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Babski H, Codianni M, Bhandawat V. Octopaminergic descending neurons in Drosophila: Connectivity, tonic activity and relation to locomotion. Heliyon 2024; 10:e29952. [PMID: 38698992 PMCID: PMC11064449 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29952] [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: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Projection neurons that communicate between different brain regions and local neurons that shape computation within a brain region form the majority of all neurons in the brain. Another important class of neurons is neuromodulatory neurons; these neurons are in much smaller numbers than projection/local neurons but have a large influence on computations in the brain. Neuromodulatory neurons are classified by the neurotransmitters they carry, such as dopamine and serotonin. Much of our knowledge of the effect of neuromodulators comes from experiments in which either a large population of neuromodulatory neurons or the entire population is perturbed. Alternatively, a given neuromodulator is exogenously applied. While these experiments are informative of the general role of the neurotransmitter, one limitation of these experiments is that the role of individual neuromodulatory neurons remains unknown. In this study, we investigate the role of a class of octopaminergic (octopamine is the invertebrate equivalent of norepinephrine) neurons in Drosophila or fruit fly. Neuromodulation in Drosophila work along similar principles as humans; and the smaller number of neuromodulatory neurons allow us to assess the role of individual neurons. This study focuses on a subpopulation of octopaminergic descending neurons (OA-DNs) whose cell bodies are in the brain and project to the thoracic ganglia. Using in-vivo whole-cell patch-clamp recordings and anatomical analyses that allow us to compare light microscopy data to the electron microscopic volumes available in the fly, we find that neurons within each cluster have similar physiological properties, including their relation to locomotion. However, neurons in the same cluster with similar anatomy have very different connectivity. Our data is consistent with the hypothesis that each OA-DN is recruited individually and has a unique function within the fly's brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helene Babski
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, Drexel University, USA
| | - Marcello Codianni
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, Drexel University, USA
| | - Vikas Bhandawat
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, Drexel University, USA
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2
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Peckenpaugh B, Yew JY, Moyle LC. Long-sperm precedence and other cryptic female choices in Drosophila melanogaster. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.25.591180. [PMID: 38712086 PMCID: PMC11071617 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.25.591180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Females that mate multiply make postmating choices about which sperm fertilize their eggs (cryptic female choice); however, the male characteristics they use to make such choices remain unclear. In this study, we sought to understand female sperm use patterns by evaluating whether Drosophila melanogaster females adjust sperm use (second male paternity) in response to four main factors: male genotype, male courtship effort, male pheromone alteration, and male postmating reproductive morphology. Our experiment was replicated across four different D. melanogaster lines, in a full factorial design, including a pheromone manipulation in which second males were perfumed to resemble heterospecific (D. yakuba) males. We found that females prefer longer sperm-regardless of mating order-in almost all contexts; this observed pattern of 'long-sperm precedence' is consistent with female postcopulatory choice of high-fitness male traits. Nonetheless, we also found that this general preference can be plastically altered by females in response to effects including perfuming treatment; this differential female sperm use is between otherwise identical males, and therefore solely female-mediated. Furthermore, our finding that females exercise choice using diverse criteria suggests a possible mechanism for the maintenance of variation in sexually selected male traits.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joanne Y. Yew
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96822
| | - Leonie C. Moyle
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405
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3
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Ferveur JF, Cortot J, Cobb M, Everaerts C. Natural Diversity of Cuticular Pheromones in a Local Population of Drosophila after Laboratory Acclimation. INSECTS 2024; 15:273. [PMID: 38667403 PMCID: PMC11050499 DOI: 10.3390/insects15040273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Experimental studies of insects are often based on strains raised for many generations in constant laboratory conditions. However, laboratory acclimation could reduce species diversity reflecting adaptation to varied natural niches. Hydrocarbons covering the insect cuticle (cuticular hydrocarbons; CHCs) are reliable adaptation markers. They are involved in dehydration reduction and protection against harmful factors. CHCs can also be involved in chemical communication principally related to reproduction. However, the diversity of CHC profiles in nature and their evolution in the laboratory have rarely been investigated. Here, we sampled CHC natural diversity in Drosophila melanogaster flies from a particular location in a temperate region. We also measured cis-Vaccenyl acetate, a male-specific volatile pheromone. After trapping flies using varied fruit baits, we set up 21 D. melanogaster lines and analysed their pheromones at capture and after 1 to 40 generations in the laboratory. Under laboratory conditions, the broad initial pheromonal diversity found in male and female flies rapidly changed and became more limited. In some females, we detected CHCs only reported in tropical populations: the presence of flies with a novel CHC profile may reflect the rapid adaptation of this cosmopolitan species to global warming in a temperate area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-François Ferveur
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, Unité Mixte de Recherche 6265 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 1324 Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France; (J.C.); (C.E.)
| | - Jérôme Cortot
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, Unité Mixte de Recherche 6265 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 1324 Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France; (J.C.); (C.E.)
| | - Matthew Cobb
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK;
| | - Claude Everaerts
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, Unité Mixte de Recherche 6265 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 1324 Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France; (J.C.); (C.E.)
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4
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Ferveur JF, Cortot J, Moussian B, Cobb M, Everaerts C. Replenishment of Drosophila Male Pheromone After Mating. J Chem Ecol 2024; 50:100-109. [PMID: 38270733 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-023-01468-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Insect exocrine gland products can be involved in sexual communication, defense, territory labelling, aggregation and alarm. In the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster the ejaculatory bulb synthesizes and releases 11-cis-Vaccenyl acetate (cVa). This pheromone, transferred to the female during copulation, affects aggregation, courtship and male-male aggressive behaviors. To determine the ability of male flies to replenish their cVa levels, males of a control laboratory strain and from the desat1 pheromone-defective mutant strain were allowed to mate successively with several females. We measured mating frequency, duration and latency, the amount of cVa transferred to mated females and the residual cVa in tested males. Mating duration remained constant with multiple matings, but we found that the amount of cVa transferred to females declined with multiple matings, indicating that, over short, biologically-relevant periods, replenishment of the pheromone does not keep up with mating frequency, resulting in the transfer of varying quantities of cVa. Adult responses to cVa are affected by early developmental exposure to this pheromone; our revelation of quantitative variation in the amount of cVa transferred to females in the event of multiple matings by a male suggests variable responses to cVa shown by adults produced by such matings. This implies that the natural role of this compound may be richer than suggested by laboratory experiments that study only one mating event and its immediate behavioral or neurobiological consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-François Ferveur
- Centre Des Sciences du Goût Et de L'Alimentation, UMR6265 CNRS, UMR1324 INRA, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France.
| | - Jérôme Cortot
- Centre Des Sciences du Goût Et de L'Alimentation, UMR6265 CNRS, UMR1324 INRA, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Bernard Moussian
- Interfaculty Institute for Cell Biology, Animal Genetics, University of Tübingen, Auf Der Morgenstelle 15, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Matthew Cobb
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Claude Everaerts
- Centre Des Sciences du Goût Et de L'Alimentation, UMR6265 CNRS, UMR1324 INRA, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
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5
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Prunier A, Trannoy S. Learning from fights: Males' social dominance status impact reproductive success in Drosophila melanogaster. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299839. [PMID: 38452142 PMCID: PMC10919672 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
In animals, the access to vital resources often relies on individuals' behavioural personality, strength, motivation, past experiences and dominance status. Dominant individuals would be more territorial, providing them with a better access to food resources and mate. The so-called winner and loser effects induce individuals' behavioural changes after experiencing a victory or a defeat, and lead to an individual persistent state influencing the outcome of subsequent fights. However, whether and how development of winner and loser effects affect individuals' fitness is controversial. The aim of this study is to evaluate how individuals' fitness can be influenced by previous fighting experience in Drosophila melanogaster. In this study, we assess various behavioural performances as indicators for dominant and subordinate fitness. Our results show that subordinates are less territorial than dominants although their locomotor abilities are not affected. We also demonstrate that in a non-competitive context, experiencing a defeat reduces males' motivation to court females but not the reproductive success while in a competitive context, it negatively affects males' reproductive success. However, we found no impact upon either males' ability to distinguish potential mates nor on females' choice of a specific mating partner. Overall, these results indicate that previous defeats reduce reproductive success, a commonly used estimate of individual fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Prunier
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology, Toulouse University, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Severine Trannoy
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology, Toulouse University, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
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6
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Peedikayil-Kurien S, Setty H, Oren-Suissa M. Environmental experiences shape sexually dimorphic neuronal circuits and behaviour. FEBS J 2024; 291:1080-1101. [PMID: 36582142 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Dimorphic traits, shaped by both natural and sexual selection, ensure optimal fitness and survival of the organism. This includes neuronal circuits that are largely affected by different experiences and environmental conditions. Recent evidence suggests that sexual dimorphism of neuronal circuits extends to different levels such as neuronal activity, connectivity and molecular topography that manifest in response to various experiences, including chemical exposures, starvation and stress. In this review, we propose some common principles that govern experience-dependent sexually dimorphic circuits in both vertebrate and invertebrate organisms. While sexually dimorphic neuronal circuits are predetermined, they have to maintain a certain level of fluidity to be adaptive to different experiences. The first layer of dimorphism is at the level of the neuronal circuit, which appears to be dictated by sex-biased transcription factors. This could subsequently lead to differences in the second layer of regulation namely connectivity and synaptic properties. The third regulator of experience-dependent responses is the receptor level, where dimorphic expression patterns determine the primary sensory encoding. We also highlight missing pieces in this field and propose future directions that can shed light onto novel aspects of sexual dimorphism with potential benefits to sex-specific therapeutic approaches. Thus, sexual identity and experience simultaneously determine behaviours that ultimately result in the maximal survival success.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hagar Setty
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Meital Oren-Suissa
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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7
