Abstract
It is widely recognized that sleep can be regulated by the environmental temperature, but the underlying neural mechanism remains unclear. Here, we examined the neural mechanism underlying cold-induced sleep pattern changes in Drosophila by behavior tracking and optogenetics. Drosophila exhibit a longer sleep duration, shorter sleep latency, and deeper sleep status in lower temperatures. We also demonstrated that insulin-producing cells (IPCs) can be activated in a cold environment, potentially via an indirect functional connection with the cold-sensing neurons, the 11216 neurons. Elevation of the IPCs sensitivity to cold impairs the sleep-promoting effect of cold, while blocking of IPCs’ activity primarily enhances the effect on the sleep circadian rhythm, suggesting that the cold-activated IPCs have a compensatory role in sleep regulation. Our finding revealed a potential neural circuit that could aid the maintenance of the sleep circadian rhythm at different temperatures and may offer novel insights into the mechanisms of sleep regulation.