DOI: 10.5061/dryad.59zw3r2fs
title: Recovery from social isolation requires dopamine in males, but not the autism-related gene nlg3 in either sex

description: Social isolation causes profound changes in social behaviour in a variety
 of species. However, the genetic and molecular mechanisms modulating
 behavioural responses to social isolation and social recovery remain to be
 elucidated. Here, we quantified the behavioural response of vinegar flies
 to social isolation using two distinct protocols (social space preference
 and spontaneous tendencies to form groups). We found that social isolation
 increased social space and reduced sociability. These effects of social
 isolation were reversible and could be reduced after 3 days of group
 housing. Flies with a loss of function of neuroligin3 (ortholog of
 autism-related neuroligin genes) with known increased social space in a
 socially enriched environment, were still able to recover from social
 isolation. We also show that dopamine is needed for a response to social
 isolation and recovery in males but not in females. Furthermore, only in
 males, dopamine levels are reduced after isolation and are not recovered
 after group housing. Finally, in socially enriched flies mutant for
 neuroligin3, dopamine levels are reduced in males, but not in females. We
 propose a model to explain how dopamine and neuroligin3 are involved in
 the behavioural response to social isolation and its recovery in a dynamic
 and sex-specific manner.
description: Please see Methods in Yost et al., 2024.
description: This README file was generated on December 21, 2023 by Ryley Yost. GENERAL
 INFORMATION 1. Title of Dataset: Recovery from social isolation requires
 dopamine in males, but not the autism-related gene nlg3 in either sex. 2.
 Author Information A. Principal Investigator Contact Information
 (Corresponding Author) Name: Anne Simon Institution: Western University
 Address: London, ON, Canada Email: B. Associate or
 Co-investigator Contact Information Name: Ryley Yost Institution: Western
 University Address: London, ON, Canada Email: 3. Date
 of data collection (single date, range, approximate date): 2017-2023 4.
 Geographic location of data collection: London, ON, Canada & Hamilton,
 ON, Canada 5. Information about funding sources that supported the
 collection of the data: NSERC DG 05054-2022, NSERC DG 05420-2019.
 SHARING/ACCESS INFORMATION 1. Licenses/restrictions placed on the data:
 None 2. Links to publications that cite or use the data: Yost, Ryley T,
 Scott, Andrew M, Kurbaj, Judy M, Walshe-Roussel, Brendan, Dukas, Reuven,
 Simon, Anne F. (Forthcoming 2023-2024). Recovery from social isolation
 requires dopamine in males, but not the autism-related gene nlg3 in either
 sex. 1. Links to other publicly accessible locations of the data: None 2.
 Links/relationships to ancillary data sets: None 3. Was data derived from
 another source? No A. If yes, list source(s): NA 4. Recommended citation
 for this dataset: Yost, Ryley T et al. (Forthcoming 2023-2024). Data from:
 Recovery from social isolation requires dopamine in males, but not the
 autism-related gene nlg3 in either sex [Dataset]. Dryad.
 . DATA & FILE OVERVIEW
 1. File List: A) Figure_1.xls B) Figure_2.xls C) Figure_3.xls D)
 Figure_4.xls E) Figure_5.xls F) Supplemental_Figure_3.xls 1. Relationship
 between files, if important: None 2. Additional related data collected
 that was not included in the current data package: None 3. Are there
 multiple versions of the dataset? No A. If yes, name of file(s) that was
 updated: NA i. Why was the file updated? NA ii. When was the file updated?
 NA
 \#########################################################################
 DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: Figure_1.xls Specific graphs (Figure 1A to
 E) are seperated by tabs in the file. 1. Number of variables: 3 for each
 figure, 5 total 2. Number of cases/rows: 33-54 depending on the figure 3.
