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A Conserved Long Noncoding RNA Affects Sleep Behavior in Drosophila
- Source :
- Genetics
- Publication Year :
- 2011
- Publisher :
- Genetics Society of America, 2011.
-
Abstract
- Metazoan genomes encode an abundant collection of mRNA-like, long noncoding (lnc)RNAs. Although lncRNAs greatly expand the transcriptional repertoire, we have a limited understanding of how these RNAs contribute to developmental regulation. Here, we investigate the function of the Drosophila lncRNA called yellow-achaete intergenic RNA (yar). Comparative sequence analyses show that the yar gene is conserved in Drosophila species representing 40–60 million years of evolution, with one of the conserved sequence motifs encompassing the yar promoter. Further, the timing of yar expression in Drosophila virilis parallels that in D. melanogaster, suggesting that transcriptional regulation of yar is conserved. The function of yar was defined by generating null alleles. Flies lacking yar RNAs are viable and show no overt morphological defects, consistent with maintained transcriptional regulation of the adjacent yellow (y) and achaete (ac) genes. The location of yar within a neural gene cluster led to the investigation of effects of yar in behavioral assays. These studies demonstrated that loss of yar alters sleep regulation in the context of a normal circadian rhythm. Nighttime sleep was reduced and fragmented, with yar mutants displaying diminished sleep rebound following sleep deprivation. Importantly, these defects were rescued by a yar transgene. These data provide the first example of a lncRNA gene involved in Drosophila sleep regulation. We find that yar is a cytoplasmic lncRNA, suggesting that yar may regulate sleep by affecting stabilization or translational regulation of mRNAs. Such functions of lncRNAs may extend to vertebrates, as lncRNAs are abundant in neural tissues.
- Subjects :
- Cytoplasm
RNA, Untranslated
Molecular Sequence Data
Gene Expression
Genes, Insect
Investigations
Conserved sequence
Evolution, Molecular
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Species Specificity
Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
Translational regulation
Genetics
Transcriptional regulation
Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
Animals
Drosophila Proteins
Gene
Conserved Sequence
030304 developmental biology
0303 health sciences
biology
Base Sequence
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
biology.organism_classification
Blotting, Northern
Long non-coding RNA
Drosophila virilis
Drosophila melanogaster
Mutation
DNA, Intergenic
Drosophila
RNA, Long Noncoding
Sleep
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Drosophila Protein
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 19432631 and 00166731
- Volume :
- 189
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Genetics
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....70209b41b88db7bb57c7861c80e2405e