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Zhao H, Jiang X, Ma M, Xing L, Ji X, Pan Y. A neural pathway for social modulation of spontaneous locomotor activity (SoMo-SLA) in Drosophila. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2314393121. [PMID: 38394240 PMCID: PMC10907233 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2314393121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Social enrichment or social isolation affects a range of innate behaviors, such as sex, aggression, and sleep, but whether there is a shared mechanism is not clear. Here, we report a neural mechanism underlying social modulation of spontaneous locomotor activity (SoMo-SLA), an internal-driven behavior indicative of internal states. We find that social enrichment specifically reduces spontaneous locomotor activity in male flies. We identify neuropeptides Diuretic hormone 44 (DH44) and Tachykinin (TK) to be up- and down-regulated by social enrichment and necessary for SoMo-SLA. We further demonstrate a sexually dimorphic neural circuit, in which the male-specific P1 neurons encoding internal states form positive feedback with interneurons coexpressing doublesex (dsx) and Tk to promote locomotion, while P1 neurons also form negative feedback with interneurons coexpressing dsx and DH44 to inhibit locomotion. These two opposing neuromodulatory recurrent circuits represent a potentially common mechanism that underlies the social regulation of multiple innate behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Zhao
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing210096, China
| | - Xinyu Jiang
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing210096, China
| | - Mingze Ma
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing210096, China
| | - Limin Xing
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing210096, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Ji
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing210096, China
| | - Yufeng Pan
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing210096, China
- Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong226019, China
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8
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Ike KGO, Lamers SJC, Kaim S, de Boer SF, Buwalda B, Billeter JC, Kas MJH. The human neuropsychiatric risk gene Drd2 is necessary for social functioning across evolutionary distant species. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:518-528. [PMID: 38114631 PMCID: PMC11116113 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02345-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
The Drd2 gene, encoding the dopamine D2 receptor (D2R), was recently indicated as a potential target in the etiology of lowered sociability (i.e., social withdrawal), a symptom of several neuropsychiatric disorders such as Schizophrenia and Major Depression. Many animal species show social withdrawal in response to stimuli, including the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster and mice, which also share most human disease-related genes. Here we will test for causality between Drd2 and sociability and for its evolutionary conserved function in these two distant species, as well as assess its mechanism as a potential therapeutic target. During behavioral observations in groups of freely interacting D. melanogaster, Drd2 homologue mutant showed decreased social interactions and locomotor activity. After confirming Drd2's social effects in flies, conditional transgenic mice lacking Drd2 in dopaminergic cells (autoreceptor KO) or in serotonergic cells (heteroreceptor KO) were studied in semi-natural environments, where they could freely interact. Autoreceptor KOs showed increased sociability, but reduced activity, while no overall effect of Drd2 deletion was observed in heteroreceptor KOs. To determine acute effects of D2R signaling on sociability, we also showed that a direct intervention with the D2R agonist Sumanirole decreased sociability in wild type mice, while the antagonist showed no effects. Using a computational ethological approach, this study demonstrates that Drd2 regulates sociability across evolutionary distant species, and that activation of the mammalian D2R autoreceptor, in particular, is necessary for social functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin G O Ike
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sanne J C Lamers
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Soumya Kaim
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sietse F de Boer
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Bauke Buwalda
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jean-Christophe Billeter
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Martien J H Kas
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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9
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Yadav RSP, Ansari F, Bera N, Kent C, Agrawal P. Lessons from lonely flies: Molecular and neuronal mechanisms underlying social isolation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 156:105504. [PMID: 38061597 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Animals respond to changes in the environment which affect their internal state by adapting their behaviors. Social isolation is a form of passive environmental stressor that alters behaviors across animal kingdom, including humans, rodents, and fruit flies. Social isolation is known to increase violence, disrupt sleep and increase depression leading to poor mental and physical health. Recent evidences from several model organisms suggest that social isolation leads to remodeling of the transcriptional and epigenetic landscape which alters behavioral outcomes. In this review, we explore how manipulating social experience of fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster can shed light on molecular and neuronal mechanisms underlying isolation driven behaviors. We discuss the recent advances made using the powerful genetic toolkit and behavioral assays in Drosophila to uncover role of neuromodulators, sensory modalities, pheromones, neuronal circuits and molecular mechanisms in mediating social isolation. The insights gained from these studies could be crucial for developing effective therapeutic interventions in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Sai Prathap Yadav
- Centre for Molecular Neurosciences, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka 576104, India
| | - Faizah Ansari
- Centre for Molecular Neurosciences, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka 576104, India
| | - Neha Bera
- Centre for Molecular Neurosciences, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka 576104, India
| | - Clement Kent
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Pavan Agrawal
- Centre for Molecular Neurosciences, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka 576104, India.
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Sten TH, Li R, Hollunder F, Eleazer S, Ruta V. Male-male interactions shape mate selection in Drosophila. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.03.565582. [PMID: 37961193 PMCID: PMC10635267 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.03.565582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Males of many species have evolved behavioral traits to both attract females and repel rivals. Here, we explore mate selection in Drosophila from both the male and female perspective to shed light on how these key components of sexual selection - female choice and male-male competition - work in concert to guide reproductive strategies. We find that male flies fend off competing suitors by interleaving their courtship of a female with aggressive wing flicks, which both repel competitors and generate a 'song' that obscures the female's auditory perception of other potential mates. Two higher-order circuit nodes - P1a and pC1x neurons - are coordinately recruited to allow males to flexibly interleave these agonistic actions with courtship displays, assuring they persistently pursue females until their rival falters. Together, our results suggest that female mating decisions are shaped by male-male interactions, underscoring how a male's ability to subvert his rivals is central to his reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Hindmarsh Sten
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Present address: Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Rufei Li
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Florian Hollunder
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shadé Eleazer
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Vanessa Ruta
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, USA
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Watanabe K, Chiu H, Anderson DJ. HI-FISH: WHOLE BRAIN IN SITU MAPPING OF NEURONAL ACTIVATION IN DROSOPHILA DURING SOCIAL BEHAVIORS AND OPTOGENETIC STIMULATION. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.28.560045. [PMID: 37808781 PMCID: PMC10557720 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.28.560045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring neuronal activity at single-cell resolution in freely moving Drosophila engaged in social behaviors is challenging because of their small size and lack of transparency. Extant methods, such as Flyception, are highly invasive. Whole-brain calcium imaging in head-fixed, walking flies is feasible but the animals cannot perform the consummatory phases of social behaviors like aggression or mating under these conditions. This has left open the fundamental question of whether neurons identified as functionally important for such behaviors using loss- or gain-of-function screens are actually active during the natural performance of such behaviors, and if so during which phase(s). Here we describe a method, called HI-FISH, for brain-wide mapping of active cells expressing the Immediate Early Gene hr38 using a high-sensitivity/low background amplification method called HCR-3.0. Using double-labeling for hr38 mRNA and for GFP, we describe the activity of several classes of aggression-promoting neurons during courtship and aggression, including P1a cells, an intensively studied population of male-specific interneurons. Using HI-FISH in combination with optogenetic activation of aggression-promoting neurons (opto-HI-FISH) we identify candidate downstream functional targets of these cells in a brain-wide, unbiased manner. Finally we compare the activity of P1a neurons during sequential performance of courtship and aggression, using intronic vs. exonic hr38 probes to differentiate newly synthesized nuclear transcripts from cytoplasmic transcripts synthesized at an earlier time. These data provide evidence suggesting that different subsets of P1a neurons may be active during courtship vs. aggression. HI-FISH and associated methods may help to fill an important lacuna in the armamentarium of tools for neural circuit analysis in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiichi Watanabe
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA USA
- Present address: International Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
- Present address: Department of Medical Research for Intractable Disease, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Hui Chiu
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA USA
- Present address: Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT USA
| | - David J. Anderson
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
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12
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Wan X, Shen P, Shi K, Li J, Wu F, Zhou C. A Neural Circuit Controlling Virgin Female Aggression Induced by Mating-related Cues in Drosophila. Neurosci Bull 2023; 39:1396-1410. [PMID: 36941515 PMCID: PMC10465459 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01050-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Females increase aggression for mating opportunities and for acquiring reproductive resources. Although the close relationship between female aggression and mating status is widely appreciated, whether and how female aggression is regulated by mating-related cues remains poorly understood. Here we report an interesting observation that Drosophila virgin females initiate high-frequency attacks toward mated females. We identify 11-cis-vaccenyl acetate (cVA), a male-derived pheromone transferred to females during mating, which promotes virgin female aggression. We subsequently reveal a cVA-responsive neural circuit consisting of four orders of neurons, including Or67d, DA1, aSP-g, and pC1 neurons, that mediate cVA-induced virgin female aggression. We also determine that aSP-g neurons release acetylcholine (ACh) to excite pC1 neurons via the nicotinic ACh receptor nAChRα7. Together, beyond revealing cVA as a mating-related inducer of virgin female aggression, our results identify a neural circuit linking the chemosensory perception of mating-related cues to aggressive behavior in Drosophila females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolu Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Peng Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Kai Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jing Li
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518132, China
| | - Fengming Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Chuan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518132, China
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Goncharova AA, Besedina NG, Bragina JV, Danilenkova LV, Kamysheva EA, Fedotov SA. Courtship suppression in Drosophila melanogaster: The role of mating failure. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0290048. [PMID: 37561803 PMCID: PMC10414572 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster is a popular model organism in the study of memory due to a wide arsenal of methods used to analyze neuronal activity. The most commonly used tests in research of behavioral plasticity are shock avoidance associated with chemosensory cues and courtship suppression after mating failure. Many authors emphasize the value of courtship suppression as a model of behavior most appropriate to natural conditions. However, researchers often investigate courtship suppression using immobilized and decapitated females as targets of courtship by males, which makes the data obtained from such flies less valuable. In our study, we evaluate courtship suppression towards immature mobile non-receptive females after training with mated or immature females combined with an aversive stimulus (quinine). We have shown that the previously described mechanisms of courtship suppression, as a result of the association of the courtship object with the repellent, as well as due to increased sensitivity to the anti-aphrodisiac cVA after mating failure, are not confirmed when immature mobile females are used. We discuss the reasons for the discrepancies between our results and literature data, define the conditions to be met in the courtship suppression test if the aim is to analyze the natural forms of behavioral plasticity, and present data on the test modifications to approximate conditions to natural ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna A. Goncharova
