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Updated: Jun 21, 2026
Assaying Locomotor Activity to Study Circadian Rhythms and Sleep Parameters in Drosophila
Published on: September 29, 2010
Large ventral lateral neurons modulate arousal and sleep in Drosophila
Vasu Sheeba1, Keri J Fogle, Maki Kaneko
1Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA.
Background:
Large ventral lateral clock neurons (lLNvs) exhibit higher daytime-light-driven spontaneous action-potential firing rates in Drosophila, coinciding with wakefulness and locomotor-activity behavior. To determine whether the lLNvs are involved in arousal and sleep/wake behavior, we examined the effects of altered electrical excitation of the LNvs.
Results:
LNv-hyperexcited flies reverse the normal day-night firing pattern, showing higher lLNv firing rates at night and pigment-dispersing-factor-mediated enhancement of nocturnal locomotor-activity behavior and reduced quantity and quality of sleep. lLNv hyperexcitation impairs sensory arousal, as shown by physiological and behavioral assays. lLNv-hyperexcited flies lacking sLNvs exhibit robust hyperexcitation-induced increases in nocturnal behavior, suggesting that the sLNvs are not essential for mediation of arousal.
Conclusions:
Light-activated lLNvs modulate behavioral arousal and sleep in Drosophila.
