Neurogenetics of Drosophila circadian clock: expect the unexpected

Abstract

Daily biological rhythms (i.e. circadian) are a fundamental part of animal behavior. Numerous reports have shown disruptions of the biological clock in neurodegenerative disorders and cancer. In the latter case, only recently we have gained insight into the molecular mechanisms. After 45 years of intense study of the circadian rhtythms, we find surprising similarities among species on the molecular clock that governs biological rhythms. Indeed, Drosophila is one of the most widely used models in the study of chronobiology. Recent studies in the fruit fly have revealed unpredicted roles for the clock machinery in different aspects of behavior and physiology. Not only the central pacemaker cells do have non-classical circadian functions but also circadian genes work in other cells and tissues different from central clock neurons. In this review, we summarize these new evidences. We also recapitulate the most basic features of Drosophila circadian clock, including recent data about the inputs and outputs that connect the central pacemaker with other regions of the brain. Finally, we discuss the advantages and drawbacks of using natural versus laboratory conditions.

Keywords:

• Drosophila
• circadian clock
• pacemaker
• non-classical
• disease
• biological rhythms
• improvisely

Acknowledgments

We thank Sergio Casas-Tinto, Marta Portela and Maria Losada for helpful comments on the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work has been supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Economy (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad) BFU2014–54346-JIN and BFU2015–65685. FAM is a recipient of a Ramon y Cajal Contract (RyC-2014–14961).