A Drosophila DEG/ENaC subunit functions specifically in gustatory neurons required for male courtship behavior

A modular circuit architecture coordinates the diversification of courtship strategies in Drosophila

Identifying a mate is a central imperative for males of most species but poses the challenge of distinguishing a suitable partner from an array of potential male competitors or females of related species. Mate recognition systems are thus subject to strong selective pressures, driving the rapid coevolution of female sensory cues and male sensory preferences. Here we leverage the rapid evolution of female pheromones across the Drosophila genus to gain insight into how males coordinately adapt their detection and interpretation of these chemical cues to hone their mating strategies. While in some Drosophila species females produce unique pheromones that act to attract and arouse their conspecific males, the pheromones of most species are sexually monomorphic such that females possess no distinguishing chemosensory signatures that males can use for mate recognition. By comparing several close and distantly-related Drosophila species, we reveal that D. yakuba males have evolved the distinct ability to use a sexually-monomorphic pheromone, 7-tricosene (7-T), as an excitatory cue to promote courtship, a sensory innovation that enables D. yakuba males to court in the dark thereby expanding their reproductive opportunities. To gain insight into the neural adaptations that enable 7-T to act as an excitatory cue, we compared the functional properties of two key nodes within the pheromone circuits of D. yakuba and a subset of its closest relatives. We show that the instructive role of 7-T in D. yakuba arises from concurrent peripheral and central circuit changes: a distinct subpopulation of sensory neurons has acquired sensitivity to 7-T which in turn selectively signals to a distinct subset of P1 neurons in the central brain that trigger courtship behaviors. Such a modular circuit organization, in which different sensory inputs can independently couple to multiple parallel courtship control nodes, may facilitate the evolution of mate recognition systems by allowing males to take advantage of novel sensory modalities to become aroused. Together, our findings suggest how peripheral and central circuit adaptations can be flexibly linked to underlie the rapid evolution of mate recognition and courtship strategies across species.

Understanding the impact of sociosexual interactions on sleep using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism

Sleep is conserved across species, and it is believed that a fixed amount of sleep is needed for normal neurobiological functions. Sleep rebound follows sleep deprivation; however, continuous sleep deprivation for longer durations is believed to be detrimental to the animal's wellbeing. Under some physiologically demanding situations, such as migration in birds, the birth of new offspring in cetaceans, and sexual interactions in pectoral sandpipers, animals are known to forgo sleep. The mechanisms by which animals forgo sleep without having any obvious negative impact on the proper functioning of their neurobiological processes are yet unknown. Therefore, a simple assay is needed to study how animals forgo sleep. The assay should be ecologically relevant so it can offer insights into the physiology of the organisms. Equally important is that the organism should be genetically amenable, which helps in understanding the cellular and molecular processes that govern such behaviors. This paper presents a simple method of sociosexual interaction to understand the process by which animals forgo sleep. In the case of Drosophila melanogaster, when males and females are in proximity, they are highly active and lose a significant amount of sleep. In addition, there is no sleep rebound afterward, and instead, males engaged in sexual interactions continue to show normal sleep. Thus, sexual drive in the fruit flies is a robust assay to understand the underlying mechanism by which animals forgo sleep.

A single-cell atlas of the sexually dimorphic Drosophila foreleg and its sensory organs during development

To respond to the world around them, animals rely on the input of a network of sensory organs distributed throughout the body. Distinct classes of sensory organs are specialized for the detection of specific stimuli such as strain, pressure, or taste. The features that underlie this specialization relate both to the neurons that innervate sensory organs and the accessory cells they comprise. To understand the genetic basis of this diversity of cell types, both within and between sensory organs, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing on the first tarsal segment of the male Drosophila melanogaster foreleg during pupal development. This tissue displays a wide variety of functionally and structurally distinct sensory organs, including campaniform sensilla, mechanosensory bristles, and chemosensory taste bristles, as well as the sex comb, a recently evolved male-specific structure. In this study, we characterize the cellular landscape in which the sensory organs reside, identify a novel cell type that contributes to the construction of the neural lamella, and resolve the transcriptomic differences among support cells within and between sensory organs. We identify the genes that distinguish between mechanosensory and chemosensory neurons, resolve a combinatorial transcription factor code that defines 4 distinct classes of gustatory neurons and several types of mechanosensory neurons, and match the expression of sensory receptor genes to specific neuron classes. Collectively, our work identifies core genetic features of a variety of sensory organs and provides a rich, annotated resource for studying their development and function.

Social experience and pheromone receptor activity reprogram gene expression in sensory neurons

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.

Gustation in insects: taste qualities and types of evidence used to show taste function of specific body parts

The insect equivalent of taste buds are gustatory sensilla, which have been found on mouthparts, pharynxes, antennae, legs, wings, and ovipositors. Most gustatory sensilla are uniporous, but not all apparently uniporous sensilla are gustatory. Among sensilla containing more than one neuron, a tubular body on one dendrite is also indicative of a taste sensillum, with the tubular body adding tactile function. But not all taste sensilla are also tactile. Additional morphological criteria are often used to recognize if a sensillum is gustatory. Further confirmation of such criteria by electrophysiological or behavioral evidence is needed. The five canonical taste qualities to which insects respond are sweet, bitter, sour, salty, and umami. But not all tastants that insects respond to easily fit in these taste qualities. Categories of insect tastants can be based not only on human taste perception, but also on whether the response is deterrent or appetitive and on chemical structure. Other compounds that at least some insects taste include, but are not limited to: water, fatty acids, metals, carbonation, RNA, ATP, pungent tastes as in horseradish, bacterial lipopolysaccharides, and contact pheromones. We propose that, for insects, taste be defined not only as a response to nonvolatiles but also be restricted to responses that are, or are thought to be, mediated by a sensillum. This restriction is useful because some of the receptor proteins in gustatory sensilla are also found elsewhere.

