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    Home > Active Ingredient News > Study of Nervous System > Why is it "was awakened by heat"? Han Junhai's team reveals the neural mechanism of environmental temperature regulation of sleep

    Why is it "was awakened by heat"? Han Junhai's team reveals the neural mechanism of environmental temperature regulation of sleep

    • Last Update: 2021-03-27
    • Source: Internet
    • Author: User
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    It's hard to leave the bed in the harsh winter, and the bed in the summer makes people toss and turn.

    We may not be unfamiliar with the experience of being awakened by heat, but where does this experience come from? Or when we live in a humid and hot place, can we have a good night's sleep? On March 19, 2021, the Han Junhai team of Southeast University published an online title in the Cell sub-Journal Current Biology: This study reveals the neural circuits that mediate temperature regulation of sleep, and brings a new science to the interpretation of the above problems Perspective.

    Drosophila has a simple but not simple central nervous system.
    Genetic manipulation tools can do their best on this organism, making Drosophila this "weapon" good for neural circuit exploration.

    In addition, the sleep regulation mechanisms of Drosophila and mammals are highly conserved at the molecular level, and have similarities in the regulation of neural circuits.
    Therefore, since 2000, Drosophila has become an important model organism for sleep research.

    Drosophila will also wake up in a warm state similar to humans.
    The study found that the increase in ambient temperature at night promotes the process of awakening is reversible (Figure 1A).

    TrpA1 expressed in Drosophila thermoreceptor AC neurons (Anterior cells, ACs), as a classic cation channel temperature-sensing protein, can be activated by high temperature, causing the influx of cations to increase the excitability of ACs, which converts the signal of rising ambient temperature For nerve signals.

    This study identified Drosophila NP5130-GAL4, a tool for specifically marking temperature-sensitive neuron ACs.
    Using this tool, Drosophila knocked down the expression level of TrpA1 in ACs, which weakened the effect of high temperature in promoting night awakening, and Drosophila remained in a high temperature environment.
    Maintain a high amount of sleep (Figure 1B).

    The research team further identified that ACs transmit environmental temperature information through the release of acetylcholine, and mediate temperature regulation on sleep (Figure 1C).

    Figure 1 ACs releases acetylcholine signals to mediate temperature rise and promotes nocturnal wakefulness.
    To explore the downstream neural network that receives ACs signals, the researchers used trans-Tango technology of trans-synaptic markers to locate the downstream neural network of ACs signals to the posterior nerve Yuan DN1ps.

    Combining RNA interference technology and behavioral analysis, the research team determined that a small cluster of DN1p neurons expressing acetylcholine receptors nα4, nα5 and mA received acetylcholine signals released by ACs and sensed temperature changes.

    The study further explores what kind of neural signals DN1ps release to regulate sleep.

    Through screening, the authors found that knocking down CNMa neuropeptide in DN1ps can significantly reduce the promotion of high temperature on night awakening (Figure 2A).

    What is the downstream neuron of CNMa signal? Pars intercerebralis (PI) is equivalent to the hypothalamic structure of mammals and has direct synaptic connection with DN1ps.

    Researchers analyzed the expression pattern of CNMa receptor (CNMaR) and found that Dh44+ PI neuron subgroups (Dh44+ PIs) highly express CNMaR (Figure 2B); functional calcium imaging experiments show that the signal released by DN1ps can inhibit the activity of Dh44+ PIs.
    Promote night awakening (Figure 2C).

    Figure 2 The CNMa signaling pathway mediates the regulation of temperature on night sleep.
    Figure 3 The neural circuit that temperature rises regulates night sleep.
    This study reveals for the first time that the AC-DN1p-PI neural circuit mediated the perception of environmental temperature rise-release CNMa neuropeptides Signal-the regulation process that promotes night awakening, provides a new target and direction for the study of information integration regulation in sleep, and adds a new theoretical basis for the practical application of sleep regulation.

    The team of Professor Han Junhai from Southeast University has long been committed to the study of the pathogenesis and sleep regulation mechanisms of childhood autism.
    They have identified a series of genes and neural circuits involved in sleep regulation, and pioneered the effect of rhythm-inspiring neurons on GABA signaling.
    Rhythmic response, and output the rhythm signal to the sleep regulation network through Fbxl4, which has been highly praised by scholars at home and abroad.Professor Han Junhai from the School of Life Science and Technology of Southeast University and the Key Laboratory of "Genes Related to Development and Diseases" of the Ministry of Education is the corresponding author of the paper.
    Dr.
    Xi Jin and associate researcher Tian Yao from Southeast University are the co-first authors of the paper.
    Associate researcher Zhang Zichao, teacher Gu Pengyu, and researcher Liu Chang from Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology participated in the research.

     Link to the paper: https://doi.
    org/10.
    1016/j.
    cub.
    2021.
    02.
    048 
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