Mating activates neuroendocrine pathways signaling hunger in Drosophila females
Mated females reallocate resources to offspring production, causing changes to nutritional requirements and challenges to energy homeostasis. Although observed across species, the neural and endocrine mechanisms that regulate the nutritional needs of mated females are not well understood. Here, we f...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2023-05-01
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| Series: | eLife |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/85117 |
| _version_ | 1797816559523069952 |
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| author | Meghan Laturney Gabriella R Sterne Kristin Scott |
| author_facet | Meghan Laturney Gabriella R Sterne Kristin Scott |
| author_sort | Meghan Laturney |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mated females reallocate resources to offspring production, causing changes to nutritional requirements and challenges to energy homeostasis. Although observed across species, the neural and endocrine mechanisms that regulate the nutritional needs of mated females are not well understood. Here, we find that mated Drosophila melanogaster females increase sugar intake, which is regulated by the activity of sexually dimorphic insulin receptor (Lgr3) neurons. In virgins, Lgr3+ cells have reduced activity as they receive inhibitory input from active, female-specific pCd-2 cells, restricting sugar intake. During copulation, males deposit sex peptide into the female reproductive tract, which silences a three-tier mating status circuit and initiates the female postmating response. We show that pCd-2 neurons also become silenced after mating due to the direct synaptic input from the mating status circuit. Thus, in mated females pCd-2 inhibition is attenuated, activating downstream Lgr3+ neurons and promoting sugar intake. Together, this circuit transforms the mated signal into a long-term hunger signal. Our results demonstrate that the mating circuit alters nutrient sensing centers to increase feeding in mated females, providing a mechanism to increase intake in anticipation of the energetic costs associated with reproduction. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T08:39:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e100317fa9334ece8563661204f401d2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-084X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T08:39:31Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | eLife Sciences Publications Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | eLife |
| spelling | doaj.art-e100317fa9334ece8563661204f401d22023-05-30T16:25:30ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2023-05-011210.7554/eLife.85117Mating activates neuroendocrine pathways signaling hunger in Drosophila femalesMeghan Laturney0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6428-5565Gabriella R Sterne1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7221-648XKristin Scott2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3150-7210University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United StatesUniversity of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United StatesUniversity of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United StatesMated females reallocate resources to offspring production, causing changes to nutritional requirements and challenges to energy homeostasis. Although observed across species, the neural and endocrine mechanisms that regulate the nutritional needs of mated females are not well understood. Here, we find that mated Drosophila melanogaster females increase sugar intake, which is regulated by the activity of sexually dimorphic insulin receptor (Lgr3) neurons. In virgins, Lgr3+ cells have reduced activity as they receive inhibitory input from active, female-specific pCd-2 cells, restricting sugar intake. During copulation, males deposit sex peptide into the female reproductive tract, which silences a three-tier mating status circuit and initiates the female postmating response. We show that pCd-2 neurons also become silenced after mating due to the direct synaptic input from the mating status circuit. Thus, in mated females pCd-2 inhibition is attenuated, activating downstream Lgr3+ neurons and promoting sugar intake. Together, this circuit transforms the mated signal into a long-term hunger signal. Our results demonstrate that the mating circuit alters nutrient sensing centers to increase feeding in mated females, providing a mechanism to increase intake in anticipation of the energetic costs associated with reproduction.https://elifesciences.org/articles/85117nutritionmating statusfeedingcircuitsinsulinneuroendocrine pathways |
| spellingShingle | Meghan Laturney Gabriella R Sterne Kristin Scott Mating activates neuroendocrine pathways signaling hunger in Drosophila females eLife nutrition mating status feeding circuits insulin neuroendocrine pathways |
| title | Mating activates neuroendocrine pathways signaling hunger in Drosophila females |
| title_full | Mating activates neuroendocrine pathways signaling hunger in Drosophila females |
| title_fullStr | Mating activates neuroendocrine pathways signaling hunger in Drosophila females |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mating activates neuroendocrine pathways signaling hunger in Drosophila females |
| title_short | Mating activates neuroendocrine pathways signaling hunger in Drosophila females |
| title_sort | mating activates neuroendocrine pathways signaling hunger in drosophila females |
| topic | nutrition mating status feeding circuits insulin neuroendocrine pathways |
| url | https://elifesciences.org/articles/85117 |
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