@article {2469, title = {Sex in flies: what {\textquoteright}body{\textendash}mind{\textquoteright} dichotomy?}, journal = {Developmental Biology}, volume = {306}, year = {2007}, month = {2007 Jun 1}, pages = {10-9}, abstract = {

Sexual behavior in Drosophila results from interactions of multiple neural and genetic pathways. Male-specific fruitless (fruM) is a major component inducing male behaviors, but recent work indicates key roles for other sex-specific and sex-non-specific components. Notably, male-like courtship by retained (retn) mutant females reveals an intrinsic pathway for male behavior independent of fruM, while behavioral differences between males and females with equal levels of fruM expression indicate involvement of another sex-specific component. Indeed, sex-specific products of doublesex (dsxF and dsxM), that control sexual differentiation of the body, also contribute to sexual behavior and neural development of both sexes. In addition, the single product of the dissatisfaction (dsf) gene is needed for appropriate behavior in both sexes, implying additional complexities and levels of control. The genetic mechanisms controlling sexual behavior are similar to those controlling body sexual development, suggesting biological advantages of modifying an intermediate intrinsic pathway in generation of two substantially different behavioral or morphological states.

}, keywords = {Animal, Animals, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear, Drosophila, Drosophila Proteins, Female, Genes, Insect, Male, Microtubule-Associated Proteins, Nerve Tissue Proteins, Neurons, Neuropeptides, Receptors, Sex, Sexual Behavior, Transcription Factors}, issn = {0012-1606}, doi = {10.1016/j.ydbio.2007.03.022}, author = {Shirangi, Troy R and McKeown, Michael} } @article {2470, title = {A double-switch system regulates male courtship behavior in male and female Drosophila melanogaster.}, journal = {Nature Genetics}, volume = {38}, year = {2006}, month = {2006 Dec}, pages = {1435-9}, abstract = {

Current models describe male-specific fruitless (fruM) as a genetic {\textquoteright}switch{\textquoteright} regulating sexual behavior in Drosophila melanogaster, and they postulate that female (F) and male (M) doublesex (dsx) products control body sexual morphology. In contradiction to this simple model, we show that dsx, as well as fruM and non-sex-specific retained (retn), affect both male and female sexual behaviors. In females, both retn and dsxF contribute to female receptivity, and both genes act to repress male-like courtship activity in the presence or absence of fruM. In males, consistent with the opposing functions of dsxM and dsxF, dsxM acts as a positive factor for male courtship. retn also acts counter to fruM in the development of the male-specific muscle of Lawrence. Molecularly, retn seems to regulate sexual behavior via a previously described complex that represses zerknullt. Thus, we show that fru and dsx together act as a {\textquoteright}switch{\textquoteright} system regulating behavior in the context of other developmental genes, such as retn.

}, keywords = {Animal, Animals, DNA-Binding Proteins, Drosophila melanogaster, Drosophila Proteins, Female, Gene Expression Regulation, Genes, Homeodomain Proteins, Insect, Male, Mutation, Nerve Tissue Proteins, Nuclear Proteins, Phenotype, Sexual Behavior, Transcription Factors}, issn = {1061-4036}, doi = {10.1038/ng1908}, author = {Shirangi, Troy R and Taylor, Barbara J and McKeown, Michael} } @article {2471, title = {Drosophila retained/dead ringer is necessary for neuronal pathfinding, female receptivity and repression of fruitless independent male courtship behaviors.}, journal = {Development}, volume = {132}, year = {2005}, month = {2005 Jan}, pages = {155-64}, abstract = {

Mutations in the Drosophila retained/dead ringer (retn) gene lead to female behavioral defects and alter a limited set of neurons in the CNS. retn is implicated as a major repressor of male courtship behavior in the absence of the fruitless (fru) male protein. retn females show fru-independent male-like courtship of males and females, and are highly resistant to courtship by males. Males mutant for retn court with normal parameters, although feminization of retn cells in males induces bisexuality. Alternatively spliced RNAs appear in the larval and pupal CNS, but none shows sex specificity. Post-embryonically, retn RNAs are expressed in a limited set of neurons in the CNS and eyes. Neural defects of retn mutant cells include mushroom body beta-lobe fusion and pathfinding errors by photoreceptor and subesophageal neurons. We posit that some of these retn-expressing cells function to repress a male behavioral pathway activated by fruM.

}, keywords = {Alternative Splicing, Animal, Animals, Behavior, Central Nervous System, Complementary, Crosses, DNA, Drosophila melanogaster, Drosophila Proteins, Female, Genetic, Homeodomain Proteins, Male, Mice, Models, Mutation, Nerve Tissue Proteins, Neurons, Nuclear Proteins, Point Mutation, Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction, RNA, Sequence Analysis, Sex Factors, Sexual Behavior, Transcription Factors}, issn = {0950-1991}, doi = {10.1242/dev.01568}, author = {Ditch, Lynn M and Shirangi, Troy and Pitman, Jeffrey L and Latham, Kristin L and Finley, Kim D and Edeen, Philip T and Taylor, Barbara J and McKeown, Michael} }