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First published online December 8, 2004

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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.

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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]  

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Related articles in Development Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?