Sleep deprivation negatively impacts reproductive output in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Most animals sleep or exhibit a sleep-like state, yet the adaptive significance of this phenomenon remains unclear. Although reproductive deficits are associated with lifestyle induced sleep deficiencies, how sleep loss affects reproductive physiology is poorly understood, even in model organisms. We aimed to bridge this mechanistic gap by impairing sleep in female fruit flies and testing its effect on egg output. We find that sleep deprivation by feeding caffeine or by mechanical perturbation results in decreased egg output. Transient activation of wake-promoting dopaminergic neurons decreases egg output in addition to sleep levels, thus demonstrating a direct negative impact of sleep deficit on reproductive output. Similarly, loss-of-function mutation in dopamine transporter fumin (fmn)leads to both significant sleep loss and lowered fecundity. This demonstration of a direct relationship between sleep and reproductive fitness indicates a strong driving force for the evolution of sleep.