PDF-modulated visual inputs and cryptochrome define diurnal behavior in Drosophila

• DOI: 10.1038/nn.2429
• Publication Date: 2009-10-11T18:05:54Z
• Authors: Paola Cusumano; André Klarsfeld; Elisabeth Chélot; Marie Picot; Benjamin Richier; François Rouyer
• Keywords: Male; Neurons; Receptors, Neuropeptide; 0303 health sciences; Behavior, Animal; Neuropeptides; Motor Activity; Animals, Genetically Modified; Cryptochromes; 03 medical and health sciences; Gene Expression Regulation; Biological Clocks; Mutation; Animals; Drosophila Proteins; Animals; Animals, Genetically Modified; Behavior, Animal; Biological Clocks; Cryptochromes; Drosophila; Drosophila Proteins; Gene Expression Regulation; Male; Motor Activity; Mutation; Neurons; Neuropeptides; Receptors, Neuropeptide; Signal Transduction; Visual Pathways; Neuroscience (all); Drosophila; Visual Pathways; Signal Transduction

Morning and evening circadian oscillators control the bimodal activity of Drosophila in light-dark cycles. The lateral neurons evening oscillator (LN-EO) is important for promoting diurnal activity at dusk. We found that the LN-EO autonomously synchronized to light-dark cycles through either the cryptochrome (CRY) that it expressed or the visual system. In conditions in which CRY was not activated, flies depleted for pigment-dispersing factor (PDF) or its receptor lost the evening activity and displayed reversed PER oscillations in the LN-EO. Rescue experiments indicated that normal PER cycling and the presence of evening activity relied on PDF secretion from the large ventral lateral neurons and PDF receptor function in the LN-EO. The LN-EO thus integrates light inputs and PDF signaling to control Drosophila diurnal behavior, revealing a new clock-independent function for PDF.