Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 3 April 2009:
Vol. 324. no. 5923, pp. 109 - 112
DOI: 10.1126/science.1166673
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Reports

Widespread Changes in Synaptic Markers as a Function of Sleep and Wakefulness in Drosophila

Giorgio F. Gilestro, Giulio Tononi,* Chiara Cirelli*

Sleep is universal, strictly regulated, and necessary for cognition. Why this is so remains a mystery, although recent work suggests that sleep, memory, and plasticity are linked. However, little is known about how wakefulness and sleep affect synapses. Using Western blots and confocal microscopy in Drosophila, we found that protein levels of key components of central synapses were high after waking and low after sleep. These changes were related to behavioral state rather than time of day and occurred in all major areas of the Drosophila brain. The decrease of synaptic markers during sleep was progressive, and sleep was necessary for their decline. Thus, sleep may be involved in maintaining synaptic homeostasis altered by waking activities.

Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53719, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ccirelli{at}wisc.edu (C.C.); gtononi{at}wisc.edu (G.T.)

Read the Full Text


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Amyloid-{beta} Dynamics Are Regulated by Orexin and the Sleep-Wake Cycle.
J.-E. Kang, M. M. Lim, R. J. Bateman, J. J. Lee, L. P. Smyth, J. R. Cirrito, N. Fujiki, S. Nishino, and D. M. Holtzman (2009)
Science 326, 1005-1007
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)