The diverse functions of the DEG/ENaC family: linking genetic and physiological insights

The DEG/ENaC family of ion channels was defined based on the sequence similarity between degenerins (DEG) from the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and subunits of the mammalian epithelial sodium channel (ENaC), and also includes a diverse array of non-voltage-gated cation channels from across animal phyla, including the mammalian acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) and Drosophila pickpockets. ENaCs and ASICs have wide ranging medical importance; for example, ENaCs play an important role in respiratory and renal function, and ASICs in ischaemia and inflammatory pain, as well as being implicated in memory and learning. Electrophysiological approaches, both in vitro and in vivo, have played an essential role in establishing the physiological properties of this diverse family, identifying an array of modulators and implicating them in an extensive range of cellular functions, including mechanosensation, acid sensation and synaptic modulation. Likewise, genetic studies in both invertebrates and vertebrates have played an important role in linking our understanding of channel properties to function at the cellular and whole animal/behavioural level. Drawing together genetic and physiological evidence is essential to furthering our understanding of the precise cellular roles of DEG/ENaC channels, with the diversity among family members allowing comparative physiological studies to dissect the molecular basis of these diverse functions.

A neurogenetic mechanism of experience-dependent suppression of aggression

Aggression is an ethologically important social behavior, but excessive aggression can be detrimental to fitness. Social experiences among conspecific individuals reduce aggression in many species, the mechanism of which is largely unknown. We found that loss-of-function mutation of nervy (nvy), a Drosophila homolog of vertebrate myeloid translocation genes (MTGs), increased aggressiveness only in socially experienced flies and that this could be reversed by neuronal expression of human MTGs. A subpopulation of octopaminergic/tyraminergic neurons labeled by nvy was specifically required for such social experience-dependent suppression of aggression, in both males and females. Cell type-specific transcriptomic analysis of these neurons revealed aggression-controlling genes that are likely downstream of nvy. Our results illustrate both genetic and neuronal mechanisms by which the nervous system suppresses aggression in a social experience-dependent manner, a poorly understood process that is considered important for maintaining the fitness of animals.

Drosophila sensory receptors-a set of molecular Swiss Army Knives

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.

Peripheral taste detection in honey bees: What do taste receptors respond to?

Understanding the neural principles governing taste perception in species that bear economic importance or serve as research models for other sensory modalities constitutes a strategic goal. Such is the case of the honey bee (Apis mellifera), which is environmentally and socioeconomically important, given its crucial role as pollinator agent in agricultural landscapes and which has served as a traditional model for visual and olfactory neurosciences and for research on communication, navigation, and learning and memory. Here we review the current knowledge on honey bee gustatory receptors to provide an integrative view of peripheral taste detection in this insect, highlighting specificities and commonalities with other insect species. We describe behavioral and electrophysiological responses to several tastant categories and relate these responses, whenever possible, to known molecular receptor mechanisms. Overall, we adopted an evolutionary and comparative perspective to understand the neural principles of honey bee taste and define key questions that should be answered in future gustatory research centered on this insect.

Functional properties of insect olfactory receptors: ionotropic receptors and odorant receptors

The majority of insect olfactory receptors belong to two distinct protein families, the ionotropic receptors (IRs), which are related to the ionotropic glutamate receptor family, and the odorant receptors (ORs), which evolved from the gustatory receptor family. Both receptor types assemble to heteromeric ligand-gated cation channels composed of odor-specific receptor proteins and co-receptor proteins. We here present in short the current view on evolution, function, and regulation of IRs and ORs. Special attention is given on how their functional properties can meet the environmental and ecological challenges an insect has to face.

Distinct Roles and Synergistic Function of FruM Isoforms in Drosophila Olfactory Receptor Neurons

Sexual dimorphism in Drosophila courtship circuits requires the male-specific transcription factor fruM, which is alternatively spliced to encode the FruMA, FruMB, and FruMC isoforms. Most fruM-positive neurons express multiple variants; however, the functional significance of their co-expression remains undetermined. Do co-expressed isoforms each play unique roles to jointly regulate dimorphism? By focusing on fruM-positive olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs), here, we show that FruMB and FruMC are both required for males' age-dependent sensitization to aphrodisiac olfactory cues in a cell-autonomous manner. Interestingly, FruMB expression is upregulated with age in Or47b and Ir84a ORNs, and its overexpression mimics the effect of age in elevating olfactory responses. Mechanistically, FruMB and FruMC synergistically mediate response sensitization through cooperation of their respective downstream effectors, namely, PPK25 and PPK23, which are both required for forming a functional amplification channel in ORNs. Together, these results provide critical mechanistic insight into how co-expressed FruM isoforms jointly coordinate dimorphic neurophysiology.

Contact-Chemosensory Evolution Underlying Reproductive Isolation in Drosophila Species

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.

Molecular mechanisms of olfactory detection in insects: beyond receptors

Insects thrive in diverse ecological niches in large part because of their highly sophisticated olfactory systems. Over the last two decades, a major focus in the study of insect olfaction has been on the role of olfactory receptors in mediating neuronal responses to environmental chemicals. In vivo, these receptors operate in specialized structures, called sensilla, which comprise neurons and non-neuronal support cells, extracellular lymph fluid and a precisely shaped cuticle. While sensilla are inherent to odour sensing in insects, we are only just beginning to understand their construction and function. Here, we review recent work that illuminates how odour-evoked neuronal activity is impacted by sensillar morphology, lymph fluid biochemistry, accessory signalling molecules in neurons and the physiological crosstalk between sensillar cells. These advances reveal multi-layered molecular and cellular mechanisms that determine the selectivity, sensitivity and dynamic modulation of odour-evoked responses in insects.

Neuronal Compartmentalization: A Means to Integrate Sensory Input at the Earliest Stage of Information Processing?

In numerous peripheral sense organs, external stimuli are detected by primary sensory neurons compartmentalized within specialized structures composed of cuticular or epithelial tissue. Beyond reflecting developmental constraints, such compartmentalization also provides opportunities for grouped neurons to functionally interact. Here, the authors review and illustrate the prevalence of these structural units, describe characteristics of compartmentalized neurons, and consider possible interactions between these cells. This article discusses instances of neuronal crosstalk, examples of which are observed in the vertebrate tastebuds and multiple types of arthropod chemosensory hairs. Particular attention is paid to insect olfaction, which presents especially well-characterized mechanisms of functional, cross-neuronal interactions. These examples highlight the potential impact of peripheral processing, which likely contributes more to signal integration than previously considered. In surveying a wide variety of structural units, it is hoped that this article will stimulate future research that determines whether grouped neurons in other sensory systems can also communicate to impact information processing.

