@article {6957,
	title = {A small subset of fruitless subesophageal neurons modulate early courtship in Drosophila.},
	journal = {PLoS One},
	volume = {9},
	year = {2014},
	month = {2014 Apr 16},
	pages = {e95472},
	abstract = {<p>We show that a small subset of two to six subesophageal neurons, expressing the male products of the male courtship master regulator gene products fruitlessMale (fruM), are required in the early stages of the Drosophila melanogaster male courtship behavioral program. Loss of fruM expression or inhibition of synaptic transmission in these fruM(+) neurons results in delayed courtship initiation and a failure to progress to copulation primarily under visually-deficient conditions. We identify a fruM-dependent sexually dimorphic arborization in the tritocerebrum made by two of these neurons. Furthermore, these SOG neurons extend descending projections to the thorax and abdominal ganglia. These anatomical and functional characteristics place these neurons in the position to integrate gustatory and higher-order signals in order to properly initiate and progress through early courtship.</p>
},
	issn = {1932-6203},
	doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0095472},
	author = {Tran, David H and Meissner, Geoffrey W and French, Rachael L and Baker, Bruce S}
}
@article {3359,
	title = {Functional dissection of the neural substrates for sexual behaviors in Drosophila melanogaster.},
	journal = {Genetics},
	volume = {189},
	year = {2011},
	month = {2011 Jun 24},
	pages = {195-211},
	abstract = {<p>The male-specific Fruitless proteins (Fru(M)) act to establish the potential for male courtship behavior in Drosophila melanogaster and are expressed in small groups of neurons throughout the nervous system. We screened \&nbsp;1000 GAL4 lines, using assays for general courtship, male-male interactions, and male fertility to determine the phenotypes resulting from the GAL4 driven inhibition of Fru(M) expression in subsets of these neurons. A battery of secondary assays showed that the phenotypic classes of GAL4 lines could be divided into subgroups based on additional neurobiological and behavioral criteria. For example, in some lines restoration of Fru(M) expression in cholinergic neurons restores fertility or reduces male-male courtship. Persistent chains of males courting each other in some lines results from males courting both sexes indiscriminately whereas in other lines this phenotype result from apparent habituation deficits. Inhibition of ectopic Fru(M) expression in females, in populations of neurons where Fru(M) is necessary for male fertility, can rescue female infertility. To identify the neurons responsible for some of the observed behavioral alterations, we determined the overlap between the identified GAL4 lines and endogenous Fru(M) expression in lines with fertility defects. The GAL4 lines causing fertility defects generally had widespread overlap with Fru(M) expression in many regions of the nervous system suggesting likely redundant Fru(M)-expressing neuronal pathways capable of conferring male fertility. From associations between the screened behaviors, we propose a functional model for courtship initiation.</p>
},
	issn = {1943-2631},
	doi = {10.1534/genetics.111.129940},
	author = {Meissner, Geoffrey W and Manoli, Devanand S and Chavez, Jose F and Knapp, Jon-Michael and Lin, Tasha L and Stevens, Robin J and Mellert, David J and Tran, David H and Baker, Bruce S}
}
