Dstac is required for normal circadian activity rhythms in Drosophila

ABSTRACT

The genetic, molecular and neuronal mechanism underlying circadian activity rhythms is well characterized in the brain of Drosophila. The small ventrolateral neurons (s-LN_Vs) and pigment dispersing factor (PDF) expressed by them are especially important for regulating circadian locomotion. Here we describe a novel gene, Dstac, which is similar to the stac genes found in vertebrates that encode adaptor proteins, which bind and regulate L-type voltage-gated Ca²⁺ channels (CaChs). We show that Dstac is coexpressed with PDF by the s-LN_Vs and regulates circadian activity. Furthermore, the L-type CaCh, Dmca1D, appears to be expressed by the s-LN_Vs. Since vertebrate Stac3 regulates an L-type CaCh we hypothesize that Dstac regulates Dmca1D in s-LN_Vs and circadian activity.

KEYWORDS:

• Stac
• pigment dispersing factor
• circadian rhythm
• L-type calcium channel

Acknowledgements

We thank Bethany Folk-Middlebrook, Miranda Lum and William Yau for maintaining Drosophila stocks and help with the genetics and characterization of Dstac and Cathy Collins for advise and use of facilities for the genetics.

Declaration of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

Research was supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS; RO1 AR063056) to JYK and by the National Science Foundation (IOS 1354046 to OTS. I-UH was supported in part by the Barbour Fellowship (Rackham Graduate School, University of Michigan), JWL by a Rackham Merit Fellowship (University of Michigan) and NIGMS (T32 GM007315), JV by a MCDB Undergraduate Summer Fellowship (University of Michigan) and BF-M by MPREP (NIH 5 R25 GM086262). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health; Dept. of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, Univ. of Michigan [Undergraduate Summer Fellowship];National Institutes of Health, MPREP [NIH 5 R25 GM086262];