- Laboratory of Comparative Behavioral Genetics, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Natalia G. Besedina
- Laboratory of Comparative Behavioral Genetics, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Julia V. Bragina
- Laboratory of Comparative Behavioral Genetics, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Larisa V. Danilenkova
- Laboratory of Comparative Behavioral Genetics, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Elena A. Kamysheva
- Laboratory of Comparative Behavioral Genetics, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Sergei A. Fedotov
- Laboratory of Comparative Behavioral Genetics, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Laboratory of Toxinology and Molecular Systematics, L.A. Orbeli Institute of Physiology, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, Yerevan, Armenia
- Laboratory of Amyloid Biology, Saint Petersburg University, St. Petersburg, Russia
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14
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Deanhardt B, Duan Q, Du C, Soeder C, Morlote A, Garg D, Saha A, Jones CD, Volkan PC. Social experience and pheromone receptor activity reprogram gene expression in sensory neurons. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2023; 13:jkad072. [PMID: 36972331 PMCID: PMC10234412 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Social experience and pheromone signaling in olfactory neurons affect neuronal responses and male courtship behaviors in Drosophila. We previously showed that social experience and pheromone signaling modulate chromatin around behavioral switch gene fruitless, which encodes a transcription factor necessary and sufficient for male sexual behaviors. Fruitless drives social experience-dependent modulation of courtship behaviors and physiological sensory neuron responses to pheromone; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying this modulation of neural responses remain less clear. To identify the molecular mechanisms driving social experience-dependent changes in neuronal responses, we performed RNA-seq from antennal samples of mutants in pheromone receptors and fruitless, as well as grouped or isolated wild-type males. Genes affecting neuronal physiology and function, such as neurotransmitter receptors, ion channels, ion and membrane transporters, and odorant binding proteins are differentially regulated by social context and pheromone signaling. While we found that loss of pheromone detection only has small effects on differential promoter and exon usage within fruitless gene, many of the differentially regulated genes have Fruitless-binding sites or are bound by Fruitless in the nervous system. Recent studies showed that social experience and juvenile hormone signaling co-regulate fruitless chromatin to modify pheromone responses in olfactory neurons. Interestingly, genes involved in juvenile hormone metabolism are also misregulated in different social contexts and mutant backgrounds. Our results suggest that modulation of neuronal activity and behaviors in response to social experience and pheromone signaling likely arise due to large-scale changes in transcriptional programs for neuronal function downstream of behavioral switch gene function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryson Deanhardt
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Qichen Duan
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Chengcheng Du
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Charles Soeder
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Alec Morlote
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Deeya Garg
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Aishani Saha
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Corbin D Jones
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Pelin Cayirlioglu Volkan
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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15
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Lee SG, Sun D, Miao H, Wu Z, Kang C, Saad B, Nguyen KNH, Guerra-Phalen A, Bui D, Abbas AH, Trinh B, Malik A, Zeghal M, Auge AC, Islam ME, Wong K, Stern T, Lebedev E, Sherratt TN, Kim WJ. Taste and pheromonal inputs govern the regulation of time investment for mating by sexual experience in male Drosophila melanogaster. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010753. [PMID: 37216404 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Males have finite resources to spend on reproduction. Thus, males rely on a 'time investment strategy' to maximize their reproductive success. For example, male Drosophila melanogaster extends their mating duration when surrounded by conditions enriched with rivals. Here we report a different form of behavioral plasticity whereby male fruit flies exhibit a shortened duration of mating when they are sexually experienced; we refer to this plasticity as 'shorter-mating-duration (SMD)'. SMD is a plastic behavior and requires sexually dimorphic taste neurons. We identified several neurons in the male foreleg and midleg that express specific sugar and pheromone receptors. Using a cost-benefit model and behavioral experiments, we further show that SMD behavior exhibits adaptive behavioral plasticity in male flies. Thus, our study delineates the molecular and cellular basis of the sensory inputs required for SMD; this represents a plastic interval timing behavior that could serve as a model system to study how multisensory inputs converge to modify interval timing behavior for improved adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung Gee Lee
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Dongyu Sun
- The HIT Center for Life Sciences, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Hongyu Miao
- The HIT Center for Life Sciences, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Zekun Wu
- The HIT Center for Life Sciences, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Changku Kang
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Baraa Saad
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | | | - Adrian Guerra-Phalen
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Dorothy Bui
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Al-Hassan Abbas
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Brian Trinh
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Ashvent Malik
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Mahdi Zeghal
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Anne-Christine Auge
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Md Ehteshamul Islam
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Kyle Wong
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Tiffany Stern
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Lebedev
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | | | - Woo Jae Kim
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
- The HIT Center for Life Sciences, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
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16
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Zhang L, Sun H, Grosse-Wilde E, Zhang L, Hansson BS, Dweck HKM. Cross-generation pheromonal communication drives Drosophila oviposition site choice. Curr Biol 2023; 33:2095-2103.e3. [PMID: 37098339 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.03.090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/27/2023]
Abstract
In a heterogeneous and changing environment, oviposition site selection strongly affects the survival and fitness of the offspring.1,2 Similarly, competition between larvae affects their prospects.3 However, little is known about the involvement of pheromones in regulating these processes.4,5,6,7,8 Here, we show that mated females of Drosophila melanogaster prefer to lay eggs on substrates containing extracts of conspecific larvae. After analyzing these extracts chemically, we test each compound in an oviposition assay and find that mated females display a dose-dependent preference to lay eggs on substrates spiked with (Z)-9-octadecenoic acid ethyl ester (OE). This egg-laying preference relies on gustatory receptor Gr32a and tarsal sensory neurons expressing this receptor. The concentration of OE also regulates larval place choice in a dose-dependent manner. Physiologically, OE activates female tarsal Gr32a+ neurons. In conclusion, our results reveal a cross-generation communication strategy essential for oviposition site selection and regulation of larval density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liwei Zhang
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Rd. 2, Beijing 100193, China; Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, 07745 Jena, Germany.
| | - Huiwen Sun
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Rd. 2, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Ewald Grosse-Wilde
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Long Zhang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Gongye North Rd. 202, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Bill S Hansson
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Hany K M Dweck
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
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17
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Verschut TA, Ng R, Doubovetzky NP, Le Calvez G, Sneep JL, Minnaard AJ, Su CY, Carlsson MA, Wertheim B, Billeter JC. Aggregation pheromones have a non-linear effect on oviposition behavior in Drosophila melanogaster. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1544. [PMID: 36941252 PMCID: PMC10027874 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37046-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Female fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) oviposit at communal sites where the larvae may cooperate or compete for resources depending on group size. This offers a model system to determine how females assess quantitative social information. We show that the concentration of pheromones found on a substrate increases linearly with the number of adult flies that have visited that site. Females prefer oviposition sites with pheromone concentrations corresponding to an intermediate number of previous visitors, whereas sites with low or high concentrations are unattractive. This dose-dependent decision is based on a blend of 11-cis-Vaccenyl Acetate (cVA) indicating the number of previous visitors and heptanal (a novel pheromone deriving from the oxidation of 7-Tricosene), which acts as a dose-independent co-factor. This response is mediated by detection of cVA by odorant receptor neurons Or67d and Or65a, and at least five different odorant receptor neurons for heptanal. Our results identify a mechanism allowing individuals to transform a linear increase of pheromones into a non-linear behavioral response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Verschut
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Renny Ng
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Nicolas P Doubovetzky
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Guillaume Le Calvez
- Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan L Sneep
- Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Adriaan J Minnaard
- Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Chih-Ying Su
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Mikael A Carlsson
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Bregje Wertheim
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jean-Christophe Billeter
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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18
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Fujii S, Ahn JE, Jagge C, Shetty V, Janes C, Mohanty A, Slotman M, Adelman ZN, Amrein H. RNA Taste Is Conserved in Dipteran Insects. J Nutr 2023; 153:1636-1645. [PMID: 36907444 DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ribonucleosides and RNA are an underappreciated nutrient group essential during Drosophila larval development and growth. Detection of these nutrients requires at least one of the 6 closely related taste receptors encoded by the Gr28 genes, one of the most conserved insect taste receptor subfamilies. OBJECTIVES We investigated whether blow fly larvae and mosquito larvae, which shared the last ancestor with Drosophila about 65-260 million years ago, respectively, can taste RNA and ribose. We also tested whether the Gr28 homologous genes of the mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae can sense these nutrients when expressed in transgenic Drosophila larvae. METHODS Taste preference in blow flies was examined by adapting a 2-choice preference assay that has been well-established for Drosophila larvae. For the mosquito Aedes aegypti larvae, we developed a new 2-choice preference assay that accommodates the aquatic environment of these insects. Finally, we identified Gr28 homologs in these species and expressed them in Drosophila melanogaster to determine their potential function as RNA receptors. RESULTS Larvae of the blow fly Cochliomyia macellaria and Lucilia cuprina are strongly attracted to RNA (0.5 mg/mL) in the 2-choice feeding assays (P < 0.05). Similarly, the mosquito Aedes aegypti larvae showed a strong preference for RNA (2.5 mg/mL) in an aquatic 2-choice feeding assay. Moreover, when Gr28 homologs of Aedes or Anopheles mosquitoes are expressed in appetitive taste neurons of Drosophila melanogaster larvae lacking their Gr28 genes, preference for RNA (0.5 mg/mL) and ribose (0.1 M) is rescued (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The appetitive taste for RNA and ribonucleosides in insects emerged about 260 million years ago, the time mosquitoes and fruit flies diverged from their last common ancestor. Like sugar receptors, receptors for RNA have been highly conserved during insect evolution, suggesting that RNA is a critical nutrient for fast-growing insect larvae. J NUTR 2023;xx:xx-xx.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinsuke Fujii
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Bryan, TX, United States
| | - Ji-Eun Ahn
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Bryan, TX, United States
| | - Christopher Jagge
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Bryan, TX, United States
| | - Vinaya Shetty
- Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Christopher Janes
- Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Avha Mohanty
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Bryan, TX, United States
| | - Michel Slotman
- Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Zach N Adelman
- Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Hubert Amrein
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Bryan, TX, United States.
