2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Sexually dimorphic neurons controlling female reproductive behavior in Drosophila
| Project/Area Number |
24570081
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Animal physiology/Animal behavior
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| Research Institution | Hokkaido University of Education |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
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| Keywords | 昆虫 / 行動学 / 脳・神経 / 遺伝子 / ショウジョウバエ / 性行動 / 生殖行動 / 性決定 |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
In Drosophila, sex-specific behavior should derive from sexually dimorphic neural circuitry in the CNS. Two sex determination factors, doublesex (dsx) and fruitless, establish in most sexual dimorphism in the CNS. Although dsx-expressing neurons have been shown to be involved in female reproductive behavior, the neural circuitry underlying the female behavior is poorly defined. We identified the sexually dimorphic and the female-specific neurons, two distinct classes of dsx-expressing neurons that can initiate ovipositor extension associated with rejection and oviposition behavior, respectively. The sexually dimorphic interneurons, which induce ovipositor extrusion for rejection in females, have homologues that control courtship behavior in males. This finding points to the intriguing possibility that the sexes share a mating command system, which drives distinct sets of lower-rung neurons to execute sexually dimorphic mating behavior.
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| Free Research Field |
生物学
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