2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Neural mechanism of regulation in reproductive behavior during sexual maturation in Drosophila females
Project/Area Number |
15K07141
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Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
Section | 一般 |
Research Field |
Animal physiology/Animal behavior
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Research Institution | Hokkaido University of Education |
Principal Investigator |
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Project Period (FY) |
2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
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Keywords | 昆虫 / 行動学 / 脳・神経 / 遺伝子 / ショウジョウバエ / 成熟 / 生殖行動 / ドーパミン |
Outline of Final Research Achievements |
In Drosophila, a female exhibits a typical repertoire of reproductive behavior. After copulation, the mated female lays eggs, at which she bends her abdomen downward and inserts the ovipositor into the substrate. A sex determination factor, doublesex (dsx), establishes the neural circuitry underlying the female reproductive behavior. Here, we will address whether dopaminergic neurons modulate the reproductive behavior. A pale gene encodes tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme for dopamine synthesis. Activation of all pale-expressing neurons induced reproductive behavior in females. Also, activation of neurons co-expressing dsx and Dopamine receptors such as DopR or DopR2 induced parts of the reproductive behavior. Dopaminergic (pale-expressing) neurons possibly modulate the distinct sets of abdominal dsx-expressing neurons through the specific expression of the dopamine receptor, DopR or DopR2, that regulates the different elements of female reproductive behavior.
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Free Research Field |
生物学
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