Mutations in antimicrobial peptides differently affect sleep and plasticity.

Group C Drosophila mutants doubly lacking Metchnikowin (Mtk) and Drosomycin (Drs) show the strongest sleep impairments, including exaggerated sleep rebound.

• Why it matters: Antimicrobial peptides are known for host defense, but their roles in regulating sleep and sleep-dependent functions in flies remain unclear.
• What they did: The study generated mutants in multiple AMPs, measured sleep traits and arousal thresholds, tested memory and synapse abundance, and used glial knockdown of Mtk and Drs.
• The result: Group C mutants slept the least yet had normal learning and memory with lower synapse abundance, and glial knockdown reproduced their sleep phenotypes; other AMP mutants showed sleep and memory deficits that were reversible by enhancing sleep.

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