Neural circuitry coordinating male copulation
Copulation is the goal of the courtship process, crucial to reproductive success and evolutionary fitness. Identifying the circuitry underlying copulation is a necessary step towards understanding universal principles of circuit operation, and how circuit elements are recruited into the production o...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2016-11-01
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| Series: | eLife |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/20713 |
| _version_ | 1811227430371721216 |
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| author | Hania J Pavlou Andrew C Lin Megan C Neville Tetsuya Nojima Fengqiu Diao Brian E Chen Benjamin H White Stephen F Goodwin |
| author_facet | Hania J Pavlou Andrew C Lin Megan C Neville Tetsuya Nojima Fengqiu Diao Brian E Chen Benjamin H White Stephen F Goodwin |
| author_sort | Hania J Pavlou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Copulation is the goal of the courtship process, crucial to reproductive success and evolutionary fitness. Identifying the circuitry underlying copulation is a necessary step towards understanding universal principles of circuit operation, and how circuit elements are recruited into the production of ordered action sequences. Here, we identify key sex-specific neurons that mediate copulation in Drosophila, and define a sexually dimorphic motor circuit in the male abdominal ganglion that mediates the action sequence of initiating and terminating copulation. This sexually dimorphic circuit composed of three neuronal classes – motor neurons, interneurons and mechanosensory neurons – controls the mechanics of copulation. By correlating the connectivity, function and activity of these neurons we have determined the logic for how this circuitry is coordinated to generate this male-specific behavior, and sets the stage for a circuit-level dissection of active sensing and modulation of copulatory behavior. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T09:42:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7aab1b120ecf4da089948cc9354f7f83 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-084X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T09:42:25Z |
| publishDate | 2016-11-01 |
| publisher | eLife Sciences Publications Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | eLife |
| spelling | doaj.art-7aab1b120ecf4da089948cc9354f7f832022-12-22T03:38:03ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2016-11-01510.7554/eLife.20713Neural circuitry coordinating male copulationHania J Pavlou0Andrew C Lin1Megan C Neville2Tetsuya Nojima3Fengqiu Diao4Brian E Chen5Benjamin H White6Stephen F Goodwin7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0552-4140Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, United KingdomCentre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United KingdomCentre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, United KingdomCentre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, United KingdomLaboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, United StatesDepartment of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Canada; Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, CanadaLaboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, United StatesCentre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, United KingdomCopulation is the goal of the courtship process, crucial to reproductive success and evolutionary fitness. Identifying the circuitry underlying copulation is a necessary step towards understanding universal principles of circuit operation, and how circuit elements are recruited into the production of ordered action sequences. Here, we identify key sex-specific neurons that mediate copulation in Drosophila, and define a sexually dimorphic motor circuit in the male abdominal ganglion that mediates the action sequence of initiating and terminating copulation. This sexually dimorphic circuit composed of three neuronal classes – motor neurons, interneurons and mechanosensory neurons – controls the mechanics of copulation. By correlating the connectivity, function and activity of these neurons we have determined the logic for how this circuitry is coordinated to generate this male-specific behavior, and sets the stage for a circuit-level dissection of active sensing and modulation of copulatory behavior.https://elifesciences.org/articles/20713sexual behaviorsexual-dimorphismcopulationdoublesex |
| spellingShingle | Hania J Pavlou Andrew C Lin Megan C Neville Tetsuya Nojima Fengqiu Diao Brian E Chen Benjamin H White Stephen F Goodwin Neural circuitry coordinating male copulation eLife sexual behavior sexual-dimorphism copulation doublesex |
| title | Neural circuitry coordinating male copulation |
| title_full | Neural circuitry coordinating male copulation |
| title_fullStr | Neural circuitry coordinating male copulation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Neural circuitry coordinating male copulation |
| title_short | Neural circuitry coordinating male copulation |
| title_sort | neural circuitry coordinating male copulation |
| topic | sexual behavior sexual-dimorphism copulation doublesex |
| url | https://elifesciences.org/articles/20713 |
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