生物谷：科學(xué)家們發(fā)現(xiàn)了一種特別的信號(hào)通道,，這種分子通道對(duì)果蠅睡眼的調(diào)控和維持來(lái)說(shuō)至關(guān)重要。新研究在線發(fā)表在8月12號(hào)的《自然—神經(jīng)科學(xué)》期刊上,，它表明果蠅有可能成為研究睡眠調(diào)控分子通道的一種模式動(dòng)物。
果蠅(還有其他昆蟲(chóng))的睡眼生物學(xué)過(guò)程類似于哺乳類動(dòng)物,，包括在睡覺(jué)過(guò)程中的靜止不動(dòng)以及睡眼被剝奪后對(duì)睡眼的額外補(bǔ)充,。表皮生長(zhǎng)因子受體參與了生命體24小時(shí)自然節(jié)奏的調(diào)控，Ralph Greenspan和同事發(fā)現(xiàn),，激活該受體可導(dǎo)致睡眠的增加,，阻止這一分子通道的活性則會(huì)減少睡眠，而且睡眼被剝奪后也很難被補(bǔ)上,。這種調(diào)節(jié)作用發(fā)生在果蠅的大腦中,，這一區(qū)域類似于哺乳類動(dòng)物大腦中控制睡眠的下丘腦區(qū)域。
新實(shí)驗(yàn)方法可幫助科學(xué)家們更快更好地鑒別調(diào)控睡眼的其他分子通道,。制藥公司也可利用這種方法來(lái)設(shè)計(jì)更多有助于睡眼的藥物,。（科學(xué)時(shí)報(bào)）
原始出處:
Nature Neuroscience
Published online: 12 August 2007; | doi:10.1038/nn1957
Activation of EGFR and ERK by rhomboid signaling regulates the consolidation and maintenance of sleep in Drosophila
Krisztina Foltenyi1, 2, Ralph J Greenspan2 & John W Newport1, 3
1 Department of Biology, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, California 92093, USA.
2 The Neurosciences Institute, 10640 John Jay Hopkins Dr., San Diego, California 92121, USA.
3 Deceased.
Correspondence should be addressed to Ralph J Greenspan [email protected]
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling in the mammalian hypothalamus is important in the circadian regulation of activity. We have examined the role of this pathway in the regulation of sleep in Drosophila melanogaster. Our results demonstrate that rhomboid (Rho)- and Star-mediated activation of EGFR and ERK signaling increases sleep in a dose-dependent manner, and that blockade of rhomboid (rho) expression in the nervous system decreases sleep. The requirement of rho for sleep localized to the pars intercerebralis, a part of the fly brain that is developmentally and functionally analogous to the hypothalamus in vertebrates. These results suggest that sleep and its regulation by EGFR signaling may be ancestral to insects and mammals.