Light dependent courtship behavior in Drosophila simulans and D. melanogaster

Differences in courtship signals and perception are well-known among Drosophila species. One such described difference is the dependency on light, and thus presumably vision, for copulation success. Many studies have described a difference in light-dependent copulation success between D. melanogaster and D. simulans, identifying D. simulans as a light-dependent species, and D. melanogaster as a light-independent one. However, many of these studies use assays of varying design and few strains to represent the entire species. Here, we attempt to better characterize this purported difference using 11 strains of each species, paired by collection location, in behavioral assays conducted at two different exposure times. We show that, while there is a species-wide difference in magnitude of light-dependent copulation success, D. melanogaster copulation success is, on average, still impaired in the dark at both exposure times we measured. Additionally, there is significant variation in strain-specific ability to copulate in the dark in both species across two different exposure times. We find that this variation correlates strongly with longitude in D. melanogaster, but not in D. simulans. We hypothesize that differences in species history and demography may explain behavioral variation. Finally, we use courtship assays to show that light-dependent copulation success in one D. simulans strain is driven in part by both males and females. We discuss potential differences in courtship signals and/or signal importance between these species and potential for further comparative studies for functional characterization.

Evolution of Mechanisms that Control Mating in Drosophila Males

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.

Sex-determining genes distinctly regulate courtship capability and target preference via sexually dimorphic neurons

For successful mating, a male animal must execute effective courtship behaviors toward a receptive target sex, which is female. Whether the courtship execution capability and upregulation of courtship toward females are specified through separable sex-determining genetic pathways remains uncharacterized. Here, we found that one of the two Drosophila sex-determining genes, doublesex (dsx), specifies a male-specific neuronal component that serves as an execution mechanism for courtship behavior, whereas fruitless (fru) is required for enhancement of courtship behavior toward females. The dsx-dependent courtship execution mechanism includes a specific subclass within a neuronal cluster that co-express dsx and fru. This cluster contains at least another subclass that is specified cooperatively by both dsx and fru. Although these neuronal populations can also promote aggressive behavior toward male flies, this capacity requires fru-dependent mechanisms. Our results uncover how sex-determining genes specify execution capability and female-specific enhancement of courtship behavior through separable yet cooperative neurogenetic mechanisms.

Signal Amplification in Drosophila Olfactory Receptor Neurons

Olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) transform scant chemical inputs into significant neural signals. This transformation requires signal amplification. In this issue of Neuron, Ng et al. (2019) identified a mechanism by which the signals evoked by pheromones are amplified in the ORNs that selectively promote courtship behavior in Drosophila.

Amplification of Drosophila Olfactory Responses by a DEG/ENaC Channel

Insect olfactory receptors operate as ligand-gated ion channels that directly transduce odor stimuli into electrical signals. However, in the absence of any known intermediate transduction steps, it remains unclear whether and how these ionotropic inputs are amplified in olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). Here, we find that amplification occurs in the Drosophila courtship-promoting ORNs through Pickpocket 25 (PPK25), a member of the degenerin/epithelial sodium channel family (DEG/ENaC). Pharmacological and genetic manipulations indicate that, in Or47b and Ir84a ORNs, PPK25 mediates Ca²⁺-dependent signal amplification via an intracellular calmodulin-binding motif. Additionally, hormonal signaling upregulates PPK25 expression to determine the degree of amplification, with striking effects on male courtship. Together, these findings advance our understanding of sensory neurobiology by identifying an amplification mechanism compatible with ionotropic signaling. Moreover, this study offers new insights into DEG/ENaC activation by highlighting a novel means of regulation that is likely conserved across species.

Chemosensory sensilla of the Drosophila wing express a candidate ionotropic pheromone receptor

The Drosophila wing was proposed to be a taste organ more than 35 years ago, but there has been remarkably little study of its role in chemoreception. We carry out a differential RNA-seq analysis of a row of sensilla on the anterior wing margin and find expression of many genes associated with pheromone and chemical perception. To ask whether these sensilla might receive pheromonal input, we devised a dye-transfer paradigm and found that large, hydrophobic molecules comparable to pheromones can be transferred from one fly to the wing margin of another. One gene, Ionotropic receptor (IR)52a, is coexpressed in neurons of these sensilla with fruitless, a marker of sexual circuitry; IR52a is also expressed in legs. Mutation of IR52a and optogenetic silencing of IR52a⁺ neurons decrease levels of male sexual behavior. Optogenetic activation of IR52a⁺ neurons induces males to show courtship toward other males and, remarkably, toward females of another species. Surprisingly, IR52a is also required in females for normal sexual behavior. Optogenetic activation of IR52a⁺ neurons in mated females induces copulation, which normally occurs at very low levels. Unlike other chemoreceptors that act in males to inhibit male–male interactions and promote male–female interactions, IR52a acts in both males and females, and can promote male–male as well as male–female interactions. Moreover, IR52a⁺ neurons can override the circuitry that normally suppresses sexual behavior toward unproductive targets. Circuit mapping and Ca²⁺ imaging using the trans-Tango system reveals second-order projections of IR52a⁺ neurons in the subesophageal zone (SEZ), some of which are sexually dimorphic. Optogenetic activation of IR52a⁺ neurons in the wing activates second-order projections in the SEZ. Taken together, this study provides a molecular description of the chemosensory sensilla of a greatly understudied taste organ and defines a gene that regulates the sexual circuitry of the fly.

