51
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Kerwin P, von Philipsborn AC. Copulation Song in Drosophila: Do Females Sing to Change Male Ejaculate Allocation and Incite Postcopulatory Mate Choice? Bioessays 2020; 42:e2000109. [PMID: 32964470 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202000109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Drosophila males sing a courtship song to achieve copulations with females. Females were recently found to sing a distinct song during copulation, which depends on male seminal fluid transfer and delays female remating. Here, it is hypothesized that female copulation song is a signal directed at the copulating male and changes ejaculate allocation. This may alter female remating and sperm usage, and thereby affect postcopulatory mate choice. Mechanisms of how female copulation song is elicited, how males respond to copulation song, and how remating is modulated, are considered. The potential adaptive value of female signaling during copulation is discussed with reference to vertebrate copulation calls and their proposed function in eliciting mate guarding. Female copulation song may be widespread within the Drosophila genus. This newly discovered behavior opens many interesting avenues for future research, including investigation of how sexually dimorphic neuronal circuits mediate communication between nervous system and reproductive organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Kerwin
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, 8000, Denmark
| | - Anne C von Philipsborn
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, 8000, Denmark
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52
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Liu C, Zhang B, Zhang L, Yang T, Zhang Z, Gao Z, Zhang W. A neural circuit encoding mating states tunes defensive behavior in Drosophila. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3962. [PMID: 32770059 PMCID: PMC7414864 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17771-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Social context can dampen or amplify the perception of touch, and touch in turn conveys nuanced social information. However, the neural mechanism behind social regulation of mechanosensation is largely elusive. Here we report that fruit flies exhibit a strong defensive response to mechanical stimuli to their wings. In contrast, virgin female flies being courted by a male show a compromised defensive response to the stimuli, but following mating the response is enhanced. This state-dependent switch is mediated by a functional reconfiguration of a neural circuit labelled with the Tmc-L gene in the ventral nerve cord. The circuit receives excitatory inputs from peripheral mechanoreceptors and coordinates the defensive response. While male cues suppress it via a doublesex (dsx) neuronal pathway, mating sensitizes it by stimulating a group of uterine neurons and consequently activating a leucokinin-dependent pathway. Such a modulation is crucial for the balance between defense against body contacts and sexual receptivity. Wing touching induces a defensive response in D. melanogaster. Here, the authors show that female flies change the defensive response during courtship and after mating. This switch is mediated by functional reconfiguration of a neural circuit in the ventral nerve cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenxi Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Bei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Liwei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Tingting Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Zhewei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Zihua Gao
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China.
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53
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Food availability reverses the effect of hunger state on copulation rate in Drosophila prolongata females. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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54
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Zhang L, Yu J, Guo X, Wei J, Liu T, Zhang W. Parallel Mechanosensory Pathways Direct Oviposition Decision-Making in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2020; 30:3075-3088.e4. [PMID: 32649914 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.05.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Female Drosophila choose their sites for oviposition with deliberation. Female flies employ sensitive chemosensory systems to evaluate chemical cues for egg-laying substrates, but how they determine the physical quality of an oviposition patch remains largely unexplored. Here we report that flies evaluate the stiffness of the substrate surface using sensory structures on their appendages. The TRPV family channel Nanchung is required for the detection of all stiffness ranges tested, whereas two other proteins, Inactive and DmPiezo, interact with Nanchung to sense certain spectral ranges of substrate stiffness differences. Furthermore, Tmc is critical for sensing subtle differences in substrate stiffness. The Tmc channel is expressed in distinct patterns on the labellum and legs and the mechanosensory inputs coordinate to direct the final decision making for egg laying. Our study thus reveals the machinery for deliberate egg-laying decision making in fruit flies to ensure optimal survival for their offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liwei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Jie Yu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xuan Guo
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jianhuan Wei
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ting Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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55
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miRNAs and Neural Alternative Polyadenylation Specify the Virgin Behavioral State. Dev Cell 2020; 54:410-423.e4. [PMID: 32579967 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2020.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
How are diverse regulatory strategies integrated to impose appropriately patterned gene expression that underlie in vivo phenotypes? Here, we reveal how coordinated miRNA regulation and neural-specific alternative polyadenylation (APA) of a single locus controls complex behaviors. Our entry was the unexpected observation that deletion of Bithorax complex (BX-C) miRNAs converts virgin female flies into a subjective post-mated behavioral state, normally induced by seminal proteins following copulation. Strikingly, this behavioral switch is directly attributable to misregulation of homothorax (hth). We localize specific CNS abdominal neurons where de-repressed Hth compromises virgin behavior in BX-C miRNA mutants. Moreover, we use genome engineering to demonstrate that precise mutation of hth 3' UTR sites for BX-C miRNAs or deletion of its neural 3' UTR extension containing most of these sites both induce post-mated behaviors in virgins. Thus, facilitation of miRNA-mediated repression by neural APA is required for virgin females to execute behaviors appropriate to their internal state.
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56
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Wang F, Wang K, Forknall N, Patrick C, Yang T, Parekh R, Bock D, Dickson BJ. Neural circuitry linking mating and egg laying in Drosophila females. Nature 2020; 579:101-105. [PMID: 32103180 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2055-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Mating and egg laying are tightly cooordinated events in the reproductive life of all oviparous females. Oviposition is typically rare in virgin females but is initiated after copulation. Here we identify the neural circuitry that links egg laying to mating status in Drosophila melanogaster. Activation of female-specific oviposition descending neurons (oviDNs) is necessary and sufficient for egg laying, and is equally potent in virgin and mated females. After mating, sex peptide-a protein from the male seminal fluid-triggers many behavioural and physiological changes in the female, including the onset of egg laying1. Sex peptide is detected by sensory neurons in the uterus2-4, and silences these neurons and their postsynaptic ascending neurons in the abdominal ganglion5. We show that these abdominal ganglion neurons directly activate the female-specific pC1 neurons. GABAergic (γ-aminobutyric-acid-releasing) oviposition inhibitory neurons (oviINs) mediate feed-forward inhibition from pC1 neurons to both oviDNs and their major excitatory input, the oviposition excitatory neurons (oviENs). By attenuating the abdominal ganglion inputs to pC1 neurons and oviINs, sex peptide disinhibits oviDNs to enable egg laying after mating. This circuitry thus coordinates the two key events in female reproduction: mating and egg laying.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Wang
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Kaiyu Wang
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Nora Forknall
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | | | - Tansy Yang
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Ruchi Parekh
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Davi Bock
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA.,Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Barry J Dickson
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA. .,Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
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57
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Kakanj P, Eming SA, Partridge L, Leptin M. Long-term in vivo imaging of Drosophila larvae. Nat Protoc 2020; 15:1158-1187. [DOI: 10.1038/s41596-019-0282-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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58
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Lenschow C, Lima SQ. In the mood for sex: neural circuits for reproduction. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2020; 60:155-168. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2019.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2019] [Revised: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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59
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Münch D, Ezra-Nevo G, Francisco AP, Tastekin I, Ribeiro C. Nutrient homeostasis - translating internal states to behavior. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2019; 60:67-75. [PMID: 31816522 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2019.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral neuroscience aims to describe a causal relationship between neuronal processes and behavior. Animals' ever-changing physiological needs alter their internal states. Internal states then alter neuronal processes to adapt the behavior of the animal enabling it to meet its needs. Here, we describe nutrient-specific appetites as an attractive framework to study how internal states shape complex neuronal processes and resulting behavioral outcomes. Understanding how neurons detect nutrient states and how these are integrated at the level of neuronal circuits will provide a multilevel description of the mechanisms underlying complex feeding and foraging decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Münch
- Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
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60
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Szabad J, Peng J, Kubli E. Control of mating plug expelling and sperm storage in Drosophila: A gynandromorph- and mutation-based dissection. Biol Futur 2019; 70:301-311. [PMID: 34554542 DOI: 10.1556/019.70.2019.34] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In this study, we analyzed gynandromorphs with female terminalia, to dissect mating-related female behaviors in Drosophila. MATERIALS AND METHODS We used gynandromorphs, experimentally modified wild-type (Oregon-R) females, and mutant females that lacked different components of the female reproductive apparatus. RESULTS Many of the gynandromorphs mated but did not expel the mating plug (MP). Some of these - with thousands of sperm in the uterus - failed to take up sperm into the storage organs. There were gynandromorphs that stored plenty of sperm but failed to release them to fertilize eggs. Expelling the MP, sperm uptake into the storage organs, and the release of stored sperm along egg production are separate steps occurring during Drosophila female fertility. Cuticle landmarks of the gynandromorphs revealed that while the nerve foci that control MP expelling and also those that control sperm uptake reside in the abdominal, the sperm release foci derive from the thoracic region of the blastoderm. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION The gynandromorph study is confirmed by analyses of (a) mutations that cause female sterility: Fs(3)Avar (preventing egg deposition), Tm2gs (removing germline cells), and iab-4DB (eliminating gonad formation) and (b) by experimentally manipulated wild-type females: decapitated or cut through ventral nerve cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- János Szabad
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Ch-8057, Zurich, Switzerland. .,Department of Biology, University of Szeged, H-6720, Szeged, Hungary.
