Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Using a Combination of Novel Research Tools to Understand Social Interaction in the Drosophila melanogaster Model for Fragile X Syndrome

Maja STOJKOVIC
ORCID logo ,
Milan PETROVIC
,
Maria CAPOVILLA
,
Sara MILOJEVIC
,
Vedrana Makevic
,
Dejan B. Budimirovic
,
Louise CORSCADDEN
,
Shuhan HE
,
Dragana Protic
* ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 24 April 2024 / Approved: 25 April 2024 / Online: 25 April 2024 (14:25:46 CEST)

How to cite: 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. Preprints 2024, 2024041663. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202404.1663.v1 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. Preprints 2024, 2024041663. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202404.1663.v1

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: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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