Ion Channel Contributions to Wing Development in Drosophila melanogaster

During morphogenesis, cells communicate with each other to shape tissues and organs. Several lines of recent evidence indicate that ion channels play a key role in cellular signaling and tissue morphogenesis. However, little is known about the scope of specific ion-channel types that impinge upon developmental pathways. The Drosophila melanogaster wing is an excellent model in which to address this problem as wing vein patterning is acutely sensitive to changes in developmental pathways. We conducted a screen of 180 ion channels expressed in the wing using loss-of-function mutant and RNAi lines. Here we identify 44 candidates that significantly impacted development of the Drosophila melanogaster wing. Calcium, sodium, potassium, chloride, and ligand-gated cation channels were all identified in our screen, suggesting that a wide variety of ion channel types are important for development. Ion channels belonging to the pickpocket family, the ionotropic receptor family, and the bestrophin family were highly represented among the candidates of our screen. Seven new ion channels with human orthologs that have been implicated in human channelopathies were also identified. Many of the human orthologs of the channels identified in our screen are targets of common general anesthetics, anti-seizure and anti-hypertension drugs, as well as alcohol and nicotine. Our results confirm the importance of ion channels in morphogenesis and identify a number of ion channels that will provide the basis for future studies to understand the role of ion channels in development.

Sex differences in Drosophila behavior: Qualitative and Quantitative Dimorphism

The importance of sex as a biological variable is being recognized by more and more researchers, including those using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. Differences between the two sexes are not confined to well-known reproductive behaviors, but include other behaviors and physiological characteristics that are considered "common" to both sexes. It is possible to categorize sexual dimorphisms into "qualitative" and "quantitative" differences, and this review focuses on recent advances in elucidating genetic and neurophysiological basis of both qualitative and quantitative sex differences in Drosophila behavior. While sex-specific behaviors are often mediated by sexually dimorphic neural circuits, quantitative sexual dimorphism is caused by sex-specific modulation of a common neuronal substrate.

Neural control of sexually dimorphic social behaviors

Sexually reproducing animals display sex differences in behavior. Although many of these sex differences in behavior are acquired with experience, sexually dimorphic behaviors such as mating and aggression are innate in the sense that they can be displayed without prior training or experience. In this review, we present recent advances in our understanding of the neural control of such innate sexually dimorphic social behaviors, with a focus on sexual behavior and aggression in flies and mice. We provide a brief overview of fundamental processes that regulate sexual differentiation in these animals to provide a framework within which more recent advances can be understood. We discuss advances in sensory, neuromodulatory, neural circuit, and experiential regulation of sexually dimorphic social behaviors.

The receptor channel formed by ppk25, ppk29 and ppk23 can sense the Drosophila female pheromone 7,11-heptacosadiene

In Drosophila, pheromones play a crucial role in regulating courtship behaviors. In males, female aphrodisiac pheromones promote male-female courtship, and male antiaphrodisiac pheromones inhibit male-male courtship. Previous studies have reported that receptor proteins belonging to the pickpocket (ppk) family, ionotropic receptor family and gustatory receptor family are required for pheromone detection and normal courtship. However, none of them has been shown to be sufficient for sensing pheromones after ectopic expression in originally unresponsive cells. "M" cells are activated by male antiaphrodisiac pheromones but not female aphrodisiac pheromones, and the activated cells inhibit male-male courtship. In our study, male flies with ectopic expression of ppk25, ppk29 and ppk23 in "M" cells showed decreased male-female courtship. Using an in vivo calcium imaging approach, we found that the "M" cells expressing these three ppks were significantly activated by the female aphrodisiac pheromone 7,11-heptacosadiene (7,11-HD). Our results indicate that a sodium channel consisting, at minimum, of ppk25, ppk29 and ppk23, can sense 7,11-HD, most likely as a receptor. Our findings may help us gain insights into the molecular mechanisms of pheromonal functions.

Using Pox-Neuro (Poxn) Mutants in Drosophila Gustation Research: A Double-Edged Sword

In Drosophila, Pox-neuro (Poxn) is a member of the Paired box (Pax) gene family that encodes transcription factors with characteristic paired DNA-binding domains. During embryonic development, Poxn is expressed in sensory organ precursor (SOP) cells of poly-innervated external sensory (p-es) organs and is important for specifying p-es organ identity (chemosensory) as opposed to mono-innervated external sensory (m-es) organs (mechanosensory). In Poxn mutants, there is a transformation of chemosensory bristles into mechanosensory bristles. As a result, these mutants have often been considered to be entirely taste-blind, and researchers have used them in this capacity to investigate physiological and behavioral functions that act in a taste-independent manner. However, recent studies show that only external taste bristles are transformed in Poxn mutants whereas all internal pharyngeal taste neurons remain intact, raising concerns about interpretations of experimental results using Poxn mutants as taste-blind flies. In this review, we summarize the value of Poxn mutants in advancing our knowledge of taste-enriched genes and feeding behaviors, and encourage revisiting some of the conclusions about taste-independent nutrient-sensing mechanisms derived from these mutants. Lastly, we highlight that Poxn mutant flies remain a valuable tool for probing the function of the relatively understudied pharyngeal taste neurons in sensing meal properties and regulating feeding behaviors.

Insulin signaling in female Drosophila links diet and sexual attractiveness

Appropriate sexual selection or individual sexual attractiveness is closely associated with the reproductive success of a species. Here, we report that young male flies exhibit innate courtship preference for female flies that are raised on higher-yeast diets and that have greater body weight and fecundity, but reduced locomotor activity and shortened lifespan. Male flies discriminate among females that have been fed diets that contain 3 different yeast concentrations-1, 5, and 20% yeast- via gustatory, but not visual or olfactory, perception. Female flies that are raised on higher-yeast diets exhibit elevated expression levels of Drosophila insulin-like peptides (di lps), and we demonstrate that hypomorphic mutations of di lp2, 3, 5 or foxo, as well as oenocyte-specific gene disruption of the insulin receptor, all abolish this male courtship preference for high yeast-fed females. Moreover, our data demonstrate that disrupted di lp signaling can alter the expression profile of some cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) in female flies, and that genetic inhibition of an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of CHCs in oenocytes, elongase F, also eliminates the male courtship preference. Together, our findings provide mechanistic insights that link female reproductive potential to sexual attractiveness, thereby encouraging adaptive mating and optimal reproductive success.-Lin, W.-S., Yeh, S.-R., Fan, S.-Z., Chen, L.-Y., Yen, J.-H., Fu, T.-F., Wu, M.-S., Wang, P.-Y. Insulin signaling in female Drosophila links diet and sexual attractiveness.

