51
|
Belenioti M, Chaniotakis N. Aggressive Behaviour of Drosophila suzukii in Relation to Environmental and Social Factors. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7898. [PMID: 32398716 PMCID: PMC7217943 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64941-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggression plays a crucial role in survival all across the animal kingdom. In this study, we investigate the aggressive behaviour of Drosophila suzukii, a known agricultural pest. Bioassays were performed between same sex pairs and the effect of environmental (food deprivation, sex, age and photophase) and social factors (non-social and social). Initially the inter-male and inter-female aggression was determined ethologically consisting of several behaviour patterns. Two hours starvation period increase locomotor activity of flies, promoting increased aggressive behaviour. Most of the behavioural patterns were common between males and females with a few sex-selective. Number of male encounters was higher in flies held in isolation than in those that had been reared with siblings whereas in case of females, only those that were isolated exhibited increased aggression. Females and males D. suzukii that were 4-day-old were more aggressive. In addition it is found that on the 3rd hour after the beginning of photophase, regardless of age, both males and females rise to high intensity aggression patterns.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Belenioti
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, Vassilika Vouton, Heraklion, 70013, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Chaniotakis
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, Vassilika Vouton, Heraklion, 70013, Greece.
| |
Collapse
|
52
|
González-Rojas MF, Darragh K, Robles J, Linares M, Schulz S, McMillan WO, Jiggins CD, Pardo-Diaz C, Salazar C. Chemical signals act as the main reproductive barrier between sister and mimetic Heliconius butterflies. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200587. [PMID: 32370676 PMCID: PMC7282924 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Colour pattern is the main trait that drives mate recognition between Heliconius species that are phylogenetically close. However, when this cue is compromised such as in cases of mimetic, sympatric and closely related species, alternative mating signals must evolve to ensure reproductive isolation and species integrity. The closely related species Heliconius melpomene malleti and H. timareta florencia occur in the same geographical region, and despite being co-mimics, they display strong reproductive isolation. In order to test which cues differ between species, and potentially contribute to reproductive isolation, we quantified differences in the wing phenotype and the male chemical profile. As expected, the wing colour pattern was indistinguishable between the two species, while the chemical profile of the androconial and genital males' extracts showed marked differences. We then conducted behavioural experiments to study the importance of these signals in mate recognition by females. In agreement with our previous results, we found that chemical blends and not wing colour pattern drive the preference of females for conspecific males. Also, experiments with hybrid males and females suggested an important genetic component for both chemical production and preference. Altogether, these results suggest that chemicals are the major reproductive barrier opposing gene flow between these two sister and co-mimic species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M F González-Rojas
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota 111221, Colombia
| | - K Darragh
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - J Robles
- Department of Chemistry, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogota, Colombia
| | - M Linares
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota 111221, Colombia
| | - S Schulz
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | - C D Jiggins
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - C Pardo-Diaz
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota 111221, Colombia
| | - C Salazar
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota 111221, Colombia
| |
Collapse
|
53
|
Wohl M, Ishii K, Asahina K. Layered roles of fruitless isoforms in specification and function of male aggression-promoting neurons in Drosophila. eLife 2020; 9:e52702. [PMID: 32314957 PMCID: PMC7173971 DOI: 10.7554/elife.52702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Inter-male aggressive behavior is a prominent sexually dimorphic behavior. Neural circuits that underlie aggressive behavior are therefore likely under the control of sex-determining genes. However, the neurogenetic mechanism that generates sex-specific aggressive behavior remains largely unknown. Here, we found that a neuronal class specified by one of the Drosophila sex determining genes, fruitless (fru), belongs to the neural circuit that generates male-type aggressive behavior. This neuronal class can promote aggressive behavior independent of another sex determining gene, doublesex (dsx), although dsx is involved in ensuring that aggressive behavior is performed only toward males. We also found that three fru isoforms with different DNA binding domains show a division of labor on male aggressive behaviors. A dominant role of fru in specifying sex-specific aggressive behavior may underscore a genetic mechanism that allows male-type aggressive behavior to evolve at least partially independently from courtship behavior, which is under different selective pressures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Margot Wohl
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological StudiesLa JollaUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of CaliforniaSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Kenichi Ishii
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological StudiesLa JollaUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of CaliforniaSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Kenta Asahina
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological StudiesLa JollaUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
54
|
Wu F, Deng B, Xiao N, Wang T, Li Y, Wang R, Shi K, Luo DG, Rao Y, Zhou C. A neuropeptide regulates fighting behavior in Drosophila melanogaster. eLife 2020; 9:54229. [PMID: 32314736 PMCID: PMC7173970 DOI: 10.7554/elife.54229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggressive behavior is regulated by various neuromodulators such as neuropeptides and biogenic amines. Here we found that the neuropeptide Drosulfakinin (Dsk) modulates aggression in Drosophila melanogaster. Knock-out of Dsk or Dsk receptor CCKLR-17D1 reduced aggression. Activation and inactivation of Dsk-expressing neurons increased and decreased male aggressive behavior, respectively. Moreover, data from transsynaptic tracing, electrophysiology and behavioral epistasis reveal that Dsk-expressing neurons function downstream of a subset of P1 neurons (P1a-splitGAL4) to control fighting behavior. In addition, winners show increased calcium activity in Dsk-expressing neurons. Conditional overexpression of Dsk promotes social dominance, suggesting a positive correlation between Dsk signaling and winning effects. The mammalian ortholog CCK has been implicated in mammal aggression, thus our work suggests a conserved neuromodulatory system for the modulation of aggressive behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fengming Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bowen Deng
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Zhongguangchun Life Sciences Park, Beijing, China.,Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
| | - Na Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, College of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yining Li
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Zhongguangchun Life Sciences Park, Beijing, China.,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rencong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kai Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dong-Gen Luo
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, China.,State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, College of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Rao
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Zhongguangchun Life Sciences Park, Beijing, China.,Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, China.,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chuan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
| |
Collapse
|
55
|
Ping Y, Shao L, Li M, Yang L, Zhang J. Contribution of Social Influences through Superposition of Visual and Olfactory Inputs to Circadian Re-entrainment. iScience 2020; 23:100856. [PMID: 32058967 PMCID: PMC6997854 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.100856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Circadian patterns of locomotor activity are influenced by social interactions. Studies on insects highlight the importance of volatile odors and the olfactory system. Wild-type Drosophila exhibit immediate re-entrainment to new light:dark (LD) cycles, whereas cryb and jetc mutants show deficits in re-entrainability. We found that both male mutants re-entrained faster to phase-shifted LD cycles when social interactions with WT female flies were promoted than the isolated males. In addition, we found that accelerated re-entrainment mediated by social interactions depended on both visual and olfactory cues, and the effect of both cues presented jointly was nearly identical to the sum of the effects of the two cues presented separately. Moreover, we found that re-entrainment deficits in period (per) expression-oscillation in jetc mutants were partially restored by promoting social interactions. Our results demonstrated that, in addition to olfaction, social interactions through the visual system also play important roles in clock entrainment. Interactions with WT females accelerates re-entrainment in jetc and cryb male mutants Both visual and olfactory inputs contribute to fast re-entrainment in jetc mutants jetc mutants in groups re-entrain faster on per expression rhythms than isolated one
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yong Ping
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders (No.13dz2260500), Shanghai Mental Health Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China.
