Astrocyte expression of the Drosophila TNF-alpha homologue, Eiger, regulates sleep in flies

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007724
• Publication Date: 2018-10-31T13:30:31Z
• Authors: William M. Vander...; Alan G. Goodman; Rebecca H. Taylor; Marcos G. Frank; Hans P. A. Van Do...; Jason R. Gerstner
• Keywords: Sleep; Homeostasis

Sleep contributes to cognitive functioning and is sufficient alter brain morphology function. However, mechanisms underlying sleep regulation remain poorly understood. In mammals, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) known regulate sleep, cytokine expression may represent an evolutionarily ancient mechanism in regulation. Here we show that the Drosophila TNFα homologue, Eiger, mediates flies. We knockdown of Eiger astrocytes, but not neurons, significantly reduces duration, total loss-of-function homeostatic response loss. addition, neuronal, astrocyte, receptor superfamily member, Wengen, necessary for deprivation-induced mediating increases human TNFα. These data identify a novel astrocyte-to-neuron signaling homeostasis cytokine, represents conserved across phylogeny.