| Title: | The fruitless gene affects female receptivity and species isolation |
| Author(s): | Chowdhury T; Calhoun RM; Bruch K; Moehring AJ; |
| Address: | "Department of Biology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1471-2954 (Electronic) 0962-8452 (Print) 0962-8452 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Female mate rejection acts as a major selective force within species, and can serve as a reproductive barrier between species. In spite of its critical role in fitness and reproduction, surprisingly little is known about the genetic or neural basis of variation in female mate choice. Here, we identify fruitless as a gene affecting female receptivity within Drosophila melanogaster, as well as female Drosophila simulans rejection of male D. melanogaster. Of the multiple transcripts this gene produces, by far the most widely studied is the sex-specifically spliced transcript involved in the sex determination pathway. However, we find that female rejection behaviour is affected by a non-sex-specifically spliced fruitless transcript. This is the first implication of fruitless in female behaviour, and the first behavioural role identified for a fruitless non-sex-specifically spliced transcript. We found that this locus does not influence preferences via a single sensory modality, examining courtship song, antennal pheromone perception, or perception of substrate vibrations, and we conclude that fruitless influences mate choice via the integration of multiple signals or through another sensory modality" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Courtship Drosophila Proteins/genetics Drosophila melanogaster/*genetics Female Male Sexual Behavior, Animal/*physiology Drosophila melanogaster Drosophila simulans behavioural isolation fruitless prezygotic isolation speciation;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineChowdhury, Tabashir Calhoun, Ryan M Bruch, Katrina Moehring, Amanda J eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2020/03/27 Proc Biol Sci. 2020 Mar 25; 287(1923):20192765. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2765. Epub 2020 Mar 25" |