| | - Lingzhan Shao
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders (No.13dz2260500), Shanghai Mental Health Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Minzhe Li
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Luna Yang
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jiaxing Zhang
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| |
Collapse
|
56
|
Agrawal P, Kao D, Chung P, Looger LL. The neuropeptide Drosulfakinin regulates social isolation-induced aggression in Drosophila. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb207407. [PMID: 31900346 PMCID: PMC7033730 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.207407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Social isolation strongly modulates behavior across the animal kingdom. We utilized the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster to study social isolation-driven changes in animal behavior and gene expression in the brain. RNA-seq identified several head-expressed genes strongly responding to social isolation or enrichment. Of particular interest, social isolation downregulated expression of the gene encoding the neuropeptide Drosulfakinin (Dsk), the homologue of vertebrate cholecystokinin (CCK), which is critical for many mammalian social behaviors. Dsk knockdown significantly increased social isolation-induced aggression. Genetic activation or silencing of Dsk neurons each similarly increased isolation-driven aggression. Our results suggest a U-shaped dependence of social isolation-induced aggressive behavior on Dsk signaling, similar to the actions of many neuromodulators in other contexts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pavan Agrawal
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Damian Kao
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Phuong Chung
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Loren L Looger
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| |
Collapse
|
57
|
Bubak AN, Watt MJ, Yaeger JDW, Renner KJ, Swallow JG. The stalk-eyed fly as a model for aggression - is there a conserved role for 5-HT between vertebrates and invertebrates? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 223:223/1/jeb132159. [PMID: 31896721 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.132159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Serotonin (5-HT) has largely been accepted to be inhibitory to vertebrate aggression, whereas an opposing stimulatory role has been proposed for invertebrates. Herein, we argue that critical gaps in our understanding of the nuanced role of 5-HT in invertebrate systems drove this conclusion prematurely, and that emerging data suggest a previously unrecognized level of phylogenetic conservation with respect to neurochemical mechanisms regulating the expression of aggressive behaviors. This is especially apparent when considering the interplay among factors governing 5-HT activity, many of which share functional homology across taxa. We discuss recent findings using insect models, with an emphasis on the stalk-eyed fly, to demonstrate how particular 5-HT receptor subtypes mediate the intensity of aggression with respect to discrete stages of the interaction (initiation, escalation and termination), which mirrors the complex behavioral regulation currently recognized in vertebrates. Further similarities emerge when considering the contribution of neuropeptides, which interact with 5-HT to ultimately determine contest progression and outcome. Relative to knowledge in vertebrates, much less is known about the function of 5-HT receptors and neuropeptides in invertebrate aggression, particularly with respect to sex, species and context, prompting the need for further studies. Our Commentary highlights the need to consider multiple factors when determining potential taxonomic differences, and raises the possibility of more similarities than differences between vertebrates and invertebrates with regard to the modulatory effect of 5-HT on aggression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew N Bubak
- Department of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Michael J Watt
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
| | - Jazmine D W Yaeger
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
| | - Kenneth J Renner
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
| | - John G Swallow
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado-Denver, Denver, CO 80217, USA
| |
Collapse
|
58
|
Anholt RRH, O'Grady P, Wolfner MF, Harbison ST. Evolution of Reproductive Behavior. Genetics 2020; 214:49-73. [PMID: 31907301 PMCID: PMC6944409 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Behaviors associated with reproduction are major contributors to the evolutionary success of organisms and are subject to many evolutionary forces, including natural and sexual selection, and sexual conflict. Successful reproduction involves a range of behaviors, from finding an appropriate mate, courting, and copulation, to the successful production and (in oviparous animals) deposition of eggs following mating. As a consequence, behaviors and genes associated with reproduction are often under strong selection and evolve rapidly. Courtship rituals in flies follow a multimodal pattern, mediated through visual, chemical, tactile, and auditory signals. Premating behaviors allow males and females to assess the species identity, reproductive state, and condition of their partners. Conflicts between the "interests" of individual males, and/or between the reproductive strategies of males and females, often drive the evolution of reproductive behaviors. For example, seminal proteins transmitted by males often show evidence of rapid evolution, mediated by positive selection. Postmating behaviors, including the selection of oviposition sites, are highly variable and Drosophila species span the spectrum from generalists to obligate specialists. Chemical recognition features prominently in adaptation to host plants for feeding and oviposition. Selection acting on variation in pre-, peri-, and postmating behaviors can lead to reproductive isolation and incipient speciation. Response to selection at the genetic level can include the expansion of gene families, such as those for detecting pheromonal cues for mating, or changes in the expression of genes leading to visual cues such as wing spots that are assessed during mating. Here, we consider the evolution of reproductive behavior in Drosophila at two distinct, yet complementary, scales. Some studies take a microevolutionary approach, identifying genes and networks involved in reproduction, and then dissecting the genetics underlying complex behaviors in D. melanogaster Other studies take a macroevolutionary approach, comparing reproductive behaviors across the genus Drosophila and how these might correlate with environmental cues. A full synthesis of this field will require unification across these levels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert R H Anholt
- Center for Human Genetics, Clemson University, Greenwood, South Carolina 29646
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Greenwood, South Carolina 29646
| | - Patrick O'Grady
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
| | - Mariana F Wolfner
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
| | - Susan T Harbison
- Laboratory of Systems Genetics, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| |
Collapse
|
59
|
Geiger AP, Saltz JB. Strong and weak cross‐sex correlations govern the quantitative‐genetic architecture of social group choice in
Drosophila melanogaster. Evolution 2019; 74:145-155. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam P. Geiger
- Rice University 6100 Main Street Houston TX 77005
- Present address: Facebook 300 W 6th St (Lavaca) Austin TX 78701
| | | |
Collapse
|
60
|
Neurons that Function within an Integrator to Promote a Persistent Behavioral State in Drosophila. Neuron 2019; 105:322-333.e5. [PMID: 31810837 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Innate behaviors involve both reflexive motor programs and enduring internal states, but how these responses are coordinated by the brain is not clear. In Drosophila, male-specific P1 interneurons promote courtship song, as well as a persistent internal state that prolongs courtship and enhances aggressiveness. However, P1 neurons themselves are not persistently active. Here, we identify pCd neurons as persistently active, indirect P1 targets that are required for P1-evoked persistent courtship and aggression. Acute activation of pCd neurons alone is inefficacious but enhances and prolongs courtship or aggression promoted by female cues. Brief female exposure induces a persistent increase in male aggressiveness, an effect abrogated by interruption of pCd activity. pCd activity is not sufficient but necessary for persistent physiological activity, implying an essential role in a persistence network. Thus, P1 neurons coordinate both command-like control of courtship song and a persistent internal state of social arousal mediated by pCd neurons.
Collapse
|
61
|
Berdan E, Enge S, Nylund GM, Wellenreuther M, Martens GA, Pavia H. Genetic divergence and phenotypic plasticity contribute to variation in cuticular hydrocarbons in the seaweed fly Coelopa frigida. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:12156-12170. [PMID: 31832150 PMCID: PMC6854331 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2019] [Revised: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) form the boundary between insects and their environments and often act as essential cues for species, mate, and kin recognition. This complex polygenic trait can be highly variable both among and within species, but the causes of this variation, especially the genetic basis, are largely unknown. In this study, we investigated phenotypic and genetic variation of CHCs in the seaweed fly, Coelopa frigida, and found that composition was affected by both genetic (sex and population) and environmental (larval diet) factors. We subsequently conducted behavioral trials that show CHCs are likely used as a sexual signal. We identified general shifts in CHC chemistry as well as individual compounds and found that the methylated compounds, mean chain length, proportion of alkenes, and normalized total CHCs differed between sexes and populations. We combined these data with whole genome resequencing data to examine the genetic underpinnings of these differences. We identified 11 genes related to CHC synthesis and found population-level outlier SNPs in 5 that are concordant with phenotypic differences. Together these results reveal that the CHC composition of C. frigida is dynamic, strongly affected by the larval environment, and likely under natural and sexual selection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma Berdan
- Department of Marine SciencesUniversity of GothenburgGöteborgSweden
| | - Swantje Enge
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine EnvironmentCarl‐von‐Ossietzky University OldenburgWilhelmshavenGermany
- Department of Marine Sciences – TjärnöUniversity of GothenburgStrömstadSweden
| | - Göran M. Nylund
- Department of Marine Sciences – TjärnöUniversity of GothenburgStrömstadSweden
| | - Maren Wellenreuther
- Plant & Food Research LimitedNelsonNew Zealand
- School of Biological SciencesThe University of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
| | | | - Henrik Pavia
- Department of Marine Sciences – TjärnöUniversity of GothenburgStrömstadSweden
| |
Collapse
|
62
|
Gendron CM, Chakraborty TS, Chung BY, Harvanek ZM, Holme KJ, Johnson JC, Lyu Y, Munneke AS, Pletcher SD. Neuronal Mechanisms that Drive Organismal Aging Through the Lens of Perception. Annu Rev Physiol 2019; 82:227-249. [PMID: 31635526 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physiol-021119-034440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Sensory neurons provide organisms with data about the world in which they live, for the purpose of successfully exploiting their environment. The consequences of sensory perception are not simply limited to decision-making behaviors; evidence suggests that sensory perception directly influences physiology and aging, a phenomenon that has been observed in animals across taxa. Therefore, understanding the neural mechanisms by which sensory input influences aging may uncover novel therapeutic targets for aging-related physiologies. In this review, we examine different perceptive experiences that have been most clearly linked to aging or age-related disease: food perception, social perception, time perception, and threat perception. For each, the sensory cues, receptors, and/or pathways that influence aging as well as the individual or groups of neurons involved, if known, are discussed. We conclude with general thoughts about the potential impact of this line of research on human health and aging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christi M Gendron