| | - Jing Peng
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Ch-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Eric Kubli
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Ch-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
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61
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Scheunemann L, Lampin-Saint-Amaux A, Schor J, Preat T. A sperm peptide enhances long-term memory in female Drosophila. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaax3432. [PMID: 31799390 PMCID: PMC6867886 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax3432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Can mating influence cognitive functions such as learning and memory in a permanent way? We have addressed this question using a combined behavioral and in vivo imaging approach, finding that aversive long-term memory performance strongly increases in Drosophila females in response to sperm transfer following mating. A peptide in the male sperm, the sex peptide, is known to cause marked changes in female reproductive behavior, as well as other behaviors such as dietary preference. Here, we demonstrate that this sex peptide enhances memory by acting on a single pair of serotonergic brain neurons, in which activation of the sex peptide receptor stimulates the cyclic adenosine monophosphate/protein kinase A pathway. We thus reveal a strong effect of mating on memory via the neuromodulatory action of a sperm peptide on the female brain.
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62
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Cury KM, Prud'homme B, Gompel N. A short guide to insect oviposition: when, where and how to lay an egg. J Neurogenet 2019; 33:75-89. [PMID: 31164023 DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2019.1586898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Egg-laying behavior is one of the most important aspects of female behavior, and has a profound impact on the fitness of a species. As such, it is controlled by several layers of regulation. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of insect neural circuits that control when, where and how to lay an egg. We also outline outstanding open questions about the control of egg-laying decisions, and speculate on the possible neural underpinnings that can drive the diversification of oviposition behaviors through evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Cury
- a Department of Neuroscience and the Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute , Columbia University , New York , NY , USA
| | - Benjamin Prud'homme
- b Aix Marseille Université, CNRS , Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille (IBDM) , Marseille , France
| | - Nicolas Gompel
- c Fakultät für Biologie, Biozentrum , Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München , Munich , Germany
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63
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Neural Evolution of Context-Dependent Fly Song. Curr Biol 2019; 29:1089-1099.e7. [PMID: 30880014 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
It is unclear where in the nervous system evolutionary changes tend to occur. To localize the source of neural evolution that has generated divergent behaviors, we developed a new approach to label and functionally manipulate homologous neurons across Drosophila species. We examined homologous descending neurons that drive courtship song in two species that sing divergent song types and localized relevant evolutionary changes in circuit function downstream of the intrinsic physiology of these descending neurons. This evolutionary change causes different species to produce divergent motor patterns in similar social contexts. Artificial stimulation of these descending neurons drives multiple song types, suggesting that multifunctional properties of song circuits may facilitate rapid evolution of song types.
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64
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Isaac RE. The Effect of Mating and the Male Sex Peptide on Group Behaviour of Post-mated Female Drosophila melanogaster. Neurochem Res 2019; 44:1508-1516. [PMID: 30661229 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-019-02722-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R Elwyn Isaac
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
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65
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Varela N, Gaspar M, Dias S, Vasconcelos ML. Avoidance response to CO2 in the lateral horn. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e2006749. [PMID: 30653496 PMCID: PMC6336243 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2006749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In flies, the olfactory information is carried from the first relay in the brain, the antennal lobe, to the mushroom body (MB) and the lateral horn (LH). Olfactory associations are formed in the MB. The LH was ascribed a role in innate responses based on the stereotyped connectivity with the antennal lobe, stereotyped physiological responses to odors, and MB silencing experiments. Direct evidence for the functional role of the LH is still missing. Here, we investigate the behavioral role of the LH neurons (LHNs) directly, using the CO2 response as a paradigm. Our results show the involvement of the LH in innate responses. Specifically, we demonstrate that activity in two sets of neurons is required for the full behavioral response to CO2. Tests of the behavioral response to other odors indicate the neurons are selective to CO2 response. Using calcium imaging, we observe that the two sets of neurons respond to CO2 in a different manner. Using independent manipulation and recording of the two sets of neurons, we find that the one that projects to the superior intermediate protocerebrum (SIP) also outputs to the local neurons within the LH. The design of simultaneous output at the LH and the SIP, an output of the MB, allows for coordination between innate and learned responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nélia Varela
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Miguel Gaspar
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Sophie Dias
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
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66
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Asahina K. Sex differences in Drosophila behavior: Qualitative and Quantitative Dimorphism. CURRENT OPINION IN PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 6:35-45. [PMID: 30386833 PMCID: PMC6205217 DOI: 10.1016/j.cophys.2018.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The importance of sex as a biological variable is being recognized by more and more researchers, including those using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. Differences between the two sexes are not confined to well-known reproductive behaviors, but include other behaviors and physiological characteristics that are considered "common" to both sexes. It is possible to categorize sexual dimorphisms into "qualitative" and "quantitative" differences, and this review focuses on recent advances in elucidating genetic and neurophysiological basis of both qualitative and quantitative sex differences in Drosophila behavior. While sex-specific behaviors are often mediated by sexually dimorphic neural circuits, quantitative sexual dimorphism is caused by sex-specific modulation of a common neuronal substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenta Asahina
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, MNL-KA, La Jolla, California 92037, United States of America
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67
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Ameku T, Yoshinari Y, Texada MJ, Kondo S, Amezawa K, Yoshizaki G, Shimada-Niwa Y, Niwa R. Midgut-derived neuropeptide F controls germline stem cell proliferation in a mating-dependent manner. PLoS Biol 2018; 16:e2005004. [PMID: 30248087 PMCID: PMC6152996 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2005004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2017] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Stem cell maintenance is established by neighboring niche cells that promote stem cell self-renewal. However, it is poorly understood how stem cell activity is regulated by systemic, tissue-extrinsic signals in response to environmental cues and changes in physiological status. Here, we show that neuropeptide F (NPF) signaling plays an important role in the pathway regulating mating-induced germline stem cell (GSC) proliferation in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. NPF expressed in enteroendocrine cells (EECs) of the midgut is released in response to the seminal-fluid protein sex peptide (SP) upon mating. This midgut-derived NPF controls mating-induced GSC proliferation via ovarian NPF receptor (NPFR) activity, which modulates bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling levels in GSCs. Our study provides a molecular mechanism that describes how a gut-derived systemic factor couples stem cell behavior to physiological status, such as mating, through interorgan communication. Communication between different organs is essential to respond quickly to environmental cues or changes in the physiological status of an organism. Recent studies have shown the existence of humoral factors or hormones, which are transported by the circulatory system to different organs and achieve coordination between them. Here, we have analyzed the communication mechanism between organs that regulates proliferation of germline stem cells (GSCs) in the ovary of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. We show that a peptide hormone called neuropeptide F (NPF) is a key player in this process. This peptide is produced in both the brain and the midgut, and, remarkably, we find that only NPF released from the midgut is crucial for controlling post-mating GSC proliferation. Our data suggest that mating stimulates the release of NPF from the endocrine cells of the midgut stimulated by the presence of a seminal peptide. Midgut-derived NPF is then transduced through an NPF-specific G-protein–coupled receptor expressed in the ovary, and this triggers GSC proliferation. Our study identifies an essential interaction between the digestive system and the ovary that regulates the size of stem cell populations in flies depending on mating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomotsune Ameku