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19
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Tolassy V, Cazalé-Debat L, Houot B, Reynaud R, Heydel JM, Ferveur JF, Everaerts C. Drosophila Free-Flight Odor Tracking is Altered in a Sex-Specific Manner By Preimaginal Sensory Exposure. J Chem Ecol 2023; 49:179-194. [PMID: 36881326 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-023-01416-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
In insects such as Drosophila melanogaster, flight guidance is based on converging sensory information provided by several modalities, including chemoperception. Drosophila flies are particularly attracted by complex odors constituting volatile molecules from yeast, pheromones and microbe-metabolized food. Based on a recent study revealing that adult male courtship behavior can be affected by early preimaginal exposure to maternally transmitted egg factors, we wondered whether a similar exposure could affect free-flight odor tracking in flies of both sexes. Our main experiment consisted of testing flies differently conditioned during preimaginal development in a wind tunnel. Each fly was presented with a dual choice of food labeled by groups of each sex of D. melanogaster or D. simulans flies. The combined effect of food with the cis-vaccenyl acetate pheromone (cVA), which is involved in aggregation behavior, was also measured. Moreover, we used the headspace method to determine the "odorant" identity of the different labeled foods tested. We also measured the antennal electrophysiological response to cVA in females and males resulting from the different preimaginal conditioning procedures. Our data indicate that flies differentially modulated their flight response (take off, flight duration, food landing and preference) according to sex, conditioning and food choice. Our headspace analysis revealed that many food-derived volatile molecules diverged between sexes and species. Antennal responses to cVA showed clear sex-specific variation for conditioned flies but not for control flies. In summary, our study indicates that preimaginal conditioning can affect Drosophila free flight behavior in a sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Tolassy
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS UMR6265, INRAE, UMR1324, Université de Bourgogne, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Laurie Cazalé-Debat
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS UMR6265, INRAE, UMR1324, Université de Bourgogne, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France.,School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston Park Road, B15 2TT, Birmingham, UK
| | - Benjamin Houot
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS UMR6265, INRAE, UMR1324, Université de Bourgogne, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France.,Institut Gustave Roussel, 114, rue Edouard Vaillant, 94805, Villejuif Cedex, France
| | - Rémy Reynaud
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS UMR6265, INRAE, UMR1324, Université de Bourgogne, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Jean-Marie Heydel
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS UMR6265, INRAE, UMR1324, Université de Bourgogne, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Jean-François Ferveur
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS UMR6265, INRAE, UMR1324, Université de Bourgogne, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Claude Everaerts
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS UMR6265, INRAE, UMR1324, Université de Bourgogne, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France.
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20
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Órfão I, Carvalho C, Rodrigues I, Ascensão L, Pedaccini M, Vicente L, Barbosa M, Varela SAM. The role of intrasexual competition on the evolution of male-male courtship display: a systematic review. PeerJ 2023; 10:e14638. [PMID: 36751481 PMCID: PMC9899439 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Evidence of male-male courtship display is widespread across the animal kingdom. Yet, its function and evolutionary origin remain unclear. Here, we hypothesise that male-male courtship display evolved in response to selection pressure exerted by intrasexual competition during male-female courtship interactions. Intrasexual competition can be caused by bystander male pressure through eavesdropping and exploiting on displayer male's courtship interactions with females. This bystander pressure can lead to an audience effect by the displayer, who will change their courtship behaviour in the presence of bystanders and display directly towards them, even in the absence of females, as an intimidation strategy. In species where this selection pressure has taken place, we predict that the male courtship display will have a dual function: attract females and deter competitors. Therefore, we expected to find more evidence of bystander-related behaviours in species for which male-male courtship display is linked to intrasexual competition compared to species for which other explanatory hypotheses are more plausible (e.g., mistaken identity or courtship practice). Methodology We conducted two systematic reviews to test this hypothesis. First, we conducted a search for studies of species with courtship display between males and of the hypotheses provided to explain this behaviour. Our goal was to identify the species with male-male courtship display and evidence of intrasexual competition. Second, among the species with male-male courtship display, we searched for evidence of bystander-related behaviours, i.e., articles referring to eavesdropping, exploitation, and audience effect during male-female courtship interactions. Our goal was to test whether species with intrasexual competition are also more likely to show bystander-related behaviours. Results Although most studies reporting male courtship display towards other males do not suggest any explanatory hypothesis for this behaviour, the intrasexual competition hypothesis was largely mentioned and supported by some studies reviewed. Additionally, there is more evidence of eavesdropping and of all three bystander-related behaviours combined in species for which the intrasexual competition hypothesis was suggested. Conclusions Overall, our review supports the hypothesis that intrasexual competition can play a key role in male courtship display evolution, namely that male-male courtship display may have evolved as a secondary function of male-female courtship interactions via bystander male pressure. However, our review also shows that despite the increasing interest in same-sex sexual behaviours, and male-male courtship display in particular, most studies were found to be merely descriptive, and the hypotheses they suggested to explain courtship display between males mostly speculative. This highlights an important gap in the literature. To clarify both the evolution and the function of male-male courtship display, this behaviour needs to be empirically studied more often. Our review can help advancing this research area, as it makes the 20 species with male-male courtship display for which the intrasexual competition hypothesis was suggested excellent candidates for empirical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inês Órfão
- CFCUL–Centre for Philosophy of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal,cE3c–Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal,MARE–Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET–Aquatic Research Network, Agência Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investigação Tecnologia e Inovação (ARDITI), Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
| | - Constança Carvalho
- CFCUL–Centre for Philosophy of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal,ISPA–Instituto Universitário, Lisboa, Portugal, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Inês Rodrigues
- Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Leonor Ascensão
- Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Luís Vicente
- CFCUL–Centre for Philosophy of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal,Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal,School of Psychology and Life Sciences of the Lusófona University, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Miguel Barbosa
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Centre for Biological Diversity, St Andrews, United Kingdom,CESAM–Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Susana A. M. Varela
- cE3c–Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal,IGC–Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal,William James Center for Research, ISPA–Instituto Universitário, Lisboa, Portugal
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21
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Petrović M, Meštrović A, Andretić Waldowski R, Filošević Vujnović A. A network-based analysis detects cocaine-induced changes in social interactions in Drosophila melanogaster. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0275795. [PMID: 36952449 PMCID: PMC10035901 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Addiction is a multifactorial biological and behavioral disorder that is studied using animal models, based on simple behavioral responses in isolated individuals. A couple of decades ago it was shown that Drosophila melanogaster can serve as a model organism for behaviors related to alcohol, nicotine and cocaine (COC) addiction. Scoring of COC-induced behaviors in a large group of flies has been technologically challenging, so we have applied a local, middle and global level of network-based analyses to study social interaction networks (SINs) among a group of 30 untreated males compared to those that have been orally administered with 0.50 mg/mL of COC for 24 hours. In this study, we have confirmed the previously described increase in locomotion upon COC feeding. We have isolated new network-based measures associated with COC, and influenced by group on the individual behavior. COC fed flies showed a longer duration of interactions on the local level, and formed larger, more densely populated and compact, communities at the middle level. Untreated flies have a higher number of interactions with other flies in a group at the local level, and at the middle level, these interactions led to the formation of separated communities. Although the network density at the global level is higher in COC fed flies, at the middle level the modularity is higher in untreated flies. One COC specific behavior that we have isolated was an increase in the proportion of individuals that do not interact with the rest of the group, considered as the individual difference in COC induced behavior and/or consequence of group influence on individual behavior. Our approach can be expanded on different classes of drugs with the same acute response as COC to determine drug specific network-based measures and could serve as a tool to determinate genetic and environmental factors that influence both drug addiction and social interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milan Petrović
- Department of Informatics, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
- Center for Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Ana Meštrović
- Department of Informatics, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
- Center for Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Rozi Andretić Waldowski
- Department of Biotechnology, Laboratory for behavioral genetics, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Ana Filošević Vujnović
- Department of Biotechnology, Laboratory for behavioral genetics, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
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22
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Chen Y, Zhang Y, Yang L, Chen W, Jiang Z, Xiao Z, Xie X, Zhong G, Yi X. Group housing enhances mating and increases the sensitization of chemical cues in Bactrocera dorsalis. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2023; 79:391-401. [PMID: 36177942 DOI: 10.1002/ps.7208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Changes in population density have profound impacts on mating behaviors in group-living animals. The plasticity of mating behavior enables insects to respond to social signals and adjust mating frequency in accordance with rival competition and reproductive opportunity. RESULTS In this study, we found that low levels of cis-vaccenyl acetate (cVA), a Drosophila pheromone, increased mating rates of Bactrocera dorsalis, but high concentrations of cVA inhibited mating, indicating a functional role of cVA in regulating mating behaviors in insect species other than Drosophila. Moreover, we demonstrated that group housing conditions had positive effects for B. dorsalis on their mating rates, responses toward cVA and cVA-mediated mating behaviors, which are dependent on the activity of c-AMP reponse element binding protein (CREB) binding protein (CBP). CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that CBP-mediated plasticity in mating behavior and chemical recognition enables insects to adapt to different housing conditions and highlight the potential of cVA as an efficient agent in regulating mating behaviors in insect species other than Drosophila. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaoyao Chen
- Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuhua Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liying Yang
- Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenlong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhiyan Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ziwei Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xin Xie
- School of Life Sciences, Shaoxing University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Guohua Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xin Yi
- Key Laboratory of Natural Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
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23
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Wang Z, Receveur JP, Pu J, Cong H, Richards C, Liang M, Chung H. Desiccation resistance differences in Drosophila species can be largely explained by variations in cuticular hydrocarbons. eLife 2022; 11:e80859. [PMID: 36473178 PMCID: PMC9757832 DOI: 10.7554/elife.80859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Maintaining water balance is a universal challenge for organisms living in terrestrial environments, especially for insects, which have essential roles in our ecosystem. Although the high surface area to volume ratio in insects makes them vulnerable to water loss, insects have evolved different levels of desiccation resistance to adapt to diverse environments. To withstand desiccation, insects use a lipid layer called cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) to reduce water evaporation from the body surface. It has long been hypothesized that the water-proofing capability of this CHC layer, which can confer different levels of desiccation resistance, depends on its chemical composition. However, it is unknown which CHC components are important contributors to desiccation resistance and how these components can determine differences in desiccation resistance. In this study, we used machine-learning algorithms, correlation analyses, and synthetic CHCs to investigate how different CHC components affect desiccation resistance in 50 Drosophila and related species. We showed that desiccation resistance differences across these species can be largely explained by variation in CHC composition. In particular, length variation in a subset of CHCs, the methyl-branched CHCs (mbCHCs), is a key determinant of desiccation resistance. There is also a significant correlation between the evolution of longer mbCHCs and higher desiccation resistance in these species. Given that CHCs are almost ubiquitous in insects, we suggest that evolutionary changes in insect CHC components can be a general mechanism for the evolution of desiccation resistance and adaptation to diverse and changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zinan Wang
