To sleep, perchance to heal: Newly discovered gene governs need for slumber when sick

[Judi Lynn]

January 31, 2019

PHILADELPHIA - Humans spend nearly one-third of their lives in slumber, yet sleep is still one of biology's most enduring mysteries. Little is known about what genetic or molecular forces drive the need to sleep--until now. In a study of over 12,000 lines of fruit flies, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have found a single gene, called nemuri, that increases the need for sleep. These findings are published today in Science.

The NEMURI protein fights germs with its inherent antimicrobial activity and it is secreted by cells in the brain to drive prolonged, deep sleep after an infection.

"While it's a common notion that sleep and healing are tightly related, our study directly links sleep to the immune system and provides a potential explanation for how sleep increases during sickness," said senior author Amita Sehgal, PhD, a professor of Neuroscience and director of Penn's Chronobiology Program.

Without the nemuri gene, flies were more easily aroused during daily sleep, and their acute need for an increase in sleep--induced by sleep deprivation or infection--was reduced. On the other hand, sleep deprivation, which increases the need for sleep, and to some extent infection, stimulated nemuri to be expressed in a small set of fly neurons nestled close to a known sleep-promoting structure in the brain. Overexpression of nemuri increased sleep in bacteria-infected flies and led to their increased survival compared to non-infected control flies.

More:
https://www.brightsurf.com/news/article/013119475242/to-sleep-perchance-to-heal-newly-discovered-gene-governs-need-for-slumber-when-sick.html

[dweller]

1. you're kidding, right?

we need fruit flies to prove what homeostasis provides?

I mean, I understand Scence exploring the chemical,genetic basis of all life...

but come on...


✌🏼️

[LakeSuperiorView]

4. So which humans are you going to gene edit?

[FirstLight]

2. Many ppl with autoimmune illness know this

...sleep is a necessary part of the healing process. I recently had this exact experience...the hard part is moving into healing and passing the inertia

[lunatica]

3. The first step in curing insomnia!

I know some insomniacs. The inability to sleep is pure torture that never ends. Now that there is a gene involved it won’t be long before there’s a solution!