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Yuto Yoshinari
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Michael J Texada
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Shu Kondo
- Genetic Strains Research Center, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
| | - Kotaro Amezawa
- Department of Marine Biosciences, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Goro Yoshizaki
- Department of Marine Biosciences, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuko Shimada-Niwa
- Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Ryusuke Niwa
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.,PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Japan.,AMED-CREST, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Tokyo, Japan
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68
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Miwa Y, Koganezawa M, Yamamoto D. Antennae sense heat stress to inhibit mating and promote escaping in Drosophila females. J Neurogenet 2018; 32:353-363. [PMID: 30231794 DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2018.1513507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Environmental stress is a major factor that affects courtship behavior and evolutionary fitness. Although mature virgin females of Drosophila melanogaster usually accept a courting male to mate, they may not mate under stressful conditions. Above the temperature optimal for mating (20-25 °C), copulation success of D. melanogaster declines with increasing temperature although we observed vigorous courtship attempts by males, and no copulation takes place at temperatures over 36 °C. We attempted to identify the sensory pathway for detecting heat threat that drives a female to escape rather than to engage in mating that detects hot temperature and suppresses courtship behavior. We found that the artificial activation of warmth-sensitive neurons ('hot cells') in the antennal arista of females completely abrogates female copulation success even at permissive temperatures below 32 °C. Moreover, mutational loss of the GR28b.d thermoreceptor protein caused females to copulate even at 36 °C. These results indicate that antennal hot cells provide the input channel for detecting the high ambient temperature in the control of virgin female mating under stressful conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Miwa
- a Division of Neurogenetics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Life Sciences , Sendai , Japan.,b Neuro-Network Evolution Project , Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology , Kobe , Japan
| | - Masayuki Koganezawa
- a Division of Neurogenetics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Life Sciences , Sendai , Japan
| | - Daisuke Yamamoto
- a Division of Neurogenetics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Life Sciences , Sendai , Japan.,b Neuro-Network Evolution Project , Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology , Kobe , Japan
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69
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Deciphering Drosophila female innate behaviors. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2018; 52:139-148. [PMID: 29940518 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2018.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Innate responses are often sexually dimorphic. Studies of female specific behaviors have remained niche, but the focus is changing as illustrated by the recent progress in understanding the female courtship responses and egg-laying decisions. In this review, we will cover our current knowledge about female behaviors in these two specific contexts. Recent studies elucidate on how females process the courtship song. They also show that egg-laying decisions are extremely complex, requiring the assessment of food, microbial, predator and social cues. Study of female responses will improve our understanding of how a nervous system processes different challenges.
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70
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Minekawa K, Miyatake T, Ishikawa Y, Matsuo T. The adaptive role of a species-specific courtship behaviour in coping with remating suppression of mated females. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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71
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Billeter JC, Wolfner MF. Chemical Cues that Guide Female Reproduction in Drosophila melanogaster. J Chem Ecol 2018; 44:750-769. [PMID: 29557077 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-018-0947-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2017] [Revised: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Chemicals released into the environment by food, predators and conspecifics play critical roles in Drosophila reproduction. Females and males live in an environment full of smells, whose molecules communicate to them the availability of food, potential mates, competitors or predators. Volatile chemicals derived from fruit, yeast growing on the fruit, and flies already present on the fruit attract Drosophila, concentrating flies at food sites, where they will also mate. Species-specific cuticular hydrocarbons displayed on female Drosophila as they mature are sensed by males and act as pheromones to stimulate mating by conspecific males and inhibit heterospecific mating. The pheromonal profile of a female is also responsive to her nutritional environment, providing an honest signal of her fertility potential. After mating, cuticular and semen hydrocarbons transferred by the male change the female's chemical profile. These molecules make the female less attractive to other males, thus protecting her mate's sperm investment. Females have evolved the capacity to counteract this inhibition by ejecting the semen hydrocarbon (along with the rest of the remaining ejaculate) a few hours after mating. Although this ejection can temporarily restore the female's attractiveness, shortly thereafter another male pheromone, a seminal peptide, decreases the female's propensity to re-mate, thus continuing to protect the male's investment. Females use olfaction and taste sensing to select optimal egg-laying sites, integrating cues for the availability of food for her offspring, and the presence of other flies and of harmful species. We argue that taking into account evolutionary considerations such as sexual conflict, and the ecological conditions in which flies live, is helpful in understanding the role of highly species-specific pheromones and blends thereof, as well as an individual's response to the chemical cues in its environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mariana F Wolfner
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
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72
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Burgos A, Honjo K, Ohyama T, Qian CS, Shin GJE, Gohl DM, Silies M, Tracey WD, Zlatic M, Cardona A, Grueber WB. Nociceptive interneurons control modular motor pathways to promote escape behavior in Drosophila. eLife 2018. [PMID: 29528286 PMCID: PMC5869015 DOI: 10.7554/elife.26016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid and efficient escape behaviors in response to noxious sensory stimuli are essential for protection and survival. Yet, how noxious stimuli are transformed to coordinated escape behaviors remains poorly understood. In Drosophila larvae, noxious stimuli trigger sequential body bending and corkscrew-like rolling behavior. We identified a population of interneurons in the nerve cord of Drosophila, termed Down-and-Back (DnB) neurons, that are activated by noxious heat, promote nociceptive behavior, and are required for robust escape responses to noxious stimuli. Electron microscopic circuit reconstruction shows that DnBs are targets of nociceptive and mechanosensory neurons, are directly presynaptic to pre-motor circuits, and link indirectly to Goro rolling command-like neurons. DnB activation promotes activity in Goro neurons, and coincident inactivation of Goro neurons prevents the rolling sequence but leaves intact body bending motor responses. Thus, activity from nociceptors to DnB interneurons coordinates modular elements of nociceptive escape behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Burgos
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Ken Honjo
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Tomoko Ohyama
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Cheng Sam Qian
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Grace Ji-Eun Shin
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Daryl M Gohl
- University of Minnesota Genomics Center, Minneapolis, United States
| | - Marion Silies
- European Neuroscience Institute Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - W Daniel Tracey
- The Linda and Jack Gill Center for Biomolecular Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, United States.,Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, United States
| | - Marta Zlatic
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Albert Cardona
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Wesley B Grueber
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, United States.,Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, United States.,Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, United States
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73