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State UniversityEast LansingUnited States
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State UniversityEast LansingUnited States
| | - Joseph P Receveur
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State UniversityEast LansingUnited States
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State UniversityEast LansingUnited States
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of MarylandBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Jian Pu
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State UniversityEast LansingUnited States
- College of Agriculture, Sichuan Agricultural UniversitySichuanChina
| | - Haosu Cong
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State UniversityEast LansingUnited States
| | - Cole Richards
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State UniversityEast LansingUnited States
| | - Muxuan Liang
- Department of Biostatistics, University of FloridaGainesvilleUnited States
| | - Henry Chung
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State UniversityEast LansingUnited States
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State UniversityEast LansingUnited States
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24
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Karigo T, Deutsch D. Flexibility of neural circuits regulating mating behaviors in mice and flies. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:949781. [PMID: 36426135 PMCID: PMC9679785 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.949781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mating is essential for the reproduction of animal species. As mating behaviors are high-risk and energy-consuming processes, it is critical for animals to make adaptive mating decisions. This includes not only finding a suitable mate, but also adapting mating behaviors to the animal's needs and environmental conditions. Internal needs include physical states (e.g., hunger) and emotional states (e.g., fear), while external conditions include both social cues (e.g., the existence of predators or rivals) and non-social factors (e.g., food availability). With recent advances in behavioral neuroscience, we are now beginning to understand the neural basis of mating behaviors, particularly in genetic model organisms such as mice and flies. However, how internal and external factors are integrated by the nervous system to enable adaptive mating-related decision-making in a state- and context-dependent manner is less well understood. In this article, we review recent knowledge regarding the neural basis of flexible mating behaviors from studies of flies and mice. By contrasting the knowledge derived from these two evolutionarily distant model organisms, we discuss potential conserved and divergent neural mechanisms involved in the control of flexible mating behaviors in invertebrate and vertebrate brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomomi Karigo
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States,The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States,*Correspondence: Tomomi Karigo,
| | - David Deutsch
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel,David Deutsch,
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25
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Gaspar M, Dias S, Vasconcelos ML. Mating pair drives aggressive behavior in female Drosophila. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4734-4742.e4. [PMID: 36167074 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Aggression is an adaptive set of behaviors that allows animals to compete against one another in an environment of limited resources. Typically, males fight for mates and food, whereas females fight for food and nest sites.1 Although the study of male aggression has been facilitated by the extravagant nature of the ritualized displays involved and the remarkable armaments sported by males of many species,2-4 the subtler and rarer instances of inter-female aggression have historically received much less attention. In Drosophila, females display high levels of complex and highly structured aggression on a food patch with conspecific females.5-9 Other contexts of female aggression have not been explored. Indeed, whether females compete for mating partners, as males do, has remained unknown so far. In the present work, we report that Drosophila melanogaster females reliably display aggression toward mating pairs. This aggressive behavior is regulated by mating status and perception of mating opportunities and relies heavily on olfaction. Furthermore, we found that food odor in combination with OR47b-dependent fly odor sensing is required for proper expression of aggressive behavior. Taken together, we describe a social context linked to reproduction in which Drosophila females aspiring to mate produce consistent and stereotyped displays of aggression. These findings open the door for further inquiries into the neural mechanisms that govern this behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Gaspar
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon 1400-038, Portugal
| | - Sophie Dias
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon 1400-038, Portugal
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26
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Meiselman MR, Ganguly A, Dahanukar A, Adams ME. Endocrine modulation of primary chemosensory neurons regulates Drosophila courtship behavior. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010357. [PMID: 35998183 PMCID: PMC9439213 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The decision to engage in courtship depends on external cues from potential mates and internal cues related to maturation, health, and experience. Hormones allow for coordinated conveyance of such information to peripheral tissues. Here, we show Ecdysis-Triggering Hormone (ETH) is critical for courtship inhibition after completion of copulation in Drosophila melanogaster. ETH deficiency relieves post-copulation courtship inhibition (PCCI) and increases male-male courtship. ETH appears to modulate perception and attractiveness of potential mates by direct action on primary chemosensory neurons. Knockdown of ETH receptor (ETHR) expression in GR32A-expressing neurons leads to reduced ligand sensitivity and elevated male-male courtship. We find OR67D also is critical for normal levels of PCCI after mating. ETHR knockdown in OR67D-expressing neurons or GR32A-expressing neurons relieves PCCI. Finally, ETHR silencing in the corpus allatum (CA), the sole source of juvenile hormone, also relieves PCCI; treatment with the juvenile hormone analog methoprene partially restores normal post-mating behavior. We find that ETH, a stress-sensitive reproductive hormone, appears to coordinate multiple sensory modalities to guide Drosophila male courtship behaviors, especially after mating. The decision of when to reproduce is paramount for organismal survival. In models like mice and flies, we have a comprehensive understanding of neuronal substrates for perception of mates and courtship drive, but how these substrates adapt to malleable internal and external environments remains unclear. Here, we show that post-mating refractoriness depends upon a peptide hormone, Ecdysis-Triggering Hormone (ETH). We show repression of courtship toward recently-mated females depends upon pheromone cues and that ETH deficiency impairs perception of female matedness. ETH signaling appears to promote the activity and function of pheromone-sensing primary olfactory and gustatory sensory neurons. Additionally, ETH sets internal levels of Juvenile Hormone, a hormone known to inhibit courtship drive in flies. Elimination of ETH or its receptor in primary sensory neurons or the glandular source of Juvenile Hormone reduces male post-copulation courtship inhibition (PCCI), causing continued courtship toward female counterparts after successful mating. Our data suggest ETH and its targets are critical for post-mating refractoriness in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R. Meiselman
- Graduate Program in Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Riverside, California, United States of America
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (MRM); (MEA)
| | - Anindya Ganguly
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, California, United States of America
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Anupama Dahanukar
- Graduate Program in Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Riverside, California, United States of America
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, California, United States of America
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Michael E. Adams
- Graduate Program in Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Riverside, California, United States of America
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, California, United States of America
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, California, United States of America
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (MRM); (MEA)
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27
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Huang G, Dierick HA. The need for unbiased genetic screens to dissect aggression in Drosophila melanogaster. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:901453. [PMID: 35979224 PMCID: PMC9377312 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.901453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggression is an evolutionarily conserved behavior present in most animals and is necessary for survival when competing for limited resources and mating partners. Studies have shown that aggression is modulated both genetically and epigenetically, but details of how the molecular and cellular mechanisms interact to determine aggressive behavior remain to be elucidated. In recent decades, Drosophila melanogaster has emerged as a powerful model system to understand the mechanisms that regulate aggression. Surprisingly most of the findings discovered to date have not come from genetic screens despite the fly's long and successful history of using screens to unravel its biology. Here, we highlight the tools and techniques used to successfully screen for aggression-linked behavioral elements in Drosophila and discuss the potential impact future screens have in advancing our knowledge of the underlying genetic and neural circuits governing aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary Huang
- Department of Molecular & Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Herman A Dierick
- Department of Molecular & Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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28
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Cortot J, Farine JP, Cobb M, Everaerts C, Ferveur JF. Factors affecting the biosynthesis and emission of a Drosophila pheromone. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:275647. [PMID: 35678110 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The most studied pheromone in Drosophila melanogaster, cis-vaccenyl acetate (cVA), is synthesized in the male ejaculatory bulb and transferred to the female during copulation. Combined with other chemicals, cVA can modulate fly aggregation, courtship, mating and fighting. We explored the mechanisms underlying both cVA biosynthesis and emission in males of two wild types and a pheromonal mutant line. The effects of ageing, adult social interaction, and maternally transmitted cVA and microbes - both associated with the egg chorion - on cVA biosynthesis and emission were measured. While ageing and genotype changed both biosynthesis and emission in similar ways, early developmental exposure to maternally transmitted cVA and microbes strongly decreased cVA emission but not the biosynthesis of this molecule. This indicates that the release - but not the biosynthesis - of this sex pheromone strongly depends on early developmental context. The mechanism by which the preimaginal effects occur is unknown, but reinforces the significance of development in determining adult physiology and behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Cortot
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, UMR6265 CNRS, UMR1324 INRA, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Jean-Pierre Farine
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, UMR6265 CNRS, UMR1324 INRA, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Matthew Cobb
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Claude Everaerts
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, UMR6265 CNRS, UMR1324 INRA, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Jean-François Ferveur
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, UMR6265 CNRS, UMR1324 INRA, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France
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29
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Grinberg M, Levin R, Neuman H, Ziv O, Turjeman S, Gamliel G, Nosenko R, Koren O. Antibiotics increase aggression behavior and aggression-related pheromones and receptors in Drosophila melanogaster. iScience 2022; 25:104371. [PMID: 35620429 PMCID: PMC9127605 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104371] [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: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggression is a behavior common in most species; it is controlled by internal and external drivers, including hormones, environmental cues, and social interactions, and underlying pathways are understood in a broad range of species. To date, though, effects of gut microbiota on aggression in the context of gut-brain communication and social behavior have not been completely elucidated. We examine how manipulation of Drosophila melanogaster microbiota affects aggression as well as the pathways that underlie the behavior in this species. Male flies treated with antibiotics exhibited significantly more aggressive behaviors. Furthermore, they had higher levels of cVA and (Z)-9 Tricosene, pheromones associated with aggression in flies, as well as higher expression of the relevant pheromone receptors and transporters OR67d, OR83b, GR32a, and LUSH. These findings suggest that aggressive behavior is, at least in part, mediated by bacterial species in flies. Aggression increases in flies that lack a microbiome Monocolonization with specific bacteria can mediate this effect We observed differences in aggression-related pheromone expression levels
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30
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Neural Control of Action Selection Among Innate Behaviors. Neurosci Bull 2022; 38:1541-1558. [PMID: 35633465 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-022-00886-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Nervous systems must not only generate specific adaptive behaviors, such as reproduction, aggression, feeding, and sleep, but also select a single behavior for execution at any given time, depending on both internal states and external environmental conditions. Despite their tremendous biological importance, the neural mechanisms of action selection remain poorly understood. In the past decade, studies in the model animal Drosophila melanogaster have demonstrated valuable neural mechanisms underlying action selection of innate behaviors. In this review, we summarize circuit mechanisms with a particular focus on a small number of sexually dimorphic neurons in controlling action selection among sex, fight, feeding, and sleep behaviors in both sexes of flies. We also discuss potentially conserved circuit configurations and neuromodulation of action selection in both the fly and mouse models, aiming to provide insights into action selection and the sexually dimorphic prioritization of innate behaviors.
