Abstract

Mutations in Cullin-3 (Cul3), a conserved gene encoding a ubiquitin ligase, are strongly associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here, we characterize ASD-related pathologies caused by neuron-specific Cul3 knockdown in Drosophila. We confirmed that neuronal Cul3 knockdown causes short sleep, paralleling sleep disturbances in ASD. Because sleep defects and ASD are linked to metabolic dysregulation, we tested the starvation response of neuronal Cul3 knockdown flies; they starved faster and had lower triacylglyceride levels than controls, suggesting defects in metabolic homeostasis. ASD is also characterized by increased biomarkers of oxidative stress; we found that neuronal Cul3 knockdown increased sensitivity to hyperoxia, an exogenous oxidative stress. Additional hallmarks of ASD are deficits in social interactions and learning. Using a courtship suppression assay that measures social interactions and memory of prior courtship, we found that neuronal Cul3 knockdown reduced courtship and learning compared to controls. Finally, we found that neuronal Cul3 depletion alters the anatomy of the mushroom body, a brain region required for memory and sleep. Taken together, the ASD-related phenotypes of neuronal Cul3 knockdown flies establish these flies as a genetic model to study molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying ASD pathology, including metabolic and oxidative stress dysregulation and neurodevelopment.

Details

Title
Neuronal knockdown of Cullin3 as a Drosophila model of autism spectrum disorder
Author
Tener, Samantha J. 1 ; Lin, Zhi 1 ; Park, Scarlet J. 2 ; Oraedu, Kairaluchi 1 ; Ulgherait, Matthew 1 ; Van Beek, Emily 3 ; Martínez-Muñiz, Andrés 1 ; Pantalia, Meghan 1 ; Gatto, Jared A. 1 ; Volpi, Julia 1 ; Stavropoulos, Nicholas 3 ; Ja, William W. 4 ; Canman, Julie C. 5 ; Shirasu-Hiza, Mimi 1 

 Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Department of Genetics and Development, New York, USA (GRID:grid.239585.0) (ISNI:0000 0001 2285 2675) 
 The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology, Department of Neuroscience, Jupiter, USA (GRID:grid.239585.0) 
 Rutgers University, Waksman Institute, Piscataway, USA (GRID:grid.430387.b) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 8796) 
 The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology, Department of Neuroscience, Jupiter, USA (GRID:grid.430387.b) 
 Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, New York, USA (GRID:grid.239585.0) (ISNI:0000 0001 2285 2675) 
Pages
1541
Publication year
2024
Publication date
2024
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2915820662
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2024. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.