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Garner SRC, Castellanos MC, Baillie KE, Lian T, Allan DW. Drosophila female-specific Ilp7 motoneurons are generated by Fruitless-dependent cell death in males and by a double-assurance survival role for Transformer in females. Development 2018; 145:dev.150821. [PMID: 29229771 DOI: 10.1242/dev.150821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Female-specific Ilp7 neuropeptide-expressing motoneurons (FS-Ilp7 motoneurons) are required in Drosophila for oviduct function in egg laying. Here, we uncover cellular and genetic mechanisms underlying their female-specific generation. We demonstrate that programmed cell death (PCD) eliminates FS-Ilp7 motoneurons in males, and that this requires male-specific splicing of the sex-determination gene fruitless (fru) into the FruMC isoform. However, in females, fru alleles that only generate FruM isoforms failed to kill FS-Ilp7 motoneurons. This blockade of FruM-dependent PCD was not attributable to doublesex gene function but to a non-canonical role for transformer (tra), a gene encoding the RNA splicing activator that regulates female-specific splicing of fru and dsx transcripts. In both sexes, we show that Tra prevents PCD even when the FruM isoform is expressed. In addition, we found that FruMC eliminated FS-Ilp7 motoneurons in both sexes, but only when Tra was absent. Thus, FruMC-dependent PCD eliminates female-specific neurons in males, and Tra plays a double-assurance function in females to establish and reinforce the decision to generate female-specific neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Rose C Garner
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2420 Life Sciences Institute, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Monica C Castellanos
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2420 Life Sciences Institute, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Katherine E Baillie
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2420 Life Sciences Institute, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Tianshun Lian
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2420 Life Sciences Institute, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Douglas W Allan
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2420 Life Sciences Institute, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
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74
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Ellendersen BE, von Philipsborn AC. Neuronal modulation of D. melanogaster sexual behaviour. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2017; 24:21-28. [PMID: 29208219 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2017.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Revised: 07/20/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster sexual behaviour relies on well-studied genetically determined neuronal circuits. At the same time, it can be flexible and is modulated by multiple external and internal factors. This review focuses on how physiological state, behavioural context and social experience impact sexual circuits in the two sexes. We discuss how females tune receptivity and other behaviours depending on mating status and how males adjust courtship intensity based on sexual satiety, age and the conflicting drive for aggression. Neuronal mechanisms for behavioural modulation include changes in sensory and central processing. Activity of modulatory neurons can enhance, suppress or reverse the behavioural response to sensory cues. In summary, fly sexual behaviour is an excellent model to study mechanisms of neuromodulation of complex innate behaviour on the circuit level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárður Eyjólfsson Ellendersen
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE), Aarhus University, Ole Worms Alle 3, Building 1170, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Anne C von Philipsborn
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE), Aarhus University, Ole Worms Alle 3, Building 1170, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
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75
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Duvall LB, Basrur NS, Molina H, McMeniman CJ, Vosshall LB. A Peptide Signaling System that Rapidly Enforces Paternity in the Aedes aegypti Mosquito. Curr Biol 2017; 27:3734-3742.e5. [PMID: 29174895 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.10.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2017] [Revised: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes typically mate only once with one male in their lifetime, a behavior known as "monandry" [1]. This single mating event provisions the female with sufficient sperm to fertilize the >500 eggs she will produce during her ∼4- to 6-week lifespan in the laboratory [2]. Successful mating induces lifetime refractoriness to subsequent insemination by other males, enforcing the paternity of the first male [3-5]. Ae. aegypti mate in flight near human hosts [6], and females become refractory to remating within seconds [1, 3, 4], suggesting the existence of a rapid mechanism to prevent female remating. In this study, we implicate HP-I, an Aedes- and male-specific peptide transferred to females [7], and its cognate receptor in the female, NPYLR1 [8], in rapid enforcement of paternity. HP-I mutant males were ineffective in enforcing paternity when a second male was given access to the female within 1 hr. NPYLR1 mutant females produced mixed paternity offspring at high frequency, indicating acceptance of multiple mates. Synthetic HP-I injected into wild-type, but not NPYLR1 mutant, virgins reduced successful matings. Asian tiger mosquito (Ae. albopictus) HP-I peptides potently activated Ae. aegypti NPYLR1. Invasive Ae. albopictus males are known to copulate with and effectively sterilize Ae. aegypti females by causing them to reject future mates [9]. Cross-species transfer of sperm and active seminal fluid proteins including HP-I may contribute to this phenomenon. This signaling system promotes rapid paternity enforcement within Ae. aegypti but may promote local extinction in areas where they compete with Ae. albopictus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura B Duvall
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Nipun S Basrur
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Henrik Molina
- Proteomics Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Conor J McMeniman
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Leslie B Vosshall
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA; Kavli Neural Systems Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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76
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Jang YH, Chae HS, Kim YJ. Female-specific myoinhibitory peptide neurons regulate mating receptivity in Drosophila melanogaster. Nat Commun 2017; 8:1630. [PMID: 29158481 PMCID: PMC5696375 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01794-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Upon mating, fruit fly females become refractory to further mating for several days. An ejaculate protein called sex peptide (SP) acts on uterine neurons to trigger this behavioural change, but it is still unclear how the SP signal modifies the mating decision. Here we describe two groups of female-specific local interneurons that are important for this process—the ventral abdominal lateral (vAL) and ventral abdominal medial (vAM) interneurons. Both vAL and vAM express myoinhibitory peptide (Mip)-GAL4. vAL is positive for Mip neuropeptides and the sex-determining transcriptional factor doublesex. Silencing the Mip neurons in females induces active rejection of male courtship attempts, whereas activation of the Mip neurons makes even mated females receptive to re-mating. vAL and vAM are located in the abdominal ganglion (AG) where they relay the SP signal to other AG neurons that project to the brain. Mip neuropeptides appear to promote mating receptivity both in virgins and mated females, although it is dispensable for normal mating in virgin females. After mating, female flies are not receptive to re-mating with a new male fly, a response triggered by a male seminal protein called sex peptide. Here, the authors work out the downstream circuits and neurons that are important for post-mating receptivity in female flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Hoon Jang
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyo-Seok Chae
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Joon Kim
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea.
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77
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Walker SJ, Goldschmidt D, Ribeiro C. Craving for the future: the brain as a nutritional prediction system. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2017; 23:96-103. [PMID: 29129289 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2017.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2017] [Revised: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In the last decades, predictive coding has emerged as an important framework for understanding how the brain processes information. It states that the brain is constantly inferring and predicting sensory data from statistical regularities in its environment. While this framework has been largely applied to sensory processing and motor control, we argue here that it could also serve as framework for a better understanding of how animals regulate nutrient homeostasis. Mechanisms that underlie nutrient homeostasis are commonly described in terms of negative feedback control, which compares current states with a reference point, called setpoint, and counteracts any mismatches. Using concepts from control theory, we explain shortcomings of negative feedback as a purely reactive controller, and how feed-forward mechanisms could be incorporated into feedback control to improve the performance of the control system. We then provide numerous examples to show that many insects, as well as mammals, make use of feed-forward, anticipatory mechanisms that go beyond the prevailing view of homeostasis being achieved through reactive negative feedback. The emerging picture is that the brain incorporates predictive signals as well as negative feedback to regulate nutrient homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel J Walker
- Behavior and Metabolism Laboratory, Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon 1400-038, Portugal
| | - Dennis Goldschmidt
- Behavior and Metabolism Laboratory, Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon 1400-038, Portugal
| | - Carlos Ribeiro
- Behavior and Metabolism Laboratory, Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon 1400-038, Portugal.