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31
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Palavicino-Maggio CB, Sengupta S. The Neuromodulatory Basis of Aggression: Lessons From the Humble Fruit Fly. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:836666. [PMID: 35517573 PMCID: PMC9062135 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.836666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggression is an intrinsic trait that organisms of almost all species, humans included, use to get access to food, shelter, and mating partners. To maximize fitness in the wild, an organism must vary the intensity of aggression toward the same or different stimuli. How much of this variation is genetic and how much is externally induced, is largely unknown but is likely to be a combination of both. Irrespective of the source, one of the principal physiological mechanisms altering the aggression intensity involves neuromodulation. Any change or variation in aggression intensity is most likely governed by a complex interaction of several neuromodulators acting via a meshwork of neural circuits. Resolving aggression-specific neural circuits in a mammalian model has proven challenging due to the highly complex nature of the mammalian brain. In that regard, the fruit fly model Drosophila melanogaster has provided insights into the circuit-driven mechanisms of aggression regulation and its underlying neuromodulatory basis. Despite morphological dissimilarities, the fly brain shares striking similarities with the mammalian brain in genes, neuromodulatory systems, and circuit-organization, making the findings from the fly model extremely valuable for understanding the fundamental circuit logic of human aggression. This review discusses our current understanding of how neuromodulators regulate aggression based on findings from the fruit fly model. We specifically focus on the roles of Serotonin (5-HT), Dopamine (DA), Octopamine (OA), Acetylcholine (ACTH), Sex Peptides (SP), Tachykinin (TK), Neuropeptide F (NPF), and Drosulfakinin (Dsk) in fruit fly male and female aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline B Palavicino-Maggio
- Basic Neuroscience Division, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Saheli Sengupta
- Basic Neuroscience Division, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
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32
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Chen SL, Liu BT, Lee WP, Liao SB, Deng YB, Wu CL, Ho SM, Shen BX, Khoo GH, Shiu WC, Chang CH, Shih HW, Wen JK, Lan TH, Lin CC, Tsai YC, Tzeng HF, Fu TF. WAKE-mediated modulation of cVA perception via a hierarchical neuro-endocrine axis in Drosophila male-male courtship behaviour. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2518. [PMID: 35523813 PMCID: PMC9076693 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30165-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The nervous and endocrine systems coordinate with each other to closely influence physiological and behavioural responses in animals. Here we show that WAKE (encoded by wide awake, also known as wake) modulates membrane levels of GABAA receptor Resistance to Dieldrin (Rdl), in insulin-producing cells of adult male Drosophila melanogaster. This results in changes to secretion of insulin-like peptides which is associated with changes in juvenile hormone biosynthesis in the corpus allatum, which in turn leads to a decrease in 20-hydroxyecdysone levels. A reduction in ecdysone signalling changes neural architecture and lowers the perception of the male-specific sex pheromone 11-cis-vaccenyl acetate by odorant receptor 67d olfactory neurons. These finding explain why WAKE-deficient in Drosophila elicits significant male-male courtship behaviour. The authors show that the Drosophila master regulator WAKE modulates the secretion of insulin-like peptides, triggering a decrease in 20-hydroxyecdysone levels. This lowers the perception of a male-specific sex pheromone and explains why WAKE-deficient Drosophila flies show male-male courtship behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiu-Ling Chen
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan
| | - Bo-Ting Liu
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan
| | - Wang-Pao Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Sin-Bo Liao
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan.,Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Yao-Bang Deng
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Lin Wu
- Department of Biochemistry and Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan.,Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Shuk-Man Ho
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan
| | - Bing-Xian Shen
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan
| | - Guan-Hock Khoo
- Department of Life Science and Life Science Center, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Chiang Shiu
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Hsuan Chang
- Department of Life Science and Life Science Center, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.,National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Wen Shih
- Department of Life Science and Life Science Center, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Jung-Kun Wen
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tsuo-Hung Lan
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Tsaotun Psychiatric Center, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Nantou, Taiwan.,Department of Psychiatry, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.,Center for Neuropsychiatric Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Chien Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chen Tsai
- Department of Life Science and Life Science Center, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan.
| | - Huey-Fen Tzeng
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan.
| | - Tsai-Feng Fu
- Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan.
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33
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Zhang L, Guo X, Zhang W. Nutrients and pheromones promote insulin release to inhibit courtship drive. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabl6121. [PMID: 35263128 PMCID: PMC8906733 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl6121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Food and reproduction are the fundamental needs for all animals. However, the neural mechanisms that orchestrate nutrient intake and sexual behaviors are not well understood. Here, we find that sugar feeding immediately suppresses sexual drive of male Drosophila, a regulation mediated by insulin that acts on insulin receptors on the courtship-promoting P1 neurons. The same pathway was co-opted by anaphrodisiac pheromones to suppress sexual hyperactivity to suboptimal mates. Activated by repulsive pheromones, male-specific PPK23 neurons on the leg tarsus release crustacean cardioactive peptide (CCAP) that acts on CCAP receptor on the insulin-producing cells in the brain to trigger insulin release, which then inhibits P1 neurons. Our results reveal how male flies avoid promiscuity by balancing the weight between aphrodisiac and anaphrodisiac inputs from multiple peripheral sensory pathways and nutritional states. Such a regulation enables male animals to make an appropriate mating decision under fluctuating feeding conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liwei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
- Corresponding author. (W.Z.); (L.Z.)
| | - Xuan Guo
- School of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
- Corresponding author. (W.Z.); (L.Z.)
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GABA transmission from mAL interneurons regulates aggression in Drosophila males. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2117101119. [PMID: 35082150 PMCID: PMC8812560 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2117101119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggression is dependent on the sex of the conspecific in almost all animal species. But the neuronal basis of how sex-specific chemosensory signals regulate aggression is poorly understood. Using the fruit fly model of Drosophila melanogaster, we demonstrate that activation of a group of GABAergic central brain neurons, known to respond to sex-specific pheromonal stimuli, enhances aggression in dyadic male encounters. Inactivation of this neuronal group decreases aggression and increases the reciprocal social behavior of courtship. Our results can help trace the neural circuit from pheromone processing in the sensory neurons to behavior integration in the central brain and ultimately help understand how neurons encode the behavior of aggression. Aggression is known to be regulated by pheromonal information in many species. But how central brain neurons processing this information modulate aggression is poorly understood. Using the fruit fly model of Drosophila melanogaster, we systematically characterize the role of a group of sexually dimorphic GABAergic central brain neurons, popularly known as mAL, in aggression regulation. The mAL neurons are known to be activated by male and female pheromones. In this report, we show that mAL activation robustly increases aggression, whereas its inactivation decreases aggression and increases intermale courtship, a behavior considered reciprocal to aggression. GABA neurotransmission from mAL is crucial for this behavior regulation. Exploiting the genetic toolkit of the fruit fly model, we also find a small group of approximately three to five GABA+ central brain neurons with anatomical similarities to mAL. Activation of the mAL resembling group of neurons is necessary for increasing intermale aggression. Overall, our findings demonstrate how changes in activity of GABA+ central brain neurons processing pheromonal information, such as mAL in Drosophila melanogaster, directly modulate the social behavior of aggression in male–male pairings.
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Atkinson NS. Alcohol-induced Aggression. Neurosci Insights 2021; 16:26331055211061145. [PMID: 34841248 PMCID: PMC8611288 DOI: 10.1177/26331055211061145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Intraspecies aggression is commonly focused on securing reproductive resources such as food, territory, and mates, and it is often males who do the fighting. In humans, individual acts of overt physical aggression seem maladaptive and probably represent dysregulation of the pathways underlying aggression. Such acts are often associated with ethanol consumption. The Drosophila melanogaster model system, which has long been used to study how ethanol affects the nervous system and behavior, has also been used to study the molecular origins of aggression. In addition, ethanol-induced aggression has been demonstrated in flies. Recent publications show that ethanol stimulates Drosophila aggression in 2 ways: the odor of ethanol and the consumption of ethanol both make males more aggressive. These ethanol effects occur at concentrations that flies likely experience in the wild. A picture emerges of males arriving on their preferred reproductive site-fermenting plant matter-and being stimulated by ethanol to fight harder to secure the site for their own use. Fly fighting assays appear to be a suitable bioassay for studying how low doses of ethanol reshape neural signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nigel S Atkinson
- Department of Neuroscience and The Waggoner
Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at
Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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36
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Montell C. Drosophila sensory receptors-a set of molecular Swiss Army Knives. Genetics 2021; 217:1-34. [PMID: 33683373 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyaa011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic approaches in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, have led to a major triumph in the field of sensory biology-the discovery of multiple large families of sensory receptors and channels. Some of these families, such as transient receptor potential channels, are conserved from animals ranging from worms to humans, while others, such as "gustatory receptors," "olfactory receptors," and "ionotropic receptors," are restricted to invertebrates. Prior to the identification of sensory receptors in flies, it was widely assumed that these proteins function in just one modality such as vision, smell, taste, hearing, and somatosensation, which includes thermosensation, light, and noxious mechanical touch. By employing a vast combination of genetic, behavioral, electrophysiological, and other approaches in flies, a major concept to emerge is that many sensory receptors are multitaskers. The earliest example of this idea was the discovery that individual transient receptor potential channels function in multiple senses. It is now clear that multitasking is exhibited by other large receptor families including gustatory receptors, ionotropic receptors, epithelial Na+ channels (also referred to as Pickpockets), and even opsins, which were formerly thought to function exclusively as light sensors. Genetic characterizations of these Drosophila receptors and the neurons that express them also reveal the mechanisms through which flies can accurately differentiate between different stimuli even when they activate the same receptor, as well as mechanisms of adaptation, amplification, and sensory integration. The insights gleaned from studies in flies have been highly influential in directing investigations in many other animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig Montell
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, The Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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Pandolfi M, Scaia MF, Fernandez MP. Sexual Dimorphism in Aggression: Sex-Specific Fighting Strategies Across Species. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:659615. [PMID: 34262439 PMCID: PMC8273308 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.659615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggressive behavior is thought to have evolved as a strategy for gaining access to resources such as territory, food, and potential mates. Across species, secondary sexual characteristics such as competitive aggression and territoriality are considered male-specific behaviors. However, although female–female aggression is often a behavior that is displayed almost exclusively to protect the offspring, multiple examples of female–female competitive aggression have been reported in both invertebrate and vertebrate species. Moreover, cases of intersexual aggression have been observed in a variety of species. Genetically tractable model systems such as mice, zebrafish, and fruit flies have proven extremely valuable for studying the underlying neuronal circuitry and the genetic architecture of aggressive behavior under laboratory conditions. However, most studies lack ethological or ecological perspectives and the behavioral patterns available are limited. The goal of this review is to discuss each of these forms of aggression, male intrasexual aggression, intersexual aggression and female intrasexual aggression in the context of the most common genetic animal models and discuss examples of these behaviors in other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matias Pandolfi
- Department of Biodiversity and Experimental Biology, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Maria Florencia Scaia
- Department of Biodiversity and Experimental Biology, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Maria Paz Fernandez
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
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Transcriptome Analyses Provide Insights into the Aggressive Behavior toward Conspecific and Heterospecific in Thitarodes xiaojinensis (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae). INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12070577. [PMID: 34201917 PMCID: PMC8306418 DOI: 10.3390/insects12070577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Aggression is an evolutionarily conserved, complex behavior, essential for survival, reproduction, and the organization of social hierarchies. It is well studied in adult insects, such as flies, ants, honey bees, and crickets. However, the study of aggressive behavior in the larval stage is still lacking. T. xiaojinensis is a common species found in mountainous regions of the Tibetan Plateau, the larvae of which are highly aggressive toward conspecifics. High-throughput RNA-seq with a reference genome provides opportunities for in-depth analysis when T. xiaojinensis is aggressive toward conspecifics and heterospecifics. This study provided a set of important pathways and DEGs associated with aggressive behavior. We also constructed the weighted gene co-expression network for traits, and the central and hub genes involved in aggressive behavior were obtained. The results revealed the molecular responses when T. xiaojinensis showed aggressiveness toward conspecifics and heterospecifics. These data are important for better understanding the aggressive behavior of Lepidopteran larvae at the transcriptional level and provide a theoretical basis for the further analysis of the genetic mechanism of the insect’s aggression. Abstract Aggressive behavior in animals is important for survival and reproduction. It is well studied in adult insects, such as flies, ants, honey bees, and crickets. However, the larvae of Lepidopteran insects are also aggressive, studies of which are still lacking. Here, RNA-seq was used to generate a high-quality database for the aggressive behavior of Thitarodes xiaojinensis toward conspecifics and heterospecifics. Although there was similar aggressive behavior between the conspecific group and heterospecific group, significant differences were identified at the transcriptional level. When there was aggressive behavior toward conspecifics, T. xiaojinensis trended toward higher expression at the respiratory chain, while cuticle development and metabolism may have interfered. On the other hand, when there was aggressive behavior toward H. armigera, genes related to neuron and cuticle development, cellular processes, and its regulated signaling pathways were significantly upregulated, while the genes associated with oxidation-reduction and metabolism were downregulated. Weighted gene co-expression networks analysis (WGCNA) was performed, and two modules with properties correlating to the aggressive behavior of T. xiaojinensis were identified. Several hub genes were predicted and confirmed by qRT-PCR, such as CLTC, MYH, IGF2BP1, and EMC. This study provides a global view and potential key genes for the aggressive behavior of T. xiaojinensis toward conspecifics and heterospecifics. Further investigation of the hub genes would help us to better understand the aggressive behavior of insects.
