Stojkovic, M.; Petrovic, M.; Capovilla, M.; Milojevic, S.; Makevic, V.; Budimirovic, D.B.; Corscadden, L.; He, S.; Protic, D. Using a Combination of Novel Research Tools to Understand Social Interaction in the Drosophila melanogaster Model for Fragile X Syndrome. Biology2024, 13, 432.
Stojkovic, M.; Petrovic, M.; Capovilla, M.; Milojevic, S.; Makevic, V.; Budimirovic, D.B.; Corscadden, L.; He, S.; Protic, D. Using a Combination of Novel Research Tools to Understand Social Interaction in the Drosophila melanogaster Model for Fragile X Syndrome. Biology 2024, 13, 432.
Stojkovic, M.; Petrovic, M.; Capovilla, M.; Milojevic, S.; Makevic, V.; Budimirovic, D.B.; Corscadden, L.; He, S.; Protic, D. Using a Combination of Novel Research Tools to Understand Social Interaction in the Drosophila melanogaster Model for Fragile X Syndrome. Biology2024, 13, 432.
Stojkovic, M.; Petrovic, M.; Capovilla, M.; Milojevic, S.; Makevic, V.; Budimirovic, D.B.; Corscadden, L.; He, S.; Protic, D. Using a Combination of Novel Research Tools to Understand Social Interaction in the Drosophila melanogaster Model for Fragile X Syndrome. Biology 2024, 13, 432.
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most common monogenic cause of inherited intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder, is caused by a full mutation (>200 CGG repeats) in the Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMR1) gene. Individuals with FXS experience a wide range of challenges related to social interaction (SI). Animal models, such as Drosophila melanogaster model for FXS where the only ortholog of human FMR1 (dFMR1) is mutated, have played a crucial role in understanding of FXS. The aim of this study was to investigate SI in the dFMR1B55 mutants using the novel Drosophila Shallow Chamber and a Python data processing pipeline based on social network analysis (SNA). In comparison with wild-type flies (w1118), SNA analysis in dFMR1B55 mutants revealed hypoactivity, fewer connections in their networks, a lower ability to efficiently transmit information, fewer alternative pathways for information transmission, a higher variability in the number of interactions they achieved, and tended to stay near the boundaries of the testing chamber. These observed alterations indicate the presence of characteristic strain-dependent social networks in dFMR1B55 flies, commonly referred to as the group phenotype. Finally, a combination of novel research tools is a valuable method for SI research in fruit flies.
Keywords
Drosophila melanogaster model of fragile X syndrome; FMR1 gene; fragile X syndrome; social anxiety; social interaction; social network analysis
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Behavioral Sciences
Copyright:
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