Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42710052›Full record

ArticleGenetics2026

Neuroligin 3 highlights the sexually dimorphic neural substrates of Drosophila social spacing.

J Wesley Robinson, Abigail T Bechard, Micah R Evans, Judy Kurbaj, Reza Ataei, Khadijat O Mosuro, Sanjali Pillay, Daisy S Lin, Avneet Sahota, Jade N de Belle and 4 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Genetics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

J Wesley RobinsonDepartment of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7.
Abigail T BechardDepartment of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7.
Micah R EvansDepartment of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7.
Judy KurbajDepartment of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7.
Reza AtaeiDepartment of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7.
Khadijat O MosuroDepartment of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7.
Sanjali PillayDepartment of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7.ORCID 0009-0000-1854-3087
Daisy S LinDepartment of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7.
Avneet SahotaDepartment of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7.
Jade N de BelleDepartment of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7.
Gregory I RobinsonDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1K 3M4.ORCID 0000-0001-8122-2788
Ryley T YostDepartment of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7.ORCID 0000-0002-0637-2871
Amanda J MoehringDepartment of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7.ORCID 0000-0002-8088-4007
Anne F SimonDepartment of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7.ORCID 0000-0002-6509-4541

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

In Drosophila melanogaster, Neuroligin 3 (Nlg3) is a postsynaptic membrane protein important for synapse development and social spacing behaviour, and its human orthologs are associated with autism. We localized Nlg3 to three brain structures: the mushroom bodies (MB) calyx, the optic lobes (OL), and the protocerebral bridge (PB). RNA knockdown of nlg3 in each structure independently replicated the effect of knocking down in all nlg3-expressing neurons. In contrast, hyperactivating and silencing all nlg3-expressing neurons, including those within the MB, PB, and OL, affected social spacing by sex: females were further apart after either manipulation, whereas males' social space was increased, only after hyperactivation. Decreasing acetylcholine release in the MB via choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-RNAi caused decreased social space in both sexes. In contrast, RNAi targeting dopamine receptors in the MB increased social space mainly in males. Lastly, we also tested fruitless-expressing (fruP1) neurons, which regulate sexually dimorphic behaviours. Hyperactivating fruP1 neurons decreased social space in both sexes, while silencing increased social space only in males. These results highlight sex-specific neural substrates for social space and implicate the OL, MB, nlg3, and fruP1 neurons, in this behaviour.

Indexed as

acetylcholineand dopamine receptorsdopamineDrosophilafruitlessGABAmushroom bodiesneural substratesneuroliginsocial behavioursocial space

Identifiers

PMID42710052

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.