 Variable List: * Days_of_isolation: # of days of isolation *
 social_experience: type of social experience flies were exposed before
 testing (group or single housed & recovery) *
 flies_within_4_body_lengths: # of flies within 4 body lengths for each
 treatment in the social space assay (average # of flies within 4 body
 lengths per chamber) * sex: sex of the flies (male or female) *
 aggregation index: sociability score or aggregation index for all
 treatments in the sociability assay (variance/mean # of flies in chamber)
 4. Missing data codes: None 5. Specialized formats or other abbreviations
 used: GH: Group Housed, SH: Single Housed, REC: Recovery
 \#########################################################################
 DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: Figure_2.xls Specific graphs (Figure 2A to
 D) are seperated by tabs in the file. 1. Number of variables: 3 for Figure
 2A & B, 2 for Figure 2C & D, 4 total 2. Number of cases/rows:
 45-56 depending on the figure 3. Variable List: * mating_status: mating
 status of flies used in behavioural experiments (either mated or virgin) *
 social_experience: type of social experience flies were exposed before
 testing (group or single housed & recovery) *
 flies_within_4_body_lengths: # of flies within 4 body lengths for each
 treatment in the social space assay (average # of flies within 4 body
 lengths per chamber) * rearing_density: single housed (0) or # of flies
 group housed (2,6,16 & random uncontrolled number) prior to the social
 space assay (# of flies) 4. Missing data codes: None 5. Specialized
 formats or other abbreviations used: GH: Group Housed, SH: Single Housed,
 REC: Recovery
 \#########################################################################
 DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: Figure_3.xls Specific graphs (Figure 3A to
 D) are seperated by tabs in the file. 1. Number of variables: 3 for each
 figure, 3 total 2. Number of cases/rows: 36-41 depending on the figure 3.
 Variable List: * genotype: genotype of flies used (either Cs [our control]
 or the nlg3Def1 mutant flies) * social_experience: type of social
 experience flies were exposed before testing (group or single housed &
 recovery) * flies_within_4_body_lengths: # of flies within 4 body lengths
 for each treatment in the social space assay (average # of flies within 4
 body lengths per chamber) 4. Missing data codes: None 5. Specialized
 formats or other abbreviations used: GH: Group Housed, SH: Single Housed,
 REC: Recovery
 \#########################################################################
 DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: Figure_4.xls Specific graphs (Figure 4A to
 E) are seperated by tabs in the file. 1. Number of variables: 3 for Figure
 4A to D, 6 total 2. Number of cases/rows: 35-49 depending on the figure 3.
 Variable List: * genotype: genotype of flies used (either Cs [our control]
 or the nlg3Def1 mutant flies) * social_experience: type of social
 experience flies were exposed before testing (group or single housed &
 recovery) * flies_within_4_body_lengths: # of flies within 4 body lengths
 for each treatment in the social space assay (average # of flies within 4
 body lengths per chamber) * sex: sex of the flies (male or female) * age:
 age of the flies during testing for dopamine levels (in days) *
 dopamine_levels: dopamine levels in fly heads (picograms/head) 4. Missing
 data codes: None 5. Specialized formats or other abbreviations used: GH:
 Group Housed, SH: Single Housed, REC: Recovery
 \#########################################################################
 DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: Figure_5.xls Specific graphs (Figure 5A
 & B) are seperated by tabs in the file. 1. Number of variables: 3 for
 Figure 5A, 4 for Figure 5B 2. Number of cases/rows: 12 for Figure 5A, 11
 for Figure 5B 3. Variable List: * genotype: genotype of flies used (either
 Cs [our control] or the nlg3Def1 mutant flies) * sex: sex of the flies
 (male or female) * social_experience: type of social experience flies were
 exposed before testing (group or single housed & recovery) * age: age
 of the flies during testing for dopamine levels (in days) *
 dopamine_levels: dopamine levels in fly heads (picograms/head) 4. Missing
 data codes: None 5. Specialized formats or other abbreviations used: GH:
 Group Housed, SH: Single Housed, REC: Recovery
 \#########################################################################
 DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: Supplemental_Figure_3.xls Specific graphs
 (Supplemental Figure 3A & B) are seperated by tabs in the file. 1.
 Number of variables: 3 2. Number of cases/rows: 29-33 3. Variable List: *
 genotype: genotype of flies used (either Cs [our control] or the nlg3Def1
 mutant flies) * social_experience: type of social experience flies were
 exposed before testing (group or single housed & recovery) *
 flies_within_4_body_lengths: # of flies within 4 body lengths for each
 treatment in the social space assay (average # of flies within 4 body
 lengths per chamber) 4. Missing data codes: None 5. Specialized formats or
 other abbreviations used: GH: Group Housed, SH: Single Housed, REC:
 Recovery
 \#########################################################################