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and the Geriatrics Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA;
| | - Tuhin S Chakraborty
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and the Geriatrics Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA;
| | - Brian Y Chung
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and the Geriatrics Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA;
| | - Zachary M Harvanek
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and the Geriatrics Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA;
| | - Kristina J Holme
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and the Geriatrics Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA;
| | - Jacob C Johnson
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and the Geriatrics Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA;
| | - Yang Lyu
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and the Geriatrics Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA;
| | - Allyson S Munneke
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - Scott D Pletcher
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and the Geriatrics Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA; .,Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| |
Collapse
|
63
|
Deutsch D, Clemens J, Thiberge SY, Guan G, Murthy M. Shared Song Detector Neurons in Drosophila Male and Female Brains Drive Sex-Specific Behaviors. Curr Biol 2019; 29:3200-3215.e5. [PMID: 31564492 PMCID: PMC6885007 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Males and females often produce distinct responses to the same sensory stimuli. How such differences arise-at the level of sensory processing or in the circuits that generate behavior-remains largely unresolved across sensory modalities. We address this issue in the acoustic communication system of Drosophila. During courtship, males generate time-varying songs, and each sex responds with specific behaviors. We characterize male and female behavioral tuning for all aspects of song and show that feature tuning is similar between sexes, suggesting sex-shared song detectors drive divergent behaviors. We then identify higher-order neurons in the Drosophila brain, called pC2, that are tuned for multiple temporal aspects of one mode of the male's song and drive sex-specific behaviors. We thus uncover neurons that are specifically tuned to an acoustic communication signal and that reside at the sensory-motor interface, flexibly linking auditory perception with sex-specific behavioral responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Deutsch
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Jan Clemens
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA; European Neuroscience Institute Göttingen - A Joint Initiative of the University Medical Center Göttingen and the Max-Planck Society, Grisebachstrasse 5, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Stephan Y Thiberge
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA; Bezos Center for Neural Circuit Dynamics, Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton NJ 08540, USA
| | - Georgia Guan
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Mala Murthy
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA; Bezos Center for Neural Circuit Dynamics, Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton NJ 08540, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
64
|
Wu Z, Kang C, Qu M, Chen J, Chen M, Bin S, Lin J. Candidates for chemosensory genes identified in the Chinese citrus fly, Bactrocera minax, through a transcriptomic analysis. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:646. [PMID: 31412763 PMCID: PMC6693287 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-6022-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The males of many Bactrocera species (Diptera: Tephritidae) respond strongly to plant-derived chemicals (male lures) and can be divided into cue lure/raspberry ketone (CL/RK) responders, methyl eugenol (ME) responders and non-responders. Representing a non-responders, Bactrocera minax display unique olfactory sensory characteristics compared with other Bactrocera species. The chemical senses of insects mediate behaviors that are associated with survival and reproduction. Here, we report the generation of transcriptomes from antennae and the rectal glands of both male and female adults of B. minax using Illumina sequencing technology, and annotated gene families potentially responsible for chemosensory. Results We developed four transcriptomes from different tissues of B. minax and identified a set of candidate genes potentially responsible for chemosensory by analyzing the transcriptomic data. The candidates included 40 unigenes coding for odorant receptors (ORs), 30 for ionotropic receptors (IRs), 17 for gustatory receptors (GRs), three for sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs), 33 for odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), four for chemosensory proteins (CSPs). Sex- and tissue-specific expression profiles for candidate chemosensory genes were analyzed via transcriptomic data analyses, and expression profiles of all ORs and antennal IRs were investigated by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Phylogenetic analyses were also conducted on gene families and paralogs from other insect species together. Conclusions A large number of chemosensory genes were identified from transcriptomic data. Identification of these candidate genes and their expression profiles in various tissues provide useful information for future studies towards revealing their function in B. minax. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-019-6022-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhongzhen Wu
- Guang Zhou City Key Laboratory of Subtropical Fruit Tree Outbreak Control, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, 510225, People's Republic of China
| | - Cong Kang
- Guang Zhou City Key Laboratory of Subtropical Fruit Tree Outbreak Control, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, 510225, People's Republic of China
| | - Mengqiu Qu
- Guang Zhou City Key Laboratory of Subtropical Fruit Tree Outbreak Control, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, 510225, People's Republic of China
| | - Junlong Chen
- Guang Zhou City Key Laboratory of Subtropical Fruit Tree Outbreak Control, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, 510225, People's Republic of China
| | - Mingshun Chen
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Shuying Bin
- Guang Zhou City Key Laboratory of Subtropical Fruit Tree Outbreak Control, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, 510225, People's Republic of China
| | - Jintian Lin
- Guang Zhou City Key Laboratory of Subtropical Fruit Tree Outbreak Control, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, 510225, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
65
|
Brenman-Suttner DB, Yost RT, Frame AK, Robinson JW, Moehring AJ, Simon AF. Social behavior and aging: A fly model. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2019; 19:e12598. [PMID: 31286644 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The field of behavioral genetics has recently begun to explore the effect of age on social behaviors. Such studies are particularly important, as certain neuropsychiatric disorders with abnormal social interactions, like autism and schizophrenia, have been linked to older parents. Appropriate social interaction can also have a positive impact on longevity, and is associated with successful aging in humans. Currently, there are few genetic models for understanding the effect of aging on social behavior and its potential transgenerational inheritance. The fly is emerging as a powerful model for identifying the basic molecular mechanisms underlying neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. In this review, we discuss these recent advancements, with a focus on how studies in Drosophila melanogaster have provided insight into the effect of aging on aspects of social behavior, including across generations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dova B Brenman-Suttner
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ryley T Yost
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ariel K Frame
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - J Wesley Robinson
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Amanda J Moehring
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anne F Simon
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
66
|
Sultanova Z, Carazo P. Sex ratio at mating does not modulate age fitness effects in Drosophila melanogaster. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:6501-6507. [PMID: 31236239 PMCID: PMC6580286 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the effects of male and female age on reproductive success is vital to explain the evolution of life history traits and sex-specific aging. A general prediction is that pre-/postmeiotic aging processes will lead to a decline in the pre- and postcopulatory abilities of both males and females. However, in as much the sexes have different strategies to optimize their fitness, the decline of reproductive success late in life can be modulated by social context, such as sex ratio, in a sex-specific manner. In this study, we used Drosophila melanogaster to investigate whether sex ratio at mating modulates age effects on male and female reproductive success. As expected, male and female age caused a decrease in reproductive success across male-biased and female-biased social contexts but, contrary to previous findings, social context did not modulate age-related fitness decline in either of the two sexes. We discuss these results in the light of how sex ratio might modulate pre-/postcopulatory abilities and the opportunity for inter- and intrasexual competition in D. melanogaster, and generally suggest that social context effects on these processes are likely to be species specific.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zahida Sultanova
- Behaviour & Evolution Group, Ethology Lab, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ValenciaValenciaSpain
| | - Pau Carazo
- Behaviour & Evolution Group, Ethology Lab, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ValenciaValenciaSpain
| |
Collapse
|
67
|
Gupta T, Howe SE, Zorman ML, Lockwood BL. Aggression and discrimination among closely versus distantly related species of Drosophila. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:190069. [PMID: 31312482 PMCID: PMC6599796 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.190069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Fighting between different species is widespread in the animal kingdom, yet this phenomenon has been relatively understudied in the field of aggression research. Particularly lacking are studies that test the effect of genetic distance, or relatedness, on aggressive behaviour between species. Here we characterized male-male aggression within and between species of fruit flies across the Drosophila phylogeny. We show that male Drosophila discriminate between conspecifics and heterospecifics and show a bias for the target of aggression that depends on the genetic relatedness of opponent males. Specifically, males of closely related species treated conspecifics and heterospecifics equally, whereas males of distantly related species were overwhelmingly aggressive towards conspecifics. To our knowledge, this is the first study to quantify aggression between Drosophila species and to establish a behavioural bias for aggression against conspecifics versus heterospecifics. Our results suggest that future study of heterospecific aggression behaviour in Drosophila is warranted to investigate the degree to which these trends in aggression among species extend to broader behavioural, ecological and evolutionary contexts.
