
Developmental changes in energetic demands drive the consolidation of sleep and feeding behaviors into daily rhythms in Drosophila larvae.


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Sleep and feeding patterns lack strong daily rhythms during early life. As diurnal animals mature, feeding is consolidated to the day and sleep to the night. In Drosophila , circadian sleep patterns are initiated with formation of a circuit connecting the central clock to arousal output neurons; emergence of circadian sleep also enables long-term memory (LTM). However, the cues that trigger the development of this clock-arousal circuit are unknown. Here, we identify a role for nutritional status in driving sleep-wake rhythm development in Drosophila larvae. We find that in the 2nd instar larval period (L2), sleep and feeding are spread across the day; these behaviors become organized into daily patterns by the 3rd instar larval stage (L3). Forcing mature (L3) animals to adopt immature (L2) feeding strategies disrupts sleep-wake rhythms and the ability to exhibit LTM. In addition, the development of the clock (DN1a)-arousal (Dh44) circuit itself is influenced by the larval nutritional environment. Finally, we demonstrate that larval arousal Dh44 neurons act through glucose metabolic genes to drive onset of daily sleep-wake rhythms. Together, our data suggest that changes to energetic demands in developing organisms trigger the formation of sleep-circadian circuits and behaviors.

### Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Energetic Demands Regulate Sleep-Wake Rhythm Circuit Development

developmental-changes-in-energetic-demands-regulate-the-emergence-of-circadian-sleep-wake-rhythms-in-drosophila-larvae


Developmental Changes in Energetic Demands Regulate the Emergence of Circadian Sleep-Wake Rhythms in Drosophila Larvae
