Voila, a new Drosophila courtship variant that affects the nervous system: behavioral, neural, and genetic characterization
Résumé
In Drosophila melanogaster, a specific PGAL4 transposon induces the Voila1 genetic variant and produces multiple phenotypes. Homozygous Voila1/1 flies rarely reach adulthood, whereas heterozygous Voila1/+ adult males show strong bisexual behavior. Males with a single copy of Voila1 driving the feminizing transgene UAS-transformer show very reduced sexual activity but no overall effect on their behavior. Voila1 is specifically expressed in the nervous system. In the CNS, it is expressed mainly in the mushroom bodies and, to a lesser extent, in the antennal lobes. In the peripheral nervous system, GAL4 expression is almost entirely restricted to the gustatory sensilla. Using chromosomal deficiencies, the behavioral alteration was genetically mapped to the same location as the PGAL4 element (86E1-2). The multiple behavioral effects of the Voila genetic variant are discussed in light of its expression in the nervous system and its genetic basis.
Mots clés
Animals
Brain Chemistry/physiology
Chromosome Mapping
Chromosomes
Courtship
DNA Transposable Elements/physiology
Drosophila melanogaster/*genetics
Extremities
Female
Ganglia
Invertebrate/chemistry
Gene Expression/physiology
Genes
Insect/*physiology
Lac Operon
Male
Peripheral Nervous System/chemistry
Pheromones/physiology
Sex Determination (Genetics)
Wing