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Zhang SX, Glantz EH, Miner LE, Rogulja D, Crickmore MA. Hormonal control of motivational circuitry orchestrates the transition to sexuality in Drosophila. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabg6926. [PMID: 34134981 PMCID: PMC8208730 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg6926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Newborns and hatchlings can perform incredibly sophisticated behaviors, but many animals abstain from sexual activity at the beginning of life. Hormonal changes have long been known to drive both physical and behavioral changes during adolescence, leading to the largely untested assumption that sexuality emerges from organizational changes to neuronal circuitry. We show that the transition to sexuality in male Drosophila is controlled by hormonal changes, but this regulation is functional rather than structural. In very young males, a broadly acting hormone directly inhibits the activity of three courtship-motivating circuit elements, ensuring the complete suppression of sexual motivation and behavior. Blocking or overriding these inhibitory mechanisms evokes immediate and robust sexual behavior from very young and otherwise asexual males. Similarities to mammalian adolescence suggest a general principle in which hormonal changes gate the transition to sexuality not by constructing new circuitry but by permitting activity in otherwise latent motivational circuit elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen X Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ethan H Glantz
- FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Lauren E Miner
- FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Dragana Rogulja
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Michael A Crickmore
- FM Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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40
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Ishimoto H, Kamikouchi A. Molecular and neural mechanisms regulating sexual motivation of virgin female Drosophila. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:4805-4819. [PMID: 33837450 PMCID: PMC11071752 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03820-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
During courtship, multiple information sources are integrated in the brain to reach a final decision, i.e., whether or not to mate. The brain functions for this complex behavior can be investigated by genetically manipulating genes and neurons, and performing anatomical, physiological, and behavioral analyses. Drosophila is a powerful model experimental system for such studies, which need to be integrated from molecular and cellular levels to the behavioral level, and has enabled pioneering research to be conducted. In male flies, which exhibit a variety of characteristic sexual behaviors, we have accumulated knowledge of many genes and neural circuits that control sexual behaviors. On the other hand, despite the importance of the mechanisms of mating decision-making in females from an evolutionary perspective (such as sexual selection), research on the mechanisms that control sexual behavior in females has progressed somewhat slower. In this review, we focus on the pre-mating behavior of female Drosophila melanogaster, and introduce previous key findings on the neuronal and molecular mechanisms that integrate sensory information and selective expression of behaviors toward the courting male.
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Grants
- JP20H03355 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- JP20H04997 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- 19H04933 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- 17K19450 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- 15K07147 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- 18K06332 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- Naito Foundation
- Inamori Foundation
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Ishimoto
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8602, Japan.
| | - Azusa Kamikouchi
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8602, Japan.
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41
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Moscato EH, Dubowy C, Walker JA, Kayser MS. Social Behavioral Deficits with Loss of Neurofibromin Emerge from Peripheral Chemosensory Neuron Dysfunction. Cell Rep 2021; 32:107856. [PMID: 32640222 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with social and communicative disabilities. The cellular and circuit mechanisms by which loss of neurofibromin 1 (Nf1) results in social deficits are unknown. Here, we identify social behavioral dysregulation with Nf1 loss in Drosophila. These deficits map to primary dysfunction of a group of peripheral sensory neurons. Nf1 regulation of Ras signaling in adult ppk23+ chemosensory cells is required for normal social behaviors in flies. Loss of Nf1 attenuates ppk23+ neuronal activity in response to pheromones, and circuit-specific manipulation of Nf1 expression or neuronal activity in ppk23+ neurons rescues social deficits. This disrupted sensory processing gives rise to persistent changes in behavior beyond the social interaction, indicating a sustained effect of an acute sensory misperception. Together our data identify a specific circuit mechanism through which Nf1 regulates social behaviors and suggest social deficits in NF1 arise from propagation of sensory misinformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilia H Moscato
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Christine Dubowy
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - James A Walker
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Matthew S Kayser
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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42
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Olafson PU, Aksoy S, Attardo GM, Buckmeier G, Chen X, Coates CJ, Davis M, Dykema J, Emrich SJ, Friedrich M, Holmes CJ, Ioannidis P, Jansen EN, Jennings EC, Lawson D, Martinson EO, Maslen GL, Meisel RP, Murphy TD, Nayduch D, Nelson DR, Oyen KJ, Raszick TJ, Ribeiro JMC, Robertson HM, Rosendale AJ, Sackton TB, Saelao P, Swiger SL, Sze SH, Tarone AM, Taylor DB, Warren WC, Waterhouse RM, Weirauch MT, Werren JH, Wilson RK, Zdobnov EM, Benoit JB. The genome of the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans, reveals potential mechanisms underlying reproduction, host interactions, and novel targets for pest control. BMC Biol 2021; 19:41. [PMID: 33750380 PMCID: PMC7944917 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-00975-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans, is a major blood-feeding pest of livestock that has near worldwide distribution, causing an annual cost of over $2 billion for control and product loss in the USA alone. Control of these flies has been limited to increased sanitary management practices and insecticide application for suppressing larval stages. Few genetic and molecular resources are available to help in developing novel methods for controlling stable flies. Results This study examines stable fly biology by utilizing a combination of high-quality genome sequencing and RNA-Seq analyses targeting multiple developmental stages and tissues. In conjunction, 1600 genes were manually curated to characterize genetic features related to stable fly reproduction, vector host interactions, host-microbe dynamics, and putative targets for control. Most notable was characterization of genes associated with reproduction and identification of expanded gene families with functional associations to vision, chemosensation, immunity, and metabolic detoxification pathways. Conclusions The combined sequencing, assembly, and curation of the male stable fly genome followed by RNA-Seq and downstream analyses provide insights necessary to understand the biology of this important pest. These resources and new data will provide the groundwork for expanding the tools available to control stable fly infestations. The close relationship of Stomoxys to other blood-feeding (horn flies and Glossina) and non-blood-feeding flies (house flies, medflies, Drosophila) will facilitate understanding of the evolutionary processes associated with development of blood feeding among the Cyclorrhapha. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-021-00975-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia U Olafson
- Livestock Arthropod Pests Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Kerrville, TX, USA.
