Mating alters gene expression patterns in <it>Drosophila melanogaster </it>male heads

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Behavior is a complex process resulting from the integration of genetic and environmental information. <it>Drosophila melanogaster </it>rely on multiple sensory modalities for reproductive success, and mating causes physi...

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Main Authors: Ellis Lisa L, Carney Ginger E
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2010-10-01
Series:BMC Genomics
Online Access:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2164/11/558
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author Ellis Lisa L
Carney Ginger E
author_facet Ellis Lisa L
Carney Ginger E
author_sort Ellis Lisa L
collection DOAJ
description <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Behavior is a complex process resulting from the integration of genetic and environmental information. <it>Drosophila melanogaster </it>rely on multiple sensory modalities for reproductive success, and mating causes physiological changes in both sexes that affect reproductive output or behavior. Some of these effects are likely mediated by changes in gene expression. Courtship and mating alter female transcript profiles, but it is not known how mating affects male gene expression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We used <it>Drosophila </it>genome arrays to identify changes in gene expression profiles that occur in mated male heads. Forty-seven genes differed between mated and control heads 2 hrs post mating. Many mating-responsive genes are highly expressed in non-neural head tissues, including an adipose tissue called the fat body. One fat body-enriched gene, <it>female-specific independent of transformer </it>(<it>fit</it>), is a downstream target of the somatic sex-determination hierarchy, a genetic pathway that regulates <it>Drosophila</it> reproductive behaviors as well as expression of some fat-expressed genes; three other mating-responsive loci are also downstream components of this pathway. Another mating-responsive gene expressed in fat, <it>Juvenile hormone esterase </it>(<it>Jhe</it>), is necessary for robust male courtship behavior and mating success.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our study demonstrates that mating causes changes in male head gene expression profiles and supports an increasing body of work implicating adipose signaling in behavior modulation. Since several mating-induced genes are sex-determination hierarchy target genes, additional mating-responsive loci may be downstream components of this pathway as well.</p>
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spelling doaj.art-9201f9cb350849ceb26e69f2e1125f1e2022-12-22T01:44:28ZengBMCBMC Genomics1471-21642010-10-0111155810.1186/1471-2164-11-558Mating alters gene expression patterns in <it>Drosophila melanogaster </it>male headsEllis Lisa LCarney Ginger E<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Behavior is a complex process resulting from the integration of genetic and environmental information. <it>Drosophila melanogaster </it>rely on multiple sensory modalities for reproductive success, and mating causes physiological changes in both sexes that affect reproductive output or behavior. Some of these effects are likely mediated by changes in gene expression. Courtship and mating alter female transcript profiles, but it is not known how mating affects male gene expression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We used <it>Drosophila </it>genome arrays to identify changes in gene expression profiles that occur in mated male heads. Forty-seven genes differed between mated and control heads 2 hrs post mating. Many mating-responsive genes are highly expressed in non-neural head tissues, including an adipose tissue called the fat body. One fat body-enriched gene, <it>female-specific independent of transformer </it>(<it>fit</it>), is a downstream target of the somatic sex-determination hierarchy, a genetic pathway that regulates <it>Drosophila</it> reproductive behaviors as well as expression of some fat-expressed genes; three other mating-responsive loci are also downstream components of this pathway. Another mating-responsive gene expressed in fat, <it>Juvenile hormone esterase </it>(<it>Jhe</it>), is necessary for robust male courtship behavior and mating success.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our study demonstrates that mating causes changes in male head gene expression profiles and supports an increasing body of work implicating adipose signaling in behavior modulation. Since several mating-induced genes are sex-determination hierarchy target genes, additional mating-responsive loci may be downstream components of this pathway as well.</p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2164/11/558
spellingShingle Ellis Lisa L
Carney Ginger E
Mating alters gene expression patterns in <it>Drosophila melanogaster </it>male heads
BMC Genomics
title Mating alters gene expression patterns in <it>Drosophila melanogaster </it>male heads
title_full Mating alters gene expression patterns in <it>Drosophila melanogaster </it>male heads
title_fullStr Mating alters gene expression patterns in <it>Drosophila melanogaster </it>male heads
title_full_unstemmed Mating alters gene expression patterns in <it>Drosophila melanogaster </it>male heads
title_short Mating alters gene expression patterns in <it>Drosophila melanogaster </it>male heads
title_sort mating alters gene expression patterns in it drosophila melanogaster it male heads
url http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2164/11/558
work_keys_str_mv AT ellislisal matingaltersgeneexpressionpatternsinitdrosophilamelanogasteritmaleheads
AT carneygingere matingaltersgeneexpressionpatternsinitdrosophilamelanogasteritmaleheads