A.T. Bechard¹, R. Ataei¹, & A.F. Simon¹

Sleep disturbance is strongly connected to increases in disordered behaviour such as inattention, social avoidance, and hyperactivity across species. There is increasing evidence that the bidirectional relationship between disturbed sleep and disordered behaviour may be modulated by changes in gene expression. Mutations in genetic regulators of dopamine availability and circadian rhythm have been associated to this relationship, but how expression of such genes may mediate these effects has yet to be explored. To investigate this connection, flies (Drosophila melanogaster) are a great model due to their genetic tractability and thoroughly characterized behavioural assays. In this study, the effect of sleep disturbance on daily locomotor activity and sleep are measured in flies with altered expression of primary circadian regulator period (per) or dopamine transporter (dat). Preliminary results indicate that dat mutants of both sexes display an exaggerated locomotor response to the mechanical stimulation used to disrupt sleep. Also, dat may play a more prominent role in female sleep compared to males, and per a stronger role in males. In addition to gene expression analysis via RT-qPCR, next steps include behavioural assays on dat and per mutants to measure the effect of sleep disruption on hyperactive, inattentive, and social behaviours. The results of this study will help to establish the symptomatological relationship between sleep disturbance and the expression of genes regulating circadian rhythm and dopamine availability.

¹Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

Funding support: internal grants to AFS and ATB; NSERC Fellowships to ATB; NSERC Discovery grants 05054-2022 to AFS.