Work

The Glutamate-gated Chloride Channel Facilitates Sleep by Enhancing the Excitability of Two Pairs of Neurons in the Ventral Nerve Cord of Drosophila

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Sleep, an essential and evolutionarily conserved behavior, is regulated by numerous neurotransmitter systems. In mammals, glutamate serves as the wake-promoting signaling agent, whereas in Drosophila, it functions as the sleep-promoting signal. However, the precise molecular and cellular mechanisms through which glutamate promotes sleep remain elusive. Our study reveals that disruption of glutamate signaling significantly diminishes nocturnal sleep, and a neural cell-specific knockdown of the glutamate-gated chloride channel (GluClα) markedly reduces nocturnal sleep. We identified two pairs of neurons in the ventral nerve cord (VNC) that receive glutamate signaling input, and the GluClα derived from these neurons is crucial for sleep promotion. Furthermore, we demonstrated that GluClα mediates the glutamate-gated inhibitory input to these VNC neurons, thereby promoting sleep. Our findings elucidate that GluClα enhances nocturnal sleep by mediating the glutamate-gated inhibitory input to two pairs of VNC neurons, providing insights into the mechanism of sleep promotion in Drosophila.

Source: Neuroscience Bulletin

DOI: 10.1007/s12264-025-01397-1

Authors: Yaqian Fan, Yao Tian, Junhai Han

Institutions: Southeast University, Nantong University

Language: English

Topic: Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research

Subfield: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,490

Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China