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Updated: Jan 3, 2026
Circadian Entrainment of Drosophila Melanogaster
Published on: June 3, 2020
Misregulation of Drosophila Myc Disrupts Circadian Behavior and Metabolism
Annie L Hsieh1, Xiangzhong Zheng2, Zhifeng Yue3
1Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY 10017, USA; The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19141, USA.
Abstract:
Drosophila Myc (dMyc) is highly conserved and functions as a transcription factor similar to mammalian Myc. We previously found that oncogenic Myc disrupts the molecular clock in cancer cells. Here, we demonstrate that misregulation of dMyc expression affects Drosophila circadian behavior. dMyc overexpression results in a high percentage of arrhythmic flies, concomitant with increases in the expression of clock genes cyc, tim, cry, and cwo. Conversely, flies with hypomorphic mutations in dMyc exhibit considerable arrhythmia, which can be rescued by loss of dMnt, a suppressor of dMyc activity. Metabolic profiling of fly heads revealed that loss of dMyc and its overexpression alter steady-state metabolite levels and have opposing effects on histidine, the histamine precursor, which is rescued in dMyc mutants by ablation of dMnt and could contribute to effects of dMyc on locomotor behavior. Our results demonstrate a role of dMyc in modulating Drosophila circadian clock, behavior, and metabolism.
Insights
Drosophila Myc (dMyc) misregulation disrupts circadian rhythms and alters metabolism. Loss of dMyc activity can be rescued by suppressing dMnt, impacting fly behavior and metabolite levels.
Area of Science:
- * Molecular biology
- * Chronobiology
- * Genetics
Background:
- * Drosophila Myc (dMyc) is a conserved transcription factor homologous to mammalian Myc.
- * Previous research indicated oncogenic Myc disrupts the molecular clock in cancer cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To investigate the role of dMyc in regulating Drosophila circadian behavior and metabolism.
- * To explore the relationship between dMyc, clock gene expression, and metabolic profiles.
Main Methods:
- * Examined circadian behavior in Drosophila with altered dMyc expression (overexpression and hypomorphic mutations).
- * Measured expression levels of key clock genes (cyc, tim, cry, cwo).
- * Performed metabolic profiling on fly heads.
Main Results:
- * dMyc overexpression led to arrhythmic flies and increased clock gene expression.
- * dMyc hypomorphic mutants showed arrhythmia, rescued by loss of dMnt.
- * Altered dMyc levels affected metabolite levels, notably histidine, with opposing effects.
Conclusions:
- * dMyc plays a significant role in modulating the Drosophila circadian clock, behavior, and metabolism.
- * dMyc's influence on locomotor behavior may be linked to histidine metabolism.
- * dMnt acts as a suppressor of dMyc activity in the context of circadian rhythm and behavior.
