What does the fruitless gene tell us about nature vs. nurture in the sex life of Drosophila?. Issue 2 (3rd April 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yamamoto, Daisuke; Kohatsu, Soh
• Is Part Of: Fly. Volume 11:Issue 2(2017)
• Page Start: 139
• Page End: 147
• Publication Date: 2017-04-03
• Subjects: behavioral plasticity -- courtship -- fruitless -- Or47b -- olfaction -- vision; Drosophila -- Periodicals; 595.77
• DOI: 10.1080/19336934.2016.1263778
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1933-6934

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The fruitless ( fru ) gene in Drosophila has been proposed to play a master regulator role in the formation of neural circuitries for male courtship behavior, which is typically considered to be an innate behavior composed of a fixed action pattern as generated by the central pattern generator. However, recent studies have shed light on experience-dependent changes and sensory-input-guided plasticity in courtship behavior. For example, enhanced male-male courtship, a fru mutant "hallmark, " disappears when fru -mutant males are raised in isolation. The fact that neural fru expression is induced by neural activities in the adult invites the supposition that Fru as a chromatin regulator mediates experience-dependent epigenetic modification, which underlies the neural and behavioral plasticity.