Gustatory Processing in Drosophila melanogaster

The ability to identify nutrient-rich food and avoid toxic substances is essential for an animal's survival. Although olfaction and vision contribute to food detection, the gustatory system acts as a final checkpoint control for food acceptance or rejection. The vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster tastes many of the same stimuli as mammals and provides an excellent model system for comparative studies of taste detection. The relative simplicity of the fly brain and behaviors, along with the molecular genetic and functional approaches available in this system, allow the examination of gustatory neural circuits from sensory input to motor output. This review discusses the molecules and cells that detect taste compounds in the periphery and the circuits that process taste information in the brain. These studies are providing insight into how the detection of taste compounds regulates feeding decisions.

Regulation of sleep homeostasis by sexual arousal

In all animals, sleep pressure is under continuous tight regulation. It is universally accepted that this regulation arises from a two-process model, integrating both a circadian and a homeostatic controller. Here we explore the role of environmental social signals as a third, parallel controller of sleep homeostasis and sleep pressure. We show that, in Drosophila melanogaster males, sleep pressure after sleep deprivation can be counteracted by raising their sexual arousal, either by engaging the flies with prolonged courtship activity or merely by exposing them to female pheromones.

Neuromodulation and Strategic Action Choice in Drosophila Aggression

In this review, I discuss current knowledge and outstanding questions on the neuromodulators that influence aggressive behavior of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. I first present evidence that Drosophila exchange information during an agonistic interaction and choose appropriate actions based on this information. I then discuss the influence of several biogenic amines and neuropeptides on aggressive behavior. One striking characteristic of neuromodulation is that it can configure a neural circuit dynamically, enabling one circuit to generate multiple outcomes. I suggest a consensus effect of each neuromodulatory molecule on Drosophila aggression, as well as effects of receptor proteins where relevant data are available. Lastly, I consider neuromodulation in the context of strategic action choices during agonistic interactions. Genetic components of neuromodulatory systems are highly conserved across animals, suggesting that molecular and cellular mechanisms controlling Drosophila aggression can shed light on neural principles governing action choice during social interactions.

The Drosophila Postsynaptic DEG/ENaC Channel ppk29 Contributes to Excitatory Neurotransmission

The protein family of degenerin/epithelial sodium channels (DEG/ENaCs) is composed of diverse animal-specific, non-voltage-gated ion channels that play important roles in regulating cationic gradients across epithelial barriers. Some family members are also enriched in neural tissues in both vertebrates and invertebrates. However, the specific neurophysiological functions of most DEG/ENaC-encoding genes remain poorly understood. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is an excellent model for deciphering the functions of DEG/ENaC genes because its genome encodes an exceptionally large number of DEG/ENaC subunits termed pickpocket (ppk) 1-31 Here we demonstrate that ppk29 contributes specifically to the postsynaptic modulation of excitatory synaptic transmission at the larval neuromuscular junction. Electrophysiological data indicate that the function of ppk29 in muscle is necessary for normal postsynaptic responsivity to neurotransmitter release and for normal coordinated larval movement. The ppk29 mutation does not affect gross synaptic morphology and ultrastructure, which indicates that the observed phenotypes are likely due to defects in glutamate receptor function. Together, our data indicate that DEG/ENaC ion channels play a fundamental role in the postsynaptic regulation of excitatory neurotransmission.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Members of the degenerin/epithelial sodium channel (DEG/ENaC) family are broadly expressed in epithelial and neuronal tissues. To date, the neurophysiological functions of most family members remain unknown. Here, by using the power of Drosophila genetics in combination with electrophysiological and behavioral approaches, we demonstrate that the DEG/ENaC-encoding gene pickpocket 29 contributes to baseline neurotransmission, possibly via the modulation of postsynaptic glutamate receptor functionality.

Odorant Responses and Courtship Behaviors Influenced by at4 Neurons in Drosophila

In insects, pheromones function as triggers to elicit complex behavior programs, such as courtship and mating behavior. In most species, the neurons tuned to pheromones are localized in a specific subset of olfactory sensilla located on the antenna called trichoid sensilla. In Drosophila there are two classes of trichoid sensilla, at1 sensilla that contain the dendrites of a single neuron that is specifically tuned to the male-specific pheromone 11-cis vaccenyl acetate (cVA), and at4 sensilla that contain three neurons with relatively poorly defined chemical specificity and function. Using a combination of odorant receptor mutant analysis, single sensillum electrophysiology and optogenetics, we have examined the chemical tuning and behavioral consequences of the three at4 olfactory neuron classes. Our results indicate that one class, Or65abc neurons, are unresponsive to cVA pheromone, and function to inhibit courtship behaviors in response to an unknown ligand, while the other two neuron classes, Or88a and Or47b neurons, are sensitive to a diverse array of fly and non-fly odors, and activation of these neurons has little direct impact on courtship behaviors.

Hormonal Modulation of Pheromone Detection Enhances Male Courtship Success

During the lifespans of most animals, reproductive maturity and mating activity are highly coordinated. In Drosophila melanogaster, for instance, male fertility increases with age, and older males are known to have a copulation advantage over young ones. The molecular and neural basis of this age-related disparity in mating behavior is unknown. Here, we show that the Or47b odorant receptor is required for the copulation advantage of older males. Notably, the sensitivity of Or47b neurons to a stimulatory pheromone, palmitoleic acid, is low in young males but high in older ones, which accounts for older males' higher courtship intensity. Mechanistically, this age-related sensitization of Or47b neurons requires a reproductive hormone, juvenile hormone, as well as its binding protein Methoprene-tolerant in Or47b neurons. Together, our study identifies a direct neural substrate for juvenile hormone that permits coordination of courtship activity with reproductive maturity to maximize male reproductive fitness.

Neural control of aggression in Drosophila

Like most animal species, fruit flies fight to obtain and defend resources essential to survival and reproduction. Aggressive behavior in Drosophila is genetically specified and also strongly influenced by the fly's social context, past experiences and internal states, making it an excellent framework for investigating the neural mechanisms that regulate complex social behaviors. Here, I summarize our current knowledge of the neural control of aggression in Drosophila and discuss recent advances in understanding the sensory pathways that influence the decision to fight or court, the neuromodulatory control of aggression, the neural basis by which internal states can influence both fighting and courtship, and how social experience modifies aggressive behavior.

