Title: | A simple assay to study social behavior in Drosophila: measurement of social space within a group |
Author(s): | Simon AF; Chou MT; Salazar ED; Nicholson T; Saini N; Metchev S; Krantz DE; |
Address: | "Department of Biology, York College, City University of New York, 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., Jamaica, NY 11451, USA. asimon@york.cuny.edu" |
DOI: | 10.1111/j.1601-183X.2011.00740.x |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1601-183X (Electronic) 1601-1848 (Print) 1601-183X (Linking) |
Abstract: | "We have established a new simple behavioral paradigm in Drosophila melanogaster to determine how genes and the environment influence the behavior of flies within a social group. Specifically, we measure social space as the distance between two flies. The majority of Canton-s flies, regardless of their gender, are within two body lengths from each other. Their social experience affects this behavior, with social isolation reducing and mating enhancing social space respectively, in both males and females. Unlike several other social behaviors in the fly, including the formation of social groups themselves (a well-described behavior), social space does not require the perception of the previously identified aggregation pheromone cis-vaccenyl acetate. Conversely, performance of the assay in darkness or mutations in the eye pigmentation gene white increased social space. Our results establish a new assay for the genetic dissection of a fundamental mode of social interaction" |
Keywords: | Animals *Drosophila Female Male *Social Behavior Social Environment; |
Notes: | "MedlineSimon, A F Chou, M-T Salazar, E D Nicholson, T Saini, N Metchev, S Krantz, D E eng U54 MH068172-01/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/ T32-MH18399/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/ R01 MH076900/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/ U54 MH068172/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/ T32 MH018399/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/ T32 MH018399-13/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/ R01 MH076900-01A2/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/ Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2011/10/21 Genes Brain Behav. 2012 Mar; 11(2):243-52. doi: 10.1111/j.1601-183X.2011.00740.x. Epub 2011 Nov 23" |