Sleep restores place learning to the adenylyl cyclase mutant rutabaga

Sleep plays an important role in regulating plasticity. In Drosophila, the relationship between sleep and learning and memory has primarily focused on mushroom body dependent operant-learning assays such as aversive phototaxic suppression and courtship conditioning. In this study, sleep was increased in the classic mutant rutabaga (rut²⁰⁸⁰) and dunce (dnc¹) by feeding them the GABA-A agonist gaboxadol (Gab). Performance was evaluated in each mutant in response to social enrichment and place learning, tasks that do not require the mushroom body. Gab-induced sleep did not restore behavioral plasticity to either rut²⁰⁸⁰ or dnc¹ mutants following social enrichment. However, increased sleep restored place learning to rut²⁰⁸⁰ mutants. These data extend the positive effects of enhanced sleep to place learning and highlight the utility of Gab for elucidating the beneficial effects of sleep on brain functioning.