First published online December 8, 2004
Development 132, 105e (2005)
© The Company of Biologists Limited
A dead ringer for fly romance
Drosophila, like many creatures, indulge in gender-specific
behaviours during courtship, behaviours that are often the result of
sex-specific differences in the central nervous system. On
p. 155, in a genetic
screen for female behavioural mutants, Ditch and colleagues have identified
retained/dead ringer (retn) as important for the development
of the sexual behaviour of female flies. retn mutant females resist
courtship and show fru-independent male-like behaviours
(male-specific versions of fruitless (fru) determine many
aspects of fly male courtship). Conversely, male retn mutants court
normally. The researchers discover that mushroom body, photoreceptor and
suboesophageal neurons form aberrant projections in retn mutant
flies, indicating that retn affects the development of sex-specific
neurons. The researchers propose that in female flies retn represses
the development of the neuronal circuitry needed for male-like courtship; in
male flies, fru expression overcomes this
repression.
Related articles in Development:
- Drosophila retained/dead ringer is necessary for neuronal pathfinding, female receptivity and repression of fruitless independent male courtship behaviors
- Lynn M. Ditch, Troy Shirangi, Jeffrey L. Pitman, Kristin L. Latham, Kim D. Finley, Philip T. Edeen, Barbara J. Taylor, and Michael McKeown
Development 2005 132: 155-164.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
