Hormonal control of the activity in neural circuit underlining the female reproductive behavior in Drosophila

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K06326
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 44050:Animal physiological chemistry, physiology and behavioral biology-related
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University of Education
• Principal Investigator: Kimura Ken-ichi 北海道教育大学, 教育学部, 教授 (80214873)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 昆虫 / キイロショウジョウバエ / 生殖行動 / ホルモン / 性成熟

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In Drosophila female, 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. Dopaminergic neurons modulate the reproductive behavior. Activation of neurons co-expressing dsx and Dopamine receptors such as DopR or DopR2 induced the oviposition posture in females. This induction of the female reproductive behavior appeared frequently after eclosion. The increases of the induction of female reproductive behavior were inhibited by the knockdown of Juvenile hormone (JH) receptors, Met and gce. These results imply that the activation of neural circuit underlining the female reproductive behavior is regulated by JH hormone with sexual maturation after eclosion.

Free Research Field

動物生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

性成熟に伴って、動物の個体の行動パターンに変化が生じることは古くから知られている。本研究において、キイロショウジョウバエの雌ではドーパミンにより修飾される性決定遺伝子羽化を発現するニューロン回路網が、羽化後幼若ホルモンJHの作用により変化し、成熟に伴う産卵行動の発現が調節されていることが示唆された。動物の個体の成長・発達に伴って行動パターンが変化する仕組みの一端を明らかにすることができた。