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78
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Dove AE, Cook BL, Irgebay Z, Vecsey CG. Mechanisms of sleep plasticity due to sexual experience in Drosophila melanogaster. Physiol Behav 2017; 180:146-158. [PMID: 28851647 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Revised: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Sleep can be altered by an organism's previous experience. For instance, female Drosophila melanogaster experience a post-mating reduction in daytime sleep that is purportedly mediated by sex peptide (SP), one of many seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) transferred from male to female during mating. In the present study, we first characterized this mating effect on sleep more fully, as it had previously only been tested in young flies under 12h light/12h dark conditions. We found that mating reduced sleep equivalently in 3-day-old or 14-day-old females, and could even occur in females who had been mated previously, suggesting that there is not a developmental critical period for the suppression of sleep by mating. In conditions of constant darkness, circadian rhythms were not affected by prior mating. In either constant darkness or constant light, the sleep reduction due to mating was no longer confined to the subjective day but could be observed throughout the 24-hour period. This suggests that the endogenous clock may dictate the timing of when the mating effect on sleep is expressed. We recently reported that genetic elimination of SP only partially blocked the post-mating female siesta sleep reduction, suggesting that the effect was unlikely to be governed solely by SP. We found here that the daytime sleep reduction was also reduced but not eliminated in females mated to mutant males lacking the vast majority of SFPs. This suggested that SFPs other than SP play a minimal role in the mating effect on sleep, and that additional non-SFP signals from the male might be involved. Males lacking sperm were able to induce a normal initial mating effect on female sleep, although the effect declined more rapidly in these females. This result indicated that neither the presence of sperm within the female reproductive tract nor female impregnation are required for the initial mating effect on sleep to occur, although sperm may serve to prolong the effect. Finally, we tested for contributions from other aspects of the mating experience. NorpA and eya2 mutants with disrupted vision showed normal mating effects on sleep. By separating males from females with a mesh, we found that visual and olfactory stimuli from male exposure, in the absence of physical contact, could not replicate the mating effect. Further, in ken/barbie male flies lacking external genitalia, courtship and physical contact without ejaculation were also unable to replicate the mating effect. These findings confirmed that the influence of mating on sleep does in fact require male/female contact including copulation, but may not be mediated exclusively by SP transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail E Dove
- Biology Department, Swarthmore College, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081, United States
| | - Brianne L Cook
- Neuroscience Program, Skidmore College, 815 N. Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, United States
| | - Zhazira Irgebay
- Biology Department, Swarthmore College, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081, United States
| | - Christopher G Vecsey
- Biology Department, Swarthmore College, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081, United States; Neuroscience Program, Skidmore College, 815 N. Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, United States.
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79
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Barnard AA, Fincke OM, McPeek MA, Masly JP. Mechanical and tactile incompatibilities cause reproductive isolation between two young damselfly species. Evolution 2017; 71:2410-2427. [PMID: 28744900 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2017] [Revised: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
External male reproductive structures have received considerable attention as a cause of reproductive isolation (RI), because the morphology of these structures often evolves rapidly between populations. This rapid evolution presents the potential for mechanical incompatibilities with heterospecific female structures during mating and could thus prevent interbreeding between nascent species. Although such mechanical incompatibilities have received little empirical support as a common cause of RI, the potential for mismatch of reproductive structures to cause RI due to incompatible species-specific tactile cues has not been tested. We tested the importance of mechanical and tactile incompatibilities in RI between Enallagma anna and E. carunculatum, two damselfly species that diverged within the past ∼250,000 years and currently hybridize in a sympatric region. We quantified 19 prezygotic and postzygotic RI barriers using both naturally occurring and laboratory-reared damselflies. We found incomplete mechanical isolation between the two pure species and between hybrid males and pure species females. Interestingly, in mating pairs for which mechanical isolation was incomplete, females showed greater resistance and refusal to mate with hybrid or heterospecific males compared to conspecific males. This observation suggests that tactile incompatibilities involving male reproductive structures can influence female mating decisions and form a strong barrier to gene flow in early stages of speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra A Barnard
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Program, Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma
| | - Ola M Fincke
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Program, Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma
| | - Mark A McPeek
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
| | - John P Masly
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Program, Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma
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80
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Schultzhaus JN, Carney GE. Dietary protein content alters both male and female contributions to Drosophila melanogaster female post-mating response traits. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 99:101-106. [PMID: 28414060 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2017.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Revised: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Males transfer sperm, proteins and other molecules to females during mating. In Drosophila melanogaster, these molecules contribute to the induction of egg maturation, ovulation, oviposition, sperm storage and changes in female receptivity. This suite of physiological and behavioral changes is referred to as the female post-mating response (PMR). Protein is a necessary macronutrient for both male and female reproduction, but imbalances in protein content can decrease reproductive potential. Dietary protein affects the production of proteins in the male ejaculate that are important for induction of the PMR, and female fecundity increases with dietary protein while lifetime mating rate decreases. The effects of dietary protein levels on other aspects of the female PMR and on male ability to induce the PMR are unknown. To investigate how protein content affects PMR, we raised flies on diets containing low, moderate or high levels of protein and mated females and males from each diet in a combinatorial manner. We first measured the mating duration for each pair, an indication of male reproductive investment, and then evaluated two aspects of the female PMR, fecundity and female remating latency. We found that mating duration was negatively correlated with male dietary protein, and females that mated with high protein males laid fewer eggs. Female diet had no effect on mating duration, but females fed diets with higher protein content laid more eggs and remated sooner. Therefore, dietary protein levels can affect postcopulatory processes important for reproductive output in a sexually dimorphic manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janna N Schultzhaus
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, 3258 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-3258, USA
| | - Ginger E Carney
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, 3258 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-3258, USA.
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81
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Mifepristone/RU486 acts in Drosophila melanogaster females to counteract the life span-shortening and pro-inflammatory effects of male Sex Peptide. Biogerontology 2017; 18:413-427. [PMID: 28451923 DOI: 10.1007/s10522-017-9703-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Males with null mutation of Sex Peptide (SP) gene were compared to wild-type males for the ability to cause physiological changes in females that could be reversed by mifepristone. Males from wild-type strains decreased median female life span by average -51%. Feeding mifepristone increased life span of these females by average +106%. In contrast, SP-null males did not decrease female life span, and mifepristone increased median life span of these females by average +14%, which was equivalent to the effect of mifepristone in virgin females (average +16%). Expression of innate immune response transgenic reporter (Drosocin-GFP) was increased in females mated to wild-type males, and this expression was reduced by mifepristone. In contrast, SP-null males did not increase Drosocin-GFP reporter expression in the female. Similarly, mating increased endogenous microbial load, and this effect was reduced or absent in females fed mifepristone and in females mated to SP-null males; no loss of intestinal barrier integrity was detected using dye-leakage assay. Reduction of microbial load by treating adult flies with doxycycline reduced the effects of both mating and mifepristone on life span. Finally, mifepristone blocked the negative effect on life span caused by transgenic expression of SP in virgin females. The data support the conclusion that the majority of the life span-shortening, immune-suppressive and pro-inflammatory effects of mating are due to male SP, and demonstrate that mifepristone acts in females to counteract these effects of male SP.
