Flies stuck home alon
In COVID-19 times, many are facing social isolation. Even flies can suffer from social isolation and understanding how flies react to social isolation can help understand how we respond to it. Social isolation is in fact strongly modulating behavior in animals, especially in social ones. A new study (Agrawal et al., 2020), from the Looger laboratory at the Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Ashburn, VA, uses flies to understand social isolation.
In flies, social isolation results in male flies displaying aggressive behaviors. Agrawal and colleagues study this behavior by identifying genes differentially expressed in the brains of flies kept in social isolation. They found that the neuropeptide Drosulfakinin, the homologue of the vertebrate cholecystokinin, was downregulated in flies kept in social isolation. Cholecystokinin is known to be involved in many mammalian social behaviors. The scientists confirmed this result by blocking Drosulfakinin in non-socially isolated flies and noticed an increase in aggression of these flies.
Overall, this study shows the feasibility of using flies as a model organism to perform research on social isolation and aggression. Understanding of the hormonal response in these processes will help identify therapies to improve forced social isolation and aggression.
Citation: Agrawal, P., Kao, D., Chung, P., & Looger, L. L. (2020). The neuropeptide Drosulfakinin regulates social isolation-induced aggression in Drosophila. Journal of Experimental Biology, 223(2). https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.207407
In flies, social isolation results in male flies displaying aggressive behaviors. Agrawal and colleagues study this behavior by identifying genes differentially expressed in the brains of flies kept in social isolation. They found that the neuropeptide Drosulfakinin, the homologue of the vertebrate cholecystokinin, was downregulated in flies kept in social isolation. Cholecystokinin is known to be involved in many mammalian social behaviors. The scientists confirmed this result by blocking Drosulfakinin in non-socially isolated flies and noticed an increase in aggression of these flies.
Overall, this study shows the feasibility of using flies as a model organism to perform research on social isolation and aggression. Understanding of the hormonal response in these processes will help identify therapies to improve forced social isolation and aggression.
Citation: Agrawal, P., Kao, D., Chung, P., & Looger, L. L. (2020). The neuropeptide Drosulfakinin regulates social isolation-induced aggression in Drosophila. Journal of Experimental Biology, 223(2). https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.207407