Functional Gustatory Role of Chemoreceptors in Drosophila Wings

Neuroanatomical evidence argues for the presence of taste sensilla in Drosophila wings; however, the taste physiology of insect wings remains hypothetical, and a comprehensive link to mechanical functions, such as flight, wing flapping, and grooming, is lacking. Our data show that the sensilla of the Drosophila anterior wing margin respond to both sweet and bitter molecules through an increase in cytosolic Ca(2+) levels. Conversely, genetically modified flies presenting a wing-specific reduction in chemosensory cells show severe defects in both wing taste signaling and the exploratory guidance associated with chemodetection. In Drosophila, the chemodetection machinery includes mechanical grooming, which facilitates the contact between tastants and wing chemoreceptors, and the vibrations of flapping wings that nebulize volatile molecules as carboxylic acids. Together, these data demonstrate that the Drosophila wing chemosensory sensilla are a functional taste organ and that they may have a role in the exploration of ecological niches.

The neural basis for insect pheromonal communication

Insects rely on chemosensory signals to drive a multitude of behavioral decisions. From conspecific and mate recognition to aggression, the proper detection and processing of these chemical signals - termed pheromones - is crucial for insects' fitness. While the identities and physiological impacts of diverse insect pheromones have been known for many years, how these important molecules are perceived and processed by the nervous system to produce evolutionarily beneficial behaviors is still mostly unknown. Here we present an overview of the current state of research into the peripheral and central nervous system mechanisms that process and drive behavioral responses to diverse pheromonal cues.

Drosophila Bitter Taste(s)

Most animals possess taste receptors neurons detecting potentially noxious compounds. In humans, the ligands which activate these neurons define a sensory space called “bitter”. By extension, this term has been used in animals and insects to define molecules which induce aversive responses. In this review, based on our observations carried out in Drosophila, we examine how bitter compounds are detected and if bitter-sensitive neurons respond only to molecules bitter to humans. Like most animals, flies detect bitter chemicals through a specific population of taste neurons, distinct from those responding to sugars or to other modalities. Activating bitter-sensitive taste neurons induces aversive reactions and inhibits feeding. Bitter molecules also contribute to the suppression of sugar-neuron responses and can lead to a complete inhibition of the responses to sugar at the periphery. Since some bitter molecules activate bitter-sensitive neurons and some inhibit sugar detection, bitter molecules are represented by two sensory spaces which are only partially congruent. In addition to molecules which impact feeding, we recently discovered that the activation of bitter-sensitive neurons also induces grooming. Bitter-sensitive neurons of the wings and of the legs can sense chemicals from the gram negative bacteria, Escherichia coli, thus adding another biological function to these receptors. Bitter-sensitive neurons of the proboscis also respond to the inhibitory pheromone, 7-tricosene. Activating these neurons by bitter molecules in the context of sexual encounter inhibits courting and sexual reproduction, while activating these neurons with 7-tricosene in a feeding context will inhibit feeding. The picture that emerges from these observations is that the taste system is composed of detectors which monitor different “categories” of ligands, which facilitate or inhibit behaviors depending on the context (feeding, sexual reproduction, hygienic behavior), thus considerably extending the initial definition of “bitter” tasting.

Excitation and inhibition onto central courtship neurons biases Drosophila mate choice

The ability to distinguish males from females is essential for productive mate selection and species propagation. Recent studies in Drosophila have identified different classes of contact chemosensory neurons that detect female or male pheromones and influence courtship decisions. Here, we examine central neural pathways in the male brain that process female and male pheromones using anatomical, calcium imaging, optogenetic, and behavioral studies. We find that sensory neurons that detect female pheromones, but not male pheromones, activate a novel class of neurons in the ventral nerve cord to cause activation of P1 neurons, male-specific command neurons that trigger courtship. In addition, sensory neurons that detect male pheromones, as well as those that detect female pheromones, activate central mAL neurons to inhibit P1. These studies demonstrate that the balance of excitatory and inhibitory drives onto central courtship-promoting neurons controls mating decisions.

Multimodal Chemosensory Circuits Controlling Male Courtship in Drosophila

Throughout the animal kingdom, internal states generate long-lasting and self-perpetuating chains of behavior. In Drosophila, males instinctively pursue females with a lengthy and elaborate courtship ritual triggered by activation of sexually dimorphic P1 interneurons. Gustatory pheromones are thought to activate P1 neurons but the circuit mechanisms that dictate their sensory responses to gate entry into courtship remain unknown. Here, we use circuit mapping and in vivo functional imaging techniques to trace gustatory and olfactory pheromone circuits to their point of convergence onto P1 neurons and reveal how their combined input underlies selective tuning to appropriate sexual partners. We identify inhibition, even in response to courtship-promoting pheromones, as a key circuit element that tunes and tempers P1 neuron activity. Our results suggest a circuit mechanism in which balanced excitation and inhibition underlie discrimination of prospective mates and stringently regulate the transition to courtship in Drosophila.

Pheromone processing in Drosophila

Understanding how sensory stimuli are processed in the brain to instruct appropriate behavior is a fundamental question in neuroscience. Drosophila has become a powerful model system to address this problem. Recent advances in characterizing the circuits underlying pheromone processing have put the field in a position to follow the transformation of these chemical signals all the way from the sensory periphery to decision making and motor output. Here we describe the latest advances, outline emerging principles of pheromone processing and discuss future questions.