Collapse
|
68
|
Dolan MJ, Frechter S, Bates AS, Dan C, Huoviala P, Roberts RJV, Schlegel P, Dhawan S, Tabano R, Dionne H, Christoforou C, Close K, Sutcliffe B, Giuliani B, Li F, Costa M, Ihrke G, Meissner GW, Bock DD, Aso Y, Rubin GM, Jefferis GSXE. Neurogenetic dissection of the Drosophila lateral horn reveals major outputs, diverse behavioural functions, and interactions with the mushroom body. eLife 2019; 8:e43079. [PMID: 31112130 PMCID: PMC6529221 DOI: 10.7554/elife.43079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals exhibit innate behaviours to a variety of sensory stimuli including olfactory cues. In Drosophila, one higher olfactory centre, the lateral horn (LH), is implicated in innate behaviour. However, our structural and functional understanding of the LH is scant, in large part due to a lack of sparse neurogenetic tools for this region. We generate a collection of split-GAL4 driver lines providing genetic access to 82 LH cell types. We use these to create an anatomical and neurotransmitter map of the LH and link this to EM connectomics data. We find ~30% of LH projections converge with outputs from the mushroom body, site of olfactory learning and memory. Using optogenetic activation, we identify LH cell types that drive changes in valence behavior or specific locomotor programs. In summary, we have generated a resource for manipulating and mapping LH neurons, providing new insights into the circuit basis of innate and learned olfactory behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael-John Dolan
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
- Division of NeurobiologyMRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Shahar Frechter
- Division of NeurobiologyMRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Chuntao Dan
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | - Paavo Huoviala
- Division of NeurobiologyMRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Philipp Schlegel
- Division of NeurobiologyMRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Serene Dhawan
- Division of NeurobiologyMRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Remy Tabano
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | - Heather Dionne
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | | | - Kari Close
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | - Ben Sutcliffe
- Division of NeurobiologyMRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Bianca Giuliani
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | - Feng Li
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | - Marta Costa
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Gudrun Ihrke
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | | | - Davi D Bock
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | - Yoshinori Aso
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | - Gerald M Rubin
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | - Gregory SXE Jefferis
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
- Division of NeurobiologyMRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
69
|
Gu S, Wang F, Patel NP, Bourgeois JA, Huang JH. A Model for Basic Emotions Using Observations of Behavior in Drosophila. Front Psychol 2019; 10:781. [PMID: 31068849 PMCID: PMC6491740 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Emotion plays a crucial role, both in general human experience and in psychiatric illnesses. Despite the importance of emotion, the relative lack of objective methodologies to scientifically studying emotional phenomena limits our current understanding and thereby calls for the development of novel methodologies, such us the study of illustrative animal models. Analysis of Drosophila and other insects has unlocked new opportunities to elucidate the behavioral phenotypes of fundamentally emotional phenomena. Here we propose an integrative model of basic emotions based on observations of this animal model. The basic emotions are internal states that are modulated by neuromodulators, and these internal states are externally expressed as certain stereotypical behaviors, such as instinct, which is proposed as ancient mechanisms of survival. There are four kinds of basic emotions: happiness, sadness, fear, and anger, which are differentially associated with three core affects: reward (happiness), punishment (sadness), and stress (fear and anger). These core affects are analogous to the three primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) in that they are combined in various proportions to result in more complex “higher order” emotions, such as love and aesthetic emotion. We refer to our proposed model of emotions as called the “Three Primary Color Model of Basic Emotions.”
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simeng Gu
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
| | - Fushun Wang
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China.,Department of Psychology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Nitesh P Patel
- College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - James A Bourgeois
- College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Baylor Scott & White Health, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Jason H Huang
- Department of Psychology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China.,College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| |
Collapse
|
70
|
Chahda JS, Soni N, Sun JS, Ebrahim SAM, Weiss BL, Carlson JR. The molecular and cellular basis of olfactory response to tsetse fly attractants. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008005. [PMID: 30875383 PMCID: PMC6420007 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Dipteran or "true" flies occupy nearly every terrestrial habitat, and have evolved to feed upon a wide variety of sources including fruit, pollen, decomposing animal matter, and even vertebrate blood. Here we analyze the molecular, genetic and cellular basis of odor response in the tsetse fly Glossina morsitans, which feeds on the blood of humans and their livestock, and is a vector of deadly trypanosomes. The G. morsitans antenna contains specialized subtypes of sensilla, some of which line a sensory pit not found in the fruit fly Drosophila. We characterize distinct patterns of G. morsitans Odor receptor (GmmOr) gene expression in the antenna. We devise a new version of the "empty neuron" heterologous expression system, and use it to functionally express several GmmOrs in a mutant olfactory receptor neuron (ORN) of Drosophila. GmmOr35 responds to 1-hexen-3-ol, an odorant found in human emanations, and also alpha-pinene, a compound produced by malarial parasites. Another receptor, GmmOr9, which is expressed in the sensory pit, responds to acetone, 2-butanone and 2-propanol. We confirm by electrophysiological recording that neurons of the sensory pit respond to these odorants. Acetone and 2-butanone are strong attractants long used in the field to trap tsetse. We find that 2-propanol is also an attractant for both G. morsitans and the related species G. fuscipes, a major vector of African sleeping sickness. The results identify 2-propanol as a candidate for an environmentally friendly and practical tsetse attractant. Taken together, this work characterizes the olfactory system of a highly distinct kind of fly, and it provides an approach to identifying new agents for controlling the fly and the devastating diseases that it carries.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J. Sebastian Chahda
- Dept. of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Neeraj Soni
- Dept. of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Jennifer S. Sun
- Dept. of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Shimaa A. M. Ebrahim
- Dept. of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Brian L. Weiss
- Dept. of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - John R. Carlson
- Dept. of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
71
|
The Role of miRNAs in Drosophila melanogaster Male Courtship Behavior. Genetics 2019; 211:925-942. [PMID: 30683757 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.118.301901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2018] [Accepted: 01/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster courtship, although stereotypical, continually changes based on cues received from the courtship subject. Such adaptive responses are mediated via rapid and widespread transcriptomic reprogramming, a characteristic now widely attributed to microRNAs (miRNAs), along with other players. Here, we conducted a large-scale miRNA knockout screen to identify miRNAs that affect various parameters of male courtship behavior. Apart from identifying miRNAs that impact male-female courtship, we observed that miR-957 mutants performed significantly increased male-male courtship and "chaining" behavior, whereby groups of males court one another. We tested the effect of miR-957 reduction in specific neuronal cell clusters, identifying miR-957 activity in Doublesex (DSX)-expressing and mushroom body clusters as an important regulator of male-male courtship interactions. We further characterized the behavior of miR-957 mutants and found that these males court male subjects vigorously, but do not elicit courtship. Moreover, they fail to lower courtship efforts toward females with higher levels of antiaphrodisiac pheromones. At the level of individual pheromones, miR-957 males show a reduced inhibitory response to both 7-Tricosene (7-T) and cis-vaccenyl acetate, with the effect being more pronounced in the case of 7-T. Overall, our results indicate that a single miRNA can contribute to the regulation of complex behaviors, including detection or processing of chemicals that control important survival strategies such as chemical mate-guarding, and the maintenance of sex- and species-specific courtship barriers.
