Browsing by Author "Mishra, Sukriti"

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Mechanosensory stimulation via nanchung expressing neurons can induce daytime sleep in drosophila
(Society for Neuroscience, 2021-10-11T00:00:00) Lone, Shahnaz Rahman; Potdar, Sheetal; Venkataraman, Archana; Sharma, Nisha; Kulkarni, Rutvij; Rao, Sushma; Mishra, Sukriti; Sheeba, Vasu; Sharma, Vijay Kumar
The neuronal and genetic bases of sleep, a phenomenon considered crucial for well-being of organisms, has been under investigation using the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. Although sleep is a state where sensory threshold for arousal is greater, it is known that certain kinds of repetitive sensory stimuli, such as rocking, can indeed promote sleep in humans. Here we report that orbital motion-aided mechanosensory stimulation promotes sleep of male and female Drosophila, independent of the circadian clock, but controlled by the homeostatic system. Mechanosensory receptor nanchung (Nan)-expressing neurons in the chordotonal organs mediate this sleep induction: flies in which these neurons are either silenced or ablated display significantly reduced sleep induction on mechanosensory stimulation. Transient activation of the Nan-expressing neurons also enhances sleep levels, confirming the role of these neurons in sleep induction. We also reveal that certain regions of the antennal mechanosensory and motor center in the brain are involved in conveying information from the mechanosensory structures to the sleep centers. Thus, we show, for the first time, that a circadian clock-independent pathway originating from peripherally distributed mechanosensors can promote daytime sleep of flies Drosophila melanogaster. Copyright � 2021 the authors
Peculiar sleep features in sympatric species may contribute to the temporal segregation
(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2022-10-22T00:00:00) Mishra, Sukriti; Sharma, Nisha; Singh, Sunil Kumar; Lone, Shahnaz Rahman
Sleep is conserved in the animal kingdom and plays a pivotal role in the adaptation of species. Sleep in Drosophila melanogaster is defined as any continuous 5 min of quiescence, shows a�prominent siesta, and consolidated nighttime sleep. Here, we analyzed the sleep of�two other species D. malerkotliana�(DMK) and�D. ananassae�(DA), and compared it with�D. melanogaster�(DM). The DMK males and females have siesta like DM. However, unlike DM, flies continue to sleep beyond siesta till the evening. DA has a less prominent siesta compared to DM and DMK. In the morning, DA took a longer time to respond to the lights ON and continued to sleep for at least half an hour. The nighttime sleep of the DA flies is higher than the other two species. Average length of sleep episode is three times more than that of DM and DMK with few wake episodes. Thus, the nighttime sleep of DA�males and females is deep and needs exposure to more potent stimuli to wake up relative to the other two species. DA�males and females show higher sleep rebound than the other two species, suggesting the robustness of sleep homeostasis. Although total sleep of DMK and DA is similar, DA is a day-active species with highly consolidated night sleep. DMK, like DM, is a crepuscular species with a midday siesta.�Thus, our results suggest that temporal partitioning of sleep, in sympatric species may contribute to temporal segregation. � 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
Understanding the impact of sociosexual interactions on sleep using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism
(Frontiers Media SA, 2023-08-21T00:00:00) Mishra, Sukriti; Sharma, Nisha; Lone, Shahnaz Rahman
Sleep is conserved across species, and it is believed that a fixed amount of sleep is needed for normal neurobiological functions. Sleep rebound follows sleep deprivation; however, continuous sleep deprivation for longer durations is believed to be detrimental to the animal�s wellbeing. Under some physiologically demanding situations, such as migration in birds, the birth of new offspring in cetaceans, and sexual interactions in pectoral sandpipers, animals are known to forgo sleep. The mechanisms by which animals forgo sleep without having any obvious negative impact on the proper functioning of their neurobiological processes are yet unknown. Therefore, a simple assay is needed to study how animals forgo sleep. The assay should be ecologically relevant so it can offer insights into the physiology of the organisms. Equally important is that the organism should be genetically amenable, which helps in understanding the cellular and molecular processes that govern such behaviors. This paper presents a simple method of sociosexual interaction to understand the process by which animals forgo sleep. In the case of Drosophila melanogaster, when males and females are in proximity, they are highly active and lose a significant amount of sleep. In addition, there is no sleep rebound afterward, and instead, males engaged in sexual interactions continue to show normal sleep. Thus, sexual drive in the fruit flies is a robust assay to understand the underlying mechanism by which animals forgo sleep. Copyright � 2023 Mishra, Sharma and Lone.