| | - Serap Aksoy
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Geoffrey M Attardo
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California - Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Greta Buckmeier
- Livestock Arthropod Pests Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Kerrville, TX, USA
| | - Xiaoting Chen
- The Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Craig J Coates
- Department of Entomology, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Megan Davis
- Livestock Arthropod Pests Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Kerrville, TX, USA
| | - Justin Dykema
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Scott J Emrich
- Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Markus Friedrich
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Christopher J Holmes
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Panagiotis Ioannidis
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Evan N Jansen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Emily C Jennings
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Daniel Lawson
- The European Molecular Biology Laboratory, The European Bioinformatics Institute, The Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SD, UK
| | | | - Gareth L Maslen
- The European Molecular Biology Laboratory, The European Bioinformatics Institute, The Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Richard P Meisel
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Terence D Murphy
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Dana Nayduch
- Arthropod-borne Animal Diseases Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - David R Nelson
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Kennan J Oyen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Tyler J Raszick
- Department of Entomology, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - José M C Ribeiro
- Section of Vector Biology, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Hugh M Robertson
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | | | - Timothy B Sackton
- Informatics Group, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Perot Saelao
- Livestock Arthropod Pests Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Kerrville, TX, USA
| | - Sonja L Swiger
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Stephenville, TX, USA
| | - Sing-Hoi Sze
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Aaron M Tarone
- Department of Entomology, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - David B Taylor
- Agroecosystem Management Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Wesley C Warren
- University of Missouri, Bond Life Sciences Center, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Robert M Waterhouse
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Matthew T Weirauch
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Divisions of Biomedical Informatics and Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - John H Werren
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Richard K Wilson
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.,College of Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Evgeny M Zdobnov
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Joshua B Benoit
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
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Legros J, Tang G, Gautrais J, Fernandez MP, Trannoy S. Long-Term Dietary Restriction Leads to Development of Alternative Fighting Strategies. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 14:599676. [PMID: 33519392 PMCID: PMC7840567 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.599676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In competition for food, mates and territory, most animal species display aggressive behavior through visual threats and/or physical attacks. Such naturally-complex social behaviors have been shaped by evolution. Environmental pressure, such as the one imposed by dietary regimes, forces animals to adapt to specific conditions and ultimately to develop alternative behavioral strategies. The quality of the food resource during contests influence animals' aggression levels. However, little is known regarding the effects of a long-term dietary restriction-based environmental pressure on the development of alternative fighting strategies. To address this, we employed two lines of the wild-type Drosophila melanogaster Canton-S (CS) which originated from the same population but raised under two distinct diets for years. One diet contained both proteins and sugar, while the second one was sugar-free. We set up male-male aggression assays using both CS lines and found differences in aggression levels and the fighting strategies employed to establish dominance relationships. CS males raised on a sugar-containing diet started fights with a physical attack and employed a high number of lunges for establishing dominance but displayed few wing threats throughout the fight. In contrast, the sugar-free-raised males favored wing threats as an initial aggressive demonstration and used fewer lunges to establish dominance, but displayed a higher number of wing threats. This study demonstrates that fruit flies that have been raised under different dietary conditions have adapted their patterns of aggressive behavior and developed distinct fighting strategies: one favoring physical attacks, while the other one favoring visual threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne Legros
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology, Toulouse University, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Grace Tang
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jacques Gautrais
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology, Toulouse University, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Maria Paz Fernandez
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Séverine Trannoy
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology, Toulouse University, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
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Sato K, Yamamoto D. Contact-Chemosensory Evolution Underlying Reproductive Isolation in Drosophila Species. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:597428. [PMID: 33343311 PMCID: PMC7746553 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.597428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The main theme of the review is how changes in pheromone biochemistry and the sensory circuits underlying pheromone detection contribute to mate choice and reproductive isolation. The review focuses primarily on gustatory and non-volatile signals in Drosophila. Premating isolation is prevalent among closely related species. In Drosophila, preference for conspecifics against other species in mate choice underlies premating isolation, and such preference relies on contact chemosensory communications between a female and male along with other biological factors. For example, although D. simulans and D. melanogaster are sibling species that yield hybrids, their premating isolation is maintained primarily by the contrasting effects of 7,11-heptacosadiene (7,11-HD), a predominant female pheromone in D. melanogaster, on males of the two species: it attracts D. melanogaster males and repels D. simulans males. The contrasting preference for 7,11-HD in males of these two species is mainly ascribed to opposite effects of 7,11-HD on neural activities in the courtship decision-making neurons in the male brain: 7,11-HD provokes both excitatory and inhibitory inputs in these neurons and differences in the balance between the two counteracting inputs result in the contrasting preference for 7,11-HD, i.e., attraction in D. melanogaster and repulsion in D. simulans. Introduction of two double bonds is a key step in 7,11-HD biosynthesis and is mediated by the desaturase desatF, which is active in D. melanogaster females but transcriptionally inactivated in D. simulans females. Thus, 7,11-HD biosynthesis diversified in females and 7,11-HD perception diversified in males, yet it remains elusive how concordance of the changes in the two sexes was attained in evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daisuke Yamamoto
- Neuro-Network Evolution Project, Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe, Japan
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45
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Wu Z, Cui Y, Ma J, Qu M, Lin J. Analyses of chemosensory genes provide insight into the evolution of behavioral differences to phytochemicals in Bactrocera species. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2020; 151:106858. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Ahmed OM, Avila-Herrera A, Tun KM, Serpa PH, Peng J, Parthasarathy S, Knapp JM, Stern DL, Davis GW, Pollard KS, Shah NM. Evolution of Mechanisms that Control Mating in Drosophila Males. Cell Rep 2020; 27:2527-2536.e4. [PMID: 31141679 PMCID: PMC6646047 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.04.104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2018] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetically wired neural mechanisms inhibit mating between species
because even naive animals rarely mate with other species. These mechanisms can
evolve through changes in expression or function of key genes in sensory
pathways or central circuits. Gr32a is a gustatory chemoreceptor that, in
D. melanogaster, is essential to inhibit interspecies
courtship and sense quinine. Similar to D. melanogaster, we
find that D. simulans Gr32a is expressed in foreleg tarsi,
sensorimotor appendages that inhibit interspecies courtship, and it is required
to sense quinine. Nevertheless, Gr32a is not required to inhibit interspecies
mating by D. simulans males. However, and similar to its
function in D. melanogaster, Ppk25, a member of the Pickpocket
family, promotes conspecific courtship in D. simulans.
Together, we have identified distinct evolutionary mechanisms underlying
chemosensory control of taste and courtship in closely related
Drosophila species. Mechanisms that inhibit interspecies mating are critical to reproductive
isolation of species. Ahmed et al. show that Gr32a, a chemoreceptor that
inhibits interspecies courtship by D. melanogaster males, does
not inhibit this behavior in the closely related D. simulans,
indicating rapid evolution of peripheral sensory mechanisms that preclude
interspecies breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osama M Ahmed
- Program in Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Aram Avila-Herrera
- Integrative Program in Quantitative Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Computation Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA; Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Khin May Tun
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Paula H Serpa
- Integrative Program in Quantitative Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Justin Peng
- Integrative Program in Quantitative Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Srinivas Parthasarathy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; L.E.K. Consulting, 75 State Street, Boston, MA 02109, USA
| | - Jon-Michael Knapp
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Janelia Research Campus, HHMI Ashburn, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - David L Stern
- Janelia Research Campus, HHMI Ashburn, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Graeme W Davis
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Katherine S Pollard
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Nirao M Shah
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
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47
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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.
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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.
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Wenderski W, Wang L, Krokhotin A, Walsh JJ, Li H, Shoji H, Ghosh S, George RD, Miller EL, Elias L, Gillespie MA, Son EY, Staahl BT, Baek ST, Stanley V, Moncada C, Shipony Z, Linker SB, Marchetto MCN, Gage FH, Chen D, Sultan T, Zaki MS, Ranish JA, Miyakawa T, Luo L, Malenka RC, Crabtree GR, Gleeson JG. Loss of the neural-specific BAF subunit ACTL6B relieves repression of early response genes and causes recessive autism. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:10055-10066. [PMID: 32312822 PMCID: PMC7211998 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1908238117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Synaptic activity in neurons leads to the rapid activation of genes involved in mammalian behavior. ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers such as the BAF complex contribute to these responses and are generally thought to activate transcription. However, the mechanisms keeping such "early activation" genes silent have been a mystery. In the course of investigating Mendelian recessive autism, we identified six families with segregating loss-of-function mutations in the neuronal BAF (nBAF) subunit ACTL6B (originally named BAF53b). Accordingly, ACTL6B was the most significantly mutated gene in the Simons Recessive Autism Cohort. At least 14 subunits of the nBAF complex are mutated in autism, collectively making it a major contributor to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Patient mutations destabilized ACTL6B protein in neurons and rerouted dendrites to the wrong glomerulus in the fly olfactory system. Humans and mice lacking ACTL6B showed corpus callosum hypoplasia, indicating a conserved role for ACTL6B in facilitating neural connectivity. Actl6b knockout mice on two genetic backgrounds exhibited ASD-related behaviors, including social and memory impairments, repetitive behaviors, and hyperactivity. Surprisingly, mutation of Actl6b relieved repression of early response genes including AP1 transcription factors (Fos, Fosl2, Fosb, and Junb), increased chromatin accessibility at AP1 binding sites, and transcriptional changes in late response genes associated with early response transcription factor activity. ACTL6B loss is thus an important cause of recessive ASD, with impaired neuron-specific chromatin repression indicated as a potential mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy Wenderski
- Department of Pathology, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Department of Genetics, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037
- Rady Children's Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Andrey Krokhotin
- Department of Pathology, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Department of Genetics, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305
| | - Jessica J Walsh
- Nancy Pritztker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
| | - Hongjie Li
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305
| | - Hirotaka Shoji
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, 470-1192 Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
| | - Shereen Ghosh
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037
- Rady Children's Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Renee D George
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037
- Rady Children's Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Erik L Miller
- Department of Pathology, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Department of Genetics, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305
| | - Laura Elias
- Department of Pathology, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Department of Genetics, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305
| | | | - Esther Y Son
- Department of Pathology, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Department of Genetics, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305
| | - Brett T Staahl
- Department of Pathology, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Department of Genetics, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305
| | - Seung Tae Baek
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037
- Rady Children's Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Valentina Stanley
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037
- Rady Children's Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Cynthia Moncada
- Department of Pathology, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Department of Genetics, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305
| | - Zohar Shipony
- Department of Pathology, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Department of Genetics, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305
| | - Sara B Linker
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Maria C N Marchetto
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Fred H Gage
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Dillon Chen
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037
- Rady Children's Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Tipu Sultan
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Institute of Child Health, Children Hospital Lahore, 54000 Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Maha S Zaki
- Clinical Genetics Department, Human Genetics and Genome Research Division, National Research Centre, 12311 Cairo, Egypt
| | | | - Tsuyoshi Miyakawa
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, 470-1192 Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
| | - Liqun Luo
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305
| | - Robert C Malenka
- Nancy Pritztker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
| | - Gerald R Crabtree
- Department of Pathology, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305;
- Department of Genetics, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, CA 94305
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305
| | - Joseph G Gleeson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037;
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037
- Rady Children's Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037
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49
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Zhao S, Deanhardt B, Barlow GT, Schleske PG, Rossi AM, Volkan PC. Chromatin-based reprogramming of a courtship regulator by concurrent pheromone perception and hormone signaling. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaba6913. [PMID: 32494751 PMCID: PMC7244261 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba6913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
To increase fitness, animals use both internal and external states to coordinate reproductive behaviors. The molecular mechanisms underlying this coordination remain unknown. Here, we focused on pheromone-sensing Drosophila Or47b neurons, which exhibit age- and social experience-dependent increase in pheromone responses and courtship advantage in males. FruitlessM (FruM), a master regulator of male courtship behaviors, drives the effects of social experience and age on Or47b neuron responses and function. We show that simultaneous exposure to social experience and age-specific juvenile hormone (JH) induces chromatin-based reprogramming of fruM expression in Or47b neurons. Group housing and JH signaling increase fruM expression in Or47b neurons and active chromatin marks at fruM promoter. Conversely, social isolation or loss of JH signaling decreases fruM expression and increases repressive marks around fruM promoter. Our results suggest that fruM promoter integrates coincident hormone and pheromone signals driving chromatin-based changes in expression and ultimately neuronal and behavioral plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songhui Zhao
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Bryson Deanhardt
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | | | | | - Anthony M. Rossi
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Pelin C. Volkan
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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50
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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.
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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
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