Neurobiology of sleep

Group Leader

Dra. Nara Muraro
See CV

PhD Students

Agustina Bruno Vignolo,

Canela Pedreira González,

Emiliano Kalesnik Vissio,

Ivana Ducrey,

Pedro L. Ballestero.

Undergraduate students

Carolina Kung,

Marina Propato Lots,

Santiago Joaquín Sidoli Cano.

Sleeping is vital for organisms. However, little is known about neuronal circuits and molecular mechanisms involved in this behavior. The discovery of a sleep-like state in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has made this relatively simple model organism available to study a complex biological process such as sleep.

The aim of our research line is to contribute to the elucidation of neuronal circuits and molecular mechanisms behind sleep. Our research focuses on the large lateral ventral neurons, which have been described to be part of the circadian neuronal network but also to suppress sleep and to participate in the integration of environmental and social cues.

We use electrophysiology, molecular and behavioral techniques combined with the vast array of genetic tools available for Drosophila neurobiology research.

Publications related to this project

  • Fernandez-Chiappe F, Muraro NI
    Patch-Clamping Fly Brain Neurons; Dissection of Drosophila Wandering Larval Brains for Patch-Clamping Neurons; Dissection of Drosophila Adult Brains for Patch-Clamping Neurons, Patch-Clamping Drosophila Brain Neurons; Preparation of Pipettes and Pipette-Filling Devices for Patch-Clamping Drosophila Neurons.
    Cold Spring Harbour Protoc. 2022 Aug 1; 2022(8):Pdb.top107796. doi: 10.1101/pdb.top107796. PMID: 35798467
  • Fernandez-Chiappe F; Frenkel L; Colque CC; Ricciuti A; Hahm B; Cerredo K; Muraro NI*; Ceriani MF*.
    High frequency neuronal bursting is essential for circadian and sleep behaviors in Drosophila.
    The Journal of Neuroscience 41:689-710 (2021)
    *co-corresponding
  • Fernandez-Chiappe F, Hermann-Luibl C, Peteranderl A, Reinhard N, Senthilan PR, Hieke M, Selcho M, Yoshii T, Shafer OT, Muraro NI*, Helfrich-Förster C*
    Dopamine signaling in wake promoting clock neurons is not required for the normal regulation of sleep in Drosophila.
    The Journal of Neuroscience 40:9617–9633 (2020).
    *co-corresponding
  • Herrero A; Yoshii T; Colque CC; Veenstra JA; Muraro NI; Ceriani MF.
    Coupling neuropeptide levels to structural plasticity in Drosophila clock neurons.
    Current Biology 30:1–13 (2020).
  • Lia Frenkel, Nara I. Muraro, Andrea N. Beltrán González, María S. Marcora, Guillermo Bernabó, Christiane Hermann-Luibl, Juan I. Romero, Charlotte Helfrich-Förster, Eduardo M. Castaño, Cristina Marino-Busjle, Daniel J. Calvo, M. Fernanda Ceriani.
    Organization of Circadian Behavior Relies on Glycinergic Transmission.
    Cell Reports 19:72–85 (2017)
  • Muraro, N.I.; Ceriani, M.F.
    Acetylcholine from Visual Circuits Modulates the Activity of Arousal Neurons in Drosophila.
    The Journal of Neuroscience 35:16315-16327 (2015)
  • Muraro NI, Pírez N and Ceriani MF.
    The Circadian system: Plasticity at many levels.
    Neuroscience 247C:280-293 (2013)
  • Depetris-Chauvin A, Berni J, Aranovich EJ, Muraro NI, Beckwith EJ, and Ceriani MF.
    Adult-specific electrical silencing of pacemaker neurons uncouples molecular oscillator from circadian outputs.
    Current Biology 21(21):1783-93 (2011)