Collapse
|
72
|
Ramin M, Li Y, Chang WT, Shaw H, Rao Y. The peacefulness gene promotes aggression in Drosophila. Mol Brain 2019; 12:1. [PMID: 30606245 PMCID: PMC6318936 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-018-0417-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural aggressiveness is commonly observed in all animal species, and is displayed frequently when animals compete for food, territory and mating. Aggression is an innate behaviour, and is influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. However, the genetics of aggression remains largely unclear. In this study, we identify the peacefulness (pfs) gene as a novel player in the control of male-male aggression in Drosophila. Mutations in pfs decreased intermale aggressiveness, but did not affect locomotor activity, olfactory avoidance response and sexual behaviours. pfs encodes for the evolutionarily conserved molybdenum cofactor (MoCo) synthesis 1 protein (Mocs1), which catalyzes the first step in the MoCo biosynthesis pathway. Neuronal-specific knockdown of pfs decreased aggressiveness. By contrast, overexpression of pfs greatly increased aggressiveness. Knocking down Cinnamon (Cin) catalyzing the final step in the MoCo synthesis pathway, caused a pfs-like aggression phenotype. In humans, inhibition of MoCo-dependent enzymes displays anti-aggressive effects. Thus, the control of aggression by Pfs-dependent MoCo pathways may be conserved throughout evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoudreza Ramin
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill Centre for Research in Neuroscience, 1650 Cedar Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1A4, Canada.,Integrated Program in Neuroscience, 1650 Cedar Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1A4, Canada
| | - Yueyang Li
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill Centre for Research in Neuroscience, 1650 Cedar Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1A4, Canada
| | - Wen-Tzu Chang
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill Centre for Research in Neuroscience, 1650 Cedar Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1A4, Canada
| | - Hunter Shaw
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill Centre for Research in Neuroscience, 1650 Cedar Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1A4, Canada
| | - Yong Rao
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill Centre for Research in Neuroscience, 1650 Cedar Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1A4, Canada. .,Integrated Program in Neuroscience, 1650 Cedar Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1A4, Canada. .,Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, 1650 Cedar Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1A4, Canada. .,Centre for Research in Neuroscience, McGill University Health Centre, Room L7-136, 1650 Cedar Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1A4, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
73
|
Altered pheromone biosynthesis is associated with sex-specific changes in life span and behavior in Drosophila melanogaster. Mech Ageing Dev 2018; 176:1-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2018.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
|
74
|
Molina-García L, Barrios A. Sex differences in learning — shared principles across taxa. CURRENT OPINION IN PHYSIOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cophys.2018.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
|
75
|
Fleischer J, Krieger J. Insect Pheromone Receptors - Key Elements in Sensing Intraspecific Chemical Signals. Front Cell Neurosci 2018; 12:425. [PMID: 30515079 PMCID: PMC6255830 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Pheromones are chemicals that serve intraspecific communication. In animals, the ability to detect and discriminate pheromones in a complex chemical environment substantially contributes to the survival of the species. Insects widely use pheromones to attract mating partners, to alarm conspecifics or to mark paths to rich food sources. The various functional roles of pheromones for insects are reflected by the chemical diversity of pheromonal compounds. The precise detection of the relevant intraspecific signals is accomplished by specialized chemosensory neurons housed in hair-like sensilla located on the surface of body appendages. Current data indicate that the extraordinary sensitivity and selectivity of the pheromone-responsive neurons (PRNs) is largely based on specific pheromone receptors (PRs) residing in their ciliary membrane. Besides these key elements, proper ligand-induced responses of PR-expressing neurons appear to generally require a putative co-receptor, the so-called "sensory neuron membrane protein 1" (SNMP1). Regarding the PR-mediated chemo-electrical signal transduction processes in insect PRNs, ionotropic as well as metabotropic mechanisms may be involved. In this review, we summarize and discuss current knowledge on the peripheral detection of pheromones in the olfactory system of insects with a focus on PRs and their specific role in the recognition and transduction of volatile intraspecific chemical signals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jörg Fleischer
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Biology/Zoology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Jürgen Krieger
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Biology/Zoology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
76
|
Duistermars BJ, Pfeiffer BD, Hoopfer ED, Anderson DJ. A Brain Module for Scalable Control of Complex, Multi-motor Threat Displays. Neuron 2018; 100:1474-1490.e4. [PMID: 30415997 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.10.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Threat displays are a universal feature of agonistic interactions. Whether threats are part of a continuum of aggressive behaviors or separately controlled remains unclear. We analyze threats in Drosophila and show they are triggered by male cues and visual motion, and comprised of multiple motor elements that can be flexibly combined. We isolate a cluster of ∼3 neurons whose activity is necessary for threat displays but not for other aggressive behaviors, and whose artificial activation suffices to evoke naturalistic threats in solitary flies, suggesting that the neural control of threats is modular with respect to other aggressive behaviors. Artificially evoked threats suffice to repel opponents from a resource in the absence of contact aggression. Depending on its level of artificial activation, this neural threat module can evoke different motor elements in a threshold-dependent manner. Such scalable modules may represent fundamental "building blocks" of neural circuits that mediate complex multi-motor behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Duistermars
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Barret D Pfeiffer
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Eric D Hoopfer
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - David J Anderson
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
77
|
Ishii KK, Touhara K. Neural circuits regulating sexual behaviors via the olfactory system in mice. Neurosci Res 2018; 140:59-76. [PMID: 30389572 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2018.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Reproduction is essential for any animal species. Reproductive behaviors, or sexual behaviors, are largely shaped by external sensory cues exchanged during sexual interaction. In many animals, including rodents, olfactory cues play a critical role in regulating sexual behavior. What exactly these olfactory cues are and how they impact animal behavior have been a central question in the field. Over the past few decades, many studies have dedicated to identifying an active compound that elicits sexual behavior from crude olfactory components. The identified substance has served as a tool to dissect the sensory processing mechanisms in the olfactory systems. In addition, recent advances in genetic engineering, and optics and microscopic techniques have greatly expanded our knowledge of the neural mechanisms underlying the control of sexual behavior in mice. This review summarizes our current knowledge about how sexual behaviors are controlled by olfactory cues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kentaro K Ishii
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan; ERATO Touhara Chemosensory Signal Project, JST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Kazushige Touhara
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan; ERATO Touhara Chemosensory Signal Project, JST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
78
|
Mercier D, Tsuchimoto Y, Ohta K, Kazama H. Olfactory Landmark-Based Communication in Interacting Drosophila. Curr Biol 2018; 28:2624-2631.e5. [PMID: 30078566 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Revised: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
To communicate with conspecifics, animals deploy various strategies to release pheromones, chemical signals modulating social and sexual behaviors [1-5]. Importantly, a single pheromone induces different behaviors depending on the context and exposure dynamics [6-8]. Therefore, to comprehend the ethological role of pheromones, it is essential to characterize how neurons in the recipients respond to temporally and spatially fluctuating chemical signals emitted by donors during natural interactions. In Drosophila melanogaster, the male pheromone 11-cis-vaccenyl acetate (cVA) [9] activates specific olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) [10, 11] to regulate diverse social and sexual behaviors in recipients [12-15]. Physicochemical analyses have identified this chemical on an animal's body [16, 17] and in its local environment [18, 19]. However, because these methods are imprecise in capturing spatiotemporal dynamics, it is poorly understood how individual pheromone cues are released, detected, and interpreted by recipients. Here, we developed a system based on bioluminescence to monitor neural activity in freely interacting Drosophila, and investigated the active detection and perception of the naturally emitted cVA. Unexpectedly, neurons specifically tuned to cVA did not exhibit significant activity during physical interactions between males, and instead responded strongly to olfactory landmarks deposited by males. These landmarks mediated attraction through Or67d receptors and allured both sexes to the marked region. Importantly, the landmarks remained attractive even when a pair of flies was engaged in courtship behavior. In contrast, female deposits did not affect the exploration pattern of either sex. Thus, Drosophila use pheromone marking to remotely signal their sexual identity and to enhance social interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Damien Mercier
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-Okubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Yoshiko Tsuchimoto
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Kazumi Ohta
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Hokto Kazama
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; RIKEN CBS-KAO Collaboration Center, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
79
|
Jeanne JM, Fişek M, Wilson RI. The Organization of Projections from Olfactory Glomeruli onto Higher-Order Neurons. Neuron 2018; 98:1198-1213.e6. [PMID: 29909998 PMCID: PMC6051339 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2018] [Revised: 04/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Each odorant receptor corresponds to a unique glomerulus in the brain. Projections from different glomeruli then converge in higher brain regions, but we do not understand the logic governing which glomeruli converge and which do not. Here, we use two-photon optogenetics to map glomerular connections onto neurons in the lateral horn, the region of the Drosophila brain that receives the majority of olfactory projections. We identify 39 morphological types of lateral horn neurons (LHNs) and show that different types receive input from different combinations of glomeruli. We find that different LHN types do not have independent inputs; rather, certain combinations of glomeruli converge onto many of the same LHNs and so are over-represented. Notably, many over-represented combinations are composed of glomeruli that prefer chemically dissimilar ligands whose co-occurrence indicates a behaviorally relevant "odor scene." The pattern of glomerulus-LHN connections thus represents a prediction of what ligand combinations will be most salient.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James M Jeanne
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mehmet Fişek
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rachel I Wilson
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
80
|
Bentzur A, Shmueli A, Omesi L, Ryvkin J, Knapp JM, Parnas M, Davis FP, Shohat-Ophir G. Odorant binding protein 69a connects social interaction to modulation of social responsiveness in Drosophila. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007328. [PMID: 29630598 PMCID: PMC5908198 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Revised: 04/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Living in a social environment requires the ability to respond to specific social stimuli and to incorporate information obtained from prior interactions into future ones. One of the mechanisms that facilitates social interaction is pheromone-based communication. In Drosophila melanogaster, the male-specific pheromone cis-vaccenyl acetate (cVA) elicits different responses in male and female flies, and functions to modulate behavior in a context and experience-dependent manner. Although it is the most studied pheromone in flies, the mechanisms that determine the complexity of the response, its intensity and final output with respect to social context, sex and prior interaction, are still not well understood. Here we explored the functional link between social interaction and pheromone-based communication and discovered an odorant binding protein that links social interaction to sex specific changes in cVA related responses. Odorant binding protein 69a (Obp69a) is expressed in auxiliary cells and secreted into the olfactory sensilla. Its expression is inversely regulated in male and female flies by social interactions: cVA exposure reduces its levels in male flies and increases its levels in female flies. Increasing or decreasing Obp69a levels by genetic means establishes a functional link between Obp69a levels and the extent of male aggression and female receptivity. We show that activation of cVA-sensing neurons is sufficeint to regulate Obp69a levels in the absence of cVA, and requires active neurotransmission between the sensory neuron to the second order olfactory neuron. The cross-talk between sensory neurons and non-neuronal auxiliary cells at the olfactory sensilla, represents an additional component in the machinery that promotes behavioral plasticity to the same sensory stimuli in male and female flies. In this work, we used Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism to explore a basic question in neuroscience: why do different individuals experience the same sensory stimuli, such as smell differently, and moreover, why does one individual experience identical stimuli differently on different occasions? Focusing on sex specific behaviors in fruit flies, we identified odorant binding protein 69a (Obp69a) as a new player in the machinery that promotes behavioral plasticity to the same sensory stimuli in male and female flies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Assa Bentzur
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Anat Shmueli
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Liora Omesi
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Julia Ryvkin
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | | | - Moshe Parnas
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Fred P. Davis
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, United States of America
| | - Galit Shohat-Ophir
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
81
|
Abstract
Sweet-insensitive Drosophila mutants are unable to readily identify sugar. In presence of wild-type (WT) flies, however, these mutant flies demonstrated a marked increase in their preference for nutritive sugar. Real-time recordings of starved WT flies revealed that these flies discharge a drop from their gut end after consuming nutritive sugars, but not nonnutritive sugars. We proposed that the drop may contain a molecule(s) named calorie-induced secreted factor (CIF), which serves as a signal to inform other flies about its nutritional value. Consistent with this, we observed a robust preference of flies for nutritive sugar containing CIF over nutritive sugar without CIF. Feeding appears to be a prerequisite for the release of CIF, given that fed flies did not produce it. Additionally, correlation analyses and pharmacological approaches suggest that the nutritional value, rather than the taste, of the consumed sugar correlates strongly with the amount (or intensity) of the released CIF. We observed that the release of this attractant signal requires the consumption of macronutrients, specifically nutritive sugars and l-enantiomer essential amino acids (l-eAAs), but it is negligibly released when flies are fed nonnutritive sugars, unnatural d-enantiomer essential amino acids (d-eAAs), fatty acids, alcohol, or salts. Finally, CIF (i) is not detected by the olfactory system, (ii) is not influenced by the sex of the fly, and (iii) is not limited to one species of Drosophila.
