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Epigenetic regulator Stuxnet modulates octopamine effect on sleep through a Stuxnet‐Polycomb‐Octβ2R cascade
Author(s) -
Zhao Zhangwu,
Zhao Xianguo,
He Tao,
Wu Xiaoyu,
Lv Pengfei,
Zhu Alan J,
Du Juan
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
embo reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.584
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1469-3178
pISSN - 1469-221X
DOI - 10.15252/embr.201947910
Subject(s) - regulator , epigenetics , neuroscience , sleep (system call) , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , computer science , genetics , gene , operating system
Sleep homeostasis is crucial for sleep regulation. The role of epigenetic regulation in sleep homeostasis is unestablished. Previous studies showed that octopamine is important for sleep homeostasis. However, the regulatory mechanism of octopamine reception in sleep is unknown. In this study, we identify an epigenetic regulatory cascade (Stuxnet‐Polycomb‐Octβ2R) that modulates the octopamine receptor in Drosophila . We demonstrate that stuxnet positively regulates Octβ2R through repression of Polycomb in the ellipsoid body of the adult fly brain and that Octβ2R is one of the major receptors mediating octopamine function in sleep homeostasis. In response to octopamine, Octβ2R transcription is inhibited as a result of stuxnet downregulation. This feedback through the Stuxnet‐Polycomb‐Octβ2R cascade is crucial for sleep homeostasis regulation. This study demonstrates a Stuxnet‐Polycomb‐Octβ2R‐mediated epigenetic regulatory mechanism for octopamine reception, thus providing an example of epigenetic regulation of sleep homeostasis.