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82
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Abstract
Animals are born with a rich repertoire of robust behaviors that are critical for their survival. However, innate behaviors are also highly adaptable to an animal's internal state and external environment. Neuromodulators, including biogenic amines, neuropeptides, and hormones, are released to signal changes in animals' circumstances and serve to reconfigure neural circuits. This circuit flexibility allows animals to modify their behavioral responses according to environmental cues, metabolic demands, and physiological states. Aided by powerful genetic tools, researchers have made remarkable progress in Drosophila melanogaster to address how a myriad of contextual information influences the input-output relationship of hardwired circuits that support a complex behavioral repertoire. Here we highlight recent advances in understanding neuromodulation of Drosophila innate behaviors, with a special focus on feeding, courtship, aggression, and postmating behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susy M Kim
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093; ,
| | - Chih-Ying Su
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093; ,
| | - Jing W Wang
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093; ,
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83
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Aranha MM, Herrmann D, Cachitas H, Neto-Silva RM, Dias S, Vasconcelos ML. apterous Brain Neurons Control Receptivity to Male Courtship in Drosophila Melanogaster Females. Sci Rep 2017; 7:46242. [PMID: 28401905 PMCID: PMC5388873 DOI: 10.1038/srep46242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Courtship behaviours allow animals to interact and display their qualities before committing to reproduction. In fly courtship, the female decides whether or not to mate and is thought to display receptivity by slowing down to accept the male. Very little is known on the neuronal brain circuitry controlling female receptivity. Here we use genetic manipulation and behavioural studies to identify a novel set of neurons in the brain that controls sexual receptivity in the female without triggering the postmating response. We show that these neurons, defined by the expression of the transcription factor apterous, affect the modulation of female walking speed during courtship. Interestingly, we found that the apterous neurons required for female receptivity are neither doublesex nor fruitless positive suggesting that apterous neurons are not specified by the sex-determination cascade. Overall, these findings identify a neuronal substrate underlying female response to courtship and highlight the central role of walking speed in the receptivity behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Márcia M Aranha
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Dennis Herrmann
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal.,Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Hugo Cachitas
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ricardo M Neto-Silva
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal.,Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Sophie Dias
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal.,Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Maria Luísa Vasconcelos
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal.,Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal
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84
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Ables ET, Drummond-Barbosa D. Steroid Hormones and the Physiological Regulation of Tissue-Resident Stem Cells: Lessons from the Drosophila Ovary. CURRENT STEM CELL REPORTS 2017; 3:9-18. [PMID: 28458991 PMCID: PMC5407287 DOI: 10.1007/s40778-017-0070-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Stem cells respond to local paracrine signals; more recently, however, systemic hormones have also emerged as key regulators of stem cells. This review explores the role of steroid hormones in stem cells, using the Drosophila germline stem cell as a centerpiece for discussion. RECENT FINDINGS Stem cells sense and respond directly and indirectly to steroid hormones, which regulate diverse sets of target genes via interactions with nuclear hormone receptors. Hormone-regulated networks likely integrate the actions of multiple systemic signals to adjust the activity of stem cell lineages in response to changes in physiological status. SUMMARY Hormones are inextricably linked to animal physiology, and can control stem cells and their local niches. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of hormone signaling in stem cells is essential for our understanding of the fundamental underpinnings of stem cell biology, and for informing new therapeutic interventions against cancers or for regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth T. Ables
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
| | - Daniela Drummond-Barbosa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Division of Reproductive Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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85
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Corrales-Carvajal VM, Faisal AA, Ribeiro C. Internal states drive nutrient homeostasis by modulating exploration-exploitation trade-off. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27770569 PMCID: PMC5108593 DOI: 10.7554/elife.19920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 10/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Internal states can profoundly alter the behavior of animals. A quantitative understanding of the behavioral changes upon metabolic challenges is key to a mechanistic dissection of how animals maintain nutritional homeostasis. We used an automated video tracking setup to characterize how amino acid and reproductive states interact to shape exploitation and exploration decisions taken by adult Drosophila melanogaster. We find that these two states have specific effects on the decisions to stop at and leave proteinaceous food patches. Furthermore, the internal nutrient state defines the exploration-exploitation trade-off: nutrient-deprived flies focus on specific patches while satiated flies explore more globally. Finally, we show that olfaction mediates the efficient recognition of yeast as an appropriate protein source in mated females and that octopamine is specifically required to mediate homeostatic postmating responses without affecting internal nutrient sensing. Internal states therefore modulate specific aspects of exploitation and exploration to change nutrient selection. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.19920.001 When making decisions, animals, including humans, do not always choose the same option. One reason for this is that their “internal state” changes the value of different options. This is particularly evident when deciding what type of food to eat. Depending on which nutrients the animal needs, it will choose to eat different foods. Amino acids are key nutrients that affect health, lifespan and reproduction. Female fruit flies that have recently mated, for example, eat more amino acids in order to obtain the raw materials required to produce eggs. Despite the importance of amino acids, little was known about how animal behavior changes in response to a lack of this nutrient. Corrales-Carvajal et al. used a video tracking system to measure the time that fruit flies – some of which had a need for amino acids – spent feeding on patches of yeast (which are rich in amino acids) versus patches of sucrose. Recently mated females – and virgins that had been fed a diet lacking in amino acids – consumed more yeast than sucrose, whereas virgin females that were not amino acid deficient showed the opposite pattern. To bias the fly toward eating the right food for their needs, several aspects of the fly’s behavior changed, including the number and length of individual feeding bouts. These different behaviors did not all change at the same time. The pattern of exploration taken by the flies also depended on their need for amino acids. Amino acid deficient flies spent most of their time near known yeast patches. By contrast, fully fed flies adopted a riskier foraging strategy, moving away from known sources of food to explore their environment more widely. In common with humans, the flies relied upon their sense of smell to efficiently identify different types of food. Overall, the results presented by Corrales-Carvajal et al. provide us with a detailed understanding about how changes to the internal state of the fly affect its behavior. The next step will be to use the powerful genetic tools available for studying fruit flies to reveal the neural circuits and molecular mechanisms that help animals find the types of food that they need. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.19920.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Verónica María Corrales-Carvajal
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal.,Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Aldo A Faisal
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.,Integrative Biology Division, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, London, United Kingdom
| | - Carlos Ribeiro
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
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86
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Hitoshi Y, Ishikawa Y, Matsuo T. Inheritance Pattern of Female Receptivity inDrosophila prolongata. Zoolog Sci 2016; 33:455-460. [DOI: 10.2108/zs160047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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87
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Garbe DS, Vigderman AS, Moscato E, Dove AE, Vecsey CG, Kayser MS, Sehgal A. Changes in Female Drosophila Sleep following Mating Are Mediated by SPSN-SAG Neurons. J Biol Rhythms 2016; 31:551-567. [PMID: 27658900 DOI: 10.1177/0748730416668048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Female Drosophila melanogaster, like many other organisms, exhibit different behavioral repertoires after mating with a male. These postmating responses (PMRs) include increased egg production and laying, increased rejection behavior (avoiding further male advances), decreased longevity, altered gustation and decreased sleep. Sex Peptide (SP), a protein transferred from the male during copulation, is largely responsible for many of these behavioral responses, and acts through a specific circuit to induce rejection behavior and alter dietary preference. However, less is known about the mechanisms and neurons that influence sleep in mated females. In this study, we investigated postmating changes in female sleep across strains and ages and on different media, and report that these changes are robust and relatively consistent under a variety of conditions. We find that female sleep is reduced by male-derived SP acting through the canonical sex peptide receptor (SPR) within the same neurons responsible for altering other PMRs. This circuit includes the SPSN-SAG neurons, whose silencing by DREADD induces postmating behaviors including sleep. Our data are consistent with the idea that mating status is communicated to the central brain through a common circuit that diverges in higher brain centers to modify a collection of postmating sensorimotor processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Garbe
- Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Abigail S Vigderman
- Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Emilia Moscato
- Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Abigail E Dove
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
| | - Christopher G Vecsey
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.,Neuroscience Program, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, New York
| | - Matthew S Kayser
- Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Amita Sehgal
- Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute/Department of Neuroscience
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88
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Simpson SJ, Raubenheimer D. Nutritional Physiology: Sex Elicits a Taste for Salt in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2016; 25:R980-2. [PMID: 26485369 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Increased salt intake has been found to boost egg production in Drosophila. Females develop a specific appetite for salt following mating. This is not triggered by demand for sodium from developing eggs, but by release of a Sex Peptide into the female's reproductive tract by the male during mating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J Simpson
- Charles Perkins Centre, the University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, the University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - David Raubenheimer
- Charles Perkins Centre, the University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, the University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; The Faculty of Veterinary Science, the University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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89
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Wilson C, Leiblich A, Goberdhan DCI, Hamdy F. The Drosophila Accessory Gland as a Model for Prostate Cancer and Other Pathologies. Curr Top Dev Biol 2016; 121:339-375. [PMID: 28057306 PMCID: PMC5224695 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2016.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The human prostate is a gland of the male reproductive tract, which together with the seminal vesicles, is responsible for most seminal fluid production. It is a common site of cancer, and unlike other glands, it typically enlarges in aging men. In flies, the male accessory glands make many major seminal fluid components. Like their human equivalents, they secrete proteins from several conserved families, including proteases, lectins, and cysteine-rich secretory proteins, some of which interact with sperm and affect fertility. A key protein, sex peptide, is not conserved in vertebrates but plays a central role in mediating long-term effects on females after mating. Although postmitotic, one epithelial cell type in the accessory glands, the secondary cell, continues to grow in adults. It secretes microvesicles called exosomes from the endosomal multivesicular body, which, after mating, fuse with sperm. They also appear to affect female postmating behavior. Remarkably, the human prostate epithelium also secretes exosomes, which fuse to sperm in vitro to modulate their activity. Exosomes from prostate and other cancer cells are increasingly proposed to play fundamental roles in modulating the tumor microenvironment and in metastasis. Here we review a diverse accessory gland literature, which highlights functional analogies between the male reproductive glands of flies and humans, and a critical role for extracellular vesicles in allowing seminal fluid to promote male interests within the female. We postulate that secondary cells and prostate epithelial cells use common mechanisms to control growth, secretion, and signaling, which are relevant to prostate and other cancers, and can be genetically dissected in the uniquely tractable fly model.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Wilson
- University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
| | - A Leiblich
- University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - F Hamdy
- University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
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90
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Ameku T, Niwa R. Mating-Induced Increase in Germline Stem Cells via the Neuroendocrine System in Female Drosophila. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1006123. [PMID: 27310920 PMCID: PMC4911108 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mating and gametogenesis are two essential components of animal reproduction. Gametogenesis must be modulated by the need for gametes, yet little is known of how mating, a process that utilizes gametes, may modulate the process of gametogenesis. Here, we report that mating stimulates female germline stem cell (GSC) proliferation in Drosophila melanogaster. Mating-induced increase in GSC number is not simply owing to the indirect effect of emission of stored eggs, but rather is stimulated by a male-derived Sex Peptide (SP) and its receptor SPR, the components of a canonical neuronal pathway that induces a post-mating behavioral switch in females. We show that ecdysteroid, the major insect steroid hormone, regulates mating-induced GSC proliferation independently of insulin signaling. Ovarian ecdysteroid level increases after mating and transmits its signal directly through the ecdysone receptor expressed in the ovarian niche to increase the number of GSCs. Impairment of ovarian ecdysteroid biosynthesis disrupts mating-induced increase in GSCs as well as egg production. Importantly, feeding of ecdysteroid rescues the decrease in GSC number caused by impairment of neuronal SP signaling. Our study illustrates how female GSC activity is coordinately regulated by the neuroendocrine system to sustain reproductive success in response to mating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomotsune Ameku
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Ryusuke Niwa
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama, Japan
- * E-mail:
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91
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Schneider J, Atallah J, Levine JD. Social structure and indirect genetic effects: genetics of social behaviour. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 92:1027-1038. [PMID: 26990016 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2015] [Revised: 02/23/2016] [Accepted: 02/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The social environment modulates gene expression, physiology, behaviour and patterns of inheritance. For more than 50 years, this concept has been investigated using approaches that include partitioning the social component out of behavioural heritability estimates, studying maternal effects on offspring, and analysing dominance hierarchies. Recent advances have formalized this 'social environment effect' by providing a more nuanced approach to the study of social influences on behaviour while recognizing evolutionary implications. Yet, in most of these formulations, the dynamics of social interactions are not accounted for. Also, the reciprocity between individual behaviour and group-level interactions has been largely ignored. Consistent with evolutionary theory, the principles of social interaction are conserved across a broad range of taxa. While noting parallels in diverse organisms, this review uses Drosophila melanogaster as a case study to revisit what is known about social interaction paradigms. We highlight the benefits of integrating the history and pattern of interactions among individuals for dissecting molecular mechanisms that underlie social modulation of behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Schneider
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Jade Atallah
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Joel D Levine
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, L5L 1C6, Canada
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92
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Auer TO, Benton R. Sexual circuitry in Drosophila. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2016; 38:18-26. [PMID: 26851712 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2016.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2015] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The sexual behavior of Drosophila melanogaster is an outstanding paradigm to understand the molecular and neuronal basis of sophisticated animal actions. We discuss recent advances in our knowledge of the genetic hardwiring of the underlying neuronal circuitry, and how pertinent sensory cues are differentially detected and integrated in the male and female brain. We also consider how experience influences these circuits over short timescales, and the evolution of these pathways over longer timescales to endow species-specific sexual displays and responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas O Auer
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Richard Benton
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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93
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Abstract
The development of sexually dimorphic morphology and the potential for sexually dimorphic behavior in Drosophila are regulated by the Fruitless (Fru) and Doublesex (Dsx) transcription factors. Several direct targets of Dsx have been identified, but direct Fru targets have not been definitively identified. We show that Drosophila leucine-rich repeat G protein-coupled receptor 3 (Lgr3) is regulated by Fru and Dsx in separate populations of neurons. Lgr3 is a member of the relaxin-receptor family and a receptor for Dilp8, necessary for control of organ growth. Lgr3 expression in the anterior central brain of males is inhibited by the B isoform of Fru, whose DNA binding domain interacts with a short region of an Lgr3 intron. Fru A and C isoform mutants had no observed effect on Lgr3 expression. The female form of Dsx (Dsx(F)) separately up- and down-regulates Lgr3 expression in distinct neurons in the abdominal ganglion through female- and male-specific Lgr3 enhancers. Excitation of neural activity in the Dsx(F)-up-regulated abdominal ganglion neurons inhibits female receptivity, indicating the importance of these neurons for sexual behavior. Coordinated regulation of Lgr3 by Fru and Dsx marks a point of convergence of the two branches of the sex-determination hierarchy.
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94
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Abstract
RNAi technologies enable the testing of gene function in a cell-type- and stage-specific manner in Drosophila. The development of genome-wide RNAi libraries has allowed expansion of this approach to the genome scale and supports identification of most genes required for a given process in a cell type of choice. However, a large-scale RNAi approach also harbors many potential pitfalls that can complicate interpretation of the results. Here, we summarize published screens and provide a guide on how to optimally plan and perform a large-scale, in vivo RNAi screen. We highlight the importance of assay design and give suggestions on how to optimize the assay conditions by testing positive and negative control genes. These genes are used to estimate false-negative and false-positive rates of the screen data. We discuss the planning and logistics of a large-scale screen in detail and suggest bioinformatics platforms to identify and select gene groups of interest for secondary assays. Finally, we review various options to confirm RNAi knock-down specificity and thus identify high confidence genes for more detailed case-by-case studies in the future.