Evolved differences in larval social behavior mediated by novel pheromones

Pheromones, chemical signals that convey social information, mediate many insect social behaviors, including navigation and aggregation. Several studies have suggested that behavior during the immature larval stages of Drosophila development is influenced by pheromones, but none of these compounds or the pheromone-receptor neurons that sense them have been identified. Here we report a larval pheromone-signaling pathway. We found that larvae produce two novel long-chain fatty acids that are attractive to other larvae. We identified a single larval chemosensory neuron that detects these molecules. Two members of the pickpocket family of DEG/ENaC channel subunits (ppk23 and ppk29) are required to respond to these pheromones. This pheromone system is evolving quickly, since the larval exudates of D. simulans, the sister species of D. melanogaster, are not attractive to other larvae. Our results define a new pheromone signaling system in Drosophila that shares characteristics with pheromone systems in a wide diversity of insects.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04205.001

The release of chemical signals called pheromones is a common tactic used by animals in many social situations, such as to attract potential mates or to follow trails left by other members of their colony. Larvae of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster—a species commonly studied in the laboratory—gather together when sharing a food source and then cooperate in a way that may increase how efficiently they feed. It has been proposed that pheromones coordinate this behavior, but no larval pheromones had been identified.

Mast et al. noticed that Drosophila larvae crawling on a surface tended to occupy areas where other larvae had crawled before. This suggested that larvae had left attractive chemicals on the surface. Mast et al. identified two such substances by analyzing the chemicals left on the surface and then by testing the response of larvae to each compound.

Ultimately, Mast et al. found that a single sensory neuron in the larva is responsible for detecting these attractive chemical signals. Furthermore, two genes called pickpocket23 and pickpocket29 control this response. These genes were previously known for their roles in detecting sex pheromones, and they are members of a diverse family of calcium channel subunits that are involved in detecting multiple ‘sensory modalities’ such as touch and taste. When either pickpocket23 or pickpocket29 are inactivated, larvae ignore the social cues left by their neighbors.

Mast et al. also looked for an evolutionary role for these pheromones. Larvae of a closely related fly species called Drosophila simulans produce a subtly different blend of compounds to D. melanogaster, and this blend is not attractive to any of the species tested. While Drosophila simulans larvae were not attracted to the cues left by their own species, they were attracted to the pheromones produced by Drosophila melanogaster, indicating that they retain the sensory mechanisms to detect and respond to these pheromones. These results suggest that larvae experience a rapidly evolving, complex, pheromone-rich environment that may help them tailor their behavior to survive.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04205.002

An RNA-seq screen of the Drosophila antenna identifies a transporter necessary for ammonia detection

Many insect vectors of disease detect their hosts through olfactory cues, and thus it is of great interest to understand better how odors are encoded. However, little is known about the molecular underpinnings that support the unique function of coeloconic sensilla, an ancient and conserved class of sensilla that detect amines and acids, including components of human odor that are cues for many insect vectors. Here, we generate antennal transcriptome databases both for wild type Drosophila and for a mutant that lacks coeloconic sensilla. We use these resources to identify genes whose expression is highly enriched in coeloconic sensilla, including many genes not previously implicated in olfaction. Among them, we identify an ammonium transporter gene that is essential for ammonia responses in a class of coeloconic olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs), but is not required for responses to other odorants. Surprisingly, the transporter is not expressed in ORNs, but rather in neighboring auxiliary cells. Thus, our data reveal an unexpected non-cell autonomous role for a component that is essential to the olfactory response to ammonia. The defective response observed in a Drosophila mutant of this gene is rescued by its Anopheles ortholog, and orthologs are found in virtually all insect species examined, suggesting that its role is conserved. Taken together, our results provide a quantitative analysis of gene expression in the primary olfactory organ of Drosophila, identify molecular components of an ancient class of olfactory sensilla, and reveal that auxiliary cells, and not simply ORNs, play an essential role in the coding of an odor that is a critical host cue for many insect vectors of human disease.

Olfaction underlies the attraction of insect pests and vectors of disease to their plant and human hosts. In the genetic model insect Drosophila, the neuronal basis of odor coding has been extensively analyzed in the antenna, its major olfactory organ, but the molecular basis of odor coding has not. Additionally, there has been little analysis of any olfactory cells other than neurons. We have undertaken a comprehensive and quantitative analysis of gene expression in the Drosophila antenna. This analysis revealed a surprisingly broad dynamic range of odor receptor and odor binding protein expression, and unexpected expression of taste receptor genes. Further analysis identified 250 genes that are expressed at reduced levels in a mutant lacking an evolutionarily ancient class of sensilla, antennal hairs housing neurons that respond to human odors. One of these genes, a transporter, is expressed in non-neuronal cells but is essential to the response of a neuron to ammonia, a key cue for insect vectors of disease. A mutation in this transporter can be rescued by its mosquito homolog. While many studies of sensory coding consider the neural circuit in isolation, our analysis reveals an essential role for an auxiliary cell.

The comprehensive analysis of DEG/ENaC subunits in Hydra reveals a large variety of peptide-gated channels, potentially involved in neuromuscular transmission

Background

It is generally the case that fast transmission at neural synapses is mediated by small molecule neurotransmitters. The simple nervous system of the cnidarian Hydra, however, contains a large repertoire of neuropeptides and it has been suggested that neuropeptides are the principal transmitters of Hydra. An ion channel directly gated by Hydra-RFamide neuropeptides has indeed been identified in Hydra – the Hydra Na⁺ channel (HyNaC) 2/3/5, which is expressed at the oral side of the tentacle base. Hydra-RFamides are more widely expressed, however, being found in neurons of the head and peduncle region. Here, we explore whether further peptide-gated HyNaCs exist, where in the animal they are expressed, and whether they are all gated by Hydra-RFamides.

Results

We report molecular cloning of seven new HyNaC subunits – HyNaC6 to HyNaC12, all of which are members of the DEG/ENaC gene family. In Xenopus oocytes, these subunits assemble together with the four already known subunits into thirteen different ion channels that are directly gated by Hydra-RFamide neuropeptides with high affinity (up to 40 nM). In situ hybridization suggests that HyNaCs are expressed in epitheliomuscular cells at the oral and the aboral side of the tentacle base and at the peduncle. Moreover, diminazene, an inhibitor of HyNaCs, delayed tentacle movement in live Hydra.