Collapse
|
82
|
Fleischer J, Pregitzer P, Breer H, Krieger J. Access to the odor world: olfactory receptors and their role for signal transduction in insects. Cell Mol Life Sci 2018; 75:485-508. [PMID: 28828501 PMCID: PMC11105692 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-017-2627-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Revised: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The sense of smell enables insects to recognize and discriminate a broad range of volatile chemicals in their environment originating from prey, host plants and conspecifics. These olfactory cues are received by olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) that relay information about food sources, oviposition sites and mates to the brain and thus elicit distinct odor-evoked behaviors. Research over the last decades has greatly advanced our knowledge concerning the molecular basis underlying the reception of odorous compounds and the mechanisms of signal transduction in OSNs. The emerging picture clearly indicates that OSNs of insects recognize odorants and pheromones by means of ligand-binding membrane proteins encoded by large and diverse families of receptor genes. In contrast, the mechanisms of the chemo-electrical transduction process are not fully understood; the present status suggests a contribution of ionotropic as well as metabotropic mechanisms. In this review, we will summarize current knowledge on the peripheral mechanisms of odor sensing in insects focusing on olfactory receptors and their specific role in the recognition and transduction of odorant and pheromone signals by OSNs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joerg Fleischer
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Biology/Zoology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Pablo Pregitzer
- Institute of Physiology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Heinz Breer
- Institute of Physiology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Jürgen Krieger
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Biology/Zoology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
83
|
Horváth B, Kalinka AT. The genetics of egg retention and fertilization success in Drosophila: One step closer to understanding the transition from facultative to obligate viviparity. Evolution 2018; 72:318-336. [PMID: 29265369 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Revised: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Oviparous, facultative egg retention enables Drosophila females to withhold fertilized eggs in their reproductive tracts until circumstances favor oviposition. The propensity to retain fertilized eggs varies greatly between species, and is correlated with other reproductive traits, such as egg size and ovariole number. While previous studies have described the phenomenon, no study to date has characterized within-species variation or the genetic basis of the trait. Here, we develop a novel microscope-based method for measuring egg retention in Drosophila females and determine the range of phenotypic variation in mated female egg retention in a subset of 91 Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) lines. We inferred the genetic basis of egg retention using a genome-wide association study (GWAS). Further, the scoring of more than 95,000 stained, staged eggs enabled estimates of fertilization success for each line. We found evidence that ovary- and spermathecae-related genes as well as genes affecting olfactory behavior, male mating behavior, male-female attraction and sperm motility may play a crucial role in post-mating physiology. Based on our findings we also propose potential evolutionary routes toward obligate viviparity. In particular, we propose that the loss of fecundity incurred by viviparity could be offset by benefits arising from enhanced mate discrimination, resource specialization, or modified egg morphology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Horváth
- Institut für Populationsgenetik, Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien, Veterinärplatz 1, Vienna A-1210, Austria.,Vienna Graduate School of Population Genetics, Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien, Veterinärplatz 1, Vienna A-1210, Austria.,Current Address: Barbara Ellis, Institutionen för ekologi och genetik, Evolutionsbiologiskt Centrum (EBC), Norbyvägen 18D, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Alex T Kalinka
- Institut für Populationsgenetik, Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien, Veterinärplatz 1, Vienna A-1210, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
84
|
Yew JY, Chung H. Drosophila as a holistic model for insect pheromone signaling and processing. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2017; 24:15-20. [PMID: 29208218 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2017.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2017] [Revised: 08/13/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, research into the chemical ecology of the vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has yielded a wealth of information on the neural substrates that detect and process pheromones and control behavior. The studies reveal at the cellular and molecular level how behavioral responses to pheromones are initiated and modulated by social, environmental, and physiological factors. By taking into account both the complexity of the chemical world and the intricacies of the animal's physiological state, the emerging holistic perspective provides insight not only into chemical communication but more generally, how organisms balance internal and external signals when making behavioral decisions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joanne Y Yew
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, 1993 East West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
| | - Henry Chung
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| |
Collapse
|
85
|
Isolation of Aggressive Behavior Mutants in Drosophila Using a Screen for Wing Damage. Genetics 2017; 208:273-282. [PMID: 29109180 PMCID: PMC5753862 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.117.300292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Aggression is a complex social behavior that is widespread in nature. To date, only a limited number of genes that affect aggression have been identified, in large part because the complexity of the phenotype makes screening difficult and time-consuming regardless of the species that is studied. We discovered that aggressive group-housed Drosophila melanogaster males inflict damage on each other's wings, and show that wing damage negatively affects their ability to fly and mate. Using this wing-damage phenotype, we screened males from ∼1400 chemically mutagenized strains and found ∼40 mutant strains with substantial wing damage. Five of these mutants also had increased aggressive behavior. To identify the causal mutation in one of our top aggressive strains, we used whole-genome sequencing and genomic duplication rescue strategies. We identified a novel mutation in the voltage-gated potassium channel Shaker (Sh) and show that a nearby previously identified Sh mutation also results in increased aggression. This simple screen can be used to dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying aggression.
Collapse
|
86
|
Electrical synapses mediate synergism between pheromone and food odors in Drosophila melanogaster. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E9962-E9971. [PMID: 29087946 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1712706114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In Drosophila melanogaster, the sex pheromone produced by males, cis-vaccenyl acetate (cVA), evokes a stereotypic gender-specific behavior in both males and females. As Drosophila adults feed, mate, and oviposit on food, they perceive the pheromone as a blend against a background of food odors. Previous studies have reported that food odors enhance flies' behavioral response to cVA, specifically in virgin females. However, how and where the different olfactory inputs interact has so far remained unknown. In this study, we elucidated the neuronal mechanism underlying the response at an anatomical, functional, and behavioral level. Our data show that in virgin females cVA and the complex food odor vinegar evoke a synergistic response in the cVA-responsive glomerulus DA1. This synergism, however, does not appear at the input level of the glomerulus, but is restricted to the projection neuron level only. Notably, it is abolished by a mutation in gap junctions in projection neurons and is found to be mediated by electrical synapses between excitatory local interneurons and projection neurons. As a behavioral consequence, we demonstrate that virgin females in the presence of vinegar become receptive more rapidly to courting males, while male courtship is not affected. Altogether, our results suggest that lateral excitation via gap junctions modulates odor tuning in the antennal lobe and drives synergistic interactions between two ecologically relevant odors, representing food and sex.
