SIFamide Translates Hunger Signals into Appetitive and Feeding Behavior in Drosophila

Publication date: 11 July 2017
Source:Cell Reports, Volume 20, Issue 2
Author(s): Carlotta Martelli, Ulrike Pech, Simon Kobbenbring, Dennis Pauls, Britta Bahl, Mirjam Vanessa Sommer, Atefeh Pooryasin, Jonas Barth, Carmina Warth Perez Arias, Chrystalleni Vassiliou, Abud Jose Farca Luna, Haiko Poppinga, Florian Gerhard Richter, Christian Wegener, André Fiala, Thomas Riemensperger
Animal behavior is, on the one hand, controlled by neuronal circuits that integrate external sensory stimuli and induce appropriate motor responses. On the other hand, stimulus-evoked or internally generated behavior can be influenced by motivational conditions, e.g., the metabolic state. Motivational states are determined by physiological parameters whose homeostatic imbalances are signaled to and processed within the brain, often mediated by modulatory peptides. Here, we investigate the regulation of appetitive and feeding behavior in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. We report that four neurons in the fly brain that release SIFamide are integral elements of a complex neuropeptide network that regulates feeding. We show that SIFamidergic cells integrate feeding stimulating (orexigenic) and feeding suppressant (anorexigenic) signals to appropriately sensitize sensory circuits, promote appetitive behavior, and enhance food intake. Our study advances the cellular dissection of evolutionarily conserved signaling pathways that convert peripheral metabolic signals into feeding-related behavior.

Graphical abstract

Teaser

As in vertebrates, feeding and feeding-related behavior in Drosophila is regulated by a complex neuronal signaling network. Martelli et al. now report that four SIFamidergic neurons in the fly brain receive signals from hunger- and satiety-signaling neurons to regulate the responsiveness of odor-processing neurons, orchestrate appetitive behavior, and induce feeding.


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