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95
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Postmating Circuitry Modulates Salt Taste Processing to Increase Reproductive Output in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2015; 25:2621-30. [PMID: 26412135 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.08.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2015] [Revised: 08/13/2015] [Accepted: 08/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
To optimize survival and reproduction, animals must match their nutrient intake to their current needs. Reproduction profoundly changes nutritional requirements, with many species showing an appetite for sodium during reproductive periods. How this internal state modifies neuronal information processing to ensure homeostasis is not understood. Here, we show that dietary sodium levels positively affect reproductive output in Drosophila melanogaster; to satisfy this requirement, females develop a strong, specific appetite for sodium following mating. We show that mating modulates gustatory processing to increase the probability of initiating feeding on salt. This postmating effect is not due to salt depletion by egg production, since abolishing egg production leaves the sodium appetite intact. Rather, the salt appetite is induced need-independently by male-derived Sex Peptide acting on the Sex Peptide Receptor in female reproductive tract neurons. We further demonstrate that postmating appetites for both salt and yeast are driven by the resultant silencing of downstream SAG neurons. Surprisingly, unlike the postmating yeast appetite, the salt appetite does not require octopamine, suggesting a divergence in the postmating circuitry. These findings demonstrate that the postmating circuit supports reproduction by increasing the palatability of specific nutrients. Such a feedforward regulation of sensory processing may represent a common mechanism through which reproductive state-sensitive circuits modify complex behaviors across species.
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96
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Hox miRNA regulation within the Drosophila Bithorax complex: Patterning behavior. Mech Dev 2015; 138 Pt 2:151-159. [PMID: 26311219 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2015.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2015] [Revised: 08/14/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The study of Drosophila Hox genes, located in the Antennapedia complex (ANT-C) and Bithorax complex (BX-C), has provided fundamental insights into mechanisms of how the segments of the animal body plan are specified. Notably, even though the analysis of the BX-C formally began over a century ago, surprises continue to emerge regarding its regulation and function. Even simply the gene content of the BX-C has been regularly revised in past years, especially with regard to non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs. In this perspective, we review the history of studies of non-coding transcription in the BX-C, and highlight recent studies of its miRNAs that provide new insights into their tissue-specific roles in Hox gene regulation. In particular, we have demonstrated unexpected importance of endogenous BX-C miRNAs to restrict the spatial accumulation of Hox proteins and their TALE cofactors in the ventral nerve cord, and link this to aberrant neural differentiation and reproductive behavior. These findings open new directions on studying Hox miRNA function, and we speculate that further understanding of their roles in insect models may provide new leads for studying the enigmatic biological functions of analogous miRNAs located in vertebrate Hox clusters.
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97
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Landis GN, Salomon MP, Keroles D, Brookes N, Sekimura T, Tower J. The progesterone antagonist mifepristone/RU486 blocks the negative effect on life span caused by mating in female Drosophila. Aging (Albany NY) 2015; 7:53-69. [PMID: 25614682 PMCID: PMC4350324 DOI: 10.18632/aging.100721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Mating causes decreased life span in female Drosophila. Here we report that mifepristone blocked this effect, yielding life span increases up to +68%. Drug was fed to females after mating, in the absence of males, demonstrating function in females. Mifepristone did not increase life span of virgin females or males. Mifepristone reduced progeny production but did not reduce food intake. High-throughput RNA sequencing was used to identify genes up-regulated or down-regulated upon mating, and where the change was reduced by mifepristone. Five candidate positive regulators of life span were identified, including dosage compensation regulator Unr and three X-linked genes: multi sex combs (PcG gene), Dopamine 2-like receptor and CG14215. The 37 candidate negative genes included neuropeptide CNMamide and several involved in protein mobilization and immune response. The results inform the interpretation of experiments involving mifepristone, and implicate steroid hormone signaling in regulating the trade-off between reproduction and life span.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary N Landis
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, USA
| | - Matthew P Salomon
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, USA
| | - Daniel Keroles
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, USA
| | - Nicholas Brookes
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, USA
| | - Troy Sekimura
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, USA
| | - John Tower
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910, USA
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98
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Li L, Li P, Xue L. The RED domain of Paired is specifically required for Drosophila accessory gland maturation. Open Biol 2015; 5:140179. [PMID: 25694546 PMCID: PMC4345280 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.140179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolutionarily conserved paired domain consists of the N-terminal PAI and the C-terminal RED domains, each containing a helix–turn–helix motif capable of binding DNA. Despite its conserved sequence, the physiological functions of the RED domain remain elusive. Here, we constructed a prd transgene expressing a truncated Paired (Prd) protein without the RED domain, and examined its rescue ability in prd mutants. We found that the RED domain is specifically required for the expression of Acp26Aa and sex peptide in male accessory glands, and the induction of female post-mating response. Our data thus identified an important physiological function for the evolutionarily conserved RED domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- Institute of Intervention Vessel, Shanghai 10th People's Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, People's Republic of China
| | - Ping Li
- Institute of Intervention Vessel, Shanghai 10th People's Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Xue
- Institute of Intervention Vessel, Shanghai 10th People's Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, People's Republic of China
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99
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Abstract
Male flies put on a multimedia show during courtship involving dance, song, perfume and even vibrations; if a female likes it, she pauses to let him know. Recent studies shed new light on how development and experience contribute to neural mechanisms of female sexual receptivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Christophe Billeter
- Behavioural Biology, Centre for Behaviour and Neurosciences, PO Box 11103, University of Groningen, Groningen, 9700 CC, The Netherlands.
| | - Joel D Levine
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada.
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100
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Kimura KI, Sato C, Koganezawa M, Yamamoto D. Drosophila ovipositor extension in mating behavior and egg deposition involves distinct sets of brain interneurons. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0126445. [PMID: 25955600 PMCID: PMC4425497 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0126445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2015] [Accepted: 04/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Oviposition is a female-specific behavior that directly affects fecundity, and therefore fitness. If a fertilized female encounters another male that she has evaluated to be of better quality than her previous mate, it would be beneficial for her to remate with this male rather than depositing her eggs. Females who decided not to remate exhibited rejection behavior toward a courting male and engaged in oviposition. Although recent studies of Drosophila melanogaster identified sensory neurons and putative second-order ascending interneurons that mediate uterine afferents affecting female reproductive behavior, little is known about the brain circuitry that selectively activates rejection versus oviposition behaviors. We identified the sexually dimorphic pC2l and female-specific pMN2 neurons, two distinct classes of doublesex (dsx)-expressing neurons that can initiate ovipositor extension associated with rejection and oviposition behavior, respectively. pC2l interneurons, which induce ovipositor extrusion for rejection in females, have homologues that control courtship behavior in males. Activation of these two classes of neurons appears to be mutually exclusive and each governs hierarchical control of the motor program in the VNC either for rejection or oviposition, contributing centrally to the switching on or off of the alternative motor programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken-ichi Kimura
- Laboratory of Biology, Hokkaido University of Education, Sapporo Campus, Sapporo, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Chiaki Sato
- Laboratory of Biology, Hokkaido University of Education, Sapporo Campus, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Masayuki Koganezawa
- Division of Neurogenetics, Tohoku University, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Sendai, Japan
| | - Daisuke Yamamoto
- Division of Neurogenetics, Tohoku University, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Sendai, Japan
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