Collapse
|
87
|
Chouhan NS, Mohan K, Ghose A. cAMP signaling mediates behavioral flexibility and consolidation of social status in Drosophila aggression. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 220:4502-4514. [PMID: 28993465 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.165811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Social rituals, such as male-male aggression in Drosophila, are often stereotyped and the component behavioral patterns modular. The likelihood of transition from one behavioral pattern to another is malleable by experience and confers flexibility to the behavioral repertoire. Experience-dependent modification of innate aggressive behavior in flies alters fighting strategies during fights and establishes dominant-subordinate relationships. Dominance hierarchies resulting from agonistic encounters are consolidated to longer-lasting, social-status-dependent behavioral modifications, resulting in a robust loser effect. We showed that cAMP dynamics regulated by the calcium-calmodulin-dependent adenylyl cyclase, Rut, and the cAMP phosphodiesterase, Dnc, but not the Amn gene product, in specific neuronal groups of the mushroom body and central complex, mediate behavioral plasticity necessary to establish dominant-subordinate relationships. rut and dnc mutant flies were unable to alter fighting strategies and establish dominance relationships during agonistic interactions. This real-time flexibility during a fight was independent of changes in aggression levels. Longer-term consolidation of social status in the form of a loser effect, however, required additional Amn-dependent inputs to cAMP signaling and involved a circuit-level association between the α/β and γ neurons of the mushroom body. Our findings implicate cAMP signaling in mediating the plasticity of behavioral patterns in aggressive behavior and in the generation of a temporally stable memory trace that manifests as a loser effect.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nitin Singh Chouhan
- Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411 008, India
| | - Krithika Mohan
- Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411 008, India
| | - Aurnab Ghose
- Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411 008, India
| |
Collapse
|
88
|
Jezovit JA, Levine JD, Schneider J. Phylogeny, environment and sexual communication across the Drosophila genus. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 220:42-52. [PMID: 28057827 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.143008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Social behaviour emerges from the local environment but is constrained by the animal's life history and its evolutionary lineage. In this perspective, we consider the genus Drosophila and provide an overview of how these constraints can shape how individuals interact. Our focus is restricted to visual and chemical signals and how their use varies across species during courtship - currently the only social behaviour well-studied across many Drosophila species. We broadly categorize species into four climatic groups - cosmopolitan, tropical, temperate and arid - which serve as discussion points as we review comparative behavioural and physiological studies and relate them to the abiotic conditions of a species environment. We discuss how the physiological and behavioural differences among many fly species may reflect life history differences as much as, or even more than, differences in phylogeny. This perspective serves not only to summarize what has been studied across drosophilids, but also to identify questions and outline gaps in the literature worth pursuing for progressing the understanding of behavioural evolution in Drosophila.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob A Jezovit
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L1C6
| | - Joel D Levine
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L1C6
| | - Jonathan Schneider
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L1C6
| |
Collapse
|
89
|
Ishii KK, Osakada T, Mori H, Miyasaka N, Yoshihara Y, Miyamichi K, Touhara K. A Labeled-Line Neural Circuit for Pheromone-Mediated Sexual Behaviors in Mice. Neuron 2017. [PMID: 28648498 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.05.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
In mice, various instinctive behaviors can be triggered by olfactory input. Despite growing knowledge of the brain regions involved in such behaviors, the organization of the neural circuits that convert olfactory input into stereotyped behavioral output remains poorly understood. Here, we mapped the neural circuit responsible for enhancing sexual receptivity of female mice by a male pheromone, exocrine gland-secreting peptide 1 (ESP1). We revealed specific neural types and pathways by which ESP1 information is conveyed from the peripheral receptive organ to the motor-regulating midbrain via the amygdala-hypothalamus axis. In the medial amygdala, a specific type of projection neurons gated ESP1 signals to the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) in a sex-dependent manner. In the dorsal VMH, which has been associated with defensive behaviors, a selective neural subpopulation discriminately mediated ESP1 information from a predator cue. Together, our data illuminate a labeled-line organization for controlling pheromone-mediated sexual behavioral output in female mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kentaro K Ishii
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan; ERATO Touhara Chemosensory Signal Project, JST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Takuya Osakada
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan; ERATO Touhara Chemosensory Signal Project, JST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Hiromi Mori
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan; ERATO Touhara Chemosensory Signal Project, JST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | | | - Yoshihiro Yoshihara
- ERATO Touhara Chemosensory Signal Project, JST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan; RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Kazunari Miyamichi
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan; ERATO Touhara Chemosensory Signal Project, JST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
| | - Kazushige Touhara
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan; ERATO Touhara Chemosensory Signal Project, JST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
90
|
Sánchez-Alcañiz JA, Benton R. Multisensory neural integration of chemical and mechanical signals. Bioessays 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/bies.201700060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Antonio Sánchez-Alcañiz
- Faculty of Biology and Medicine; Center for Integrative Genomics; Génopode Building; University of Lausanne; Lausanne CH-1015 Switzerland
| | - Richard Benton
- Faculty of Biology and Medicine; Center for Integrative Genomics; Génopode Building; University of Lausanne; Lausanne CH-1015 Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
91
|
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.
Collapse
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; ,
| |
Collapse
|
92
|
Trajković J, Miličić D, Savić T, Pavković-Lučić S. Sexual selection, sexual isolation and pheromones in Drosophila melanogaster strains after long-term maintaining on different diets. Behav Processes 2017; 140:81-86. [PMID: 28419833 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2016] [Revised: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Evolution of reproductive isolation may be a consequence of a variety of signals used in courtship and mate preferences. Pheromones play an important role in both sexual selection and sexual isolation. The abundance of pheromones in Drosophila melanogaster may depend on different environmental factors, including diet. The aim of this study was to ascertain to which degree principal pheromones affect sexual selection in D. melanogaster. We used D. melanogaster strains reared for 14 years on four substrates: standard cornmeal substrate and those containing tomato, banana and carrot. We have previously determined that long-term maintaining of these dietary strains resulted in differences in their cuticular hydrocarbons profile (CHs). In this work, we have tested the level of sexual selection and sexual isolation between aforementioned strains. We found that the high levels of cis-vaccenyl acetate, 7-pentacosene and 7,11-nonacosadiene in the strain reared on a substrate containing carrot affected the individual attractiveness and influenced sexual isolation between flies of this strain and flies reared on a substrate containing banana. Based on these results, long-term different diets, may contribute, to sexual behaviour of D. melanogaster via the effects of principal pheromones.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jelena Trajković
- University of Belgrade, Faculty of Biology, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
| | - Dragana Miličić
- University of Belgrade, Faculty of Biology, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Tatjana Savić
- University of Belgrade, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", 142 Despot Stefan Blvd, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Sofija Pavković-Lučić
- University of Belgrade, Faculty of Biology, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| |
Collapse
|
93
|
Schultzhaus JN, Saleem S, Iftikhar H, Carney GE. The role of the Drosophila lateral horn in olfactory information processing and behavioral response. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 98:29-37. [PMID: 27871975 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2016.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Revised: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Animals must rapidly and accurately process environmental information to produce the correct behavioral responses. Reactions to previously encountered as well as to novel but biologically important stimuli are equally important, and one understudied region in the insect brain plays a role in processing both types of stimuli. The lateral horn is a higher order processing center that mainly processes olfactory information and is linked via olfactory projection neurons to another higher order learning center, the mushroom body. This review focuses on the lateral horn of Drosophila where most functional studies have been performed. We discuss connectivity between the primary olfactory center, the antennal lobe, and the lateral horn and mushroom body. We also present evidence for the lateral horn playing roles in innate behavioral responses by encoding biological valence to novel odor cues and in learned responses to previously encountered odors by modulating neural activity within the mushroom body. We describe how these processes contribute to acceptance or avoidance of appropriate or inappropriate mates and food, as well as the identification of predators. The lateral horn is a sexually dimorphic and plastic region of the brain that modulates other regions of the brain to ensure that insects produce rapid and effective behavioral responses to both novel and learned stimuli, yet multiple gaps exist in our knowledge of this important center. We anticipate that future studies on olfactory processing, learning, and innate behavioral responses will include the lateral horn in their examinations, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of olfactory information relay and resulting behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janna N Schultzhaus
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, 3258 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-3258, United States
| | - Sehresh Saleem
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, 3258 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-3258, United States
| | - Hina Iftikhar
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, 3258 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-3258, United States
| | - Ginger E Carney
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, 3258 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-3258, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
94
|
Abstract
