dissatisfaction, a gene involved in sex-specific behavior and neural development of Drosophila melanogaster

摘要: Few mutations link well defined behaviors with individual neurons and the activity of specific genes. In Drosophila, recent evidence indicates presence a doublesex-independent pathway controlling sexual behavior neuronal differentiation. We have identified gene, dissatisfaction (dsf), that affects sex-specific courtship neural differentiation in both sexes without an associated general behavioral debilitation. Male female mutant animals exhibit abnormalities behaviors, suggesting requirement for dsf brain. Virgin females resist males during copulation fail to lay mature eggs. actively court attempt but are slow copulate because maladroit abdominal curling. Structural indicate role neurons. The egg-laying defect correlates absence motor innervation on uterine muscles, reduced curling alteration male ventral muscles. Epistasis experiments show acts tra-dependent dsx-independent manner, placing portion sex determination cascade.