological performance remain unknown. It also is unclear whether subtle physiological defects observed in the human cardiovascular system can be reproduced in D. melanogaster. Here we characterize the cardiovascular physiology of D. melanogaster in its pre-pupal stage by using high-speed dye angiography and optical coherence tomography. ...[more]

PMID: 21183476

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Project description:Recent studies on Drosophila melanogaster and other insects have revealed important insights into the functions and evolution of neuropeptide signaling. In contrast, in- and output connections of insect peptidergic circuits are largely unexplored. Existing morphological descriptions typically do not determine the exact spatial location of peptidergic axonal pathways and arborizations within the neuropil, and do not identify peptidergic in- and output compartments. Such information is however fundamental to screen for possible peptidergic network connections, a prerequisite to understand how the CNS controls the activity of peptidergic neurons at the synaptic level. We provide a precise 3D morphological description of peptidergic neurons in the thoracic and abdominal neuromeres of the Drosophila larva based on fasciclin-2 (Fas2) immunopositive tracts as landmarks. Comparing the Fas2 "coordinates" of projections of sensory or other neurons with those of peptidergic neurons, it is possible to identify candidate in- and output connections of specific peptidergic systems. These connections can subsequently be more rigorously tested. By immunolabeling and GAL4-directed expression of marker proteins, we analyzed the projections and compartmentalization of neurons expressing 12 different peptide genes, encoding approximately 75% of the neuropeptides chemically identified within the Drosophila CNS. Results are assembled into standardized plates which provide a guide to identify candidate afferent or target neurons with overlapping projections. In general, we found that putative dendritic compartments of peptidergic neurons are concentrated around the median Fas2 tracts and the terminal plexus. Putative peptide release sites in the ventral nerve cord were also more laterally situated. Our results suggest that i) peptidergic neurons in the Drosophila ventral nerve cord have separated in- and output compartments in specific areas, and ii) volume transmission is a prevailing way of peptidergic communication within the CNS. The data can further be useful to identify colocalized transmitters and receptors, and develop peptidergic neurons as new landmarks.

Project description:Biogenic amines are important signaling molecules in the central nervous system of both vertebrates and invertebrates. In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, biogenic amines take part in the regulation of various vital physiological processes such as feeding, learning/memory, locomotion, sexual behavior, and sleep/arousal. Consequently, several morphological studies have analyzed the distribution of aminergic neurons in the CNS. Previous descriptions, however, did not determine the exact spatial location of aminergic neurite arborizations within the neuropil. The release sites and pre-/postsynaptic compartments of aminergic neurons also remained largely unidentified. We here used gal4-driven marker gene expression and immunocytochemistry to map presumed serotonergic (5-HT), dopaminergic, and tyraminergic/octopaminergic neurons in the thoracic and abdominal neuromeres of the Drosophila larval ventral ganglion relying on Fasciclin2-immunoreactive tracts as three-dimensional landmarks. With tyrosine hydroxylase- (TH) or tyrosine decarboxylase 2 (TDC2)-specific gal4-drivers, we also analyzed the distribution of ectopically expressed neuronal compartment markers in presumptive dopaminergic TH and tyraminergic/octopaminergic TDC2 neurons, respectively. Our results suggest that thoracic and abdominal 5-HT and TH neurons are exclusively interneurons whereas most TDC2 neurons are efferent. 5-HT and TH neurons are ideally positioned to integrate sensory information and to modulate neuronal transmission within the ventral ganglion, while most TDC2 neurons appear to act peripherally. In contrast to 5-HT neurons, TH and TDC2 neurons each comprise morphologically different neuron subsets with separated in- and output compartments in specific neuropil regions. The three-dimensional mapping of aminergic neurons now facilitates the identification of neuronal network contacts and co-localized signaling molecules, as exemplified for DOPA decarboxylase-synthesizing neurons that co-express crustacean cardioactive peptide and myoinhibiting peptides.

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Physiological homology between Drosophila melanogaster and vertebrate cardiovascular systems.

Publications

Physiological homology between Drosophila melanogaster and vertebrate cardiovascular systems.

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