In this review, I discuss current knowledge and outstanding questions on the neuromodulators that influence aggressive behavior of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. I first present evidence that Drosophila exchange information during an agonistic interaction and choose appropriate actions based on this information. I then discuss the influence of several biogenic amines and neuropeptides on aggressive behavior. One striking characteristic of neuromodulation is that it can configure a neural circuit dynamically, enabling one circuit to generate multiple outcomes. I suggest a consensus effect of each neuromodulatory molecule on Drosophila aggression, as well as effects of receptor proteins where relevant data are available. Lastly, I consider neuromodulation in the context of strategic action choices during agonistic interactions. Genetic components of neuromodulatory systems are highly conserved across animals, suggesting that molecular and cellular mechanisms controlling Drosophila aggression can shed light on neural principles governing action choice during social interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kenta Asahina
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California 92037;
| |
Collapse
|
95
|
Kudo A, Shigenobu S, Kadota K, Nozawa M, Shibata TF, Ishikawa Y, Matsuo T. Comparative analysis of the brain transcriptome in a hyper-aggressive fruit fly, Drosophila prolongata. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2017; 82:11-20. [PMID: 28115271 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2017.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Revised: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Aggressive behavior is observed in many animals, but its intensity differs between species. In a model animal of genetics, Drosophila melanogaster, genetic basis of aggressive behavior has been studied intensively, including transcriptome analyses to identify genes whose expression level was associated with intra-species variation in aggressiveness. However, whether these genes are also involved in the evolution of aggressiveness among different species has not been examined. In this study, we performed de novo transcriptome analysis in the brain of Drosophila prolongata to identify genes associated with the evolution of aggressiveness. Males of D. prolongata were hyper-aggressive compared with closely related species. Comparison of the brain transcriptomes identified 21 differentially expressed genes in males of D. prolongata. They did not overlap with the list of aggression-related genes identified in D. melanogaster, suggesting that genes involved in the evolution of aggressiveness were independent of those associated with the intra-species variation in aggressiveness in Drosophila. Although females of D. prolongata were not aggressive as the males, expression levels of the 21 genes identified in this study were more similar between sexes than between species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ayumi Kudo
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Biology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shuji Shigenobu
- National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan; Department of Basic Biology, Faculty of Life Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Koji Kadota
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | | | - Yukio Ishikawa
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Biology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Matsuo
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Biology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
96
|
Abstract
Aggression is a universal social behavior important for the acquisition of food, mates, territory, and social status. Aggression in Drosophila is context-dependent and can thus be expected to involve inputs from multiple sensory modalities. Here, we use mechanical disruption and genetic approaches in Drosophila melanogaster to identify hearing as an important sensory modality in the context of intermale aggressive behavior. We demonstrate that neuronal silencing and targeted knockdown of hearing genes in the fly's auditory organ elicit abnormal aggression. Further, we show that exposure to courtship or aggression song has opposite effects on aggression. Our data define the importance of hearing in the control of Drosophila intermale aggression and open perspectives to decipher how hearing and other sensory modalities are integrated at the neural circuit level.
Collapse
|
97
|
Saltz JB. Genetic variation in social environment construction influences the development of aggressive behavior in Drosophila melanogaster. Heredity (Edinb) 2016; 118:340-347. [PMID: 27848947 DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2016.101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Revised: 09/08/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals are not merely subject to their social environments; they choose and create them, through a process called social environment (or social niche) construction. When genotypes differ in social environment-constructing behaviors, different genotypes are expected to experience different social environments. As social experience often affects behavioral development, quantitative genetics and psychology theories predict that genetic variation in social environment construction should have an important role in determining phenotypic variation; however, this hypothesis has not been tested directly. I identify multiple mechanisms of social environment construction that differ among natural genotypes of Drosophila melanogaster and investigate their consequences for the development of aggressive behavior. Male genotypes differed in the group sizes that they preferred and in their aggressive behavior; both of these behaviors influenced social experience, demonstrating that these behaviors function as social environment-constructing traits. Further, the effects of social experience-as determined in part by social environment construction-carried over to affect focal male aggression at a later time and with a new opponent. These results provide manipulative experimental support for longstanding hypotheses in psychology, that genetic variation in social environment construction has a causal role in behavioral development. More broadly, these results imply that studies of the genetic basis of complex traits should be expanded to include mechanisms by which genetic variation shapes the environments that individuals experience.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J B Saltz
- Biosciences at Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| |
Collapse
|
98
|
Shorter JR, Dembeck LM, Everett LJ, Morozova TV, Arya GH, Turlapati L, St Armour GE, Schal C, Mackay TFC, Anholt RRH. Obp56h Modulates Mating Behavior in Drosophila melanogaster. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2016; 6:3335-3342. [PMID: 27558663 PMCID: PMC5068952 DOI: 10.1534/g3.116.034595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 08/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Social interactions in insects are driven by conspecific chemical signals that are detected via olfactory and gustatory neurons. Odorant binding proteins (Obps) transport volatile odorants to chemosensory receptors, but their effects on behaviors remain poorly characterized. Here, we report that RNAi knockdown of Obp56h gene expression in Drosophila melanogaster enhances mating behavior by reducing courtship latency. The change in mating behavior that results from inhibition of Obp56h expression is accompanied by significant alterations in cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) composition, including reduction in 5-tricosene (5-T), an inhibitory sex pheromone produced by males that increases copulation latency during courtship. Whole genome RNA sequencing confirms that expression of Obp56h is virtually abolished in Drosophila heads. Inhibition of Obp56h expression also affects expression of other chemoreception genes, including upregulation of lush in both sexes and Obp83ef in females, and reduction in expression of Obp19b and Or19b in males. In addition, several genes associated with lipid metabolism, which underlies the production of cuticular hydrocarbons, show altered transcript abundances. Our data show that modulation of mating behavior through reduction of Obp56h is accompanied by altered cuticular hydrocarbon profiles and implicate 5-T as a possible ligand for Obp56h.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John R Shorter
- Department of Biological Sciences, Program in Genetics and W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
| | - Lauren M Dembeck
- Department of Biological Sciences, Program in Genetics and W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
| | - Logan J Everett
- Department of Biological Sciences, Program in Genetics and W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
| | - Tatiana V Morozova
- Department of Biological Sciences, Program in Genetics and W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
| | - Gunjan H Arya
- Department of Biological Sciences, Program in Genetics and W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
| | - Lavanya Turlapati
- Department of Biological Sciences, Program in Genetics and W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
| | - Genevieve E St Armour
- Department of Biological Sciences, Program in Genetics and W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
| | - Coby Schal
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Program in Genetics and W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
| | - Trudy F C Mackay
- Department of Biological Sciences, Program in Genetics and W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
| | - Robert R H Anholt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Program in Genetics and W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
| |
Collapse
|
99
|
Pitts S, Pelser E, Meeks J, Smith D. Odorant Responses and Courtship Behaviors Influenced by at4 Neurons in Drosophila. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0162761. [PMID: 27617442 PMCID: PMC5019410 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2016] [Accepted: 08/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In insects, pheromones function as triggers to elicit complex behavior programs, such as courtship and mating behavior. In most species, the neurons tuned to pheromones are localized in a specific subset of olfactory sensilla located on the antenna called trichoid sensilla. In Drosophila there are two classes of trichoid sensilla, at1 sensilla that contain the dendrites of a single neuron that is specifically tuned to the male-specific pheromone 11-cis vaccenyl acetate (cVA), and at4 sensilla that contain three neurons with relatively poorly defined chemical specificity and function. Using a combination of odorant receptor mutant analysis, single sensillum electrophysiology and optogenetics, we have examined the chemical tuning and behavioral consequences of the three at4 olfactory neuron classes. Our results indicate that one class, Or65abc neurons, are unresponsive to cVA pheromone, and function to inhibit courtship behaviors in response to an unknown ligand, while the other two neuron classes, Or88a and Or47b neurons, are sensitive to a diverse array of fly and non-fly odors, and activation of these neurons has little direct impact on courtship behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana Pitts
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390–9111, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Pelser
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390–9111, United States of America
| | - Julian Meeks
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390–9111, United States of America
| | - Dean Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390–9111, United States of America
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390–9111, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
100
|
Neural control of aggression in Drosophila. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2016; 38:109-18. [PMID: 27179788 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2016.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Like most animal species, fruit flies fight to obtain and defend resources essential to survival and reproduction. Aggressive behavior in Drosophila is genetically specified and also strongly influenced by the fly's social context, past experiences and internal states, making it an excellent framework for investigating the neural mechanisms that regulate complex social behaviors. Here, I summarize our current knowledge of the neural control of aggression in Drosophila and discuss recent advances in understanding the sensory pathways that influence the decision to fight or court, the neuromodulatory control of aggression, the neural basis by which internal states can influence both fighting and courtship, and how social experience modifies aggressive behavior.
Collapse
|