Conclusions

Our results show that Hydra has a large variety of peptide-gated ion channels that are activated by a restricted number of related neuropeptides. The existence and expression pattern of these channels, and behavioral effects induced by channel blockers, suggests that Hydra co-opted neuropeptides for fast neuromuscular transmission.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12915-014-0084-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

How food controls aggression in Drosophila

How animals use sensory information to weigh the risks vs. benefits of behavioral decisions remains poorly understood. Inter-male aggression is triggered when animals perceive both the presence of an appetitive resource, such as food or females, and of competing conspecific males. How such signals are detected and integrated to control the decision to fight is not clear. For instance, it is unclear whether food increases aggression directly, or as a secondary consequence of increased social interactions caused by attraction to food. Here we use the vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster, to investigate the manner by which food influences aggression. We show that food promotes aggression in flies, and that it does so independently of any effect on frequency of contact between males, increase in locomotor activity or general enhancement of social interactions. Importantly, the level of aggression depends on the absolute amount of food, rather than on its surface area or concentration. When food resources exceed a certain level, aggression is diminished, suggestive of reduced competition. Finally, we show that detection of sugar via Gr5a+ gustatory receptor neurons (GRNs) is necessary for food-promoted aggression. These data demonstrate that food exerts a specific effect to promote aggression in male flies, and that this effect is mediated, at least in part, by sweet-sensing GRNs.

The Drosophila IR20a clade of ionotropic receptors are candidate taste and pheromone receptors

Insects use taste to evaluate food, hosts, and mates. Drosophila has many "orphan" taste neurons that express no known taste receptors. The Ionotropic Receptor (IR) superfamily is best known for its role in olfaction, but virtually nothing is known about a clade of ∼35 members, the IR20a clade. Here, a comprehensive analysis of this clade reveals expression in all taste organs of the fly. Some members are expressed in orphan taste neurons, whereas others are coexpressed with bitter- or sugar-sensing Gustatory receptor (Gr) genes. Analysis of the closely related IR52c and IR52d genes reveals signatures of adaptive evolution, roles in male mating behavior, and sexually dimorphic expression in neurons of the male foreleg, which contacts females during courtship. These neurons are activated by conspecific females and contact a neural circuit for sexual behavior. Together, these results greatly expand the repertoire of candidate taste and pheromone receptors in the fly.

The genetics of chemoreception in the labella and tarsi of Aedes aegypti

The yellow-fever mosquito Aedes aegypti is a major vector of human diseases, such as dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya and West Nile viruses. Chemoreceptor organs on the labella and tarsi are involved in human host evaluation and thus serve as potential foci for the disruption of blood feeding behavior. In addition to host detection, these contact chemoreceptors mediate feeding, oviposition and conspecific recognition; however, the molecular landscape of chemoreception in these tissues remains mostly uncharacterized. Here we report the expression profile of all putative chemoreception genes in the labella and tarsi of both sexes of adult Ae. aegypti and discuss their possible roles in the physiology and behavior of this important disease vector.

Genetic identification and separation of innate and experience-dependent courtship behaviors in Drosophila

Wild-type D. melanogaster males innately possess the ability to perform a multistep courtship ritual to conspecific females. The potential for this behavior is specified by the male-specific products of the fruitless (fru(M)) gene; males without fru(M) do not court females when held in isolation. We show that such fru(M) null males acquire the potential for courtship when grouped with other flies; they apparently learn to court flies with which they were grouped, irrespective of sex or species and retain this behavior for at least a week. The male-specific product of the doublesex gene (dsx(M)) is necessary and sufficient for the acquisition of the potential for such experience-dependent courtship. These results reveal a process that builds, via dsx(M) and social experience, the potential for a more flexible sexual behavior, which could be evolutionarily conserved as dsx-related genes that function in sexual development are found throughout the animal kingdom.

Drosophila pheromone-sensing neurons expressing the ppk25 ion channel subunit stimulate male courtship and female receptivity

As in many species, gustatory pheromones regulate the mating behavior of Drosophila. Recently, several ppk genes, encoding ion channel subunits of the DEG/ENaC family, have been implicated in this process, leading to the identification of gustatory neurons that detect specific pheromones. In a subset of taste hairs on the legs of Drosophila, there are two ppk23-expressing, pheromone-sensing neurons with complementary response profiles; one neuron detects female pheromones that stimulate male courtship, the other detects male pheromones that inhibit male-male courtship. In contrast to ppk23, ppk25, is only expressed in a single gustatory neuron per taste hair, and males with impaired ppk25 function court females at reduced rates but do not display abnormal courtship of other males. These findings raised the possibility that ppk25 expression defines a subset of pheromone-sensing neurons. Here we show that ppk25 is expressed and functions in neurons that detect female-specific pheromones and mediates their stimulatory effect on male courtship. Furthermore, the role of ppk25 and ppk25-expressing neurons is not restricted to responses to female-specific pheromones. ppk25 is also required in the same subset of neurons for stimulation of male courtship by young males, males of the Tai2 strain, and by synthetic 7-pentacosene (7-P), a hydrocarbon normally found at low levels in both males and females. Finally, we unexpectedly find that, in females, ppk25 and ppk25-expressing cells regulate receptivity to mating. In the absence of the third antennal segment, which has both olfactory and auditory functions, mutations in ppk25 or silencing of ppk25-expressing neurons block female receptivity to males. Together these results indicate that ppk25 identifies a functionally specialized subset of pheromone-sensing neurons. While ppk25 neurons are required for the responses to multiple pheromones, in both males and females these neurons are specifically involved in stimulating courtship and mating.

Neuroethology of male courtship in Drosophila: from the gene to behavior

Neurogenetic analyses in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster revealed that gendered behaviors, including courtship, are underpinned by sexually dimorphic neural circuitries, whose development is directed in a sex-specific manner by transcription factor genes, fruitless (fru) and doublesex (dsx), two core members composing the sex-determination cascade. Via chromatin modification the Fru proteins translated specifically in the male nervous system lead the fru-expressing neurons to take on the male fate, as manifested by their male-specific survival or male-specific neurite formations. One such male-specific neuron group, P1, was shown to be activated when the male taps the female abdomen. Moreover, when artificially activated, P1 neurons are sufficient to induce the entire repertoire of the male courtship ritual. These studies provide a conceptual framework for understanding how the genetic code for innate behavior can be embodied in the neuronal substrate.